DRAFT TRACKER 2022

Long, lean and linear, Gardner's physical and football growth are on full display when comparing his 2019 tape to 2021. He's highly competitive with a confidence level that will be labeled as cocky by some evaluators. "Sauce" uses length and hand activity to impose his will on the release and stall the route on the tarmac. Staying connected to the route is a priority, which leads to grabbing when he feels it slipping away but that can be corrected by improving his footwork and trusting his technique. His movements lack fluidity, but he's urgent and aggravating in man-to-man, which could become a deterrent for NFL quarterbacks scanning to his side of the field if he can avoid a big spike in penalties as he adjusts to NFL officiating. Gardner has the traits and demeanor to become a highly effective CB1 within his first couple of seasons.

Three-year starter whose average size is overshadowed by skillful ruggedness, allowing him to contest throws from a variety of coverages. He's an elite competitor with a route-hugging mentality fueled by body control, foot agility, aggression and burst. He's a pesky press-man defender with the tools to excel in zone. He's willing to fly downhill and hit anybody near the football. He keeps his eyes on the prize and has an itchy, twitchy trigger to close throwing windows and make plays on the ball. He lacks lockdown traits but has lockdown talent and his competitive energy is contagious. He can play outside or from the slot and carries a very high floor with the potential to become one of the league's top corners at some point during his first contract.

Elam is the next up in a long line of talented Florida cornerbacks, but he failed to play his best football in his final collegiate season. He is patient and strong to mirror and impede releases but inconsistent staying connected to the early stages of the route. He plays with good awareness in zone and has the twitch and length to make plays on the throw when squatting in space. He was beat on deep patterns against Alabama, Arkansas and Georgia, which might have led to excessive grabbing and an overall lack of trust in his technique on the 2021 tape. He plays big at the catch point but smaller in run support. Elam has early CB3 and eventual CB2 value as a press and zone corner.

A press/zone combo corner with good size and length, Booth plays with an urgent, competitive nature. He has the strength, balance and foot agility to press and slow the release. He has limited starting experience, though. He will need more development to prevent route specialists from manipulating his feet and hips. Booth has the ball-tracking and play strength to find and maintain top-dog positioning through catch tries. He's more effective in off coverage underneath than tight man. He needs to play more football, but his ball-hawking instincts, burst to close and toughness in run support will be very appealing for zone teams looking for an upgrade at cornerback.

Cornerback who comes with an elite, high-performance engine but a GPS still in the process of loading. Gordon's dynamic athletic qualities will show up in testing, but more importantly, they are all over his tape. His blend of play strength and explosive burst affects the passing game from press, off-man and zone coverages. He plays with an alpha demeanor and hitting is definitely part of his overall package. Gordon lacks polish and needs to play with better route recognition and anticipation, but if those elements click, his ball production could be near the top of the league as one of the top playmakers in the game.

Press-man cornerback with physical limitations that could create occasional roller-coaster matchups on Sundays. McCreary is aggressive, with the play strength to bully the release and alter route timing. He lacks fluidity in lateral transitions from off-man and lacks make-up burst to stay connected to cross-country routes. Tall receivers have advantages on jump balls and fades, but finding catch space will be a chore for opponents when he's in phase on vertical routes. He has average starting talent as a CB2/3 but needs to operate in a scheme that allows him to play hugged-up coverage, limiting operating space for wideouts.

Projects as a twitchy, undersized slot cornerback with playmaking traits and game-changing return talent. Jones has the hips and feet to cover slippery slot receivers and the ballhawking instincts to make plays from zone. He can be too reliant on his athletic ability. He needs to play with better discipline and route anticipation as a pro. He can be mismatched against size but he's plenty scrappy in those battles. Jones' lack of size will hurt him with some teams while others will elevate his grade thanks to his electric ability on special teams. There could be teams that look to give him reps at receiver, where he would have more big-play opportunities.

Productive four-year starter whose experience sharpened his football IQ and leadership qualities. Bryant has good size and can be a real-time route reader, with above-average ball skills and an anticipatory brand of coverage. He will need help against NFL deep speed and could struggle in an off-man capacity when he has to transition and match route breaks throughout the game. Zone cover schemes that allow for a more linear, eyes-forward approach should play directly into his strengths and allow him to become a CB2/CB3.

