The 2024 NFL Draft is loaded at the cornerback position. Today, we break down Hall of Fame Cornerback, Rondé Barber’s, top five cornerback prospects, and how he views these players as we move closer to Draft Day.
Barber ranked these corners and provided two honorable mentions for The 33rd Team last week. Let’s start with these honorable mentions:
Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Missouri
Rakestraw, a slender-framed corner, lacks the typical speed and size you would expect in a highly-touted prospect but brings great ball skills to the table. Barber noted he’d probably fit best in an inside role in the NFL, and I agree with him here. Rakestraw is ranked as the seventh-best corner on my 2024 board.
Mike Sainristil, Michigan
A “proven winner and a gamer,” as Rondé Barber notes, Sainristil is another undersized prospect projected to be taken in the second round. He’s quick, scrappy, and more than willing to get into the face of opposing receivers with his physicality. Additionally, Sainristil provides a little more positional flexibility than the aforementioned Rakestraw, although would probably see the most playing time in a slot role throughout the duration of his rookie contract. His six interceptions ranked second in the FBS in 2023.
Rondé Barber’s Top 5 Cornerbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft
5. Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
McKinstry is a composed corner with quite the resume out of Alabama. His 32″ arms provide exceptional length and give him the ability to delay receivers out of their release packages at the line of scrimmage. The consistency at which he does this on film is exceptional, and almost never gets flagged. He drew zero penalties in his final collegiate season.
His lack of true long speed may not give him the upside of the corners ranked ahead of him, but his poise and consistency provide a nice floor for him to step into a number-two corner role in the NFL on day one.
It’s also worth noting that McKinstry was diagnosed with a Jones fracture in his foot during the NFL Combine, which may cause his draft stock to take a slight hit, as Barber notes.
4. Cooper DeJean, Iowa
DeJean measured at a big, 6’1″, 203 lbs, and displays phenomenal zone skills on tape. Barber calls him “probably the most well-rounded athlete in this year’s class.” While this is a strong take, DeJean’s athleticism does provide him the flexibility to play just about every position in the secondary, most notably, safety, where he probably ends up in the NFL.
He does display a slight lack of fluidity in his hips, which hinders him from stopping and starting on a dime to keep up with elite route runners. Nevertheless, he’s a physical tackler, an elite run defender, and a confident leader who projects well in just about any NFL scheme.
To read more about Cooper DeJean, I provided an in-depth breakdown of his prospect profile here, as well as one destination where I think he might be a good fit.
3. Terrion Arnold, Alabama
As also the No. 3 cornerback prospect on my board, Arnold projects well as an elite slot corner in the league, and is well worth a first-round selection.
The most eye-popping trait from Arnold on film is his ball skills, where he is a total gamer at the catch point. He times his breaks and jumps well with good length and physicality, and carries nice athleticism as a two-sport athlete. His 13 pass breakups ranked as 5th best among FBS corners in 2023.
“He’s always unpanicked,” Barber wrote in his film notes, and this surely comes up on tape, where his footwork and skills as a former safety allow him to be a plus coverage player, even if he lacks the true long speed of the more elite athletes.
2. Nate Wiggins, Clemson
Wiggins’ measurements at 6’1″, 173 pounds may look like an immediate slight on him as a prospect.
“Don’t buy it,” Barber said, as the film puts to rest the concerns about Wiggins’ frame. He is more than willing to hit opposing receivers with force, even if the tackles don’t come off as eye-popping or violent. His schematic flexibility is impeccable, as he’s comfortable in man, zone, press-man, and press-bail.
He showcases some outstanding “hustle plays” on tape but still maintains the quiet nature of his upper body as he goes up for balls at the catch point. Overall, Wiggins is confident, smooth, and checks all the boxes to be one of the first 32 selections in the NFL Draft.
Nate Wiggins is the fastest cornerback that I have ever evaluated in terms of top-end speed. The 40 time was elite but it’s really the flying-20 that shows how insane his final gear is.
He hawked a RB down from behind like this in multiple games last season. pic.twitter.com/tQvClce0Qg
— Derrick (@Steelers_DB) April 4, 2024
1. Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo
As Barber’s No. 1 corner (and mine too), Mitchell projects to be the best of the bunch in this stacked cornerback class.
The Pre-Draft process could not have gone better for him, as his elite athleticism and size were on full display. There was some cause for concern based on the level of competition Mitchell was facing at Toledo, but he quickly put that to rest at the Senior Bowl, going toe-to-toe with some of the elite wide receiver prospects of the draft.
He might not have the most reps under his belt running true man-to-man coverage, but his body type and flexibility to play man, zone, and run defense at a high level give him a really solid floor in the league. Mitchell is an easy choice as a first-round corner and possesses extremely high potential in the NFL.
To see the full breakdown by former cornerback and Hall of Famer, Rondé Barber, check out the video here.
And as always, for more NFL and NFL Draft news, reports, and stories, follow Michael on X @michael_neal10.
