It’s time to take a look at the cornerback prospects in the 2025 NFL draft from the Ravens’ perspective.
Edge linebackers prospects were reviewed here.
Safety prospects were reviewed here.
The Ravens three top cornerbacks as of now are Nate Wiggins and Chidobe Awuzie likely on the outside, with Marlon Humphrey on the inside. The perennially injured Jalyn Armour-Davis and the unknown quantity T.J. Tampa fill out the group. There’s a clear need for an outside starter as the Ravens don’t want to go into 2025 with Awuzie as that second outside man. Nor would they count on Armour-Davis.
There’s no sense looking at Travis Hunter, who will be long gone before the Ravens draft. This group is weaker at the top of the draft than in prior years, but there is some depth. Let’s take a look.
Cornerback Prospects
Jahdae Barron
Barron is from Texas, is 23.4 years old, 5’10 and 194 pounds and ran a 4.39 forty. He has short arms. Barron really improved last year as a playmaker, producing five interceptions and 16 passes defensed (both best in the SEC) while becoming a consensus All-American and winner of the Jim Thorpe Award (top defensive back). Let’s start off with what Barron doesn’t do as well: press-man coverage. And that immediately places him, in my mind, away from the perimeter as a nickel. He’s a high IQ player who recognizes routes and has very good instincts.
Barron is very versatile, with the ability to play safety and nickel in addition to corner. He brings excellent hip fluidity and has the short area burst that you look for, especially since press-man is not his calling card. He possesses good play strength and physicality but needs to improve his tackling technique. Barron does not show top end lateral recovery ability when he’s beaten. But he is very stout.
Barron is best suited for slot play, and should also shine in underneath zone coverages where his natural ability and awareness should serve him well.
To me, Barron has fairly well-defined roles ahead of him in the NFL. But that likely doesn’t include playing consistently on the outside. That alone eliminates him, in my mind, as a potential top pick for the Ravens. And I don’t think he’ll be around when it’s time for the Ravens to make their second selection. But even if he was, I don’t see him as what the Ravens need for 2025. I rate Barron lower than others as I just don’t see him as a first round talent. Round 2. Ravens – Pass.
Will Johnson
From Michigan, Johnson is 22 years old, 6’1 and 194 pounds. He did not run a forty but is generally seen as having average speed. On tape he closed very well. He has excellent length and the prototype build for an outside NFL corner. Johnson brings good size and athleticism. He can match up with the bigger NFL receivers.
Johnson is versatile enough to play zone, and both press man and off man, though he seems better suited in off man to better utilize his read and react ability. He brings excellent route recognition and has excellent footwork. He’s a smooth glider into and out of breaks with the strength to force receivers to reroute. He’s not the twitchiest corner, which reinforces the view that his future is strictly on the outside. Johnson has been a bit too susceptible to double moves, something he will have to clean up at the NFL level.
Johnson is equally adept in zone packages, bringing excellent vision and showing the ability to force receivers to adjust in his area. He covers up well. Johnson is tough and physical in run support, but he does not always bring the best form in his tackling.
There are durability concerns with Johnson. He played in only six games last year, missing seven others with toe and shoulder injuries. But he is a fierce competitor.
Johnson should be a surefire first rounder. If for some reason he’s available at pick 27, or near pick 27, I’d go get him, assuming the medicals pan out. Round 1. Ravens – Yes.
Maxwell Hairston
Hairston is from Kentucky, is 21.75 years old, 5’11 and 183 pounds and ran an absolutely on-fire 4.28 forty. He possesses surprisingly long arms. Right off the bat one just can’t ignore that Hairston’s physicals are essentially the same as Nate Wiggins. It’s hard for me to imagine both of the Ravens’ perimeter corners would be this small; said another way, it’s hard to imagine the Ravens would not prefer a more physically imposing player opposite of Wiggins.
With that out of the way, there’s a lot about Hairston to like. In addition to his blazing speed, he brings quick feet and natural twitchiness. He anticipates very well, will jump into the route, and has the reactive skills one looks for. Hairston is a natural playmaker and will find the ball, something sorely lacking last year from Brandon Stephens. In zone packages he can sometimes be fooled, something that perhaps can be overcome with time. Most of Hairston’s college play was in zone packages where he processes well, and he does a good job closing the windows.
At the Senior Bowl practices Hairston played very aggressively at the line, and showed an easy ability to get down the field.
Hairston will have his issues playing press coverage against larger NFL receivers. He will not be the physical attacking the line corner in run support; he just doesn’t have the power to lay the wood, but he is willing.
Hairston is a tough competitor and doesn’t let his size hinder him. He has an injury history, missing five games last year with a shoulder problem.
I like Hairston. If the Ravens didn’t already have Nate Wiggins, he’d be a “yes” pick for me. But Wiggins is the starting corner, and that’s that. Round 1. Ravens – Pass.
Azareye’h Thomas
From Florida State, Thomas is 20.8 years old, 6’1 and 196 pounds and ran a 4.58 on his pro day. Thomas is a physically gifted and physical player. He has excellent hip fluidity and the length (85th percentile) and hand strength (10” hands) you look for in an outside cornerback. His fluidity suggests he should bring versatility in both zone and man packages. Thomas has very good closing speed in short areas. He attacks the catch point and will jar the ball loose. Thomas needs improvement in his press technique, but he’s quick to reattach.
At the Senior Bowl practices he showed himself to be susceptible to double moves, as he lacks top-level stop-start ability. His pattern recognition skills could improve. Thomas had little ball productivity in college, with just one interception (that just came to him) and five passes defensed last year. He’s a hard hitter whose tackling skills could be better as he doesn’t always tackle through the runner. But he’s willing.
