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The Dallas Cowboys have had specific physical requirements for drafting their defensive backs since the days of Bill Parcells. Prospects had to be at least 6 feet tall, near 200 pounds with 32-inch arms, and 4.5-second or better speed in the 40-yard dash. Michigan's Jourdan Lewis was the one exception, and he had to fight for a spot in the rotation for years before Dan Quinn finally made him their starting slot. With Lewis now gone to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Cowboys might be in a situation where they need a nickel back, and those corners don't typically match the profile.
Dallas has 2023 All-Pro DaRon Bland atop the cornerback depth chart, but not a lot is assured besides him. Trevon Diggs is a 2021 All-Pro, but has significant injury concerns that have wiped out most of his last two years and threatens his start to 2025. They traded for former first-round pick Kaiir Elam, but he didn't live up to his draft spot for the Buffalo Bills and getting anything other than depth is a huge question mark.
The current options at slot corner are Israel Mukuamu, Kemon Hall, and Caelen Carson, all unknowns. The Cowboys could wait and take a swing at the nickel corner role in Round 3 or on Day 3, but if they want to stick to the bigger corners, there are options. If Dallas decides to get a Lewis replacement, this draft also offers an early target.
Height: 6-foot-1, Weight: 194, RAS: 8.37
Trey Amos was stuck behind a couple of top-40 draft picks at Alabama and didn't get his chance as a starter until he left for Ole Miss. He played in a diverse scheme but is a Cover 3, press corner in both size and ability.
He uses his length to disrupt receivers at the line and does a good job mirroring them. He allowed completions on less than 20% of passes over 20 yards, 51% overall, and led the SEC with 16 pass defenses. Amos allowed a passer rating of only 54.5, earning a Pro Football Focus (PFF) coverage grade of 85.6. He isn't consistent tracking the ball, but did amass three interceptions last season. Amos is a solid run defender who attacks blocks from receivers instead of catching them. He had a PFF run defense grade of 81 but does need to improve his tackling. His draft position will come down to how teams believe he can hold up in man coverage and how much being an impactful starter for only a season affects him.
Height: 6-foot-2, Weight: 194, RAS: N/A
A top prospect after his 2023 season, Will Johnson has some of the shine come off his play after an injury-filled 2024, but he is still one of the best cornerbacks in this draft. Johnson is a technician who doesn't waste steps in his back pedal or transitions and shows elite instincts that help him anticipate routes.
He is excellent in press coverage, ruining timing by rerouting receivers. He is at his best in zone when he can play in vision coverage with his eyes on the quarterback. His speed is a question, and it has given scouts pause that Michigan hardly played him in man coverage. Those concerns aren't helped by the fact he has skipped running so far in the pre-draft process.
Johnson played less than 15% of his snaps in man coverage, and PFF gave him a grade of only 50.6 compared to over 75 in zone. Better route runners can get separation, and he doesn't have the athleticism to catch up. Double moves can also beat him because he is aggressive and believes in his playmaking ability. He might not be a twitchy athlete, but he is smart, strong, has great length, and excellent instincts, which translates to top NFL cornerbacks.
Height: 6-foot-2, Weight: 194, RAS: N/A
Shavon Revel Jr. would be the one prototype if the Cowboys were looking to build a guy in a lab to play corner for them. He is 6-foot-2, 194 pounds, has a great wingspan, and is an excellent athlete. He is extremely versatile in coverage.
PFF graded him 75.3 in man coverage and 79.6 in zone in the three contests he played in 2024. It was a short sample size, but he improved across all his numbers from the 2023 season. His passer rating allowed went from 62.6 to under 50, his completion percentage allowed went down by seven percent, and he had two interceptions compared to only one in 2023. Revel Jr. knows how to use the sidelines as an extra defender to help shut down opposing receivers.
