2020 NFL Draft Preview: Cornerbacks who can contribute from day one
Apr 14, 2020, 6:49 AM
The NFL Draft is slated for April 23-25, providing seven rounds for the Broncos and other teams to find their stars of the future. At this point, Denver is slated to have 11 total picks, five of which will fall within the first 95 selections. In other words, John Elway will have plenty of assets to work with throughout the weekend.
What will he do with those picks? That’s anyone’s guess. But in the coming weeks, 1043TheFan.com will provide an overview of the best prospects.
Today, we continue by looking at a position that most people think the Broncos have already addressed – cornerback. Yes, they lost Chris Harris Jr. via free agency, but they replaced him by trading for A.J. Bouye. In addition, Bryce Callahan is expected to return after missing all of last season with a foot injury. While that gives Denver two good corners, at least on paper, the team doesn’t have much depth. And in today’s pass-happy NFL, they’re going to need more than Bouye and Callahan in order to have the defense Vic Fangio wants. If the Broncos are looking to strengthen this position, here are the players to consider for the job:
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Top Five on the Board
1. Jeff Okudah – There are plenty of reasons why Okudah was a first-team All-American and a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award; he simply possesses all of the skills necessary to be a great cornerback. He has the size and length to match up with big receivers, the foot quickness to stick with wideouts off the line of scrimmage and the closing speed to make up room in the open field. It all adds up to a probable top-five pick.
2. C.J. Henderson – His 6-foot-1, 200-pound frame make him an ideal cover corner, skills he showcased at Florida on a weekly basis. But it might also be the reason why he doesn’t seem too eager to help against the run, as tackling was never his forte with the Gators. That one-dimension aspect of his game will drop him into the teens or 20s of the first round, but his ability to cover will make him an NFL starter for years to come.
3. Kristian Fulton – After being a highly touted recruit, Fulton’s career at LSU got off to a rocky start. Injuries and a suspension derailed parts or all of his 2016, ’17 and ’18 seasons. But he finally got a chance last season to show what he could do, becoming a major part of a defense that helped the Tigers win a national title. He has all the physical tools needed to be a great corner, plus the swagger to excel at the position. He just hasn’t played a ton of football.
4. Trevon Diggs – A converted wide receiver, Diggs benefits from having a good understanding of what’s happening on the other side of the ball; it helps him get into the heads of opposing receivers. In addition, he got the chance to play a lot of different coverage schemes at Alabama, which will help with his transition to the NFL and make him a versatile cornerback in any defense.
5. Noah Igbinoghene – A bit of a project, Igbinoghene has the potential to be a great player if given the time to develop. The son of track stars, as his mother won a bronze medal at the 1992 Olympics and his father was a five-time SEC champion in the long and triple jumps at Mississippi State, he has the athletic ability needed to play the position. A converted wideout, he simply hasn’t gotten a lot of reps at cornerback.
