2017 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Cornerbacks (Final)

theScore's 2017 draft prospect rankings are compiled by NFL editor Dan Wilkins, breaking down the top talents and potential sleepers at every position group.

Overall
Top 50
Offense
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | G/C
Defense
DL | EDGE | LB | CB | S

Top Talents

Marshon Lattimore

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Lattimore has the physical skills and coverage ability to excel as part of any defensive scheme, but it's his lockdown potential in press-man that gives him the most value looking ahead to the NFL. In the mold of a Darrelle Revis or Patrick Peterson, the Ohio State product is the rare prospect who can thrive when thrown out on an island and asked to take away a team's top target. Lattimore's speed and athleticism, made abundantly clear with his dominance last season, were confirmed with a 4.36-second 40 time at the combine. Some incredible fluidity with his movements allows him to make the most of that ability with sticky coverage. The hamstring issues pose a concern, as does the lack of experience in college, but Lattimore's ceiling is sky high.

Gareon Conley

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It's no wonder that Ohio State managed to dominate against the pass in 2016 - having a second elite cornerback talent to line up opposite Lattimore is borderline unfair. Conley is a step behind his fellow Buckeyes star in terms of shutdown coverage potential and the overall smoothness to his game, but it's certainly not by much. And with the versatility to play either on the boundary or in the slot, an incredibly beneficial skill in today's pass-heavy NFL, it shouldn't come as a surprise if he ends up right in the same early first-round range. Conley demonstrates all the necessary athleticism and he turns into a playmaker when the ball is in the air headed to his side of the field.

Sidney Jones

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Jones seemed to be in the conversation for top cornerback honors before going down with a torn Achilles during his pro-day workout. He's since expressed confidence that he'll be on the field as a rookie, and perhaps he'll find a way to do so, but it's undoubtedly a devastating injury for his draft stock. Talent wise, Jones is a first-round player in this stacked cornerback class. Playing man and zone coverage with speed, quickness, instincts, and ball skills, as evidenced by his eight interceptions at Washington, he should eventually emerge as a No. 1 corner that opposing quarterbacks are hesitant to test. Whether it's late this year, or after a redshirt rookie season, a team willing to be patient could get an absolute steal with Jones on Day 2.

Tre'Davious White

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White is another top cornerback talent whose already solid coverage ability becomes all the more valuable being that he's able to contribute either on the boundary or in the slot. The LSU standout has the feet and lateral quicks to match up with shifty receivers, an essential combination of traits for a defensive back tasked with playing the inside in today's NFL. And although he's only 5-foot-11, he can also hold his own against bigger receivers on the outside. Anything White lacks in size and elite athleticism is made up for in technique and instincts to play the position.

Kevin King

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The measurables are downright gaudy. After checking into the combine at 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, King went on to post speed, agility, and explosiveness scores that were among the best at the position. A defensive back with that size being able to move so well is bound to get some late first- or early second-round interest. But it's also about far more than testing with King. For as much room as there may be for improvement in technique, and particularly so in press, the ability to win with physicality and when the ball is in the air provides some clear and immediate value to accompany that long-term upside.

Best of the rest

• Athletically speaking, Marlon Humphrey has everything NFL teams will want in a potential No. 1 corner. His difficulty finding the ball with his back to the play makes him a fit for zone-heavy defenses more so than man to man, but there are plenty of examples of such players still completely shutting down one side of the field. Humphrey should have an instant and long-lasting impact in a system that allows him to keep his eyes in the backfield, bait quarterbacks into testing his coverage, and use his physicality to make plays in the running game.
• Disappointing 40-yard dash times at both the combine and during his pro-day workout have almost certainly sent Teez Tabor's stock plummeting. Speed will always be a primary consideration for cornerbacks in the NFL, but there's still an obvious fit for his skill set. The Florida standout's instincts and ball skills could make him a turnover machine in a zone system that allows him to read the quarterback and make his breaks.
• A relative lack of size will have Adoree' Jackson pinned as a "slot only" player on defenses, but that's becoming less and less of a knock in today's NFL. Deploying a cover man with his athleticism, tackling, and playmaking ability over the middle of the field can be a game changer for defenses in matching up with three-receiver sets. Add in the value he provides as a punt returner, and Jackson is likely a Day 2 lock.
• The second of two top cornerback talents coming out of Colorado this year, Ahkello Witherspoon is particularly interesting due to a rare blend of size and athleticism. It unfortunately doesn't lead to much of any impact in the run game, but his frame and movement skills will give him the opportunity to match up with some of the league's most imposing wide receiver specimens.

Potential sleepers

Damontae Kazee, San Diego State

Underwhelming size and athletic traits will presumably have Kazee in the Day 3 mix on draft weekend. While those factors are certainly near the top of the list when conducting defensive back evaluations, there's also no arguing with his production. Kazee's playmaking ability was on full display over his last two years at San Diego State, where he racked up an impressive 15 interceptions. The turnover impact could translate in a system that doesn't put him out on an island.

Jeremy Clark, Michigan

Clark won't be able to work out ahead of the draft because he's working his way back from a torn ACL suffered in September. That will leave plenty of questions unanswered, as is the case with any player who is unable to test, but he should still be an option late on Day 3. At 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, Clark's size alone will be enough to have teams intrigued. Also demonstrating some movement ability, though, he has upside as a developmental press corner.

Overall
Top 50
Offense
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | G/C
Defense
DL | EDGE | LB | CB | S