The top cornerbacks at the 2023 East-West Shrine Bowl will give the receivers and pass catchers fits in Las Vegas this season. The group, led by TCU’s Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, is a mixed bag of cornerbacks ready to take the league by storm.
Top 2023 Shrine Bowl Cornerbacks NFL Draft Prospects
1) Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU
Don’t let Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson’s height frighten you like some analysts may tell you. Sure, THT may not tip the scales an inch above 5’9″, but he has the speed, athleticism, and elite burst to cover ground in coverage like a much taller cornerback would.
In fact, Hodges-Tomlinson has an ability to bait receivers and quarterbacks into his coverage because of his elite athleticism. He blankets receivers with sticky coverage skills and rips off pass breakups and interceptions at will.
Hodges-Tomlinson is physical and a must-watch player in passing drills all week long.
2) Mekhi Garner, LSU
Betting on himself in 2022, Mekhi Garner was viewed as a potential Day 3 prospect for the 2022 NFL Draft. However, he decided to transfer to LSU and put his talents on the national stage and enhance his draft stock.
And enhance his draft stock he did as Garner went from a potential early Day 3 pick to a third-round prospect with early Day 2 consideration. With great length and plenty of speed in his coverage, Garner should be considered one of the best players at any position at the Shrine Bowl.
3) Myles Brooks, Louisiana Tech
Similar to the aforementioned Garner, Myles Brooks also bet on himself and transferred to a higher-ranking school to enhance his draft stock in 2022. Brooks left Stephen F. Austin for Louisiana Tech and immediately made his presence known.
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He recorded a dozen plays on the ball and eventually saw his targets dwindle because of his production in coverage. He’s long at 6’2″ and lean at 198, yet he plays physical enough with bigger receivers to outperform them at the catch point.
4) Kahlef Hailassie, Western Kentucky
A name you need to know heading into the Shrine Bowl, Kahlef Hailassie has some of the best ball skills in this class. After originally committing and playing a single season at Oregon, Hailassie finally found his footing a few years later at Western Kentucky.
His high-end potential was quickly realized with the Hilltoppers, and he’s a special player with the ball in his hands. With over a dozen total plays on the ball in 2022, Hailassie has the chance to improve his draft stock drastically in Vegas.
5) Kei’Trel Clark, Louisville
With three excellent years at Louisville, Kei’Trel Clark put himself on the map for NFL decision-makers as early as 2020. Now, two dozen plays on the ball later, Clark should continue to look like an immediate impact rookie with his play in Vegas.
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Clark has great physicality and power despite what some will list as size concerns. He can use that to body receivers in coverage all along their routes and has enough speed to burst to the catch point for breakups.
Other Cornerbacks To Watch
- Terell Smith, Minnesota
- D’Shawn Jamison, Texas
- Nic Jones, Ball State
- Jarrick Bernard-Converse, LSU
- Nehemiah Shelton, San Jose State
- Lance Boykin, Coastal Carolina
- Starling Thomas V, UAB
- Eric Scott Jr., Southern Miss
- Cameron Brown, Ohio State
- Jaylin Williams, Indiana