Top Five Under-the-Radar Cornerbacks in 2022 NFL Draft

It isn't that often that a freshman at Stanford stands out as much as Kelly did. He backed it up with a good sophomore campaign, but Kelly should get the attention he deserves in a normal season in the Pac 12. Kelly has excellent size at 6'1" and he has extremely long arms for the position. In coverage, Kelly has the foot speed to stay with wideouts downfield and the length to break up passes if needed. He moves well for a player of his size and can stay in a receiver's back pocket. At the next level, Kelly will provide scheme versatility, which will help his draft stock. Kelly has all the tools to be a coveted cornerback prospect and is just scratching the surface of what he can become as a player.

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Woodi Washington, CB, Oklahoma

Oklahoma has one of the best defenses in college football and Washington is a big reason why. Even though he was only a redshirt freshman, Washington’s demeanor on the field was cool, calm and collected. He just did his job on film and rarely gave up plays. In coverage, Washington trusts his feet, which allow him to mirror wideouts at the line of scrimmage. He was never out of position or off balance off the line. Washington is an easy mover and does a great job of flipping his hips as the receiver is changing direction. There are very few holes in his game, as Washington has all the tools to be an elite cover cornerback at the next level.

Garrett Williams, CB, Syracuse

It isn’t a stretch to say Syracuse had the most talented secondary in college football last season. Three of the defensive backs are in the NFL now, yet the best of the bunch was only a redshirt freshman last season. Williams has elite tools in coverage. He has excellent short-area quickness and does a great job of making a play on the football. In coverage downfield, Williams has the speed to stay in phase with wideouts, making it very difficult for them to get open. He is an extremely smooth mover and has no stiffness in his game. He is better than Asante Samuel Jr., a top 50 pick in last year’s draft and still has room to grow, as he’ll only be a redshirt sophomore last season.

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Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami (FL)

In terms of upside, it doesn’t get much better than Stevenson. He checks all the boxes teams look for in a cornerback. Stevenson has excellent speed and is 6’0” 214 pounds. Before transferring to Miami, Stevenson looked like the real deal in limited action at Georgia. He is a physical player who is very good in press coverage. Stevenson can defend the run and is a fantastic tackler. He rarely gave up a reception in coverage and should break out as an outside cornerback next season. Stevenson should test very well and with a good season at Miami, there is no reason why he can’t hear his name called in round one.

Avery Young, CB, Rutgers

It is a very good senior cornerback class, but on film, none can match Young’s ability in man coverage. He is an excellent athlete and has loose hips that allow him to mirror wide receivers. Last season Young went up against some of the best receivers in the Big Ten; he only gave up 29.8 yards per game. Not to mention, Young is great against the run and has the physicality to beat players up at the line of scrimmage. In zone coverage, Young’s football IQ and patients will allow him to excel in that regard at the next level. Expect Young to rise like Greg Newsome did this past season and it wouldn’t be shocking to see Young go even higher than Newsome. 

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