2021 NFL Draft: BTD’s Favorites - Cornerbacks

Don’t try throwing on these guys.

By The_Coach Apr 27, 2021, 9:00am PDT

NCAA Football: Virginia Tech at North Carolina

The_Coach: Trill Williams (Syracuse)

When you look up the phrase “athlete” in the dictionary, a picture of Syracuse’s Trill Williams should be there. Williams can line up all over the secondary and has the frame and speed to match-up in different roles, as well as contribute from day one on special teams. A physical downhill tackler, the New York product is a big play waiting to happen, but I’ve also really enjoyed his development as an every down talent in both man-and-zone concepts.

John: Greg Newsome II (Northwestern)

Newsome is an extremely flexible defensive back, excelling both on long balls and underneath short coverage. He’s played in a variety of schemes, but is probably best in Cover-3. He had some issues generating penalties during press coverage, but is something he should be able to work out with his athletic ability. He doesn’t have huge turnover numbers, but that is mostly down to opposing quarterbacks avoiding throwing anywhere near his direction. Newsome does not allow very many completions, and the few that do make it past him are quickly brought to the ground. He looks like the one of the most day one, ready to go defensive back prospects in this year’s draft.

Ross: Paulson Adebo (Stanford)

NCAA Football: Southern California at Stanford

Once again, I’m double-dipping into the talent pool down at the farm and picking a CB prospect we all may have forgotten about. Adebo sat out the 2020 CFB season but arguably could have been a first-round corner had he entered the draft in 2019. Adebo possesses the ideal measurables for an outside corner as he clocks in at 6’ 1” and weighing 190 lbs. Adebo is a very good athlete and displays this athleticism in a number of ways including flipping his hips smoothly in coverage or using his agility to close separation on routes. In addition, he is excellent at tracking and making plays on the ball in the air. Lastly, he possesses an exceptional football IQ that will help him succeed in zone schemes. Although saying a Stanford guy is smart is kinda redundant, it’s worth emphasizing how well he understands defensive schemes. The NFL world sort of forgot about Adebo after he sat out last season, but one lucky team is going to snatch up a corner that has the traits to become extremely successful in the NFL.