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The top cornerback in the 2025 NFL Draft may not be a cornerback.
Travis Hunter carved a Heisman Trophy-winning path on the NCAA the last two seasons, playing offense and defense for a revived Colorado Buffaloes. That will almost certainly make him a top-5 draft pick, even if there's a lingering question whether he's best served as a corner or as a dynamic receiving threat.
The answer is probably a combination of the two, but teams in need of secondary help without a top-5 pick can rest easy. There's plenty of coverage help available in this year's rookie class. We're gonna break down four guys who can make an impact from the top of the pile all the way down to the bottom.
2025 NFL DRAFT: Tight end stud, sleeper and deep-sleeper picks
Studs are players with first-round grades. Their inclusion here doesn't necessarily mean they're the best at their position — just that they're worth singling out for a deeper look. Sleepers are prospects slated for selection in the middle or toward the end of the 2025 NFL Draft. REM cycle stars — the deep sleepers — will likely be undrafted free agents after pick No. 257 is read. That's going to create an uphill battle to find a roster spot, but these could be bargain pickups who play key roles for playoff teams.
2025 NFL DRAFT: Running back stud, sleeper and deep-sleeper picks in 2025
Let's talk about four guys who could have big NFL impacts from three very different draft positions this spring.
Johnson doesn't have the outright explosion of Hunter, which is fine because neither does anyone else in his draft class. But what he lacks in elite athleticism he makes up for with sound technique and a ridiculous football IQ, allowing him to mirror explosive downfield threats and erase big plays before they begin.
Johnson, defensive MVP of the 2023 national championship game, has questions to answer at the pro level after a foot injury ended what had been an uneven 2024 after six games. He didn't run a 40 in the pre-draft process, and his explosive drill results were underwhelming. But, at the same time, he showed the poise and composure that makes him a special talent. He's not an elite athlete, but he makes his coverage look easy.
He doesn't need absurd top-line speed because he moves so fluidly between directions, wasting zero movements while changing his trajectory entirely. He's incredibly difficult to shake and even harder to fool, as he clamps down on low-effort fakes and engages physically to take wideouts off the page. His smoothness and length (6-foot-2) means he's trustworthy in man, but he shined as a Wolverine in zone coverage, culminating in 2023's four-interception season.
There are concerns, however, beyond merely "OK" speed. Johnson is a bit of a boom-or-bust player, jumping routes but biting on double moves in search of a pick-six (still, he had two in six games last season, so it's not a terrible idea). He'd grab when beaten and concede a 15-yard penalty in the college ranks, but that's significantly more damaging in the pros.
This will likely drop Johnson out of what was once viewed as a safe landing spot in the top 10. Heck, it could even push him from the first round entirely, as he's stagnated while other corners have risen during the pre-draft process. But anyone gambling on him is placing a safe wager. Johnson may not have the combine measurements of his peers, but he sees the game unfold unlike any other corner in his class.
A tall cornerback with blazing speed (a 4.33-second 40) from Texas-San Antonio. Is it *too* lazy to make a Riq Woolen comparison here?
Woolen went from the Roadrunners to immediate stardom, notching five interceptions as a rookie fifth-round pick for Pete Carroll's Seattle Seahawks. Frazier's lone season as a starter suggests a similar ceiling. He had six interceptions last fall, leading the AAC for the Myrtle Beach Bowl champions.
Frazier is a 6-foot-3 speed merchant with strong recovery skills to bail him out of rookie mistakes. But his resume is thin. Power Four teams -- by which I mean Texas, the one Power Four team the Roadrunners played last season -- made him a non-factor. His technique is raw, and he relies heavily on his athleticism to provide an edge rather than discipline. That's all correctable, and his athleticism is undoubtedly NFL worthy, but it's easy to see why such a productive FBS corner could languish to the fifth round or later.
Let's double dip with defensive backs from the purest reaches of NCAA football. Smith starred for the Muleriders (MULERIDERS!) as a four-year starter, culminating with Division II All-American honors in 2023 and 2024.
