2023 NFL Draft Prospects: Cornerback

4/24/23: Witherspoon played well for Illinois in 2022, recording 40 tackles, three interceptions and 14 pass breakups. Team sources love Witherspoon’s cover skills in that he can run the route and prevent separation. They also like his instincts, how he attacks the ball, and his physicality. However, they are concerned about his size and ability to stay healthy in the NFL given how physical he is. Witherspoon reinforced those concerns by not working out at the combine, but he did run well at his pro-day workout. Witherspoon is the consensus top corner in the 2023 NFL Draft and looks slated to become a top-10 pick.

6/30/22: Witherspoon has impressed preseason evaluators for having serious speed to go along with adequate size. Advance scouts like his cover ability and they say he has the speed and athleticism to run the route to prevent separation. However, NFL sources don’t like the lack of ball skills and ball production. Witherspoon notched zero interceptions in 2021 after recording two in 2020 and zero in 2019. He recorded 52 tackles and nine passes defended in 2021. He had 33 tackles in each of the prior two seasons and two passes broken up over that time. If Witherspoon increases his ball production, he could be a riser for the 2023 NFL Draft.

4/24/23: Team sources were impressed with Gonzalez’s cover skills, starting from his 2021 tape and continuing into his play in 2022. Entering 2022, the junior did not have an interception, so NFL evaluators wanted to see him show more ball skills, and he showed improvement there over the season.

Gonzalez is a big corner who is fast, athletic, and is able to run the route to prevent separation. Some team sources feel Gonzalez has the best skill set of any corner in the 2023 NFL Draft, but they wanted him to show more fight and competitiveness. They feel if Gonzalez improves in those areas, he could be a No. 1 corner in the NFL. However, they feel that Gonzalez is a finesse player and lacks fight. Gonzalez helped himself at the combine with a fabulous workout, showing size, speed, and fluid athleticism.

Gonzalez started out his collegiate career at Colorado before transferring to Oregon. In 2022 with the Ducks, he had 50 tackles, four interceptions and seven passes broken up. With Colorado in 2021, he collected 53 tackles and five passes broken up. Gonzalez notched 25 tackles and five breakups during the COVID-19-abbreviated season.

4/24/23: Overall, Porter was steady coverage in 2022 while recording 27 tackles and 11 passes broken up. The junior is an instinctive corner who runs the route and prevents separation. He also possesses freakishly long arms to go along with quickness and athleticism. A potential knock on Porter is not having produced big plays or interceptions, but part of that is attributed to teams having not thrown his direction very much. Porter looks like a safe pick to turn into a good NFL starter, and he would fit best as a press-man corner. Teams feel that Porter is not a great fit to be an off-man or zone corner.

6/30/22: The son of legendary Steelers linebacker Joey Porter, Joey Porter Jr. has an NFL pedigree and played well in 2021. He rotated in as freshman in 2020 and had a quality debut. Porter has excellent size and the upside to become an impactful player. In 2021, Porter collected 51 tackles, one interception, four passes broken up and one forced fumble.

4/24/23: Forbes recorded 46 tackles, six interceptions and 10 pass breakups in 2022. He played well for the Bulldogs. Forbes is fast, very physical, and has impressive ball skills. However, he is extremely thin and needs to add weight – if possible. Forbes ran very fast at the combine, but weighing in at 166 pounds is scary small for an NFL cornerback.

6/30/22: Forbes is an interesting corner who has produced a lot of splash plays for the Bulldogs. He needs to become more consistent on a down-by-down basis and be less of a feast-or-famine player. In 2021, Forbes collected 59 tackles, three interceptions and five passes broken up. The previous season, he had 44 tackles, five interceptions, three returned for touchdowns and six passes broken up. Forbes needs to fill out his frame for the NFL.

