2026 NFL Draft Prospects: Cornerback

8/12/25: In 2024, Jackson had 51 tackles with seven passes defended and two interceptions. Jackson has a good skill set and potential to rise. Jackson did not become the star he was expected to be at USC, but he could blossom at Alabama. He had 32 tackles with three passes defended in 2023.

8/12/25: McCoy had an excellent sophomore season with 44 tackles, four interceptions, and seven passes broken up. He played well in 2023 with 31 tackles, two interceptions, and seven breakups. McCoy is an instinctive corner with good ball skills and a willingness to tackle.

8/12/25: The younger brother of A.J. Terrell, Avieon had a good season for the Tigers in 2024. While Terrell is not big, he is a willing tackler and had 58 stops on the season. He had two interceptions and showed nice ball skills with 12 passes broken up. He also showed a great ability to do the ‘Peanut Punch’ with three forced fumbles. Terrell could stand to add some weight to his frame for the NFL, but he is an extremely fast cover corner who is superb at running the route and preventing separation.

8/12/25: Guilbeau showed impressive coverage skills in 2024, blanketing receivers to keep them from getting open. In 2024, he had 58 tackles with three passes broken up. Team sources that have done advance work on the 2026 class have been impressed with Gulbeau. He plays fast, is physical, has instincts, and has upside to develop for the NFL.

8/12/25: Jackson showed impressive cover corner ability for Boston College in 2024. He totaled one interception with five passes broken up and 21 tackles, but the numbers don’t illustrate that Jackson was a valuable man corner. In 2023, Jackson had 38 tackles with an interception. He started five games as a freshman and had 21 tackles. Jackson is a sleeper with the potential to rise.

8/12/25: Kilgore was a ballhawk in 2024 with five interceptions, 48 tackles, and five passes defended. In 2023 he had 76 tackles with six passes broken up, one interception, and one forced fumble. Gilgore is tall, and thickly built for the NFL.

8/12/25: In 2024, Farrell was a tough defender for the Hoosiers. He had 49 tackles with four interceptions and one pass batted. Farrell had some clutch plays to help Indiana make it into the college football playoffs. He has good size to go along with ball skills.

8/12/25: In 2024, Delane had four interceptions with seven passes defended and 54 tackles while playing with Virginia Tech. Delane is an instinctive football player with a quality skill set for the next level. In 2023, he had one interception, one pass batted, and 54 tackles. He had eight breakups with an interception in 2022 as a freshman. Delane has good size and upside. Team sources thought he had early-round potential if he entered the 2025 NFL Draft, but Delane opted to transfer to LSU.

8/12/25: Harris has flashed ability for Georgia in 2024, starting across from Daylen Everette. As a sophomore, Harris had 22 tackles with three passes broken up. Harris has the upside to improve in 2025.

6/18/24: In 2024, Everette had 53 tackles with two forced fumbles, three interceptions, one sack, and two passes broken up. He has had some mixed outings for Georgia and was wise to return to college. Everette has a good skill set and a ton of upside to develop as he gains experience. In 2023, the sophomore corner played well for the Bulldogs, registering 29 tackles and five passes broken up. Everette has some stiffness that needs to be worked on for the NFL.

6/18/24: Davis had 43 tackles with six passes broken up. He transferred to Washington for the 2025 season. Davis is a tall and long cornerback who flashed ability for Arizona in 2023. He totaled 25 tackles with an interception and 15 passes broken up in a breakout 2023 season. Davis could stand to turn some of those broken-up passes into interceptions in 2025. To address the question with all big cornerbacks, Davis must show that he can run with speed receivers.

8/12/25: In 2024, McKinney played really well for the Buffs while being targeted a lot as some teams tried to avoid Travis Hunter. McKinney totaled 61 tackles with three interceptions and eight passes broken up. McKinney is big and has quality ball skills.

8/12/25: Gray was a solid player for the Fighting Irish in 2024. He totaled 35 tackles with three interceptions and nine passes broken up. Sources say that Gray is instinctive, but they question his long speed and feel he is not a great tackler. He can be up and down, but has an inclination to make a big play to make up for some of the downs.

8/12/25: Lee is a tall corner with excellent length and size for the NFL. He could be a good fit as a press man corner. In 2024, Lee totaled 42 tackles with two interceptions, 10 passes broken up, and one forced fumble. He had 42 tackles with two picks and six breakups in 2023. If Lee shows speed to run deep with fast receivers and the twitch to handle quickness underneath, he could skyrocket.

8/12/25: In 2024, Moore had 17 tackles with two interceptions and two passes broken up. It was his first season of significant playing time, so he could rise with experience and development. Moore is a big cornerback with upside.

2/5/24: Nicholson has 32 tackles with two interceptions and a pass broken up in 2024. He looked better with the Illini the previous season. Nicholson totaled 36 tackles, two forced fumbles, and six passes defended for Illinois in 2023. In 2022, Nicholson recorded 19 tackles, an interception, and seven passes defended. Given his size, Nicholson could fit best as an inside slot corner as a pro.

8/12/25: Smith was decent at Alabama, but is a limited athlete and had some issues with man coverage. He is a solid college player, but could be a backup as a pro. In 2024, he had 30 tackles with a forced fumble and five breakups.

6/18/24: Igbinosun had 45 tackles, two interceptions, and nine passes broken up. He played very well against Penn State, showing coverage and ball skills. Igbinosun has size and plays physical football, but he grabs a lot because of speed and twitch limitations. In 2023, Igbinosun totaled 59 tackles with five passes broken up. The previous season, he had 36 tackles and five breakups while playing for Ole Miss.

6/18/24: Hallman had 16 tackles and four passes broken up in 2024. Hallman is undersized but a gritty cornerback with dangerous ball skills. In 2023 Hallman had seven interceptions with five passes broken up and 34 tackles for the Badgers. Hallman would fit best as an inside cornerback in the NFL.

8/12/25: In 2024, Lukus had 33 tackles with an interception and seven passes broken up. Lukus is a big corner and needs to show the ability to run with speed receivers.

8/12/25: In 2024, Harris had 48 tackles with an interception and five passes broken up. He has good size and is a willing tackler. It will be interesting to see how Harris handles speed receivers in 2025.

6/18/24: Matthews flashed some as a rotational backup in 2024. He totaled 22 tackles with a sack. Matthews could be a starting nickel for the Buckeyes in 2025.

8/12/25: Rivers is small, but he is a gritty player who plays like his hair is on fire. In 2024, Rivers had 54 tackles with three interceptions and eight passes broken up. Rivers is an instinctive, tough, and fearless. In 2023, he had 58 tackles with an interception and seven passes broken up. He could be nickel corner candidate for the NFL.

6/18/24: Brown flashed as a freshman before missing his sophomore season with an injury.

8/12/25: Kite was kicked off the team at Auburn in 2024 for missing practice, meetings, and lying to the coaching staff. Sources say Kite is not a bad kid, but very immature. He has good size, speed, and a great skill set. In 2024 he had an interception and six tackles. Kite previously played at Alabama. After getting kicked off Auburn’s team, Kite landed with Ole Miss.

8/12/25: Grimes had 20 tackles and five passes broken up for UNLV. He then transferred to Purdue for 2025. Grimes was a backup for Texas A&M in 2023. He transferred to Michigan State after the season. Prior to 2023, Grimes played at North Carolina. In 2022, Grimes recorded 36 tackles with seven passes defended. He totaled nine passes broken up and 47 tackles in 2021. He did not record an interception for North Carolina in either season.