The 2023 NFL Draft is nearly upon us. And with that comes the final edition of the PFF NFL Draft Guide, which comes loaded with scouting reports and advanced data on the class' top draft prospects.
Here are the top 10 cornerbacks in this year's draft class, per PFF's NFL Draft Guide and big board.
1. Devon Witherspoon, Illinois
BIG BOARD RANK: 4
Witherspoon had one of the best seasons we’ve ever graded from a college cornerback. He was targeted 63 times in 2022 and allowed only 22 catches for 206 yards with three picks and 14 pass breakups. That comes out to 3.3 yards per target. He’s one of the feistiest cornerbacks in the class.
2. Christian Gonzalez, Oregon
BIG BOARD RANK: 12
Gonzalez has everything you could want from a top cornerback — size, speed, length, hips and ball skills. He had a breakout 2022 season after transferring to Oregon, notching four picks and six pass breakups.
3. Deonte Banks, Maryland
BIG BOARD RANK: 18
What an athlete. Banks went 4.35 in the 40-yard dash with a 42-inch vertical and an 11-foot-4 broad jump at the NFL Combine. That matched his tape, where he easily mirrored receivers at all levels of the field.
4. Joey Porter Jr., Penn State
BIG BOARD RANK: 21
Porter is the press cornerback you want in the class. At 6-foot-2 and 198 pounds, he attacks receivers at the line of scrimmage the same way his father attacked offensive tackles. He had a career year this past fall, allowing only 143 yards in 10 games.
5. Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State
BIG BOARD RANK: 26
Forbes started ever since his freshman year in 2020 for the Bulldogs, improving every single year. He’s still on the skinny side for the position, but he doesn’t play like it. His ball production is tremendous, with 14 picks and 17 pass-breakups in his career.
6. Cam Smith, South Carolina
BIG BOARD RANK: 41
Smith gets his hand on passes more frequently than any other cornerback in this class. Of his 70 targets over the past two seasons, Smith broke up 15 of them and picked off four others. He’s an instinctive and versatile player.
7. Tyrique Stevenson, Miami (FL)
BIG BOARD RANK: 44
Stevenson began his college career at Georgia, where he started games in 2020 before becoming a shut-down outside cornerback at Miami for the past two years.
8. DJ Turner, Michigan
BIG BOARD RANK: 46
Turner has the best speed of anyone in this cornerback class. His movement skills are second to none, too. He still got picked on at Michigan a little more than you'd like, with 408 yards allowed this past fall.
9. Clark Phillips III, Utah
BIG BOARD RANK: 62
Phillips may not tick the size and speed boxes some want to see, but he ticks the tape box. He earned an 86.3 coverage grade this past fall with six picks and four pass breakups.
10. Kelee Ringo, Georgia
BIG BOARD RANK: 66
Ringo is a mammoth cornerback at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds. He's built to play in a press-heavy defense on the outside. He's just a touch inconsistent on his breaks and allowed 552 yards this past fall.
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