2021 NFL draft: 11 of the longest cornerback prospects in this class

Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer came from Seattle, where the Seahawks made a habit of picking long and lanky cornerbacks in the NFL draft. Fitterer will no doubt bring some of his own ideas to Carolina, but we can probably rely on him preferring some of the same physical attributes in the cornerbacks he likes.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at 11 of the longest cornerback prospects in the upcoming 2021 NFL draft class.

Caleb Farley - Virginia Tech: 6-foot-2, 197 lbs

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Farley has only been playing the position for two years, but looks like a seasoned veteran on film. He is about as natural of a corner as it comes and is tremendous in coverage, especially man to man. Due to Virginia Tech’s scheme, Farley did not play a whole lot of press coverage in college. However, he is a long and lanky corner that loves using his physicality and excellent ball skills to beat receivers. He has silky smooth hips, quick transitions and superb instincts attacking the ball. Farley has a natural gift to be sticky in coverage and will undoubtedly be able to play more of a press-man role in the NFL.

Pat Surtain II - Alabama: 6-foot-1, 203 lbs

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Surtain has not seen any official measurements during the pre-draft process, but it is safe to say he is a plus-sized corner that can match up with nearly anybody. He offers prototypical size and top-notch coverage skills in both man and zone. In 2020, he achieved a grade of 89.2 according to PFF, the highest of any corner in the country. Surtain is a pretty physical corner who uses his speed, smooth hips, tremendous footwork and natural instincts in coverage to push receivers toward the sideline and contain them to extremely tight throwing windows. He is a solid and willing, tackler who likes to explode downhill and pop you with everything he has. Surtain also has tremendous ball skills and looks like a true alpha when going up for the ball. Surtain shadow their opponents’ biggest receiver all game and allow the rest of the defense to disguise their looks and coverages.

Ifeatu Melifonwu - Syracuse: 6-foot-2, 212 lbs

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Melifonwu brings a ton of exciting attributes to the next level, the main one being his physical traits. He is extremely lanky and is a tremendous athlete for a corner his size. Although he is best in zone coverage Melifonwu uses his long frame well in man coverage also - evidenced by his work in one-on-ones at the Senior Bowl. What makes him special in coverage are his smooth transitions and explosive breaks on the ball, something that big corners do not typically have. Melifonwu is also extremely physical, both in press and attacking the backfield. He has the versatility to play corner or safety at the next level, but it is likely he will stick as a prototypical cover three corner in the NFL

Paulson Adebo - Stanford: 6-foot-1, 190 lbs

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Adebo is an extremely long corner with plus athleticism. He will not be winning a footrace anytime soon, but he has solid hip fluidity and quality short-area quickness. Where he is going to make his money is defending big-bodied wide receivers in the red zone in single coverage. He is excellent at neutralizing red zone threats and using his lengthy frame to outreach the receiver for the ball at the catch point. Over the course of 2019 and 2020, PFF gave him a 96.1 coverage grade when targeted in single coverage. Adebo just seems to have a natural sense of where the ball is around the goal line and does a great job at using the boundaries, and his length to his advantage when in single man coverage.

Trill Williams - Syracuse: 6-foot-2, 198 lbs

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Williams is a super long and physical corner that played nearly everywhere in Syracuse’s secondary. He has tremendous instincts in zone coverage, and is functional in press man. Sometimes, like a lot of corners, he tends to get a bit grabby at the stem of a route while in man-to-man. But Williams loves to play physical, whether at the line of scrimmage in press coverage or up in the box as a safety, and can neutralize a big playmaker on offense purely with his toughness. He is an explosive athlete with natural instincts in coverage and excellent ball skills that should translate to early success at corner in a zone heavy scheme.

Israel Mukuamu - South Carolina: 6-foot-3, 200 lbs

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Measuring in at every bit of that 6-foot-3 frame, Mukuamu does not play like a typical bog-bodied corner. He seemingly has vines for arms and legs, and has tremendous straight line speed for someone who is that tall. Mukuamu is physical, highly instinctual in zone coverage, and has outstanding ball skills that come from high pointing the ball with his lanky frame. He did not have the best end to his 2020 season and displayed some concerns with grabby-ness and hip fluidity. However, Mukuamu has exceptional overall athleticism and plus instincts for a player his size. He will surely find a role in the NFL with the chance to become an elite corner with the right coaching and fit in a zone-heavy scheme.

Tyson Campbell - Georgia: 6-foot-2, 185 lbs

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Campbell is an outstanding athlete that was a track star in high school and easily runs stride for stride with the fastest receivers in the SEC. Campbell’s film is inconsistent, especially in man coverage, but he has shown tremendous flashes at times in press man or bump and run coverage. He also shows that he has quality, natural instincts in zone even though he did not play much of it at Georgia. Pair these flashes with Campbell’s elite physical tools and you have a prospect that - if he puts it together with the right coaching - could have All-Pro potential.

Benjamin St-Juste - Minnesota: 6-foot-3, 200 lbs

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St – Juste had an excellent week at the Senior Bowl and measured in with a whopping 80 ¼ inch wingspan. He is a plus athlete with quality instincts in zone and uses his length in press-man very well. He shows consistent ability to jam at the line of scrimmage and reach around defenders with his long frame at the catch point without getting too grabby. He also has excellent short area quickness to break on the ball in short spaces for a player his size. After bouncing around to two different programs in his college career, you can tell that St-Juste needs consistent coaching. He is essentially running off his natural athleticism and physical traits – and is doing a heck of a job.

Keith Taylor Jr. - Washington: 6-foot-2, 191 lbs

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Taylor offers a rare blend of physical and athletic attributes. He has a super lengthy frame and was a track star his senior year of high school, clocking a 10.89 second 100 meter dash. He has the quickness to flip his hips and run with the most athletically gifted receivers in the league and does quality work showcasing his physicality, length, and tackling ability that can translate to the next level. However, his technical skills get Taylor in trouble at times - sloppy press ability, footwork, and grabby-ness at the catch point are unfortunately scattered across his film. He had a strong showing at the Senior Bowl and has a ton of potential that could make him one of the best in the league at corner if he is able to straighten out his areas of concern.

Bryan Mills - North Carolina Central: 6-foot-1, 180 lbs

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In Mobile Mills proved he can hold his own against the top receivers in the country. He is another long and lanky corner with great athleticism that excels in press-man coverage. He has also shown nice hip fluidity and ball skills throughout his career but will need to clean up his transitions/footwork in order to get accustomed to NFL speed. Drafting players solely based on their physical traits is never a great idea. There will obviously be a learning curve that will probably take a few years for Mills to overcome, however, he has all the tools necessary to succeed at the next level and if it clicks he could become a quality corner in the NFL.

Nahshon Wright - Oregon State: 6-foot-4, 188 lbs

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Not many corners get to say they are 6-foot-4 with 80 plus inch wingspans. Wright runs well and is a fluid athlete for his size. He has superb ball skills at the catch point and great spatial awareness in both man and zone coverage. He is more dominant in press-man though as he is able to use his length, smooth movement ability, and tracking skills to locate the ball and prevent completions. He will need to add a bit of weight to his frame so he can endure his physical style of play, as well as clean up some footwork and technique concerns, but Wright is a player with massive potential at the next level just based on his physical and athletic traits. [vertical-gallery id=634300]

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