The biggest concern I have with Thomas right now is his very pedestrian tested time. 4.58 is just plain slow. Personally, I prefer to steer clear of outside corners who run this slow, and if it wasn’t for that, I’d be all over Thomas as the corner opposite of Nate Wiggins. But I can’t get that turtle-time out of my thought process. Round 2. Ravens – No.
Shavon Revel Jr.
Revel played at East Carolina. He’s 24 years old, 6’1 and 202 pounds with long arms. Revel missed the last ten games of last season due to a torn ACL. This will no doubt drop him down a bit on draft boards, but there’s a lot to like about Revel’s game. For one, he is a very physical corner. He uses his long arms well in press coverage and is able to use his heavy hands to disrupt routes. He has the ability to quickly get to top speed and stay attached as he turns and runs, with the recovery speed one needs. Revel’s tape showed a player with very good upfield burst and good explosion while backpedaling. That tape showed elite speed. Revel had good ball production over his 15 starts, with three interceptions and 16 passes defended. And he hits you at the catch point.
Revel is competitive and known as a hard worker. He has the size to match up with big NFL receivers. Revel has shown an ability to stay in the receiver’s hip pocket. He has good route recognition skills. Revel is a big and willing tackler; he hits hard. He plants, and hits. At East Carolina he obviously wasn’t facing elite competition. And he had too many penalties (eleven in barely 900 snaps). But he also played a lot of special teams, even as a star player.
But for his injury, Revel would likely have been a mid-first round pick. His doctor put out a letter in February indicating that Revel was on track to be fully cleared in time for training camp. Make no mistake, Revel has a very high ceiling. Now, should the Ravens grab him at pick 27? I would, because this guy could be a star and he’s an exciting cornerback prospect. Round 1-2. Ravens – Yes.
Trey Amos
From Mississippi, Amos is 23.1 years old, 6’ and 195 pound and ran a 4.43 forty. He possesses small hands and good length. Amos had a so-so Senior Bowl week, committing too many holding penalties when matched up alone, and allowing too much separation too often. His change of direction was not great as he stumbled several times, which generally matched up with some stiffness that I saw on tape. His high hips hinder him his reactive ability, particularly against twitchy receivers. But he was quick out of his straight-angled breaks and was physical down the field.
Amos is a strong player at the line of scrimmage and is assertive underneath. He was fairly adept in both zone and man coverages. He reads well and attacks zones, and his route appreciation is growing. But his aggressiveness can get him in trouble, and he will have to tone it down a bit in the NFL or quarterbacks will find him easy to move. He has good press technique, but his recovery speed on tape was just average. Amos attacks at the catch point. Last year, Amos had excellent ball production. He could slot in as a press corner but may have more upside in zone packages where he can attack towards the route. Amos is a willing and aggressive run defender.
Amos improved significantly last year, and there’s much to like to his game. He’s not a first rounder, but if he happens to slide to the Ravens in round two, there’s enough reason to turn in his name. Round 2. Ravens – Maybe (though I’d think hard given his inconsistent Senior Bowl performances).
Benjamin Morrison
Out of Notre Dame, Morrison is 21 years old, 6’ and 193 pounds and did not run a forty after missing the last ten games of last season with a hip injury. The medicals on Morrison are problematic, as he has had two hip surgeries over the last four years along with other injuries.
Morrison is a physical, tough corner. Morrison is technically sound. He brings excellent instincts, and he has that lovely quality of being able to turn to the ball. And when he can’t get his head around, he reacts well to the receiver’s movements and hand placement. He’s had good success in most packages, including press man and off man. But physical receivers have given him more difficulty. There’s reasonable concern regarding whether he has the physicality to match up with larger receivers. In zone packages he is quick to read and react. Morrison brings very good fluidity with the quickness that should allow him to play inside and outside. But he seems to lack a second gear.
In 26 college starts, Morrison produced nine interceptions, and 27 passes defended, outstanding numbers showing his playmaking ability. He brings excellent instincts. He attacks at the catch point. Morison is very smart and fluid. I love his ability to attack as a blitzer, with the type of explosion that you love. Morrison is not a top level run defender, nor is he a great tackler having missed 16% of his attempts.
With Morrison, the significant injury history is enough to keep him off my board, notwithstanding his talent. With an injury list as long as Morrison has, the risk just seems too high when there are other alternatives. Now, if he fell all the way down towards the fifth round (which won’t happen), I’d be willing to consider him Round 3. Ravens – Pass.
Nohl Williams
Williams played at Cal. He’s 22.5 years old, 6’ and 199 pounds, and ran a 4.50 forty. He was a tremendous playmaker last year, with seven interceptions and 15 passes defended, and had a total of 14 interceptions across 50 starts in his career. Williams is very tough and can be physical. Though not an elite athlete, Williams has outstanding instincts and is able to get his eyes back to the quarterback in time to make a play on the ball.
Williams has had better success in man packages. He’s physical enough in man coverage to jam and reroute receivers utilizing his strong hands, though he seems more comfortable trailing and looking for the ball. Williams is not particularly twitchy which can be problematic against receivers who are. He’s not well suited for slot duties, and his physical limitations don’t leave him best suited for zone packages.
Williams is a very tough run defender who’s tackling has improved to the point where it’s very good. He’s very willing and brings the wood. William is an excellent competitor.
This is a player who brings a good set of skills and is best suited for press man coverage. I’m concerned a bit about his average long speed, and the realty that the Ravens play a lot of zone packages, where I don’t think Williams will necessarily excel. I think he’s a round three prospect, and he’s draftable by the Ravens (arguably in the late second round) depending on who else is on the board. I’d consider him under those circumstances, but he’s not my favorite pick. