Which cornerbacks were selected in the 2023 NFL Draft? Which teams drafted those CBs, and how does the 2023 class compare to previous years?
Which Cornerbacks Were Drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft?
Devon Witherspoon, Illinois | Seattle Seahawks
Round 1, Pick 5
The Seahawks needed a cornerback and selected Devon Witherspoon with the fifth overall pick. Witherspoon quickly proved worthy of the selection, already establishing himself as one of the top corners in the NFL.
Last year, Witherspoon registered 79 combined tackles, three sacks, one interception, and 16 passes defensed. He finished fourth in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting and made the Pro Bowl. The sky is the limit for the talented youngster.
Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State | Washington Commanders
Round 1, Pick 16
Projected by PFN college football analysts as more of a Day 2 pick, Emmanuel Forbes instead found a home in the middle of the first round. Yet, after his rookie season, it sure looks like the PFN team was closer than the Commanders.
Forbes recorded 38 combined tackles with one interception and 11 passes defensed. He was not an every-week starter and has a lot of growing to do to prove worthy of his draft selection.
Christian Gonzalez, Oregon | New England Patriots
Round 1, Pick 17
The Patriots traded back three spots with the Steelers in Round 1, leading one to wonder if they felt confident Christian Gonzalez would fall to them. Or perhaps they had multiple top-tier options remaining on the board and simply wanted to cash in on an extra fourth-rounder in the meantime.
Gonzalez was considered one of the best cornerbacks in the draft, and his rookie year got off to a strong start with a sack in his first game and an interception in his second. Unfortunately, he suffered a shoulder injury in Week 4, which wound up ending his season before it could really get going.
Deonte Banks, Maryland | New York Giants
Round 1, Pick 24
The Giants traded up one spot to land Deonte Banks. In desperate need of secondary help, New York quickly made Banks a starter, often matching him up against the opposing team’s top receiver.
As a result, Banks’ numbers were less than stellar. He wound up registering 53 combined tackles with two interceptions and 11 passes defensed.
Banks did improve as the year went on, though. With a year of experience under his belt, there’s optimism he can become a top corner as soon as 2024.
Joey Porter Jr., Penn State | Pittsburgh Steelers
Round 2, Pick 32
It’s one thing for a player to see his son get drafted into the NFL. It’s another for him to land on the same team — which is exactly what happened with Joey Porter Jr.
While it’s too soon to say if Porter will be quite the caliber of player as his father, he certainly is off to a rousing start. Porter amassed 43 combined tackles, one interception, and 10 passes defensed last year. He finished fifth in DROY voting.
Julius Brents, Kansas State | Indianapolis Colts
Round 2, Pick 44
It was a tough rookie year for JuJu Brents. The rookie was hurt to start the season, missing OTAs and minicamp. Brents missed the first two weeks of the season and then got hurt again in Week 7, costing him another six games.
Brents only played in nine games, totaling 43 combined tackles, one interception, and six passes defensed.
Cam Smith, South Carolina | Miami Dolphins
Round 2, Pick 51
It was a tough rookie season for Cam Smith. There’s really no way to assess his performance as a defender, given that he played just 20 defensive snaps.
Smith primarily contributed on special teams. Perhaps he will be able to earn a more prominent defensive role in his sophomore season.
Tyrique Stevenson, Miami (FL) | Chicago Bears
Round 2, Pick 56
Although he was the eighth cornerback selected, Tyrique Stevenson contributed far more than a couple of the guys above him. Stevenson totaled 86 combined tackles, adding four interceptions, 16 passes defensed, and two forced fumbles.
Stevenson was able to start immediately as a rookie, which is good for his development, but sometimes can lead to growing pains. By the end of the season, he showed marked improvement and should remain a starter for the Bears for years to come.
DJ Turner, Michigan | Cincinnati Bengals
Round 2, Pick 60
A potentially great get for the title-hungry Bengals. DJ Turner has blazing speed (4.26 40-yard dash) and the versatility to thrive in the NFL, particularly on a team loaded with offensive and defensive talent.
As a rookie, Turner managed 50 total tackles. He also recorded one sack and registered seven passes defensed.
MORE: Linebackers Drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft
There’s still plenty of room to grow for Turner, but he showed enough promise as a rookie for the Bengals to believe he can be a solid contributor going forward.
Round 3-7
10) Garrett Williams, Syracuse
R3-P72 | Arizona Cardinals
11) Riley Moss, Iowa
R3-P83 | Denver Broncos
12) Mekhi Blackmon, USC
R3-P102 | Minnesota Vikings
13) Jakorian Bennett, Maryland
R4-P104 | Las Vegas Raiders
14) Kelee Ringo, Georgia
R4-P105 | Philadelphia Eagles
15) Clark Phillips III, Utah
R4-P113 | Atlanta Falcons
16) Darius Rush, South Carolina
R5-P138 | Indianapolis Colts
17) Cameron Mitchell, Northwestern
R5-P142 | Cleveland Browns
18) Darrell Luter Jr., South Alabama
R5-P155 | San Francisco 49ers
19) Kyu Blu Kelly, Stanford
R5-P157 | Baltimore Ravens
20) Terell Smith, Minnesota
R5-P165 | Chicago Bears
21) Eric Scott Jr., Southern Miss
R6-P178 | Dallas Cowboys
22) Kei’Trel Clark, Louisville
R6-P180 | Arizona Cardinals
23) Josh Hayes, Kansas State
R6-P181 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
24) Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU
R6-P182 | Los Angeles Rams
25) Christian Braswell, Rutgers
R6-P202 | Jacksonville Jaguars
26) Jarrick Bernard-Converse, LSU
R6-P204 | New York Jets
27) Ameer Speed, Michigan State
R6-P214 | New England Patriots
28) Dee Winters, TCU
R6-P216 | San Francisco 49ers
29) Travis Bell, Kennesaw State
R7-P218 | Chicago Bears
30) Jaylon Jones, Texas A&M
R7-P221 | Indianapolis Colts
31) DeMarcco Hellams, Alabama
R7-P224 | Atlanta Falcons
32) Carrington Valentine, Kentucky
R7-P232 | Green Bay Packers
33) Cory Trice, Purdue
R7-P241 | Pittsburgh Steelers
34) Isaiah Bolden, Jackson State
R7-P245 | New England Patriots
35) DJ Ivey, Miami (FL)
R7-P246 | Cincinnati Bengals
36) Nic Jones, Ball State
R7-P250 | Kansas City Chiefs
37) Alex Austin, Oregon State
R7-P252 | Buffalo Bills
How Many Cornerbacks Were Drafted in 2023?
The 37 cornerbacks taken in the 2023 draft is on par with what we’ve observed in recent years. However, there were slightly fewer “elite” and “near-elite” prospects selected than in the average draft since 2013.
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