2022 NFL Draft – Cornerback Rankings

Complete NFL Draft Rankings – CB:

You are currently viewing the best cornerbacks in the 2022 NFL Draft. Our top cornerback prospects are selected after thousands of hours carefully scouting the best defensive backs in college football. Even though only about 25 will get selected in the draft, a lot more are signed as free agents, and many more receive a training camp invite. Find who is a first round talent, and who is likely nothing more than a training camp body. Find draft sleepers, draft stars, who will be a bust, and who is being undervalued.

BNB Football is the best place for in-depth analysis of 2022 cornerback prospects at all levels of college football. To view other positions, follow the links below.

(Last Updated: April 26, 2022)

2022:  | QB | WR | RB | FB | TE | OT | G | C | DT | EDGE | LB | S | CB | K | P | LS | OVERALL |

Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner has been an All-American corner from his first day at Cincinnati. At 6’2"+, 200 pounds, and an extra long wingspan, Gardner has the next-level size that’s coveted in modern corners. That’s helped him to allow a gaudy total of ZERO touchdowns allowed throughout his 3 years as a starter. By the time he was a sophomore in 2020, teams had already learned to never throw his direction. His ball skills are above average, but most importantly he simply doesn’t allow receivers to get open. While fans love big interception totals, the main job of a corner is to prevent catches, and that’s exactly what Sauce does. It doesn’t matter if he faces a small shifty receiver, a big bodied receiver, or a 5 star Alabama receiver, he’s shut down everyone he’s faced. Beyond coverage, Sauce has turned into a surprisingly great tackler in run protection, which was his best way to get involved in games later in his career. Unlike everyone above him, he wasn’t a highly touted recruit. The only question will be if he has the next level athleticism to match up with the NFL’s top receivers each week for 17 games. Some scouts will also look down on Cincinnati’s higher-than-average use of zone coverage.

2021 Stats

13 games: 40 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 7 passes defended, 3 interceptions

Derek Stingley comes from DBU, and immediately made a name for himself as an All-American candidate as a true freshman in 2019. After exploding for 6 interceptions and 21 total passes defended in LSU’s championship season, he has only played 10 games since then. At 6’1" 190 pounds, Stingley has prototypical size for a versatile outside corner. He was trusted from day 1 to provide press coverage on athletic SEC wide receivers, and has shown flashes as a tackler. While Stingley has the pedigree, productivity, and physical traits of a top-10 pick, the big question is his lack of recent experience and potential medical red flag. A consistent nagging foot injury kept him to 3 games this past season and eventually required surgery. But make no mistake about it: If injuries weren’t a legitimate concern, he’d be in contention for the #1 pick.

2021 Stats

3 games: 8 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1 fumble forced

Trent McDuffie’s name has really caught fire in the scouting community over the past month. On paper nothing really jumps out, with below average size for an outside corner (5’11" 195) and meager production. But plug in the tape, and it’s easy to see why he’s firmly in the first round discussion. McDuffie is potentially the best run defending corner in the class, with an excellent understanding of blocking schemes and an ability to accelerate into his hits. He has a very fast first step, the motor to cover sideline to sideline, and lightning fast hips which give him a very high ceiling as a cover guy. His length is a potential concern, but it hasn’t stopped Washington corners in the past, and it likely won’t stop McDuffie either.

2021 Stats

11 games: 35 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, 6 passes defended, 0 interceptions

Andrew Booth was a hot name leading up to the NFL combine, and unfortunately didn’t go through any testing. The 3rd year junior has a big, strong frame (6’0" 200 pounds) with experience succeeded in press man coverage. The former 5 star recruit is an elite athlete with good character and intelligence. He is aggressive as a tackler and fighting for the ball in the air, while understanding how to use his size to disrupt receivers. He’s a solid tackler who’s capable of delivering a big hit, but could still get more consistent. Booth has very fast feet, smooth hips, quick acceleration and the ability to recover in the open field. He’s occasionally struggled in zone coverage, but played very well in man when he can really focus in on locking down one receiver. He still needs to improve his consistency, but he has all the physical and mental traits to do it.

2021 Stats

11 games: 37 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, 8 passes defended, 3 interceptions

McCreary is a consistent, productive corner who has played all over the field for Auburn’s defense. At 6’0" 190, he has solid size for the position. He’s very impressive in man coverage and has the athleticism to quickly mirror in press. He has enough open field speed to close on separation, and has done a good job of recovering without fouling. Most impressive is his ability to perform against any team, with his tape looking just impressive regardless of the opponent. His tackling is very consistent with clean hits and solid technique. McCreary broke up a lot of passes this past year and is feisty at the point of catch. The more you watch him, the more there is to like. The big problem that jumps out is his very short arms, which could limit him in press or breaking up passes.

2021 Stats

12 games: 49 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, 16 passes defended, 2 interceptions

Complete 2022 CB draft rankings

WordPress Tables

2022:  | QB | WR | RB | FB | TE | OT | G | C | DT | EDGE | LB | S | CB | K | P | LS | OVERALL |

Another year, another good group of corners. This year might be a bit weaker than the past couple years, but as always there’s really good depth and some big names at the top. I’m not nearly as high on this group as some others are, as a lot of the players are traits-heavy but haven’t produced. There’s up to 10 corners who are vying for a top 50 pick if they have good workouts, but we’ll likely see the strongest picks coming out of the 3rd or 4th round when we start seeing the depth really become apparent. Combine and pro day times are really important for corners since they need elite speed and quickness to react to receivers, so there’s plenty of movement to come. This class is also exceptionally big, with most of the top corners being 6’1" or taller.