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If you look at the draft history, we see over 50 defensive backs drafted each year, some years more, some less. So with my top 20, we know there’s plenty of room for these players to be drafted in the 2025 NFL Draft and plenty of others that could make the list.
With as high-powered as the current NFL offenses are, having “shut-down” cornerbacks (a guy that doesn’t allow many catches on his side of the field) has become critical. Every year, we see anywhere from 3-7 corners that may go in the first round of the NFL draft, so finding elite corners is becoming very important to NFL teams.
If you want to check out my other top players’ lists, my 1st mock draft, or our community mock draft from the summer, all that content is here:
The community voted mock draft results – Click Here
My 1st 2025 NFL Mock Draft – Click Here
Top 20 QBs – Click Here
My Top 20 RBs – Click Here
Top 20 WRs – Click Here
My Top 20 TEs – Click Here
Top 17 OLineman – Click Here
My Top 20 DLineman – Click Here
Top 20 Edge Rushers – Click Here
My Top 20 Linebackers – Click Here
2025 NFL Draft – Top 20 Cornerbacks
| # | POS | NAME | SCHOOL | HGT | WGT | MY RANK |
| 2 | CB | Will Johnson | Michigan | 6-2 | 202 | 1 |
| 12 | CB | Travis Hunter | Colorado | 6-1 | 185 | 2 |
| 10 | CB | Denzel Burke | Ohio State | 6-1 | 193 | 3 |
| 20 | CB | Benjamin Morrison | Notre Dame | 6-0 | 186 | 4 |
| 1 | CB | Davison Igbinosun | Ohio State | 6-2 | 193 | 5 |
| 7 | CB | Jordan Hancock | Ohio State | 6-1 | 195 | 6 |
| 28 | CB | Shavon Revel, Jr | East Carolina | 6-3 | 193 | 7 |
| 4 | CB | Mansoor Delane | Virginia Tech | 6-1 | 180 | 8 |
| 2 | CB | Cobee Bryant | Kansas | 6-0 | 170 | 9 |
| 1 | CB | Domani Jackson | Alabama | 6-1 | 190 | 10 |
| 1 | CB | Tacario Davis | Arizona | 6-4 | 195 | 11 |
| 6 | CB | Tommi Hill | Nebraska | 6-0 | 205 | 12 |
| 2 | CB | Ricardo Hallman | Wisconsin | 5-10 | 185 | 13 |
| 6 | CB | Daylen Everette | Georgia | 6-1 | 190 | 14 |
| 3 | CB | Jason Marshall Jr. | Florida | 6-0 | 205 | 15 |
| 3 | CB | Quincy Riley | Louisville | 6-0 | 195 | 16 |
| 5 | CB | Zemaiah Vaughn | Utah | 6-2 | 187 | 17 |
| 7 | CB | Jahdae Barron | Texas | 5-11 | 194 | 18 |
| 8 | CB | Azareye’h Thomas | Florida State | 6-2 | 194 | 19 |
| 31 | CB | Maxwell Hairston | Kentucky | 6-1 | 181 | 20 |
Will Johnson and Travis Hunter are in a tier of their own, arguably top 10 players already today, these two are going to be day one starters for whichever teams select them next spring. Both have great size/speed/athletic profiles, can be ball hawks, and profile as the next shutdown corners coming into the leagues.
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After those two, Ohio State’s got some really intriguing corners that I’ve liked what I’ve seen from, Denzel Burke is still my top Buckeye corner though. He poses a really smooth motion backpedaling and can be a ball hawk like Johnson and Hunter but I think the thing that he could be better than them both in right now is his tackling, and ability to play up near the line, he’s definitely willing and just needs to make sure he wraps up the ball carrier consistently going forward. The reason I don’t have Burke in the top tier is the others are elite athletes, and I think Burke is just under them.
After the top 3 corners, I could go a variety of ways based on team needs. You have Revel Jr and Davis if you’re looking for taller corners, Morrison’s possibly one of the faster corners in this class, and there are plenty of options for teams looking for a nickel corner.