4/24/23: Ringo totaled 41 tackles, two interceptions and seven passes broken up in 2022. Team sources say they Ringo is big, fast and can play the ball. However, they feel he has some serious stiffness that is going to be a problem at the next in terms of preventing separation from shifty receivers who change direction well. That was illustrated in the SEC Championship Game, when Ringo looked helpless covering Malik Nabers and Kayshon Boutte. Ringo is only a fit for press-man corner in the NFL. He ran fast, as expected, at the combine.

6/30/22: In 2021, Ringo had 34 tackles, two interceptions and eight passes broken up. The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder is a big cornerback who possesses a lot of upside. Ringo played well in 2021 as one of the replacements for Tyson Campbell. Ringo could end up being a riser for the 2023 NFL Draft.

4/24/23: Banks is a natural cover corner with speed, height, strength, quick feet, and agility. He is very fluid and does a nice job of running the route with receivers to prevent them from gaining separation. Banks keeps receivers from coming open and is quick to recover if they get a step. For a big cornerback, Banks has very nice hips to turn and run downfield with speed receivers.

Entering the NFL, Banks has to get more disciplined in coverage. Pro quarterbacks and receivers will test his lack of discipline with double moves, and confusing bunches to see if Banks’ lack of discipline comes back to bite him. Hence, teams feel Banks needs some development.

Banks had a solid debut as a freshman in 2019, recording 28 tackles, an interception and two passes broken up. As a sophomore, Maryland only played five games because of COVID-19, and Banks had 11 tackles with a breakup. Banks’ 2021 season ended after two games due to a shoulder injury. In 2022, he recorded 38 tackles, an interception and eight pass breakups.

4/24/23: Sources say Smith is quick and moves well to run the route and prevent separation. While Smith’s size is adequate, scouts state he has very long arms and is a competitor. Off-the-field issues have been hurting Smith and could cause him to slide well into the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. In 2022, Smith recorded 27 tackles, an interception and five pass breakups. He was one of the best corners in the SEC the year before, recording 41 tackles, three interceptions and 11 passes defended.

4/24/23: Brents recorded 45 tackles, four interceptions and four passes broken up in 2022. Team sources say they like Brents with his size, instincts, and physicality. However, his play speed is a concern for some sources, which results in him being a bit polarizing depending the team in question. Brents had a solid week of practice at the Senior Bowl and worked out well at the combine.

6/30/22: Brents is a tall cornerback who has very good length. In 2021, he collected 49 tackles, an interception and two passes defended. Brents will need to run well versus speed receivers and in pre-draft workouts.

4/24/23: Stevenson is a big cornerback who has speed and upside. Team sources like Stevenson as a press-man corner and feel that he looked good in that technique in 2022. However, Stevenson had some uneven performances and had some issues playing off-man coverage, which Miami had him doing often. Sources say there are some character concerns as well. Stevenson is a bit of a love/hate prospect, with some thinking he could go very late in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, while others have Stevenson graded well into Day 2. Some teams are down on him because of his character on and off the field.

In 2022, Stevenson recorded 25 tackles, two interceptions and seven passes broken up. He had 43 tackles, an interception and four breakups in 2021. He totaled 10 breakups and 47 tackles over 2020 and 2019.

4/24/23: Martin is a versatile defensive back who is a weapon in the secondary. He can play safety, nickel corner, or outside corner. Martin is a smooth athlete with instincts. He is sleeper who put together really good tape during the 2022 season. In his final season with the Illini, he recorded 64 tackles, three interceptions, 11 passes broken up, one sack and two forced fumbles. Martin helped himself with an excellent combine showing.

4/24/23: Prior to the combine, Turner had gone under the radar, but there were already some team sources who had said they really liked him. The senior put together a strong 2022 season, recording 36 tackles, an interception and 10 passes broken up. He totaled two interceptions, seven breakups and 33 tackles in 2021.

