2022 NFL Draft Preview: Cornerback sleepers and Broncos fits
Apr 21, 2022, 6:44 AM
The Denver Broncos need to add more help at the cornerback position. In fact, this is the position that might be first addressed – likely in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. I don’t think the Broncos move up into the first round – that’s too big of a leap from no.64 overall. However, I could see them moving up in the second round 10 picks or so if the right player falls to that spot. If they don’t take a corner in the second or third round, I do have some ideas about who they could add in the fourth or fifth round who could be quality players.
Patrick Surtain has All-Pro upside entering his second pro season. The No. 9 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Surtain has size, strength, speed and athleticism that is off the charts. He is a No. 1 cornerback in the league, and he could be a shutdown corner for the Broncos this season and for many seasons to come. He’s a cornerstone player for the Broncos – not just in the secondary but for the entire team.
The Broncos have a question mark opposite of Surtain – one that could be answered in the draft. I do think Ronald Darby, in the second year of his contract with the Broncos, could end up being the answer for most if not all the season. Darby is a seasoned veteran with 83 games worth of starting experience. There are two problems with his game. First, Darby gets pass breakups but doesn’t get many interceptions. Second, Darby has only played a full season once in seven pro seasons. He’s a solid player, but you can see why a question mark opposite of Surtain exists.
In this article, I will look at the market for the position. I will also write about sleepers at the cornerback position and some players who could fit what the Broncos need in the 2022 NFL Draft.
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Market Watch
There might be up to four cornerbacks selected in the first round of the draft. It’s a strong close throughout, but it’s not necessarily a top-heavy class. That’s good news for the Broncos who are not set to pick until no.64 overall at the end of the second round.
Ahmad “Sauce” Garnder (Cincinnati) is my top corner in this class. He was an All-American player each of his three seasons for the Tigers and has a great size/speed/athleticism combination. In over 1,100 coverage snaps over three seasons Gardner never allowed a single touchdown pass. He’s a man corner who loves to harass receivers at the line of scrimmage. He’s strong enough to disrupt routes at the line, but he also flips his hips quickly to turn on the jets when staying with a man downfield. He could be the no.1 overall pick, but I expect him to be a top-five pick in this draft.
Derek Stingley (LSU) has always reminded me of Aqib Talib. He’s got length like Talib, and he certainly has a Talib-like attitude. I love his game so much, and he might have been my no.1 corner had it not been for him missing more games than he’s played over the last two seasons. Stingley needs to stay healthy in order to play up to his potential as a pro.
Trent McDuffie (Washington) should hear his name called on day one of the draft. He’s one of the brightest players of any position in this class, and McDuffie rarely takes false steps in coverage. McDuffie isn’t the biggest corner, but his strength and tenacity more than make up for that. He has exceptional click-and-close ability and can get to the runner when the play unfolds in front of him.
Andrew Booth Jr. (Clemson) might be the fourth cornerback selected in the top round. Booth can flat out mirror the moves and routes of receivers he’s tasked with covering. He only has one penalty called on him over three years of playing football for the Tigers. Booth has all the tools you want in a cornerback, but he’s the type of player who might need time to develop. He’s also going to need a clean bill of health after multiple injuries over the years dating back to high school.
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Sleepers
This class is chock full of talent, and that means these sleepers could be players who not only turn into role players but starters in the NFL. I like this group of corners, and the sleepers might turn out to be better than others drafted before they are.
Joshua Williams (Fayetteville State) comes from a program that doesn’t normally produce NFL-caliber players. He dominated Division II and proved that he belonged with the best in college football when he was invited to the Senior Bowl. Williams is a converted wide receiver and has a good feel for routes, with experience in both man and zone coverages. At nearly 6-feet, 3-inches tall, Williams gives you size off the bat with the length to disrupt incoming passes regularly. I believe Williams will be mid-round pick in the draft.
Bryce Watts (UMass) is a sleeper prospect who I appreciated when he first came into the FBS at Virginia Tech. He ended up transferring two times, first to North Carolina where he never played for the team and then to UMass for one season. The two seasons missed for the Tarheels (one for transfer rules, one for COVID) has hurt his development, so any NFL team who adds him will have to pick up where his Hokies coaches left off. At UMass, Watts showed he could be an attacking corner who covers and plays the run well. His experience on special teams will get him a look early on day three.
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Broncos Fits
We’ve all been keeping track of where the Broncos have been during the pre-draft process – specifically what pro days they’ve been attending. Based on that travel schedule, I think this team could be looking at a particular cornerback – and I would applaud them if they selected him on day three of the draft.
Jaylen Watson (Washington State) has the size/athleticism combination teams are looking for. The Broncos were at the Cougars pro day earlier this year, and Watson could have been one of the players they were interested in. I’d be willing to guess he might be the player from Washington State they’re most interested in drafting.
I love the journey that Watson was on in college, proving how much he loves the game of football. He was a no-star recruit out of high school and began his college career at tiny Venture Community College. Watson did transfer to USC in 2019 but did not play for the Trojans due to academic reasons and was out of football. He ended up in Pullman with the Cougars in 2020 and was Honorable Mention All-Pac 12 for two seasons.
At 6-foot-2, 197 pounds, Watson is a press corner who can disrupt a wide receiver right off the bat. He enjoys being physical with opponents and has the length to really jar a receiver, truly jamming him at the line of scrimmage. His height and length help him make up ground if a receiver gets by him after the jam.
Watson has good instincts for the position, but he’s still a raw player with only 15 games played at the FBS level. The Broncos would be getting a fine left cornerback who could eventually start when he gets up to speed in the pro game.
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