Green Bay Packers Draft: Pre-Combine Rankings for Positions of Need
By Dan Dahlke
Need #8 – Cornerback
Top-10 CBs
- Jalen Ramsey, FSU (6-1, 202)
- Mackensie Alexander, Clemson (5-10, 195)
- Vernon Hargreaves III, Florida (5-11, 198)
- Eli Apple, Ohio State (6-1, 200)
- Kendall Fuller, Virginia Tech (6-0, 197)
- William Jackson, Houston (6-1, 195)
- Eric Murray, Minnesota (5-11, 198)
- Will Redmond, Mississippi State (5-11, 186)
- Artie Burns, Miami (6-0, 193)
- Xavien Howard, Baylor (6-1, 200)
The Breakdown: Ramsey is a top-five player in this draft and can play cornerback or safety at an elite level in the NFL. He’s one of the more impressive defensive backs coming out of college in some time now.
Alexander and Hargreaves don’t possess ideal size for the position, but they’re both good boundary corners. Alexander is more of a lockdown defensive back, but the fact he didn’t record a single interception at Clemson may worry some teams. Hargreaves made plenty of plays in coverage for the Gators, but he takes risks and can give up big plays downfield.
Apple and Jackson have the size NFL teams covet at cornerback, and they’re also very physical in coverage. They’re solid day one starters at the next level.
If it wasn’t for Fuller’s 2015 injury, he may be higher on this list–he’s that good. However, his torn meniscus severely undermined his junior season. He’s still an early-round talent, but he may fall well into the second or third round.
Murray may be the most underrated corner in this class. He’s very solid in coverage, showing both physical press man ability and an affinity to close in on the ball when dropping in zone. He can also play on the boundary or over the slot as a nickel corner.
Guys like Harlan Miller, Zack Sanchez, and Deiondre Hall could crack the top ten with good workouts at the Combine. I also like NC State’s Juston Burris a lot as a mid-round prospect.
Next: Need #9 - Safety