THE NFL DRAFT REPORT PRESENTS
THE 2019 CORNERBACK DRAFT CLASS
Much like the wide receiver position, cornerbacks being drafted will be a regular thing during this year's selection process. However, much like the wide receivers, there are serious doubts that any of the talent here will be heard from until the later stages of Round One.
Since the start of the 2015 draft, 115 cornerbacks have been selected, an average of just under thirty each year. This year, there could be as many as forty corners hearing their names called, but outside of Washington's Byron Murphy and Georgia's DeAndre Baker offering teams quality in the later stages of the opening round, look for Round Two to be the busy factor for teams. Yes, Louisiana State's Greedy Williams will also be selected during the first day of the draft, but there are some very noticeable deficiencies in his game, including his lack of desire for tackling, that has him entering the league as a boom-or-bust candidate.
Temple's Rock Ya-Sin could make it into the first round, but if not, he should not be long for waiting when the second round draft proceedings begin. Clemson's Trayvon Mullen, Michigan State's Justin Layne and Notre Dame's Julian Love should also follow Ya-Sin as second round pick, but after that, as the group Citizen King says, "I've seen better days, and the bottom drops out" in regards to the rest of the talent, or lack thereof here.
2019 NFL SCOUTING COMBINE CORNERBACK TALENT DISAPPOINTS
You can see the expressions on defensive back coaches when this class went through position drills at the NFL Scouting Combine. Just three of this year's corners were clocked under 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash - Greedy Williams (4.37), Clemson's Mark Fields (4.37) and Auburn's Jamel Dean, whose 4.30 timing was the second fastest for all players at the event, and fastest for the thirty-six cornerbacks that participated in drills in Indianapolis. Further compounding the issue was the fact that outside of Murphy, Baker and Ya-Sin, the rest of the group failed to impress in position drills, prompting one team to call them a "band of safeties."
Maybe we were spoiled by the blazing speed at the 2018 Combine, where of the twelve players to run under 4.40 seconds in the 40, seven of them were cornerbacks. Louisiana State's Donte Jackson, Parry Nickerson of Tulane and Denzel Ward of Ohio State actually tied for the best 40-yard dash performance among all positions, blazing at 4.32 seconds. Three tipped in under the 4.40-second threshold among 2017 corners, five in 2016, but only Florida State's Ronald Darby (4.38) and Trae Waynes of Michigan State (4.31) reached that level.
In the last fifteen Combines, the fastest a cornerback has ever been clocked was at 4.28 seconds. That feat was first accomplished by Miami's Demarcus Van Dyke in 2011. Minnesota's Jalen Myrick equaled that dash during the Combine's 2017 event.
CHARTING THE CORNERBACKS DRAFTED CURRENTLY IN THE LEAGUE
Among the 115 cornerbacks drafted since 2015, 105 of them actually appeared in at least one NFL game, with a total of 86 lasting at least a 16-game schedule. Sixteen were selected in the first round, but the only Top Ten selections among cornerbacks was when Florida State's Jalen Ramsey became a Jacksonville Jaguar with the fifth overall selection in 2015, followed by Ohio State's Denzel Ward, who stayed in-state when Cleveland chose him fourth overall last season. Both have already been named to Pro Bowl rosters during their short careers.
Of the twenty-five first round cornerbacks starting in the NFL currently, seventeen are still with the teams that selected them. Eight others were either traded or left their original clubs through free agency. Outside of the 2018 first round draftees, the first rounder to see the least amount of playing time since the 2015 draft is the Oakland Raiders' Gareon Conley, who has performed in just seventeen of a possible 36 contests since entering the league as the 24th overall pick in 2017.
Among the sixteen first round selections taken since 2015, just Ramsey (48), New Orleans' Marshon Lattimore (29; 11th overall pick in 2016), the Rams' Marcus Peters (61; 2015 18th pick by Kansas City) and Buffalo's TreDavious White (32; 27th pick in 2017) have started every game they appeared in. Currently, among 64 starting cornerbacks, 26 entered the league as first round choices.
