Four Underrated Cornerback Prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft

Welcome to a new series here at NFLTR, where we examine some underrated and overrated prospects at each position as we prepare for the draft at the end of the month. For players to qualify for this list, I had to have them rated notably above — or below — the consensus big board.

First up, cornerbacks. There’s a lot that goes into scouting CBs, from how they read and react to what they’re seeing, how well they’re able to stick with receivers in open space, and their ability to make plays on the ball. Cornerback is one of the most volatile positions in the sport and it’s important to take into account a player’s overall body of work, not to overreact to one or two standout (or alarming) moments. Even the top corners in the NFL can have performances vary wildly from season to season or even game to game.

Since I like to start positively, today we’ll be looking at four underrated cornerback prospects: what they do well, what they struggle with and why they’re underrated. Let’s dive right in:

Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama

McKinstry is one of my favorite players in this draft and has had a bit of an up-and-down draft process. A three-year starter at Alabama (from his true freshman season), McKinstry entered the 2023 college football season as the presumptive top corner in the class. Through a combination of athletic questions and lack of production relative to other players, McKinstry has fallen down boards, to the point where he’s rated a borderline first-round prospect by many evaluators.

This is a massive overreaction — McKinstry is still one of the best corners available and should be taken much higher than where he’s currently being mocked.

Athletic, smart, and experienced, McKinstry has everything you want in an NFL corner. He ran a 4.4 40-yard dash at his pro day and returned punts at Alabama, highlighting his athleticism. He’s got good size and length as well, and it shows up on tape. Press coverage is McKinstry’s bread and butter. If a team is looking for a press-man corner, McKinstry will be their guy. His length lets him jam receivers at the line without giving up leverage and his ability to stick with them down the field is elite. 

For a player who spends much of his time in man coverage not looking back at the quarterback, his ball production is impressive. McKinstry can track the ball as he runs and his timing is usually on point. He’s not limited to press coverage, however, and he also stands out in zone or off coverages. In these situations, his football IQ stands out. His read-and-react and click-and-close abilities are excellent, and this allows him to make plays that other corners simply couldn’t. You don’t start in a Nick Saban defense as a true freshman without being an incredibly intelligent player, and that’s exactly what McKinstry did. Three years of starting experience is an advantage over some of the less experienced players in this class; McKinstry is more NFL-ready than many of his peers.

This past season at Alabama, teams stopped throwing his way, and his production dipped as a result. Many evaluators questioned his long speed, as well, though he answered those questions at his pro day. He can be a little grabby at the top of routes, though it’s not due to him reacting slowly or being out of position. That can be coached up.

Other than that, there really aren’t any negatives with McKinstry. Doctors did discover a foot fracture at the Scouting Combine, though he’s expected to undergo surgery shortly and be fully recovered and ready for training camp. As long as his medicals clear, he will be one of the cleanest prospects in the entire draft.

McKinstry is my CB2 and a top 15 overall player on my board. He’s answered every question in the pre-draft process and his tape speaks for itself. He’s a scheme-versatile, surefire NFL starting cornerback with the potential to be truly elite — these are the guys you take with premium picks and don’t think twice about it. Whoever drafts McKinstry at the end of the month will be very happy with the player they’re getting.

Cooper DeJean, Iowa

DeJean might be the most mischaracterized prospect in this year’s draft. A true outside cornerback, DeJean has been one of the most consistently productive corners in college football over the last two seasons. Despite his athleticism, pedigree and production, DeJean is not often discussed among the top corners, and that does him a disservice. He’s one of the most versatile and underrated corners in this class.

An elite multi-sport athlete, DeJean holds the Iowa high school basketball scoring record, surpassing the previous record-holder, current Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes. He’s a plus athlete with good burst, agility, size, strength and closing speed. He hasn’t been able to work out during the pre-draft process yet due to a fractured leg that ended his 2023 season, but he’s holding a personal pro day on April 8 to show his stuff. 

On tape, several things stand out. DeJean excels in off coverage and is able to use his high football IQ to read quarterbacks and make plays on the ball. He has excellent ball skills and jumps routes or makes contested interceptions as well as any corner in this class. He’s good in bump-and-run man coverage, able to stay with receivers down the field and makes plays on the ball. He’s the best run defender in this cornerback class — he has good tackling technique and rarely misses.

