The “Triple Take” continues its look at the 2024 NFL Draft with a more in-depth look at the cornerbacks. The Steelers Radio Network trio of Matt Williamson, Dale Lolley and Mike Prisuta give their takes on players beyond the top prospects at the position.
The opinions of these Steelers Radio Network personalities do not reflect the views of the Steelers organization. McKinstry pushes into the top 5 after posting a 4.47-second 40-yard dash at his pro day, despite having a Jones fracture in his foot that was discovered at the Combine. He had surgery to repair the issue after his pro day, so his actual 40 time is likely in the low 4.4s. And he’s been a three-year starter at Alabama. … As expected, DeJean also was solid at his pro day after recovering from a broken leg that sidelined him late in the season and for the Combine. He ran in the mid 4.4s and was good in position drills. I nearly bumped him up to No. 2. … Michigan’s Mike Sainristil (5-9, 182 lbs.) was one of my favorite tapes to watch. He’s just so feisty in the slot and gets his hands on the ball a lot. He’s a small converted wide receiver, but he’ll immediately become one of the best nickel corners in the NFL the minute he sets foot on the field. … Rakestraw isn’t as fast as you’d like, but he’s feisty and aggressive. … Kentucky’s Andru Phillips (5-11, 190 lbs.) could play inside or outside, and he’s been battle tested playing in the SEC. He also had an excellent 42-inch vertical jump at the Combine, though he finished his college career without a single interception. … Kamari Lassiter of Georgia was considered a first-round talent heading into this process, but the 4.64 40 time he posted at his pro day isn’t going to allow that to happen. He’s likely slated to be a nickel corner because of his lack of recovery speed. … Max Melton from Rutgers is another corner who can play inside or out. He had eight interceptions the past three seasons to go with 30 pass breakups. He’s a keeper. … Jarvis Brownlee of Louisville is another potential nickel corner with ball skills. He had six career interceptions and 28 pass breakups. … You want a corner who gets his hands on the ball? Try Kris Abrams-Draine of Missouri. Over the past three seasons, he broke up 40 passes and intercepted seven, including four last season. He’s another corner who could be at home in the slot. This is a good, not great, group of draftable cornerbacks. While there should be at least five first round draftees, the second round might provide more bang for the buck at this position. There could be a dozen cornerbacks drafted on Friday-many of which have inside/outside versatility. While this draft overall isn’t great in the late rounds, there are quite a few day three corners that could come into the league, make a name for themselves on special teams, and then get a crack as a defensive contributor. Cornerback needy teams have plenty to pick from this year. No change in the top five here, but DeJean was able to finally work out and performed very well, although it should be noted that he didn’t do the change of direction drills. In reality, the top three corners listed here are very closely lumped together and it is more what flavor of ice cream you prefer as DeJean, Mitchell, and Arnold each have distinctively different style of plays and strengths/weaknesses. … Florida State plays a lot of man-to-man coverage, and the Seminoles will have two cornerbacks drafted this year, Renardo Green and Jarrian Jones. Green is just under six feet tall and could probably handle slot duties, but he was almost exclusively an outside guy to finish up his college career – although Green does have a safety background as well at Florida State. Jones was a three-year starter for the Seminoles on the outside and then as a slot corner, which is his ideal position in the league. He is a twitchy productive cover man. Green and Jones are highly competitive with an excellent playing demeanor that NFL teams will love. … An interesting mid round prospect is South Dakota State’s Myles Harden. Harden’s measurables aren’t great and he suffered two season ending injuries, but he is a four-year starter. Harden forced eight turnovers in his final 19 college games and has an excellent head and temperament for the game overall. … Auburn’s Nehemiah Pritchett is a four-year starter in the SEC and has the length, speed, and feet to succeed on the outside in the NFL. Pritchett isn’t a great tackler, but he is coming off an excellent 2023 campaign. It’s not uncommon for college cornerbacks to become NFL safeties. Often, a lack of the necessary speed or coverage skills at the next level dictates such a position switch. But in the case of Iowa’s Cooper DeJean, I’ve come around to believing he should play safety in the NFL rather than corner because of his off-the-charts instincts and anticipation. I believe DeJean would be a more dynamic play-maker if allowed to diagnose plays and then find the football, as opposed to running and covering 1-on-1. It’s not that he can’t do the latter, but he’ll be even more impactful if permitted to do the former. So there’s a change in the pecking order at both positions in advance of this year’s draft. On this list, at least, DeJean is no longer included at cornerback because he’s been moved to safety.
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