More must-reads:
- Notre Dame believed to be trending toward surprise choice at quarterback
- Oregon suspends former five-star WR recruit indefinitely
- The 'American League WAR leaders' quiz
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Oklahoma QB denies sports gambling allegations after suspicious screenshots emerge
Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer has faced questions about some alleged screenshots from his Venmo account, and the school is reportedly investigating the situation. Screenshots and videos that were widely circulated on social media Monday claimed to show multiple Venmo transactions linked to Mateer that contained the phrase “sports gambling.” The two main transactions in question were on Nov. 20, 2022, which was when Mateer was a freshman at Washington State. The alleged transactions that referenced “sports gambling” were between Mateer and a Venmo account for Richard Roaten, who is believed to be one of Mateer’s former Washington State teammates. While some have questioned whether the screenshots could have been altered, there were also videos that appeared to show people actively scrolling through the account that is believed to belong to Mateer. According to a Tuesday report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Mateer has denied to Oklahoma officials that he has ever been involved with gambling. The school is still planning to investigate further, however. Mateer issued a statement on his X account denying being involved in sports gambling, explaining that the descriptions seen on his Venmo account are "inside jokes" with his friends. "The allegations that I once participated in sports gambling are false," Mateer wrote. "My previous Venmo descriptions did not accurately portray the transactions in question but were instead inside jokes between me and my friends. "I have never bet on sports. I understand the seriousness of the matter but recognize that, taken out of context, those Venmo descriptions suggest otherwise. I can assure my teammates, coaches, and officials at the NCAA that I have not engaged in any sports gambling." Oklahoma also issued a statement saying it has “no reason to believe” there is going to be an NCAA investigation. Rules prohibit student athletes or team staff from betting on any sports that have NCAA championships. One of the alleged screenshots connected to Mateer had a reference to “UCLA vs. USC” in addition to “sports gambling.” Penalties for an athlete who has been found to have gambled on prohibited sports can include a loss of eligibility. Mateer had his first full season as a starter last year at Washington State. He completed 64.6% of his passes for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns. He also rushed for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns. Mateer entered the transfer portal after last season as one of the top players available, and he had a disrespectful gesture when announcing his commitment to the Sooners.
Steelers' Aaron Rodgers Has Been In Communication With Exciting All-Pro Wide Receiver That Could Join Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a very exciting team on paper heading into the 2025 NFL season as the organization has made plenty of changes throughout the offseason. It can be argued that both sides of the ball have been upgraded in some way, and the rookie class provides some excitement as well. One spot fans might want to see another move made is at wide receiver, as outside of DK Metcalf, there are some question marks in the room. Calvin Austin III took a strong step forward in 2024, but he has missed a large chunk of time during training camp this month due to injury, and Roman Wilson is still making strides. There are some interesting veterans that are still available in free agency, and some more names should hit the open market at the end of August when teams cut down to their 53-man rosters. However, one of the interesting names on the market currently is former superstar wide receiver, Odell Beckham Jr. Beckham was a standout during his time with the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns, and he won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams. He recently joined Bill Maher on the Club Random podcast, and he shared that he has had conversations with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. "Love him, love him," Beckham said of Rodgers. "We've had conversations. I won't say that, that it's not a possibility [joining the Steelers], and I won't say that I haven't had any communication. I f*cking love [Mike] Tomlin. I was actually supposed to be drafted to the Steelers. That was the meeting that I had where I was like, 'I think I'm going to the Steelers.' Giants ended up taking me at 12, Steelers had I think the 16th pick maybe. I think they took Ryan Shazier." Beckham revealed that he has had some conversations with the Pittsburgh quarterback, which could mean the two sides are interested in joining forces with the Steelers. The veteran wide receiver didn't sound too optimistic that anything would happen, but he did not shut down the idea of wearing black and gold during the 2025 season. Beckham has been trying to find his footing in the league ever since he tore his ACL during Super Bowl LVI. The injury caused him to miss the entire 2022 season, and he has since played for the Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins. In the past two seasons, the receiver has caught just 44 passes for 620 yards and three touchdowns. There is no doubting that Beckham has lost a step, but he would certainly be an interesting addition for the Steelers. Some argue that Pittsburgh's wide receiver room is full of too many wide receiver threes and fours, rather than having a solid second option at the position. At this point in his career, Beckham would likely just add to that problem, rather than being a solution. Steelers Were Interested In Beckham During 2014 NFL Draft Beckham also stated during his interview with Maher that the Steelers were very interested in him during the 2014 NFL Draft. He was selected by the Giants with the 12th overall pick, and Pittsburgh selected at 15. The Steelers grabbed Ryan Shazier, but Beckham seemed fairly confident that if he had still been on the board, he would have gone to the Steelers with the 15th pick. This is a bit hard to believe, as the Steelers have not drafted a wide receiver in the first round since the 2006 NFL Draft when the organization selected Santonio Holmes. The wide receiver room was looking a little thin heading into the 2014 season, but the Steelers were able to make it work after picking Martavis Bryant in the fourth round of the same draft.
