Cornerbacks dominate top 10 of latest Pro Football Focus mock draft

Analytics giant Pro Football Focus is high on this year’s cornerback class despite no clear elite prospect in the bunch.

Cornerback is, has, and always will be a coveted position in the NFL draft, and this year is no exception. Elite defensive back prospects always find themselves in the top-10 pick discussion, with truly special cover guys often in the mix for the first two or three selections.

This year’s crop of corners isn’t quite that appealing, but according to Pro Football Focus’ latest 2019 NFL mock draft, three could end up coming off the board in the first 10 picks.

LSU’s Greedy Williams, Washington’s Byron Murphy and Georgia’s DeAndre Baker are the cream of the crop and should all end up as first-rounders, but PFF’s slotting is a bit rich.

"5. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: DEANDRE BAKER, CBThere’s not a consensus top cornerback in the class, but Baker may be the best fit for multiple schemes. He has strong ball skills and allowed a passer rating of just 40.2 into his coverage last season.8. DETROIT LIONS: GREEDY WILLIAMS, CBOne of the best potential fits in the first round, Williams has the size and speed to play the man coverage the Lions covet. He allowed only 40.3 percent of passes to be completed into his coverage last season.9. BUFFALO BILLS: BYRON MURPHY, CBAnother great scheme fit, Murphy has excellent zone skills that fit the Bills perfectly. He posted the nation’s top grade a year ago at 92.0 overall, and even with the offensive holes, the Bills can continue to build their coverage unit while grabbing offensive playmakers in the second and third rounds."

Baker is especially surprising here. His 2019 NFL combine performance wasn’t great (4.52 40-yard dash) and while his game isn’t necessarily predicated on speed, elite cornerback prospects are almost required to run in the low 4.4’s.

Williams, on the other hand, looks the part of a top-10 cover guy. He has great length (6-2, 185 pounds) and ran a blistering 4.37 40-yard dash in Indianapolis. He’s a lock to come off the board in the first 15 picks and his slotting to the Lions makes a ton of sense.

Murphy is another sure-fire first-round pick and while his NFL combine performance left a bit to be desired too, his tape is much more impressive than Baker’s from a fluid athleticism standpoint. I expect he’ll run a much better 40-yard dash than the forgettable 4.55.

For PFF’s complete mock draft, click here.