Compact, muscular zone corner with aggressive ball challenges but angles of attack that lead to troubling results. The size and traits are enticing, but he gives away too many yards due to poor pursuit angles. Taylor-Britt has the feet and athletic ability to pounce on throws when allowed to park and read play design from zone. He gets burned by double moves but showed off his impressive recovery speed at the NFL Scouting Combine. He has safety experience but lacks consistency as a tackler to be trusted at the position. Taylor-Britt has the tools to stick it out at cornerback, but feast/famine play creates a buyer-beware tag.

Small-school cornerback with big-school traits and talent. Williams is long-limbed with the versatility and talent to play in any coverage. The footwork in press needs to be cleaned up and he allows some separation at the break-point against quicker targets, but his above-average foot agility and speed are the key to his ability to recover and recalibrate positioning. On the flip side, his size, length and ball skills stand out on tape and make it easier to project success as a competitive, downfield cover man in time. Traits-based cornerbacks from smaller schools can be very hit or miss, but Williams' instincts and body control shine a more favorable light on his potential to become a future CB2/3.

Long-limbed cornerback with the size and top-end speed for bump-and-run duties on bigger targets. He also has the length and anticipation for teams emphasizing Cover 2/Cover 3. He's confident and feisty but allows separation from off-man coverage due to his high-cut frame and leggy transitions. He does a nice job of reading quarterbacks and making his way to the throw but his burst to close is slightly below average and might offer limited pass-breakup production. Taylor is a dependable backup with eventual starting potential whose special teams talent could push him ahead of similar cornerbacks.

One-year starter from a Nick Saban defense with prototypical traits but a lack of consistency in using them. Armour-Davis is long, fast and talented, but is a developmental prospect, which is unusual for an Alabama cornerback entering the NFL. He should be unencumbered by scheme and possesses a profile that screams press-man. He's more linear than fluid and will give ground at break points, but he has the burst to make it up. If he can learn to play with his back to the football, the downfield completions will dry up quickly. He's a willing and reliable tackler in run support and could help on special teams early on. Improvement is likely with more experience, so a grade leaning more heavily to traits over tape appears to be necessary.

Ball-hawking FCS cornerback with outstanding combination of size and athletic traits for the next level. McCollum is big and plays with good physicality in coverage but his footwork to match the release and phase the route tend to stand out. He is instinctive and has great ball skills at the catch-point but there is room for improvement playing downfield throws. His play speed is good but he might not have the instant juice to prevent being stacked on vertical routes from press. He can press or play all forms of zone and has early special-teams value as he transitions into the pros.

Jobe looks the part as a well-built, long-armed perimeter cornerback, but a disappointing senior season ended up leaving scouts with more questions than answers. Jobe's tight hips and below-average pattern-matching attributes limit his chances for success in press man. Below-average instincts might keep him from becoming a playmaker in zone. He's likely to be pegged as a Cover 2 cornerback, but a move to safety might give Jobe his best chance for future success.

Woolen's draft grade could require altering the tape-to-traits ratio, with his elite traits garnering a higher percentage of the projection than might normally be the case. Woolen has shown growth over his two years at cornerback but he's still raw and needs time to get where he needs to go. He has an exceptionally rare blend of size, length and speed to contest catches on all three levels of the field if a team can develop his technique. A lack of commitment as a run supporter will need to be addressed, though. Woolen's rare measurables and potential to play in a variety of schemes make him worthy of drafting and molding for the long haul.

Two-year starter with NFL size and athletic traits to expect continued improvement on the next level. Gray has good footwork and balance for a taller corner and shows trust in his footwork and technique that many younger cornerbacks don't have. He can gather and hound underneath routes and has the length and strength to make contested catches a serious chore for wideouts. The big concern will be Gray's top-end speed, as there are instances on tape where he simply could not keep up with the man across from him. He has the talent to become a CB3/4, but might need protection within the scheme.

Developmental cornerback with good speed and excellent length; he also needs to start hitting stacks of weights and pancakes. Getting Flott to fill out and grow into his frame should be the top priority for teams taking a chance on him. He plays the game fast and hard, but he hasn't been able to find a functional level of control and recognition in his coverage. He has inside/outside experience, but the length and speed make him a likely perimeter cornerback once he gets fully acclimated outside. The athletic upside is great, but it will be asking a lot of Flott to take on big targets, which could limit his overall ceiling.