King of New York: Pete Alonso breaks major Mets all-time record
Pete Alonso is now the New York Mets' all-time home run king. With his opposite-field, two-run home run in the bottom of the third inning against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night, Alonso clubbed the 253rd and 254th home runs of his Mets career, moving him into sole possession of first place on the team's all-time list. He moved two home runs ahead of the previous record-holder, Darryl Strawberry, who hit 252 home runs with the team between the 1983 and 1990 seasons. Here is a look at his record-setting home run. Later in the bottom of the sixth inning, Alonso hit his 254th home run: Along with the all-time Mets home run lead, Alonso is also the Mets' single-season home run leader with 53 home runs during the 2019 season. Strawberry congratulated Alonso on breaking his record: His home runs on Tuesday were his 27th and 28th of the season. It is a big deal for Alonso because there was some doubt this past offseason about whether he would have a chance to set this record. Even though he was close, the uncertainty around his future, given his free-agent status, created a lot of questions about where he would play. Ultimately, the Mets re-signed him to a two-year, $54 million contract that includes an opt-out clause following the 2025 season. That opt-out will again create some uncertainty about his future, but it is pretty clear Alonso still has a lot of power left in his bat. Whether he returns to the Mets or goes somewhere else, he will remain the franchise's greatest home run hitter for the foreseeable future. He is now on top of the record books for the single season and career.
Milwaukee Brewers Force Paul Skenes Into Unfiltered Admission About Brew Crew After 14-0 Beatdown
Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes was no match for the Milwaukee Brewers – again. The former LSU Tigers star pitcher got lit up on the mound by the red-hot Brew Crew on Tuesday night, as he allowed four earned runs on six hits (including two home runs) while issuing two free passes and striking out four Milwaukee hitters across four innings of work. The Brewers eked out a 14-0 victory to win the series and move just a win away this Wednesday to sweep the Pirates and extend their win streak to 12 games. Skenes’ start tied his shortest thus far in the 2025 MLB regular season. The last time he pitched for only four innings was against the Brewers as well on June 25, when he surrendered four earned runs on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts in a 4-2 loss, also at American Family Field. Skenes is now 0-2 with a 5.79 ERA in three starts this season versus the Brewers. Skenes speaks up on Milwaukee Brewers after 14-0 loss The reigning National League Rookie of the Year opened up about his thoughts on the Brewers and his performance against the streaking Milwaukee side. “They’re obviously hot right now,” Skenes said of the Brewers, per Rich Rovito of MLB.com. “I got in positions that weren’t very advantageous to me to where I had to be perfect, and I didn’t have my best stuff. I couldn’t really count on any singular pitch to be executed and get guys out. “I had some 3-2 pitches that caught too much of the plate and didn’t execute two-strike pitches as well as I should have. They did a good job capitalizing on it.” The Brewers improved to 75-44 with their win over the Pirates, while Pittsburgh dropped to 51-70.
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