His issues come at the top of the route when he gets his hands on opposing receivers and holds them out of breaks. He also face guards and struggles to get his head around in time to make plays. Dallas fans know the team will take risks on players with injury or character concerns in the second round, calling those picks the "blue star special." Revel Jr. could be the next in line for that type of move.
Height: 5-foot-11, Weight: 194, RAS: 8.62
If Jahdae Barron were an inch or two taller and had arms that were 3 inches longer, he wouldn't even have a chance to make it to Dallas at No. 12. He might be a slot-only corner in the NFL, but he has the ability and mentality to be a good cornerback on the outside if a team isn't scared about his size limitations.
Barron is elite in zone coverage, both in attacking the ball and tackling, and he was flagged only two times in 35 games. While his PFF zone coverage grade of 91.5 was well-deserved, his man coverage wasn't a negative for him.
Barron had CFL's lowest passer rating allowed in man coverage. He accumulated nine pass defenses and five interceptions, only allowing 279 yards, and no touchdowns. He is a willing tackler in the run game, but his short arms can make wrapping up ball carriers tough sometimes. He ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash, but doesn't play that fast, so vertical routes can occasionally be an issue. Barron doesn't have many negatives to his game beyond size limitations.
Height: 6-foot, Weight: 188, RAS: N/A
The best receiver in the draft class takes those skills to the defensive side of the ball to be the best cornerback prospect in the draft. Hunter's knowledge of what offenses will want to do and his ability to make plays on the football make him a nightmare to opposing quarterbacks. He has the mentality of a shutdown corner and brings that production with eight forced incompletions and four interceptions. It can get Hunter in trouble occasionally, but he will try to get a quarterback to throw at him so he can make a play in the game.
He can play in any style, man or zone, and is impactful in both. He had an overall PFF grade of over 90, a zone coverage grade of 86.8, and a man coverage grade of 83. Quarterbacks had a rating under 40 when targeting Hunter, and he allowed only 56% completion percentage. If Hunter can concentrate solely on being a cornerback, he could quickly become one of the best in the league.
You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or Bluesky @mike-crum-cdpiglet.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: 2025 NFL draft: Best 5 cornerback fits for the Dallas Cowboys
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Dallas has 2023 All-Pro DaRon Bland atop the cornerback depth chart, but not a lot is assured besides him. Trevon Diggs is a 2021 All-Pro, but has significant injury concerns that have wiped out most of his last two years and threatens his start to 2025. They traded for former first-round pick Kaiir Elam, but he didn't live up to his draft spot for the Buffalo Bills and getting anything other than depth is a huge question mark.
The current options at slot corner are Israel Mukuamu, Kemon Hall, and Caelen Carson, all unknowns. The Cowboys could wait and take a swing at the nickel corner role in Round 3 or on Day 3, but if they want to stick to the bigger corners, there are options. If Dallas decides to get a Lewis replacement, this draft also offers an early target.
5. CB Trey Amos, Ole Miss
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Height: 6-foot-1, Weight: 194, RAS: 8.37
Trey Amos was stuck behind a couple of top-40 draft picks at Alabama and didn't get his chance as a starter until he left for Ole Miss. He played in a diverse scheme but is a Cover 3, press corner in both size and ability.
He uses his length to disrupt receivers at the line and does a good job mirroring them. He allowed completions on less than 20% of passes over 20 yards, 51% overall, and led the SEC with 16 pass defenses. Amos allowed a passer rating of only 54.5, earning a Pro Football Focus (PFF) coverage grade of 85.6. He isn't consistent tracking the ball, but did amass three interceptions last season. Amos is a solid run defender who attacks blocks from receivers instead of catching them. He had a PFF run defense grade of 81 but does need to improve his tackling. His draft position will come down to how teams believe he can hold up in man coverage and how much being an impactful starter for only a season affects him.
4. CB Will Johnson, Michigan
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Height: 6-foot-2, Weight: 194, RAS: N/A
A top prospect after his 2023 season, Will Johnson has some of the shine come off his play after an injury-filled 2024, but he is still one of the best cornerbacks in this draft. Johnson is a technician who doesn't waste steps in his back pedal or transitions and shows elite instincts that help him anticipate routes.