Perimeter cornerback with appealing size and traits for press-man, but confidence and consistency were missing from his 2021 tape. Castro-Fields' length, strength and athleticism are likely to be viewed as moldable features by defensive back coaches. However, he is missing the desired stickiness to the route and lacks spatial awareness and ball-hawking instincts from zone. His run support commitment is a bit disappointing relative to his size. Castro-Fields possesses the tools and versatility to operate as a backup in a variety of coverage schemes and is a middle-round value with upside traits.

Cornerback with four years of playoff experience and two national titles under his belt. Kendrick has played against some of the best wideouts in the game but has a history of struggling in some of those matchups. He lacks speed and strength to stay outside but his quickness and route recognition should help him move inside as a nickel. He's athletic and capable underneath with excellent ball skills but can be exploited by long speed and needs safety help in those matchups. He's unreliable as a tackler, but concerns over character and maturity appear to be a bigger issue for him. Talent and those concerns need to be weighed, but Kendrick has CB3/CB4 potential in the right scheme.

A four-year starter with good size and football IQ, Benford plays the game with good physicality in coverage and in run support. However, he appears to lack desired top-end speed. He has an impressive talent for feeling play development near the line of scrimmage and reading routes in space. His instincts and length bring impressive ball production and he frequently flips 50/50 throws in his favor with his ability to body and eliminate the wideout. He can play zone or man but needs some scheme protection against speedy targets. Benford is a willing tackler and could be in consideration for a spot at cornerback or safety in the future.

Mathis plays with good anticipation and ball skills but lacks the top-end speed and coverage tools needed to play pure press-man coverage. While he's played Cover 3 with some modest success in college, he lacks the traits and poise to do so in the pros. He offers short and intermediate zone-cover talent as a cornerback or dime safety on the next level. His ability to help support the run from the slot could factor in his favor.

Depending on how he tests, Evans should profile as a height, weight, speed prospect for teams employing multiple zone coverages. He lacks the footwork and short-area agility to maintain man coverage against NFL receivers. Evans has the strength for release redirection and can use his length to swarm the catch from a side shuffle or short zone setting. The measurables are appealing but his injury history must be part of his evaluation as well.

Projects as an instinctive zone corner with good strength but a lack of desired top-end speed. Brown has a nose for short and intermediate pattern breaks and plays with outstanding body control. He also has soft hands to take the ball away when he's in position. He's going to struggle to handle vertical speed and shifty route runners, so a zone-based coverage scheme is more likely to suit him as a pro. He's a willing run supporter whose ball skills and instincts might get him a look at safety if he can carry enough weight.

Durant might be undersized, but he plays with tremendous confidence and competitiveness. He will have issues against bigger slot targets from time to time but proved his ability against receivers of all sizes against Clemson. He plays with good foot quickness and above-average ball skills to attack the throw. He'll be targeted in run support so he will need to be used judiciously. Durant profiles as a late Day 3 selection due to his size, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see him outperform his draft slotting.

Developmental defensive back with size, speed and fluidity that stands out on tape against his level of competition. Junior's technique and field awareness could be early stumbling blocks but are certainly correctable. He's smooth and athletic working around the field and teams will go to work discovering his level of talent and versatility during the draft process. He had limited ball production against a lower level of competition, but the traits are present for that to change. He will be an early special teams worker as a draft-and-stash talent on Day 3.

Press corner with prototypical height, weight and length that should garner some attention from traits-hungry general managers. Webb played against a lower level of competition but had good ball production at that level. He can press and crowd receivers off the snap but needs to improve his technique and trust it a little more often to keep from drawing penalties down the field. His transition and footwork can be too sloppy from off coverage, so scheme fit will matter for him. He needs to transfer his physical coverage style over to his run support if he wants to stick around as a developmental press corner.

Slender boundary corner with an enormous amount of football snaps in his background. Lucas plays in off coverages, which is likely for the best considering his lack of strength and long speed. He typically trusts his eyes and has the traits to make plays on the football. He plays with adequate footwork to pedal and match basic routes but struggles to stay connected to more complex routes, as his body control and change of direction let him down. His lack of size will make him a target against both the run and pass at the next level. Lucas projects as a late-round pick or undrafted free agent who could struggle to find NFL work.

A projected slot corner at the next level after spending time on the perimeter and at safety in 2021, Williams is a two-time team captain praised for being reliable, durable and extremely tough. He's twitchy to make plays on throws underneath but his speed deficiency shows up when routes extend downfield. He will slide off of a tackle from time to time due to his lack of length, but he's more than willing to mix it up in run support in nickel packages. The football character and mental makeup are outstanding, but Williams will have to prove he can handle himself from a speed standpoint.