Turner is undersized and limited to the slot, but he is a very fast defender. Turner could end up being a second-day pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

4/24/23: In 2022, Phillips totaled 24 tackles, six interceptions and six passes defended. He covered reasonably well, but seemed to be protecting himself from injury with his tackling noticeably reduced. He had a lot of missed tackles in 2022, and teams were disappointed in his tape compared to his 2021 performance. Phillips is a dynamic ball hawk with instincts in coverage, but teams view Phillips as a slot corner only, which pushes him down lower in the 2023 NFL Draft. He also did not do well in some pre-draft tests.

6/30/22: Phillips is a talented cover corner who can run the route and prevent separation. In 2021, he collected 61 tackles, two interceptions and 13 passes defended. The big question with Phillips will be size because NFL teams’ preseason measurements have him checking in at 5-foot-9, 184 pounds. It would help Phillips to add a little weight, but he could easily be regarded as a slot corner only.

4/24/23: Johnson recorded 71 tackles, a sack, three forced fumbles and one pass broken up in 2022. He played really well for Texas A&M, impressing team evaluators. Johnson went down with an injury against Alabama, and while he missed a good portion of the season, he played well in the final weeks of the year. While Johnson did not have a super fast 40 at the combine, he looked good in field drills.

6/30/22: Johnson is a massive corner who broke out for the Aggies in 2021. The sophomore recorded 79 tackles, an interception and five passes defended on the year. Johnson has phenomenal length and size to match up against NFL receivers. If he does well against speed receivers in the SEC, he could be a high riser for the 2023 NFL Draft. Some evaluators are concerned Johnson could be too tall and leggy to run with pro receivers, so they will be watching closely how he does against top receivers during the 2022 season.

4/24/23: Blackmon had an excellent week of practice at the Senior Bowl, which really helped him. He showed the speed and loose hips to run the route to prevent separation against the all-star receivers. In 2022, Blackmon totaled 66 tackles, three interceptions and 13 passes broken up.

Blackmon definitely made himself some money in Mobile. While he is not a big corner, he can really cover and looks like a starting slot cornerback. Blackmon’s coverage ability could results in him ending up as a second-day pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

4/24/23: Hodges-Tomlinson was a gritty corner for TCU over the past couple of seasons. In 2021, he had a quality year with 41 tackles, two forced fumbles, two interceptions and seven passes broken up. As a senior, Hodges-Tomlinson turned in his best season, recording 50 tackles, three interceptions, 15 pass breakups and a forced fumble.

4/24/23: Smith recorded 38 tackles, two interceptions and five passes broken up in 2022. While he did not do much over the previous three seasons, he recorded 43 tackles and eight breakups as a freshman in 2018. As a sophomore, Smith was mostly a backup. The Big Ten barely played in 2020 from COVID-19 hysteria, and in 2021, Smith dealt with some injuries in his first year as a senior. Smith helped himself with a strong combine performance.

4/24/23: Garner enjoyed a solid senior year to help his draft hopes even though he did not notch an interception. He also recorded eight passes broken up alongside 43 tackles. However, teams like that Garner is big and a pretty good mover for his size. He is physical, has decent instincts, and runs well. Like many big cornerbacks, Garner is not overly sudden or explosive, but he could be an outside starter in the NFL and looks like a potential pick on Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft. In 2020, Garner recorded 27 tackles, three interceptions and seven passes broken up.

4/24/23: Like teammate Mekhi Garner, Bernard-Converse impressed pro evaluators in 2022, totaling 44 tackles, two interceptions and three passes defended. He has good size to go along some quickness and athleticism. While Bernard-Converse did not produce a lot of interceptions in his college career, four over five seasons, Bernard-Converse racked up 11 passes broken up in 2021. He could be a second-day pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and end up becoming a pro starter.

4/24/23: Clark put up 51 tackles, an interception and four passes broken up in 2022. He decided to declare for the 2023 NFL Draft rather than return to school.

6/30/22: Clark is not the biggest defensive back, but he is a smooth cover corner who can run the route and prevent separation. In 2021, Clark totaled 40 tackles, three interceptions and nine passes defended. He produced as well in 2020 (36-1-8) and in 2019 (38-0-6).