Smith was a Division II bully, using his 5-foot-10 frame to lock onto wideouts at the line and keep them from the ball. He's similarly effective in off coverage, where his play identification skills allow him to break quickly toward passes to ensure they either wind up in his hands (nine interceptions, including three pick-sixes the last two seasons) or on the turf.
With 4.39-second 40 speed, he's got the athleticism to convince some team not to risk getting outbid in undrafted free agency. But his 190-pound frame isn't ideal for a boundary corner, and he wasn't an especially great tackler against DII competition. There are plenty of questions left for Smith, and while his game film suggests he's got answers, he's still got a long way to prove he can have similar success against the world's best wideouts.
Look, I couldn't get through this series without expressing my love of Division III football. Few conferences in the nation have it better than the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, even after a fairly disappointing 2024.
Brown was a multiple-time all-WIAC corner who parlayed that to a spot at Wisconsin's pro day. And, well, he looked the part of an NFL corner in drills.
To be sure, Brown is light for the position and the press coverage he used to torment wideouts from Platteville and Oshkosh will be difficult to translate to A.J. Brown or Justin Jefferson. But he's a versatile player with some raw talent. He's capable of turning a rookie camp invite into a practice squad slot -- and then who knows from there?
Previously:
This article originally appeared on For The Win: 2025 NFL Draft: Stud, sleepers at CB, from Will Johnson to Division II's top DB
Continue reading...
Travis Hunter carved a Heisman Trophy-winning path on the NCAA the last two seasons, playing offense and defense for a revived Colorado Buffaloes. That will almost certainly make him a top-5 draft pick, even if there's a lingering question whether he's best served as a corner or as a dynamic receiving threat.
The answer is probably a combination of the two, but teams in need of secondary help without a top-5 pick can rest easy. There's plenty of coverage help available in this year's rookie class. We're gonna break down four guys who can make an impact from the top of the pile all the way down to the bottom.
2025 NFL DRAFT: Tight end stud, sleeper and deep-sleeper picks
Studs are players with first-round grades. Their inclusion here doesn't necessarily mean they're the best at their position — just that they're worth singling out for a deeper look. Sleepers are prospects slated for selection in the middle or toward the end of the 2025 NFL Draft. REM cycle stars — the deep sleepers — will likely be undrafted free agents after pick No. 257 is read. That's going to create an uphill battle to find a roster spot, but these could be bargain pickups who play key roles for playoff teams.
2025 NFL DRAFT: Running back stud, sleeper and deep-sleeper picks in 2025
Let's talk about four guys who could have big NFL impacts from three very different draft positions this spring.
Stud: Will Johnson, Michigan
Johnson doesn't have the outright explosion of Hunter, which is fine because neither does anyone else in his draft class. But what he lacks in elite athleticism he makes up for with sound technique and a ridiculous football IQ, allowing him to mirror explosive downfield threats and erase big plays before they begin.
Johnson, defensive MVP of the 2023 national championship game, has questions to answer at the pro level after a foot injury ended what had been an uneven 2024 after six games. He didn't run a 40 in the pre-draft process, and his explosive drill results were underwhelming. But, at the same time, he showed the poise and composure that makes him a special talent. He's not an elite athlete, but he makes his coverage look easy.
He doesn't need absurd top-line speed because he moves so fluidly between directions, wasting zero movements while changing his trajectory entirely. He's incredibly difficult to shake and even harder to fool, as he clamps down on low-effort fakes and engages physically to take wideouts off the page. His smoothness and length (6-foot-2) means he's trustworthy in man, but he shined as a Wolverine in zone coverage, culminating in 2023's four-interception season.
There are concerns, however, beyond merely "OK" speed. Johnson is a bit of a boom-or-bust player, jumping routes but biting on double moves in search of a pick-six (still, he had two in six games last season, so it's not a terrible idea). He'd grab when beaten and concede a 15-yard penalty in the college ranks, but that's significantly more damaging in the pros.
