Top 5 cornerbacks in 2024 NFL Draft

Could one of these guys be the 13th overall pick?

Heading into the NFL Draft later this month, cornerback is one of the Las Vegas Raiders’ biggest needs. Especially if they strike out on landing the quarterback they want, adding someone to the defensive backfield is on the table for the Raiders with the 13th overall pick. Also, Las Vegas could opt to trade back in the first round of the draft and address the position group later on night one.

So, let’s rank the top five corners in this year’s class and each player’s film breakdown is linked below for more details.

1) Terrion Arnold, Alabama

To me, Terrion Arnold is the clear top cornerback and it’s not that close between the first and second spot. He can cover out wide, in the slot, man or zone coverage, and he’s a physical run defender who finds ways to impact the game down after down. Granted, Arnold isn’t the biggest at just under 6-foot-0 and 190 pounds and it would have been nice to see him run faster in the 40-yard-dash at the combine (4.5 seconds). But his film is impressive and he still earned a 9.25 RAS to be worthy of a top 15 selection.

2) Nate Wiggins, Clemson

Nate Wiggins proved he can fly at the combine, clocking a sub-4.3 40. Also, he has good height for the position at over 6-foot-1 and shows a high football IQ on tape to be effective in zone coverage. However, Wiggins is a rail at 173 pounds which causes him issues at the top of routes against more physical receivers, and he often takes plays off as a run defender. Still, the Clemson product should be a good pro if he spends more time in the weight room and turns the physicality up a notch.

3) Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama

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Part of me thinks that the reason why Kool-Aid McKinstry isn’t getting as much love when it comes to draft discussions is due to prospect fatigue. Heading into the season, he was widely viewed as the top cornerback in the draft class but is now 25th overall and as the fifth cornerback on NFL Mock Draft Database’s consensus big board. Granted, I also have him lower than I did over the summer, but the difference between Wiggins and McKinstry isn’t that big in my opinion. Assuming the medicals on that foot injury hold up, it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Alabama product get drafted higher than the public is expecting right now.

4) Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo

Admittedly, I’m conflicted about Quinyon Mitchell. At events like the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine, he looked like a sure-fire first-round pick. However, he has Day 2 tape as a lot of the plays he made were him just sitting in zone coverage and driving on routes, meaning the Toledo product didn’t show the versatility that the other guys on this list did. Also, his only game against Power 5 competition this past season — Week 1 versus Illinois — was one of his worst performances. That being said, it’s hard to argue with Mitchell’s ball production over the last two years, and he showed a more diverse skillset in Mobile to elevate his draft stock and prove worthy of cracking this list.

5) Cooper DeJean, Iowa

It’s a shame Cooper DeJean suffered a broken fibula at the end of the College Football season as not only is that impacting his draft stock but he also likely would have shocked some people with impressive testing numbers at the combine. The good news is ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Tuesday that DeJean is fully cleared and will hold a workout for teams on April 8. The former Hawkeye is an impressive athlete who has good tape, but the injury and his lack of short-area quickness make it difficult to push him ahead of Mitchell. Plus, DeJean’s best position at the next level might be at safety.