The 2021 NFL Draft is less than two weeks away, and with 11 picks, Howie Roseman and the Eagles are facing perhaps more pressure than ever to find starting players throughout the draft.
One position they absolutely will be targeting is cornerback. A look at their depth chart at the position makes that pretty clear. As of now the Eagles have Darius Slay and Avonte Maddox, but outside of those two, no other player on the roster has any kind of real experience in the NFL.
Add in that Slay is 30-years old and Maddox struggled last season, and things look even worse at the position heading into the NFL Draft.
Wit that in mind, here are 16 players the Eagles could target throughout the draft at cornerback:
Patrick Surtain, Alabama
Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 202 pounds
College Stats: 40 games, 116 tackles, 24 pass deflections, 4 INTs
Projected Round: Top 15
Analysis: Surtain has been viewed as an elite-cornerback prospect for years, and despite the pressure, has maintained his status as the top cornerback in the draft. Surtain can do it all — he can play outside, he can move inside, he can play man coverage and he can play zone if needed. He has the size to battle with the taller receivers and the speed to stick with them down the field. He is not only strong against the run but has shown he can be an impact player against it. No prospect is a sure thing, but when it comes to Surtain, he is about as close as they come — and projects to be a Pro Bowl player at cornerback.
Jaycee Horn, South Carolina
Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 205 pounds
College Stats: 30 games, 101 tackles, 23 pass deflections, 2 INTs
Projected Round: Top 15
Analysis: There isn't much not to like about Horn, who is a true man-coverage, shutdown cornerback. He lined up against some of the best receivers in college football during his time at South Carolina and faired well against all of them, a great sign of things to come in the NFL. He didn't create a ton of turnovers in college, but is more due to a lack of passes coming his way than poor ball skills. Not only is he excellent in coverage but he is strong against the run as well. Horn has the physical, confident attitude you want in a No. 1 cornerback, and could be a tone setter on the defensive side of the ball once he gets comfortable at the next level.
Caleb Farley, Virginia
Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 207 pounds
College Stats: 23 games, 56 tackles, 19 pass deflections, 6 INTs
Projected Round: 1st
Analysis: If not for two serious injuries there is a good chance Farley would be the top cornerback taken in the 2021 NFL Draft. Farley has the size, speed, wingspan and coverage skills to make him a shutdown cornerback at the next level. He is also a playmaker as he picked off six passes in 23 games. A torn ACL in 2019, opting out of the 2020 season and then needing back surgery this offseason, however, hurt his stock. There might not be a bigger high-risk, high-reward player in the draft.
Asante Samuel Jr., Florida State
Height/Weight: 5-foot-10, 184 pounds
College Stats: 31 games, 97 tackles, 29 pass deflections, 4 INTs
Projected Round: 1st/2nd
Analysis: Samuel Jr., son of former Eagles cornerback Asante Samuel, is one of the most interesting cornerback prospects in the draft. Standing just 5-foot-10, 184 pounds, Samuel has the same kind of instincts his father did, picking off three passes in eight games last season, and four overall during his final two seasons at Florida State. Also like his father, however, Samuel Jr. is not great against the run. Samuel has experience in both zone-and-man coverage and could be a Week 1 starter.
Greg Newsome, Northwestern
Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 190 pounds
College Stats: 17 games, 71 tackles, 20 pass deflections, 1 INT
Projected Round: 2nd
Analysis: Newsome is one of the better man-coverage corners in the draft, having spent time in both man-and-zone coverage and excelling in both. He is comfortable playing up at the line of scrimmage if needed. Newsome has the size and speed to stick with both tall and quick receivers. Newsome is solid against the run, but is likely going to drop because of issues with penalties and injuries during his college career. If he can stay healthy, however, Newsome could be a contributor almost right away in the NFL.
Rodarius Williams, Oklahoma State
Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 195 pounds
College Stats: 43 games, 169 tackles, 27 pass deflections, 2 INTs
Projected Round: 3rd
Analysis: Williams checks off nearly every box you can look for in a cornerback prospect in the NFL. He has good size, he has good speed and ha shown he is a good enough athlete to stick with all kinds of receivers. He played well in man coverage during his time at Oklahoma State, but also switched over to zone when needed, as well as playing some time in the slot. The issue with Williams? He is going to be 25-years old when the 2021 season comes around — meaning he will be almost 30 when his rookie deal is up. Williams might be able to contribute right away, but for a team rebuilding his age might be a problem.
Paulson Adebo, Stanford
Height/Weight: 6-foot-, 192 pounds
College Stats: 22 games, 97 tackles, 27 pass deflections 8 INTs
Projected Round: 3rd
Analysis: Once considered one of the best college prospects at cornerback after a very strong 2018 season, Adebo had a rocky end to his college career. First, he missed time at the end of the 2019 season with an injury. Then, he opted out of the 2020 season. Despite only playing 22 games, however, Adebo came away with eight interceptions, picking off four passes in both 2018 and 2019. If he played in 2020 he might be a much higher pick, and definitely represents great value in the middle rounds.
