2022 Draft Board: Defensive Backs

Go check out my 2022 Quarterback Draft Board article if you want to get more background information on how this all works.

Combining Corners and Safeties in the same article was mostly due to the overlap between players I think could play Corner, but most other places have listed at Safety and vice versa. I figured it would just be easier to put them in the same spot for comparison purposes. You'll see the Corner parts first and then the Safeties.

TOP FIVE CORNERS

1) Ahmad Gardner (Cincinnati)

Analysis: He didn't have a great PSR, as you'll see below, but that doesn't factor in the fact that he didn't allow a single touchdown at Cincinnati. He played Alabama and Notre Dame this past season, Georgia two years ago, not to mention a number of prolific offenses in the AAC over his career, yet not. a. single. touchdown. It's just flat out amazing.

2) Alontae Taylor (Tennessee)

Analysis: If you want to see a person do a complete 180 go watch 2020 Taylor and then watch 2021 Taylor. It's night and day. He's one of four Corners that were invited to the Combine to have above an 80 in both is Run Defense and Pass Coverage grades from PFF in 2021. He's the only one of the four to also show off impressive athleticism at the Combine. I'm definitely a fan, and I would use a first round pick on him, but I know he's unlikely to go that high. I would love to see the Vikings snag him in the second round.

3) Damarri Mathis (Pittsburgh)

Analysis: There was hype surrounding Mathis at the end of the 2020 season, but he decided to go back to Pitt. To be completely honest I'm kind of disappointed we didn't hear him talked about much during the 2021 season considering how well Pitt did and the fact he had hype before the season. However, the athletic testing plays a very big role in determining a Corner's chances of success and Mathis blew up with his 4.39 forty, 43.5" vert and 133" broad.

4) Kaiir Elam (Florida)

Analysis: His pass coverage tanked this past season, but we know the skill set is there. He also has great size at 6'2", 191, and speed with his 4.39 forty. I would use a second round pick on him easily, but don't just throw him to the wolves, he's going to need a little coaching up before he's really ready.

5) Daxton Hill (Michigan)

Analysis: A lot of people have Hill as a Safety, I like him best in a roll similar to how the Saints use Gardner-Johnson, which involves a lot of Slot Corner duties. He definitely has the short area quickness to stick close with the shifty Slot Receivers, and the speed to keep up with the burners. I wouldn't be surprised if he slips into the end of the first. And for the record, he would have a 2nd-3rd round label as a Safety as well, but he would've been my #3 Safety.

Sleeper: Zyon McCollum (Sam Houston State)

Analysis: Picture this, Kaiir Elam's size but faster, more explosive, and with better short area quickness. Is that something you'd be interested in? Yea, me too. He had a good career at Sam Houston State, especially in 2021, but the level of competition is always going to be a slight concern until he gets on a pro field. His 4.33 forty, 39.5" vert, 132" broad, 3.94 short shuttle and 6.48 3-cone should help alleviate some of those concerns.

SURPRISINGLY LEFT OFF

Andrew Booth and Derek Stingley are high on a lot of people's boards, but they've both been completely removed from mine, so I won't touch on them here. The big two that aren't in my top five but are still on my board is Roger McCreary and Trent McDuffie. It's strictly their PSRs that kept them out of my top five. They both performed well in college even if the statistical production doesn't fully support that, but athletically neither blew the tests away and their PSRs were too low for me to make an exception and put them in my top five anyway. I still like them though and I won't be surprised (or horrified) if they go day one or early day two.

DRAFT BOARD

My Draft Board

REMOVED FROM DRAFT BOARD

For each position there are players who either had a red flag in their college production or athletic testing (or both) that led to them being removed from my draft board. These are referred to as negative factors and can lead to one of two labels: Depleted or Empty. In order for a player to receive a Depleted label, they had to have a negative factor that significantly decreased the chances of success in players who had that same factor from 2010-2019. In order for a player to receive an Empty label, they had to have a negative factor that led to zero successful players who had that same factor from 2010-2019. This year there were 16 Cornerbacks removed from my Draft Board, but I would like to note that if I was running a team Kalon Barnes and Marcus Jones would be in consideration for a day 3 pick for Special Teams purposes:

