2025 NFL Draft: Ranking This Year's Best Ballhawks

10. Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas

As versatile as any cornerback in the nation after splitting time in 2022 and 2023 between the slot and outside alignments, Jahdae Barron tortured offenses as a senior.

His tackle rate, completion rate allowed, and ball production were all easily the best marks of his career. It wasn't just that Barron was shutting down his assignment, but he was always around the ball and converting opportunities to flip the field.

Barron's five interceptions and 11 pass breakups tied him for the most combined ball production in the class. He's at his best as a slot defender who can keep his eyes on the quarterback and close on underneath throws that are off-target or tipped, rather than a traditional trail corner who relies on length, closing speed, and timing. That'll affect his NFL role but doesn't change how effective he is at maximizing his strengths.

9. Nohl Williams, CB, Cal

It should come as no surprise that the nation's interception leader is on our list. Forcing seven interceptions three seasons before 2024 would've landed him near this spot anyway, but his seven in this past year were career-changing. A 6-foot-1 corner who allowed a 40.1 passer rating with so many turnovers is a lock to be drafted.

Nohl Williams isn't an amazing athlete, but his length and eye discipline are game-changers in off-coverage. Four of his interceptions in 2024 came against Auburn, Miami, and Pitt, so he rose to the occasion every time Cal faced tougher competition. He'll need to be in the right scheme to protect himself from bad situations, but that's not unusual for an off-ball specialist.

8. Andrew Mukuba, SAF, Texas

Only one safety in the nation can match Andrew Mukuba's blend of impact and production as a deep safety. Mukuba bet on himself when he left Clemson after a solid 2023 season, and Texas rewarded him with a career-high number of snaps at free safety and in the box. His slot man coverage snaps essentially evaporated, and Mukuba's play hit a new ceiling.

Notching five interceptions and six pass breakups, along with an astonishing 12.1 passer rating allowed on 10 receptions, Mukuba's presence further enhanced Barron and the rest of the Longhorns' defense's performance. He's not as much of a threat in man assignments, but he's still reliable in coverage there, so Mukuba should be a high-level starter in the NFL. The league loves that flexibility from the position.

7. Trey Amos, CB, Ole Miss

One reason why some defenders create ball production is the fact they're targeted more often than others. Trey Amos had the third-most targets (62) on this list, only trailing Barron (68) and Williams (65). It's not necessarily a bad thing, as college offenses don't account for individual defenders as effectively as NFL offenses do, but it's worth noting that counting stats can be skewed toward those who have more opportunities.

That said, Amos sees the ball extremely well, regardless of his alignment. Unlike Nohl and Barron, Amos has the instincts and feel for when the ball is coming to turn his head and utilizes his 31 ¼" arms to get his hands on it. The First-team All-SEC corner was third in the nation with 13 pass breakups and added three interceptions. 

6. Zah Frazier, CB, UTSA

If the NFL didn't hate old prospects, we'd be seeing Zah Frazier's name in the first round of 2025 NFL mock drafts. However, age matters, and Frazier turns 25 this summer. Still, it's impossible to deny how impressive Frazier's 2024 season was.

Although Frazier started only 10 games in 2024, he used his massive 6-foot-3-inch frame and 4.36-inch speed to nab six interceptions and break five more passes up. He had only 98 career snaps in two seasons played before this past year, so this was an example of a physical freak dominating based on his traits and natural feel for when to break on the ball.

With his advanced age, Frazier may not last long in the NFL, but as Beanie Bishop proved with the Steelers last season, he can be an impact rotational player with his raw skills.

5. Darien Porter, CB, Iowa State

Zone cornerbacks present a little bit of a challenge when deciphering their coverage numbers because they're often hidden from direct targets and allowed to freelance more than those in man assignments. Darien Porter is an example of how numbers can get a little skewed, but his ball skills are exactly what you'd dream of when you hear he's a 6-foot-3 former receiver who ran a 4.3 40 and 6.71 3-cone at the combine. Porter surrendered five receptions and produced three interceptions and two pass breakups in 2024.

Credited with only 17 targets in 2024, it's quite daunting to think offenses had such little success going Porter's way for an entire season. Porter's movement ability is insane, and his eye discipline and timing are far beyond what his experience would suggest. We'll see how it all translates to more varied schemes, but Porter's upside is rare.

4. Shavon Revel, CB, East Carolina

A torn ACL suffered in Week 3 of last season disrupted what was going to be a special season for one of the elite playmakers in this class. Shavon Revel has a claim to be the best overall cornerback in the class when considering his physique and the way he locks down receivers. There's a good chance he's even better in the NFL, and he's not so obviously the best player on the team.

The 6-foot-3, 195-pounder with 4.3 speed forced three interceptions and 12 pass breakups while allowing only 28 receptions over the last two years. Only 38 percent of his targets in 2024 were completed, with two of his 21 targets being intercepted. His closing ability and length make him a blur for quarterbacks to account for, and there's no reason to think that will change as long as he's fully recovered.

3. Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado

No one in the class has better pure ball skills than Travis Hunter, and the fact he's an elite prospect at two different positions is a historic moment in draft history. A worthy Heisman winner, Hunter's essentially a coach's dream at either position. Some teams project him as a full-time option at corner, while others think he'll be better at receiver.

The argument for him sticking at corner is his ability to force turnovers. Hunter is slightly more prone to allowing completions and big plays compared to some others in this range, and splitting hairs is required because this is an unusually good class at forcing turnovers. His play peaked as Hunter allowed only 23 receptions while creating four interceptions and seven pass breakups in 2024.

2. Will Johnson, CB, Michigan

The NFL hasn't forgotten about Will Johnson being a tremendous prospect, but it's easy to put him too far on the back burner in the class because he was only healthy for four games in 2024. Johnson is a near-spitting image of Sauce Gardner in terms of measurables and play style. Everything checks the box of becoming a dominant NFL starter, including how he hunts the football.

His coverage stats are phenomenal, and he deters targets better than anyone. However, he still managed an interception on just under 10 percent of his career targets. With nine picks and seven pass breakups on 113 targets and 61 completions, throwing Johnson's way is as risky as it gets if creating a positive play is the goal of the decision. 

1. Xavier Watts, SAF, Notre Dame

Xavier Watts won't be drafted as high as several players ranked lower on this list, and that's probably a mistake. Forcing 13 interceptions and limiting quarterbacks to a passer rating under 35 over the last two years, Watts is the single most dangerous weapon when the ball is in the air in the class. The problem offenses often face is that they can't keep track of where he's lining up, which only furthers his case for being an elite ballhawk.

Splitting time between the box, deep safety, and the slot, Watts' comfort and experience knows no bounds. Watts already anticipates and recognizes route patterns beyond most NFL starting defensive backs. A defense that uses a lot of Cover 2 to keep Watts roaming free with his eye on the quarterback will get an explosive presence to build around.