Since 2015, teams have selected twenty-on cornerbacks in Round Two, as all but two have played in at least one NFL game, with three yet to reach a full season (sixteen games). Of the sixty-four starting cornerbacks in the league, twelve heard their names called on draft day. Nine are still with the team that drafted them, while three others moved on. The two that have yet to step on the field are the Patriots' 2018 choice, Duke Dawson, who spent the year recovering from training camp injuries. Pittsburgh used the 56th overall selection on Senquez Golson, but since the 2014 college season, injuries have also kept him on the sidelines.
Green Bay's 2012 pick, Casey Hayward, left for the Los Angeles Chargers and has been an All-Pro performer out west the last two seasons. The Rams also used a second rounder in 2012 to take Janoris Jenkins, but the current New York Giant has proven to be a bust since he headed East. The Eagles traded for the Bills' 2015 second round pick, Ronald Darby, and he is their present starting right cornerback.
Since 2015, nineteen cornerbacks have joined the NFL in the third round, including Sam Beal the Giants' supplemental pick prior to last season, as New York forfeits their 2019 third round pick for jumping the gun. Beal never even played a down in preseason after suffering an injury in training camp. Of the current sixty-four starters in the league, including Beal, eight came in the third round, but four are no longer with the team that picked them.
Three were instant flame-outs, as Indianapolis' 65th overall pick in the 2015 draft, D'Joun Smith, lasted five games on special teams. San Francisco used the 68th overall choice to snatch Will Redmond in 2016, but it was not until 2018 that the journeyman would get on the field briefly for five contests. Detroit tried to convert Stanford's Alex Carter to safety after using the 80th overall selection in 20155, but he's bounced around the league camps the last three years, managing to get on the field twice.
Off-field troubles soured the Rams on their 2012 third round choice, Trumaine Johnson. The "let the door slam" after the Jets tossed ridiculous money at him during the 2018 veteran free agent period. They soon had buyer's remorse and tried desperately to trade him at the deadline last season. Now, they have to decide whether to take a 24MM cap hit to simply cut him, as the new regime views him as a locker room issue.
Kansas City revamped their secondary, but losing 2015 third rounder, Steve Nelson, to Pittsburgh during the recent free agent frenzy will likely see them again dip into the draft pool for help this year. They did sign oft-injured Bashad Breeland, but his foot injury leaves him with lots of questions heading into training camp. Tennessee will not have that issue with former New England third round choice Logan Ryan. He joined the Titans as a free agent in 2017, where he starts alongside another Patriots castoff, Malcolm Butler.
Only four starters taken in rounds four-through seven remain with their current teams. Eight others - three in each of the fourth and fifth rounds and one each in rounds six and seven are also starting for other squads after their original clubs found them wanting. Since 2015, fourteen fourth round choices were used on cornerbacks. Among them, Cleveland's 126th overall choice, Howard Wilson-Illinois, was the only one not to get a cup of coffee in an NFL uniform.
Most that survived are back-ups, with Baltimore's 2016 104th overall choice, Tavon Young, starting the most from this contingent (17-of-31) games, while Cincinnati's 2015 pick, Josh Shaw, has appeared in the most contests (55) among those taken in this round. Among those currently listed as starters, three fourth round choices are no longer with their original clubs. Aaron Colvin, Jacksonville's pick in 2014, is a first unit member of the Houston Texans and Pierre Desir, the Browns' 2014 fourth round selection, was dumped by both Cleveland and Seattle before finding a home last season in Indianapolis.
Since 2015, twelve of the fifteen fifth round cornerbacks never played in the NFL. Miami's Bobby McCain, a 2015 pick, is the only fifth rounder still starting for his original team. Three others that came into the league in the fifth round still serve with the first unit, most notably Seattle 2011 All-Pro find, Richard Sherman, now playing back near his Stanford campus as the 49ers' starting left corner-back. Josh Norman starred for Carolina as their choice in the 2012 draft, but a fallout with former management saw him sign a rich deal with Washington prior to the 2016 campaign.
Two starters in the league were sixth round selections, including Tennessee's 2009 decision to take Jason McCourty. He's now residing in the New England secondary, having joined his twin brother, Devin, prior to last year's Super Bowl run. Of the nineteen cornerbacks selected in the sixth round since 2015, four never played an NFL down and six others have yet to reach the ten-game level.
