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The Dallas Cowboys have spent this offseason rebuilding their secondary. They have set themselves up to look through these Top 5 cornerback prospects to find the final piece in their rebuild. The team extended DaRon Bland and drafted Shavon Revel Jr. last offseason, and considers those two cornerstones of the defense, but their injury histories open up the door for immediate playing time.
Dallas signed versatile defensive backs Cobie Durant and Jalen Thompson, who can play multiple positions. They added three depth pieces to the room and also brought back Reddy Stewart and Josh Butler.
None of these moves stops the Cowboys from adding a top 50 draft pick at cornerback, and that position has nearly 10 options who could be taken in that range. Whether they want an outside press corner, a versatile speedster, an all-around slot corner, or a lockdown option who could follow No. 1 receivers all over the field. Here are the Top 5 cornerback prospects from the 2026 NFL Draft
What makes Colton Hood a possible first-round pick in the draft is his ability to fit in pretty much any defense. He is a full-size corner at 6-foot and nearly 200 pounds. Hood is probably the best corner on the outside in press-man.
He can play Cover 3, using his size to take away throwing lanes for opposing quarterbacks. Hood has plenty of agility and explosiveness to handle off-man coverage in man or zone, and would even be ok if he had to move inside at times. He could have some struggles with shifty guys, but would hold his own and also add an excellent physicality to the run defense from the slot. It is a testament to this cornerback class that a talent like Hood is fifth.
The best pure slot corner in the class, Avieon Terrell, the brother of Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell, has the same type of first-round capability as a prospect. He is only 5-foot-11 and 186 pounds with 31-inch arms, but passing on this cornerback because of that could be a mistake.
Taller receivers can occasionally win a 50-50 ball against him, but they will have to work for it. He will disrupt his opponents in press coverage, and it is hard to create separation against him. Terrell is excellent at staying in phase and carrying receivers anywhere they go, and he attacks the catch point. For the Cowboys specifically, he could be the perfect fit for a star, nickel role who can be a menace against the run, cover tight ends, shutdown slot guys, and even occasionally run back as a safety.
Chris Johnson is being underrated in a deep corner draft class. He has a rare ability to move that sets him apart from everyone else in this class. Take the best route-runners and speedsters, and they will struggle to create separation from Johnson due to his agility. He transitions better than anyone in the class, staying in phase and changing direction at a rare level. He has the flexibility of a corner who is typically undersized, but Johnson is 6-foot-1 and 193 pounds.
His movement skills keep him from needing to grab, so he isn’t often penalized, even as a playmaker who attacks the ball in the air. Johnson had a forced incompletion rate of 23.3% while intercepting four balls and returning two for scores. A good tackler, but he’s not a physical player, and bigger receivers and running backs could give him issues once in a while.
Mansoor Delane is a lockdown corner who can move from sideline-to-sideline or even in the slot and eliminate with the top receiving option of an opposing team. The most complete corner in man and zone; there is no drop-off playing either. He had a forced incompletion rate over 30% and held opposing quarterbacks to a passer rating of 26.7.
Delane plays great in press despite a smaller frame, and has top-end anticipation of routes. His preparation work in the film room translates to the field. He plays the route well, but is as good looking in at the QB and reacting quickly to impact the catch point. Good tackler, and he isn’t a liability against the run either. If solely based on the 2025 tape, Delane is the top corner in the class.
Jermod McCoy missed all of last season with an ACL injury and has yet to work out officially this offseason, but his tape from 2024 is as good as any cornerback tape from the last decade. He has all the tools of many of the Top 5 cornerback prospects in the class. Great transitions, fluid hips, lethal hands in press, and a high awareness of reading the QB or route combinations. What makes him unique is his patience. McCoy will rarely react first, making the receiver show his cards before he adjusts to stop them.
He is also a true big-play corner; he had 6 interceptions and 16 pass breakups in his two seasons at Tennessee. McCoy has no issues playing the run, but isn’t overly physical, and it’s unknown how he will bounce back from his injury. McCoy has his pro day on March 31st, and if he is good to go, he moves into the top corner prospect in the draft class.