Perimeter cornerback with outstanding height/speed/explosion. Baker's athletic gifts are evident in his testing and flashes on tape. However, the flashes fail to produce an expected level of production due to inconsistencies with instincts and awareness. He plays with quality body control, field fluidity and recovery talent, which should add up to better overall coverage success if a team can coach him into recognizing and attacking routes. Baker can play in a variety of coverages and has the upside worthy of a late-round pick.

An old-school Cover 2 cornerback, Johnson has NFL size and strength. He does a nice job of utilizing it as a press defender who can hinder the release for lesser athletes. His lack of top-end speed and back-to-the-ball talent could take him out of man consideration, but he might have the traits to play a corner spot where he can have his eyes on the ball.

Long, finesse cornerback with traits and talent to compete in full-field, press-man coverage. Emerson has patient feet to maintain positioning against the release and uses length and positioning for catch disruptions. He's indecisive in his angles to the throw, missing out on interception opportunities. His run support issues will most certainly hurt his draft standing with some teams. Emerson isn't well-rounded but he has enough cover talent to make a team.

Undersized but explosive, Johnson is a three-year starter with plus athletic ability who appears to be missing the physical elements needed to stay at safety as a pro. He loses battles to tight ends working underneath or down the seam and is a below-average stopper as a tackler in space. Johnson might be suited for a permanent move to nickel corner, where his pattern matching and twitch could be shaped and improved with more coaching. He needs a more aggressive approach when playing the football if he's going to make a team.

Flowers might have an unconventional background relative to other prospects, but the traits and potential should create interest. He is long and explosive and was a legitimate two-sport performer during his time at Robert Morris. He has a point guard's foot quickness with the length and burst to close windows and make plays on the football. He needs to become a more consistent run defender and still needs plenty of technical work in coverage, but Flowers' return potential should make him a coveted free agent if he goes undrafted.

A highly coveted recruit coming out of Long Beach Poly High School, Jones initially attended USC and started all 14 games in his sophomore season, leading the Trojans with four interceptions. But following that breakout season, Jones was ruled academically ineligible and then arrested for breaking into a restaurant after hours, eventually pleading guilty to a second-degree misdemeanor charge of commercial burglary. After spending a year in junior college, Jones enrolled at Arizona State. Earning All-Pac-12 honorable mention honors in 2019 and 2021, Jones was limited to one game in 2020 due to a suspension for violating team rules. As a player, he's a ball-hawking cornerback with playmaking instincts. Despite solid ball production, though, Jones also gave up a lot of touchdowns at the college level. His lack of size/strength should make technique a top priority, as his talent for finding the football won't matter as much if he can't get on the field. Jones could be a late Day 3 selection, but physical deficiencies are working against him.

Cornerback with the traits worthy of consideration for a late-round pick. Barnes has legitimate track speed but his play can be too reliant upon that aspect of his game. He's a better athlete than cover man, often losing track of his coverage duties. He's athletic and has no excuses for not playing with better technique. Barnes' length and ball skills could have a team willing to plug him into a practice squad slot to see if there is more consistent football ahead for him.

Potential diamond in the rough candidate with premium speed and length but a lack of desired experience. Mosely has the tools to play press man, but struggles to read and phase routes with consistency. His athletic ability and flashes on tape could put him squarely on the radars of teams relying more heavily on Cover 3 and quarters coverages while his talent as a gunner will appeal to all teams. Mosely's lack of game experience could prevent him from being drafted, but he should be a coveted free agent if he isn't picked.

Former walk-on who has developed into a ball-hawking slot defender. Womack has eye-popping speed and quickness with above-average ball production as a three-year starter. He's a natural at searching for clues and utilizing quality pathways to play the throw. Inconsistent technique and a lack of poise and positioning downfield are areas of concern that might not be easily correctable with coaching. Womack is not strong against the run, but he's sticky from press and instinctive from zone, which gives him a chance to compete for a roster spot.

Long but slender cornerback with an appetite for the football. Gilbert's build might take him out of consideration for some teams and will need to be weighed against his ball production. He's a fluid, natural athlete who can play in all forms of coverage. He possesses the ball skills and instincts to challenge throws both short and deep. A lack of play strength should show up more often on the pro level, as will his issues in run support. Gilbert's ball production and coverage versatility make him a potential Day 3 pick with some upside.