4/24/23: Jones collected 33 tackles and two passes broken up in 2022. He missed three games with injury and missed more time over targeting penalties. Jones saw only 19 targets all season, so there were not a lot of plays for teams to evaluate him on. He flashed in 2021, when he recorded 35 tackles, two interceptions and six passes defended.

Team sources think Jones has potential as a cover corner for the NFL. He has really impressive movement skills, including speed and athleticism. Along with a good skill set, Jones displays solid instincts and a willingness to tackle. However, Jones has some very raw elements to his game, such as grabbing and holding at times along with giving up balls he shouldn’t occasionally. Jones was inconsistent in college, and that will cause him to slide in the 2023 NFL Draft.

4/24/23: In 2022, Rush recorded 38 tackles, two interceptions and seven passes broken up. He then had a good Senior Bowl week, including one dominant practice.

6/30/22: Rush is a big cornerback who had a solid debut as a starter in 2021. He recorded 26 tackles, one interception and eight passes defended. Rush could be better now that he has a year of starting experience.

4/24/23: Johnson is a big cornerback who showed some ball skills as a senior, picking up 12 passes broken up and two interceptions. In 2021, he recorded 44 tackles, three interceptions and five breakups. Johnson had a respectable week of practice at the Senior Bowl.

4/24/23: Wright was a solid cornerback for the Beavers over the past two seasons. In 2022, he recorded 38 tackles, two interceptions and nine passes broken up. The previous season, he totaled 44 tackles, two picks and eight passes broken up. Wright was okay at the Senior Bowl.

4/24/23: Williams recorded 35 tackles, two interceptions and five passes defended in 2022 before going down for the year with an ACL tear. Teams thought he had a shot at being an early-rounder in the 2023 NFL Draft before the injury. Rather than returning to Syracuse, Williams decided to enter the draft, and he will have a medical red flag with teams.

6/30/22: Williams has been a dependable corner for Syracuse over the past two seasons, He recorded 64 tackles, two interceptions and 10 passes broken up in 2020. He covered well overall in 2021, notching 52 tackles, nine breakups and zero interceptions. Williams might fit best as a slot corner in the NFL.

4/24/23: Kelly totaled 35 tackles and six passes broken up 2022. He really struggled in his matchup with USC’s Jordan Addison, but Kelly had a decent week at the Senior Bowl.

6/30/22: Kelly put together a solid 2021 season with 58 tackles, two interceptions and 11 passes defended. Over the previous two seasons, Kelly totaled 55 tackles and six passes broken up.

4/24/23: Luter is a small-school prospect who has a quality skill set and put together two seasons of solid production. After recording 27 tackles in 2020, Luter totaled 20 stops, four interceptions, and nine pass breakups in 2021. In 2022, he collected 37 stops, an interception and five passes broken up. Luter has quality size, and he could end up being a solid mid-rounder from the 2023 NFL Draft.

4/24/23: Bennett was a steady corner for Maryland in 2022, recording 39 tackles, an interception and 10 pass breakups. He recorded 11 passes broken up, 24 tackles and three interceptions in 2021. Bennett could fit best as a slot corner in the NFL.

4/24/23: Boykin was productive in 2022, notching 55 tackles, two interceptions and seven passes broken up.

6/30/22: Boykin is a big cornerback and could also get consideration to move to safety depending on how he runs and if pro teams think he can tackle. In 2021, Boykin notched 24 tackle, an interception and four passes broken up. In 2019 and 2018, he put up modest production.

4/24/23: Mitchell played really well in 2022 with blanket coverage. He recorded 52 tackles, one interception, seven passes broken up, one forced fumble and one sack on the year. Mitchell has good size to go along with instincts and physicality. He also could have sufficient versatility to play safety as well as cornerback at the next level. Mitchell would go higher, but major medical concerns are hurting him around the league.