You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or on YouTube at Across the Cowboys podcast
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Top 5 cornerback draft prospects for Cowboys include 3 SEC hopefuls
Continue reading...
Dallas signed versatile defensive backs Cobie Durant and Jalen Thompson, who can play multiple positions. They added three depth pieces to the room and also brought back Reddy Stewart and Josh Butler.
None of these moves stops the Cowboys from adding a top 50 draft pick at cornerback, and that position has nearly 10 options who could be taken in that range. Whether they want an outside press corner, a versatile speedster, an all-around slot corner, or a lockdown option who could follow No. 1 receivers all over the field. Here are the Top 5 cornerback prospects from the 2026 NFL Draft
Colton Hood, Tennessee
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What makes Colton Hood a possible first-round pick in the draft is his ability to fit in pretty much any defense. He is a full-size corner at 6-foot and nearly 200 pounds. Hood is probably the best corner on the outside in press-man.
He can play Cover 3, using his size to take away throwing lanes for opposing quarterbacks. Hood has plenty of agility and explosiveness to handle off-man coverage in man or zone, and would even be ok if he had to move inside at times. He could have some struggles with shifty guys, but would hold his own and also add an excellent physicality to the run defense from the slot. It is a testament to this cornerback class that a talent like Hood is fifth.
Avieon Terrell, Clemson
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The best pure slot corner in the class, Avieon Terrell, the brother of Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell, has the same type of first-round capability as a prospect. He is only 5-foot-11 and 186 pounds with 31-inch arms, but passing on this cornerback because of that could be a mistake.
Taller receivers can occasionally win a 50-50 ball against him, but they will have to work for it. He will disrupt his opponents in press coverage, and it is hard to create separation against him. Terrell is excellent at staying in phase and carrying receivers anywhere they go, and he attacks the catch point. For the Cowboys specifically, he could be the perfect fit for a star, nickel role who can be a menace against the run, cover tight ends, shutdown slot guys, and even occasionally run back as a safety.
Chris Johnson, San Diego State
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Chris Johnson is being underrated in a deep corner draft class. He has a rare ability to move that sets him apart from everyone else in this class. Take the best route-runners and speedsters, and they will struggle to create separation from Johnson due to his agility. He transitions better than anyone in the class, staying in phase and changing direction at a rare level. He has the flexibility of a corner who is typically undersized, but Johnson is 6-foot-1 and 193 pounds.
His movement skills keep him from needing to grab, so he isn’t often penalized, even as a playmaker who attacks the ball in the air. Johnson had a forced incompletion rate of 23.3% while intercepting four balls and returning two for scores. A good tackler, but he’s not a physical player, and bigger receivers and running backs could give him issues once in a while.
Mansoor Delane, LSU
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Mansoor Delane is a lockdown corner who can move from sideline-to-sideline or even in the slot and eliminate with the top receiving option of an opposing team. The most complete corner in man and zone; there is no drop-off playing either. He had a forced incompletion rate over 30% and held opposing quarterbacks to a passer rating of 26.7.
Delane plays great in press despite a smaller frame, and has top-end anticipation of routes. His preparation work in the film room translates to the field. He plays the route well, but is as good looking in at the QB and reacting quickly to impact the catch point. Good tackler, and he isn’t a liability against the run either. If solely based on the 2025 tape, Delane is the top corner in the class.
Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
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Jermod McCoy missed all of last season with an ACL injury and has yet to work out officially this offseason, but his tape from 2024 is as good as any cornerback tape from the last decade. He has all the tools of many of the Top 5 cornerback prospects in the class. Great transitions, fluid hips, lethal hands in press, and a high awareness of reading the QB or route combinations. What makes him unique is his patience. McCoy will rarely react first, making the receiver show his cards before he adjusts to stop them.
He is also a true big-play corner; he had 6 interceptions and 16 pass breakups in his two seasons at Tennessee. McCoy has no issues playing the run, but isn’t overly physical, and it’s unknown how he will bounce back from his injury. McCoy has his pro day on March 31st, and if he is good to go, he moves into the top corner prospect in the draft class.
You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or on YouTube at Across the Cowboys podcast
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Top 5 cornerback draft prospects for Cowboys include 3 SEC hopefuls
Continue reading...