Two-year starter (Virginia Tech and UMass) with adequate size, good athleticism and above-average speed for the position. Watts possesses the physical and athletic profile of a Power Five cornerback but his ball production and stickiness in coverage are both just average by NFL standards. He lacks desired play strength for press and will need to improve his discipline in off coverages. He's both athletic and tough enough for the pro game and should have a chance to state his case in camp.

Well-proportioned and well-built, Holmes spent his entire career at cornerback but has size and physicality that is more reminiscent of a safety. He can lose the route when he gets too aggressive in press and he doesn't play with the makeup burst to recover quickly. He's a physical ball-challenger when he's in position and can step up and support the run effectively. Holmes appears suited for off-man and zone coverages. He has a chance to be a late-round pick and could get a look at safety if cornerback doesn't work out.

There's plenty to like about Bland's physical traits and potential but holes in both man and zone coverage could create some doubt about his future success. Bland lacks coverage fluidity but his physical cover style should work in his favor if he can play with better discipline. He could be a zone corner fit and has the physical tools for safety consideration if he can charge up his tackle toughness.

Goodrich had a long wait to get his shot but was ready when it finally came for him. He has size and plays a physical brand of coverage but might be tethered to a zone scheme due to a lack of desired chase speed. He has some recognition talent, allowing for decent head starts to squeeze routes in his area. He also has the length to help play the passing lanes, but he's more likely to tackle the catch than play the football. He's reliable against the run and has classic Cover 2 traits, but Goodrich might receive some consideration as a backup safety.

Taylor-Stuart has all the traits found with top cornerbacks in the league, but he was simply too lost in coverage for chunks of last season. He gives away too much space inside the route from a variety of coverage schemes and needs to play with more urgent squeeze from the jump. He will be an impressive tester and has the size and length to harass throws if he's in position. He lacks physicality as a run defender and is likely to be seen as a press-man corner. His traits make him worth a Day 3 flyer, but he won't become a factor until he can better utilize his physical gifts in coverage.

Press-man cornerback with excellent speed and short-area quickness, but a lack of desired ball skills and instincts. At this point, Blackwell is a better athlete than cover corner and he lacks desired size for the perimeter. He will need to level up the technique and get tougher against the run before he is ready to play slot corner in the NFL. Speed and explosiveness will be intriguing, but his tape just isn't there yet.

Defensive back with the size and athletic testing that could have teams deciding between casting him as a safety or cornerback. He has good recovery speed, but the body control and route anticipation create issues with giving away open throwing windows on the second and third levels. He's quick to respond when reading the run but will miss more tackles than he should. Adams has the traits and versatility to compete for a practice squad role early on.

Watson is big and strong. He can be a physical presence when he's playing with patience from press coverage. With just two years of experience at the FBS level, he's predictably raw with his fundamentals, but the lack of agility and short-area quickness should be more than just short-term concerns. Currently, he's unable to stay in phase with quality route runners but does have physical traits that might warrant a practice squad stint for defenses reliant upon Cover 2 and/or Cover 3 schemes.

A well-built cornerback with good toughness, Fields lacks the necessary body control and athleticism to stay connected in man coverage. He is a bit of a lunger in press coverage and has trouble transitioning his hips in off-man coverage. He's better suited for a zone-heavy scheme where he can play moving forward and toward the catch point. Fields has special-teams value and could receive consideration for a move to safety.

Decorated recruit coming into USC program who failed to live up to expectations over three years. Steele offers adequate size and length as a perimeter corner, but had some distressing moments when his long speed was tested. He plays with clear eyes and decent instincts, but lacks ideal short-area burst to stay connected with long-form routes. Steele needs to run well to help boost his draft stock.

Injury-plagued cornerback with NFL measurables and traits but a lack of on-ball production. He's an impressive athlete with talent as a press-man cornerback who can mirror and match routes, but there just aren't enough standout flashes to project a draftable grade or expect him to make a roster.

Lanky press-man corner whose best season was all the way back in 2019. Waller is a decent athlete with adequate agility. His competitive nature shows up on tape, but he lacks the size and strength to handle big receivers and the short-area quickness to stay connected to shiftier targets. He's a willing tackler but his issues with tackle strength figure to be exacerbated as a pro. His length and coverage IQ could make him a Day 3 selection, but he might not have the necessary skills and ball production to stick around.