6/30/22: In 2021, Mitchell was a solid No. 2 corner for Northwestern, and he totaled 48 tackles and six passes defended. He has one interception over his college career and could use more ball production.

4/24/23: Moss was competitive and decent in 2022, but he had some issues against Iowa State. On the year, he recorded 46 tackles, two forced fumbles and 11 passes defended. Moss had a respectable week at the Senior Bowl and then worked out well at the combine.

6/30/22: Moss recorded 39 tackles, four interceptions and five passes defended in 2021. Two of his interceptions were returned for touchdowns. He missed over a month with a knee injury. Moss has quality size and technique, but speed limitations could hurt him. He could be a backup corner and special teams contributor in the NFL. He also could be a candidate to gain weight and move to safety.

7/17/21: Moss has good size for the NFL, but faces speed concerns. In the shortened 2020 season, Moss played well and put up good production with 43 tackles, two interceptions and four passes defended. Running with speed receivers and preventing separation as a senior would help him.

4/24/23: Ricks recorded 13 tackles and four passes defended in 2022. He was benched for a time and seemed to be in the coaches’ dog house. Ricks is talented, but maybe he should have returned for his senior year to improve before going pro. Team sources say that Ricks will slide to Day 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft because he did not run well in pre-draft workouts and comes with character concerns.

6/30/22: Ricks has transferred to Alabama and could be a breakout star for the Crimson Tide in 2022. He is a big corner with ball skills. Ricks started out his collegiate career at LSU and had an excellent debut in 2020 with four interceptions, five passes broken up and 20 tackles. He notched 11 tackles and an interception for the Tigers in 2021.

4/24/23: In 2022, Bush totaled 34 tackles, two interceptions and six passes broken up.

6/30/22: Bush was not a starter for the Bearcats because they had some good veteran corners, including star cornerback Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner. In 2021, Bush collected 40 tackles, three interceptions and six passes defended. He had two picks in 2020 and 2018.

4/24/23: Trice collected 34 tackles, two interceptions and 10 passes broken up in 2022. He skipped Purdue’s bowl game to declare for the 2023 NFL Draft.

6/30/22: Trice was limited to four tackles in 2021 after a knee injury in practice cost him the season. In 2020, he had 32 tackles, and in 2019, he had 35 stops, three interceptions and a pass broken up. Trice’s past tape was good enough to land him a spot on NFL teams’ preseason watch list. Trice is very tall with good length.

4/24/23: Still totaled 45 tackles, an interception and one pass broken up during 2022.

6/30/22: Still broke into the starting lineup as a freshman in the COVID-19 shortened season, collecting 20 tackles and eight passes broken up. In 2021, Still recorded 55 tackles, two sacks and 10 passes broken up, but he didn’t notch an interception.

4/24/23: Blades recorded 11 tackles and a pass defended in 2022. He missed a month with an injury.

6/30/22: Blades was unimpressive in the 2021 the season. He has speed concerns for playing in the NFL, and an injury caused him to miss a lot of time. He notched two interceptions per year over the last two seasons. Blades also had seven breakups in 2020 and six the previous year.

4/24/23: During 2022, Bracy totaled 39 tackles, a pass broken up and an interception.

6/30/22: Bracy is Notre Dame’s nickel corner. He had 38 tackles and an interception in 2021. Bracy could stand to get stronger for the NFL. He will have to compete as a nickelback and be a star on special teams to win a roster spot.

4/24/23: Banks didn’t play until late September and only saw action in two games, recording five tackles. He was injured on the kickoff against Auburn and carted off the field.

6/30/22: Banks returned to the field in October 2021 and only saw limited playing time for Ohio State. He decided to go the graduate transfer route for the 2022 season and landed at LSU. Banks flashed some real cover skills at times during the 2020 season for the Buckeyes. He collected 12 tackles, an interception and seven passes defended over the shortened season, but he played better than the numbers indicate.

Banks has a lot of upside to be better in 2022. He has good height, strength, and speed to run.