This will likely drop Johnson out of what was once viewed as a safe landing spot in the top 10. Heck, it could even push him from the first round entirely, as he's stagnated while other corners have risen during the pre-draft process. But anyone gambling on him is placing a safe wager. Johnson may not have the combine measurements of his peers, but he sees the game unfold unlike any other corner in his class.
Sleeper: Zah Frazier, UTSA
A tall cornerback with blazing speed (a 4.33-second 40) from Texas-San Antonio. Is it *too* lazy to make a Riq Woolen comparison here?
Woolen went from the Roadrunners to immediate stardom, notching five interceptions as a rookie fifth-round pick for Pete Carroll's Seattle Seahawks. Frazier's lone season as a starter suggests a similar ceiling. He had six interceptions last fall, leading the AAC for the Myrtle Beach Bowl champions.
Frazier is a 6-foot-3 speed merchant with strong recovery skills to bail him out of rookie mistakes. But his resume is thin. Power Four teams -- by which I mean Texas, the one Power Four team the Roadrunners played last season -- made him a non-factor. His technique is raw, and he relies heavily on his athleticism to provide an edge rather than discipline. That's all correctable, and his athleticism is undoubtedly NFL worthy, but it's easy to see why such a productive FBS corner could languish to the fifth round or later.
REM cycle star: Melvin Smith Jr., Southern Arkansas
Let's double dip with defensive backs from the purest reaches of NCAA football. Smith starred for the Muleriders (MULERIDERS!) as a four-year starter, culminating with Division II All-American honors in 2023 and 2024.
Smith was a Division II bully, using his 5-foot-10 frame to lock onto wideouts at the line and keep them from the ball. He's similarly effective in off coverage, where his play identification skills allow him to break quickly toward passes to ensure they either wind up in his hands (nine interceptions, including three pick-sixes the last two seasons) or on the turf.
With 4.39-second 40 speed, he's got the athleticism to convince some team not to risk getting outbid in undrafted free agency. But his 190-pound frame isn't ideal for a boundary corner, and he wasn't an especially great tackler against DII competition. There are plenty of questions left for Smith, and while his game film suggests he's got answers, he's still got a long way to prove he can have similar success against the world's best wideouts.
Super duper nearly comatose sleeper: Dylan Brown, Wisconsin-River Falls
Look, I couldn't get through this series without expressing my love of Division III football. Few conferences in the nation have it better than the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, even after a fairly disappointing 2024.
Brown was a multiple-time all-WIAC corner who parlayed that to a spot at Wisconsin's pro day. And, well, he looked the part of an NFL corner in drills.
To be sure, Brown is light for the position and the press coverage he used to torment wideouts from Platteville and Oshkosh will be difficult to translate to A.J. Brown or Justin Jefferson. But he's a versatile player with some raw talent. He's capable of turning a rookie camp invite into a practice squad slot -- and then who knows from there?
Previously:
- NFL Draft wide receiver stud, sleeper and deep sleeper picks in 2025 (Travis Hunter! Will Sheppard!)
- NFL Draft running back stud, sleeper and deep sleeper picks in 2025 (Omarion Hampton! DJ Giddens!)
- NFL Draft tight end stud, sleeper and deep sleeper picks in 2025 (Tyler Warren! Oronde Gadsden II!)
- NFL Draft offensive line stud, sleeper and deep sleeper picks in 2025 (Josh Simmons! William & Mary road-grader Charles Grant!)
- NFL Draft defensive tackle stud, sleeper and deep sleeper picks in 2025 (Mason Graham! Thor Griffith!)
- NFL Draft edge rusher stud, sleeper and deep sleeper picks in 2025 (Mike Green! Ashton Gillotte!)
- NFL Draft linebacker stud, sleeper and deep sleeper picks in 2025 (Carson Schwesinger! Shaun Dolac!)
This article originally appeared on For The Win: 2025 NFL Draft: Stud, sleepers at CB, from Will Johnson to Division II's top DB
Continue reading...
