Philadelphia Eagles draft buzz: Top 25 cornerbacks in 2021’s class
It is that time of year when Philadelphia Eagles fans and NFL fans across the league alike will study every mock draft, player rating, and highlight tape that they can get their hands on. The ITI staff is no different. We studied prospects all season long, and now, with the 2021 NFL Draft approaching, we began creating Top-25 lists for every position.
This time around, the topic of discussion centers around one of the bigger holes on defense. Who’s going to share the cornerback room with Darius Slay?
Now understand that the list and the way these players are being rated are our opinion alone and not the thoughts of anyone else. Here goes nothing. We open the debate table.
- Patrick Surtain (Alabama)
- Caleb Farley (Virginia Tech)
- Jaycee Horn (South Carolina)
- Tyson Campbell (Georgia)
- Greg Newsome II (Northwestern)
- Tay Gowan (UCF)
- Rodarius Williams (Oklahoma State)
- Asante Samuel II (Florida State)
- Erik Stokes (Georgia)
- Shakur Brown (Michigan State)
- Elijah Molden (Washington)
- Shaun Wade (Ohio State)
- DJ Daniel (Georgia)
- Ambry Thomas (Michigan)
- Robert Rochell (Central Arkansas)
- Ifeatu Melifonwu (Syracuse)
- K.J. Sails (USF)
- Marco Wilson (Florida)
- Nahshon Wright (Oregon State)
- Kary Vincent Jr (LSU)
- Shemar Jean-Charles (Appalachian State)
- Israel Mukuamu (South Carolina)
- Paulson Adebo (Stanford)
- Olaijah Griffin (USC)
- Keith Taylor (Washington)
Here are a few notes if you’re a Philadelphia Eagles fan.
As you can see, Caleb Farley sits in second place with South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn right behind him, but they are more like 2A and 2B. The gap between them isn’t large, but the speed that Farley possesses is hard to match. He hasn’t played the position long but has the potential to be one of the best corners in this year’s draft. Don’t be surprised if Horn is the first cornerback off of the board.
Asante Samuel Jr. out of Florida State has been getting a lot more mention over the past few months, but on this list, he’s eighth. That isn’t a shot at the young star, and if his name was called before some of the guys that are ranked before him, no one should be surprised.
Tyson Campbell, Greg Newsome, Tay Gowan, and Rodarius Williams are four players who deserve a lot of love for the potential and skillset they possess. You can watch the film on these young men and decide for yourself.
At 11 sits Elijah Molden out of Washington Univerity, and although he’s technically a safety, he has the skills to be a weapon anywhere on the backend of any defense. His versatility combined with his football smarts make Molden someone who can be used in a variety of ways at the next level. He’d be a great addition to the Philadelphia Eagles defense.
Israel Mukuamu (South Carolina) and Paulsen Adebo (Stanford) have been two names that have been thrown around for over the year as top-five cornerbacks at the collegiate level. They still could hear their names called earlier than some of the guys ranked ahead of them. Both are extremely talented and will be first or second-day draft picks.
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Nahshon Wright (Oregon state), K.J. Sails (USF), Robert Rochell (Central Arkansas), and Ifeatu Melinfonwu (Syracuse) are all names Philadelphia Eagles fans should know as they possess the tools and skillset to be legit stars at football’s highest level. These four (and every other prospect on this list) deserve to be considered top prospects in 2021’s draft class.