Dallas unearthed their nickel back in 2016, as Anthony Brown has started 30-of-47 games since joining the Pokes. Detroit used the 200th overall pick in the 2015 draft to grab Quandre Diggs. He's started 35-of-60 games since then and prior to the 2018 season opener, he was given a three-year twenty million dollar extension.
Round seven has a feel-good story, as Louisiana State's Jalen Mills was taken by Philadelphia with the 233rd overall selection in the 2016 draft. He was originally supposed to challenge for one of the safety positions, but injuries forced the team to shift him outside. He's gone on to start his last 31 appearances for the Eagles.
Terrence Mitchell, the Browns' current starting right cornerback, was first selected by Dallas with the 254th overall pick in 2014. Waived by the Cowboys during his first pro camp, He was signed to Chicago's practice squad and later activated that season. He was cut by the Bears in 2015, but re-signed to the practice squad in November before again being cut, only to join Dallas' practice squad in December.
Houston claimed Mitchell when Dallas waived him prior to 2016 training camp, but he was again cut, signing with Kansas City's practice squad in September before being activated, cut and brought back to the Chiefs' practice squad later in the year. He joined Cleveland in March, 2018, went on injured reserve in October and activated from that list in December to start the final three games on the regular season schedule.
Of the 10 cornerbacks taken in round seven since the 2015 draft, three never played in the league and three others saw less than ten games of action. The most active from this group is Marshall's Darryl Roberts, New England's 247th overall choice in 2015. He was placed on season-ending injured reserve after injuring his wrist in the first preseason game vs. the Green Bay Packers that year and was cut during final cut-downs after 2016 camp.
Picked up by the New York Jets in September, 2016, he was a key reserve for two seasons. In 2018, he started ten times through sixteen appearances, recording 48 combined tackles, seven passes defended, and an interception. On March 14, 2019, Roberts signed a three-year, $18 million contract extension with the Jets.
THE CURRENT CORNERBACK SITUATION IN THE NFL HEADING TOWARD THE DRAFT
Prior to the NFL veteran free agency period, teams were scrambling to sign those on their 2018 team that they didn't want to lose, along with doing homework to determine which of the 52 cornerbacks let loose in free agency that could fill their needs before searching for secondary talent in the draft.
Of the 52 cornerbacks to enter free agency, 28 signed new deals, with 11 of them saying a line from the Wizard of Oz - there's no place like home - by signing with the team they suited up for in 2018. Compared to the money doled out for free agent corners in previous off-seasons, no team was really willing to open the bank vaults, though.
Of the 28 that signed, just eight received multi-year deals. Justin Coleman joined the Lions from Seattle, earning the only four-year deal for a cornerback that will average 9MM per year. Steve Nelson departed Kansas City for Pittsburgh, where he takes in a 7.5MM average on a three-year deal. Journeyman Pierre Desir stood with the Colts for a three-year agreement that gives 22.5MM total, with 12MM in guarantees. Robert Alford was cut by Atlanta, but quickly signed to a three-year deal by Arizona that will result in an annual payout of 22MM, but 13MM is guaranteed.
Twenty other cornerbacks had to settle for one-year, make-good deals. Just three of these corners received deals for at least five million, with Brady Roby cast off by Denver, only to get a 10MM paycheck from the Houston Texans. Ronald Darby chose to remain with the Eagles and his 6.5MM deal comes with 4.5MM in guarantees. P.J. Williams also chose to re-sign with New Orleans for a cool five million, but none of that is guaranteed. Nine of the twenty cornerbacks inking for 2018 decided to remain with their 2018 organizations;
TEAMS EXPECTED TO PLACE CORNERBACK ON THEIR DRAFT TARGET LIST
Four teams could opt to use first round draft selections to fill cornerback needs - Pittsburgh, Oakland and Kansas City. The Eagles and Rams are also going to place a priority at this position, but might wait until the second day, as not too many teams are in love with the talent base here.