DeJean’s weaknesses mostly stem from a lack of length and only average lateral quickness and change-of-direction ability. He sometimes struggles to quickly flip his hips and run with faster receivers. Despite having great size for a corner, his wingspan is on the shorter size, and he can be boxed out down the field by big receivers. When he does miss tackles, it’s usually because he can’t properly wrap up runners in the open field.

The talk all draft cycle surrounding DeJean has been about his versatility. He’s a hard-hitting, run-stuffing corner with excellent ball skills and good positional size. Players in that mold often translate very well to safety, and DeJean has experience playing both outside and slot corner at Iowa. While his versatility is certainly a boon, it’s important to remember that DeJean is a very good outside corner. This isn’t a case of a “positionless” player without a proper home, or a player who needs to convert to safety in the NFL. DeJean is an outside corner with the ability to play elsewhere if needed.

DeJean is my CB3 but a top 20 overall player on my board, which is a bit higher than consensus. If teams want to try him at slot corner or safety, I do think he would excel there, but he should be given a chance at outside corner first. That’s where he played at Iowa, and he was very successful there. DeJean will be better in zone schemes that capitalize on his ability to read and react, make plays on the ball, and stay on top of receivers. He’s a fit in any scheme though and can be a prized chess piece in creative defensive systems.

T.J. Tampa, Iowa State

A big, fast corner, Tampa was a two-year starter at Iowa State and was productive during his time there. He picked off three passes and knocked down 16 others as a starter the past two seasons. Length and strength are traits that stand out when you watch Tampa play, as his size and athleticism pops off the screen. At the Combine, he checked in at 6-1 and 190 pounds, though he didn’t run the 40 until his pro day and his 4.58-second time was disappointing. There’s precedent for players who play faster than their 40 times, however. 

Unlike many cornerbacks his size, Tampa has excellent stop-and-start and change-of-direction abilities. His length is a huge advantage and helped him maintain impressive ball production throughout his college career, something that should translate to the NFL. He plays with good burst, and this shows up in his first step and click-and-close moves. He’s a physical player and can make his presence felt. He’s ideally suited for zone schemes, though can succeed in man-cover schemes as well.

Tampa’s issues show up when he plays off-balance. He can allow separation down the field, either due to sloppy footwork or when his size gets in the way of sticking to smaller receivers. His tackling technique can be hit-or-miss, as he often gives up the physical advantages he possesses for attempted arm or ankle tackles. All the pieces are there for him to succeed, he just needs to put it together.

Tampa flew under the radar coming into the year, though more evaluators have started to take notice. It’s unlikely he will get taken in the first round, but he should be a priority second-round pick. He’s my CB5, ahead of players such as Terrion Arnold, Ennis Rakestraw Jr. and Kamari Lassiter.

He’s an incredibly smart player with a combination of size, speed, and acceleration you just can’t teach. It’s rare to see a corner of his size who knows how to leverage it in zone coverage as well as he does, and this gives him a very high ceiling. If Tampa can clean up his footwork a bit and remain disciplined when tackling, he has the makings of a cornerback opposing quarterbacks are reluctant to throw toward. 

Jarvis Brownlee Jr., Louisville

Brownlee Jr. showed up to the 2024 Senior Bowl and put on a show. Outside of Quinyon Mitchell, no cornerback had a more impressive Senior Bowl, and Brownlee Jr. wasn’t done there. He added a great Combine performance, announcing himself as one of the most underrated corners in this class.

Size, length and speed are three of the best traits a cornerback can possess. Brownlee Jr. is on the shorter side, but otherwise has all those traits in spades. He’s aggressive off the snap and uses his length to stymie receivers before they can break into their routes. He can flip his hips quickly and mirror receivers down the field, staying sticky in coverage and closing passing windows. He’s a willing run defender, using his size to punish running backs who break contain to his side of the field.

For all his strengths, Brownlee Jr. isn’t a great zone defender. He has a tendency to get lost in route concepts when playing off coverage. He also gets panicky on deeper routes and gets grabby, which will get called at the pro level. He’s vulnerable to big plays down the field, which could prevent him from seeing the field early on in his career. His lack of height does show up against some of the taller receivers he faced — he may be a good candidate to slide inside in the NFL, and he does have some experience there in college.

Brownlee Jr. is an early Day 3 prospect with the potential to develop into a starter. His Senior Bowl performance was impressive, especially in the 1-on-1 drills, but his college tape is more of a mixed bag. Despite his weaknesses, Brownlee Jr. has the mindset and athleticism I would want on my team. He would be a great pick for teams with man-heavy schemes in need of a nickel corner.