He is excellent in press coverage, ruining timing by rerouting receivers. He is at his best in zone when he can play in vision coverage with his eyes on the quarterback. His speed is a question, and it has given scouts pause that Michigan hardly played him in man coverage. Those concerns aren't helped by the fact he has skipped running so far in the pre-draft process.
Johnson played less than 15% of his snaps in man coverage, and PFF gave him a grade of only 50.6 compared to over 75 in zone. Better route runners can get separation, and he doesn't have the athleticism to catch up. Double moves can also beat him because he is aggressive and believes in his playmaking ability. He might not be a twitchy athlete, but he is smart, strong, has great length, and excellent instincts, which translates to top NFL cornerbacks.
3. CB Shavon Revel Jr., East Carolina
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Height: 6-foot-2, Weight: 194, RAS: N/A
Shavon Revel Jr. would be the one prototype if the Cowboys were looking to build a guy in a lab to play corner for them. He is 6-foot-2, 194 pounds, has a great wingspan, and is an excellent athlete. He is extremely versatile in coverage.
PFF graded him 75.3 in man coverage and 79.6 in zone in the three contests he played in 2024. It was a short sample size, but he improved across all his numbers from the 2023 season. His passer rating allowed went from 62.6 to under 50, his completion percentage allowed went down by seven percent, and he had two interceptions compared to only one in 2023. Revel Jr. knows how to use the sidelines as an extra defender to help shut down opposing receivers.
His issues come at the top of the route when he gets his hands on opposing receivers and holds them out of breaks. He also face guards and struggles to get his head around in time to make plays. Dallas fans know the team will take risks on players with injury or character concerns in the second round, calling those picks the "blue star special." Revel Jr. could be the next in line for that type of move.
2. CB Jahdae Barron, Texas
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Height: 5-foot-11, Weight: 194, RAS: 8.62
If Jahdae Barron were an inch or two taller and had arms that were 3 inches longer, he wouldn't even have a chance to make it to Dallas at No. 12. He might be a slot-only corner in the NFL, but he has the ability and mentality to be a good cornerback on the outside if a team isn't scared about his size limitations.
Barron is elite in zone coverage, both in attacking the ball and tackling, and he was flagged only two times in 35 games. While his PFF zone coverage grade of 91.5 was well-deserved, his man coverage wasn't a negative for him.
Barron had CFL's lowest passer rating allowed in man coverage. He accumulated nine pass defenses and five interceptions, only allowing 279 yards, and no touchdowns. He is a willing tackler in the run game, but his short arms can make wrapping up ball carriers tough sometimes. He ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash, but doesn't play that fast, so vertical routes can occasionally be an issue. Barron doesn't have many negatives to his game beyond size limitations.
1. CB Travis Hunter, Colorado
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Height: 6-foot, Weight: 188, RAS: N/A
The best receiver in the draft class takes those skills to the defensive side of the ball to be the best cornerback prospect in the draft. Hunter's knowledge of what offenses will want to do and his ability to make plays on the football make him a nightmare to opposing quarterbacks. He has the mentality of a shutdown corner and brings that production with eight forced incompletions and four interceptions. It can get Hunter in trouble occasionally, but he will try to get a quarterback to throw at him so he can make a play in the game.
He can play in any style, man or zone, and is impactful in both. He had an overall PFF grade of over 90, a zone coverage grade of 86.8, and a man coverage grade of 83. Quarterbacks had a rating under 40 when targeting Hunter, and he allowed only 56% completion percentage. If Hunter can concentrate solely on being a cornerback, he could quickly become one of the best in the league.
You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or Bluesky @mike-crum-cdpiglet.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: 2025 NFL draft: Best 5 cornerback fits for the Dallas Cowboys
Continue reading...