While the "flavor" for the media here is Greedy Williams, the LSU prospect has a major "buyer beware" tag from our scouts. He has solid ball skills and can easily stay stride-for-stride with receivers, but he has this disturbing "no mas" attitude when it comes to tackling. In this day and age where teams covet physical, press coverage guys, for our money, it will be a two-horse race to see who emerges as the best cornerback in this draft and their names are Byron Murphy and DeAndre Baker. Pittsburgh sees Murphy as the classic shutdown corner, ideal for the left side, which has had a myriad of issues since Ike Taylor retired. If the Steelers do opt for Murphy, it will probably send Seattle (pick #21) back to the drawing board, having lost Murphy one pick in front of them.
The Eagles and Raiders seem to be the two teams most wired into Baker and rightfully so. I challenge anyone to find a more instinctive cornerback in this draft class, bringing comparisons to when a former Jet was living on his "island" (Revis). Oakland, with picks #24 and #27, might be a bit concerned that the Texans, with pick #23, just might decide that Baker would fit nicely into their scheme.
The Detroit Lions secured the services of Justin Coleman (four years, 36MM) and Rashaan Melvin, but are not done trying to fix their secondary. With a crying need for an edge rusher and speedy receiver on Day One, they could decide to stay in-state and target Michigan State's Justin Layneor the Wolverines' David Long during Day Two activity.
The New York Giants are going to have to hope the third round pick they used to take Sam Beal last year returns some value this season. Hurt the first day he arrived at the facility, Beal sat out the year, but their current depth chart has him penciled in at left corner. Big Blue would love to find a taker for high priced Janoris Jenkins, as they've tired of his off-field exploits, but with a crying need to find a quarterback, big play receiver and edge rusher occupying their tasks with the first three picks, they might have a find during Day Three is Washburn's Corey Ballentine or South Dakota State's Jordan Brown are available in round four.
Tampa Bay is certainly in the market for cornerback help, but with the fifth overall selection in the draft, replacing Kwon Alexander with a middle linebacker like LSU's Devin White seems to hold more value than making a reach for a corner. Day 2 should be where they address that need, as Temple's Rock Ya-Sin, considered as a fringe first-rounder, could still be available when they pick again at #39. In-state product, Mike Jackson-Miami, would also be an inviting addition in the third round.
Seattle continues to rebuild what was once the "pride of the fleet," their secondary. If Pittsburgh does go another route that take Murphy at pick #20, all the Seahawks have to do is send Uber over to snatch the Washington product in the first round. The problem is, Seattle only has four draft choices and they've traded their first rounder every year since 2011 to secure more picks.
If they go that route again, Clemson's Trayvon Mullen could head west, if the Seahawks manage to get a second rounder included in their trade-down attempt. Kentucky's Lonnie Johnson could still be available when the Seahawks select in the third round, but the team is also thinking of possibly taking Virginia's Josh Thornhill and convert the speedy strong safety into a press corner.
If the Jets find a taker for high-priced Trumaine Johnson, they would be ecstatic. They signed Brian Poole and he's penciled in as the left cornerback, but let's face it, he's really nothing more that depth material. With two choices in the third round, Notre Dame's Julian Love got lots of "love" from New York D-coordinator Gregg Williams and if they want a rising star with blessed speed, Central Michigan's Sean Bunting could fill that pressing need.
During Day 3, look for the Chiefs to try and bring in a corner who might have slipped on some draft boards. A solid Combine helps Penn State's Ajmani Oruwariye gain back some of the luster he lost at the Senior Bowl. Some teams peg him as a Day Three guy, but he could prove to have value on the fringes of the draft's second day.
The Falcons and Texans need multiple choices to fill secondary needs, but look for them to see if they can unearth something from Day Three types like USC's Iman-Marshall-Lewis, Kris Boyd of Texas, Kentucky's Lonnie Jackson, Isaiah Johnson-Houston or Auburn speedster Jamel Dean, whose 4.3 40-yard clocking was second-fastest of the 330-plus players spending the end of February in Indianapolis.
Some others who will be drafted later in the process could be Clemson's Mark Fields, Blessuan Austin of Rutgers (New England likes Scarlet Knights), Sean Bunting's wing man at Central Michigan, Xavier Crawford, Murphy's buddy at Washington, Jordan Miller, Baylor's Derrek Thomas (also getting looks at free safety), Mississippi's Ken Webster and Vanderbilt's Joejuan Williams, who saw his stock take a tumble after running a 4.69/40 at the Combine.