Akayleb Evans (Missouri) - Depleted

Andrew Booth Jr. (Clemson) - Depleted

Derek Stingley Jr. (LSU) - Depleted

Isaac Taylor-Stuart (USC) - Depleted

Josh Jobe (Alabama) - Depleted

Josh Thompson (Texas) - Depleted

Tariq Woolen (UTSA) - Depleted

Chris Steele (USC) - Empty

Decobie Durant (South Carolina State) - Empty

Derion Kendrick (Georgia) - Empty

Jalyn Armour-Davis (Alabama) - Empty

Jermaine Waller (Virginia Tech) - Empty

Joshua Williams (Fayetteville State) - Empty

Kalon Barnes (Baylor) - Empty

Marcus Jones (Houston) - Empty

Montaric Brown (Arkansas) - Empty

TOP FIVE SAFETIES

1) Kyle Hamilton (Notre Dame)

Analysis: Did people really expect a 6'4", 220 pound Safety to go out and run the fastest forty you've ever seen in your life? Cause that's definitely how it seems based off what I've been reading. 4.59 is still a solid time. It shows he can stick with most Tight Ends one-on-one, and when dealing with Receivers in a traditional Safety role he'll mostly be doing it in Zone. Also, a 38" vertical at 6'4" is almost unfair.

2) Jaquan Brisker (Penn State)

Analysis: I watched a couple of Penn State games this past season. The first one I watched I kept seeing this Safety making plays, which prompted me to look him up, add him to my in season players to track list, and make him my #2 Safety behind Hamilton. The game I watched later in the year didn't change my feelings, and while he didn't do anything spectacular in his athletic tests he did well enough for me to feel comfortable keeping him at 2.

3) Dane Belton (Iowa)

Analysis: When I saw that Belton got an invite to the Combine, but Matt Hankins didn't I was like "what are these people doing?!" But of course I still added him to my board and check out his stats and PFF grades (which were rather impressive). And when he ran his 4.38 forty I really took notice. Worth noting, I did keep an eye on Iowa's pro day for Hankins, he ran such a slow forty that he would not have made my board anyway, guess they got this one right.

4) Lewis Cine (Georgia)

Analysis: The only, and I'm emphasizing that only, Safety who received an invite to the Combine to have a grade of 80+ in both run defense and pass coverage from PFF. He's also 6'2" and ran a 4.37 forty with a 133" broad. I've got very high hopes for Cine.

5) JT Woods (Baylor)

Analysis: Let me just say there aren't a lot of Safeties I'm very high on in this class. I think Hamilton is a sure-fire first, Brisker could be a first, and Belton and Cine are day two picks, but beyond that I feel there's a lot of developmental talent worth taking on day three. Woods is at the top of that list. Based on his PFF grades and his stats he wasn't a stellar player at Baylor, but at 6'2" with a 4.36 forty, 39.5" vert and 128" broad, he's definitely got the athleticism he just needs the right coach.

Sleeper: Percy Butler (Louisiana)

Analysis: Small school talent who may have fallen a little to the wayside because of where he played. He's got a lot of potential though. Also, his highlight reel is a ton of fun to watch, definitely worth checking out.

SURPRISINGLY LEFT OFF

I think Jalen Pitre is the only potential surprise to some. Personally, I don't like the box safeties that inevitably end up playing Linebacker and fading to irrelevance. I think that's the direction Pitre's career is going to go and for that reason I left him out of my top five. I have seen some labeling him as a Corner, but given his coverage skills I just don't see it.

DRAFT BOARD

My Draft Board

REMOVED FROM DRAFT BOARD

For each position there are players who either had a red flag in their college production or athletic testing (or both) that led to them being removed from my draft board. These are referred to as negative factors and can lead to one of two labels: Depleted or Empty. In order for a player to receive a Depleted label, they had to have a negative factor that significantly decreased the chances of success in players who had that same factor from 2010-2019. In order for a player to receive an Empty label, they had to have a negative factor that led to zero successful players who had that same factor from 2010-2019. There were only three players removed from my Safety Draft Board this year:

Bryan Cook (Cincinnati) - Depleted

Kerby Joseph (Illinois) - Depleted

Qwynnterrio Cole (Louisville) - Empty