Shemar Jean-Charles, Appalachian State
Height/Weight: 5-foot-11, 190 pounds
College Stats: 41 games, 95 tackles, 30 pass deflections, 2 INTs
Projected Round: 7th
Analysis: Unless they plan on moving Avonte Maddox back inside, the Eagles are going to be looking for a nickel corner this offseason. Jean-Charles could be a good low-round prospect to target. Jean-Charles is undersized but made a ton of plays around the ball in college, batting away 30 passes in 41 games and making 95 tackles.
Aaron Robinson, UCF
Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 193 pounds
College Stats: 30 games, 103 tackles, 16 pass deflections, 1 INT
Projected Round: 4th
Analysis: Robinson is one of the best tacklers in the draft and has shown he can lay a big hit when given the chance. Robinson has good speed but is consistent in coverage, and spent a ton of time in the slot despite standing 6-foot-1. His speed, attitude and versatility makes him worth taking a chance on, but it make take him some time to get on the field.
Ifeatu Melifonwu, Syracuse
Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 213 pounds
College Stats: 23 games, 88 tackles, 19 pass deflections, 3 INTs
Projected Round: 3rd
Analysis: Melifonwu has great height at 6-foot-3 and is an extremely physical corner, making him a perfect fit opposite Darius Slay, especially against the run. Melifonwu might not be as ready to step in and play as other corners in the draft, but not many have a higher ceiling. Melifonwu's college numbers are pretty good, but the three interceptions in 23 games is not ideal.
Bryce Thompson, Tennessee
Height/Weight: 5-foot-11, 190 pounds
College Stats: 31 games, 100 tables, 8 pass deflections, 8 INTs
Projected Round: 5th
Analysis: Thompson clearly knows how to make big plays with eight interceptions in 31 games. The fact he has the same amount of pass breakups as interceptions during his time in college is both a good and bad thing. The positive is if he gets around the ball he has shown he is going to make a play on it. The negative is he doesn't get his hands on many passes. Still, eight interceptions in 31 games is impressive, and he is good enough athlete to believe he could keep it up at the next level.
Benjamin St-Juste
Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 205 pounds
College Stats: 18 games, 62 tables, 11 pass deflections, 0 INTs
Projected Round: 5th
Analysis: St-Juste has elite size for the cornerback spot and has a wide wingspan that helped him get his hands on plenty of passes in just 18 games in college. He spent time both on the outside and in the slot, as well as plenty of snaps up on the line in press coverage. There are medical concerns with St-Juste, who missed all of 2018 with a hamstring injury.
Avery Williams, Boise State
Height/Weight: 5-foot-9, 195 pounds
College Stats: 48 games, 152 tackles, 22 pass deflections, 4 INTs
Projected Round: 6th
Analysis: Williams has good speed for the position and showed the ability to stick with taller receivers on the outside, but standing just 5-foot-9, he will likely be playing the inside at the next level. The Eagles are in need of a nickel cornerback, however, and his physical style of play could catch their attention. He is also a very strong special teams player, blocking five kicks during his time at Boise State.
Camryn Bynum, California
Height/Weight: 6-foot, 200 pounds
College Stats: 42 games, 184 tackles, 28 pass deflections, 6 INTs
Projected Round: 4th
Analysis: Bynum has the versatility that the Eagles like in their secondary players, as he spent significant time both on the outside and in the slot during his time in college. He is best in zone, and is considered a strong special teams player which could help him get on the field right away.
Rachad Wildgoose II, Wisconsin
Height/Weight: 5-foot-11, 197 pounds
College Stats: 24 games, 57 tackles, 14 pass deflections, 1 INT
Projected Round: 5th
Analysis: Wildgoose is going to need time to develop, but there aren't many better pure athletes in the draft at cornerback. Wildgoose played a ton of man coverage in college, and at just under 6-foot he has both the size and speed to stick with most receivers. Wildgoose is an aggressive tackler that has shown he can help in the running game.
Jerry Jacobs, Arkansas
Height/Weight: 5-foot-11, 203 pounds
College Stats: 21 games, 70 tackles, 10 pass deflections, 4 INTs
Projected Round: 7th
Analysis: Jacobs is undersized, but if the Eagles plan on playing more zone this season than last year, they could take a chance on him in the 7th round. Jacobs has good football instincts and is used to playing in a zone scheme, as he played in less-and-less man coverage as his college season went on. Jacobs has an injury history, tearing his ACL in 2019, but returned to play in 2020.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
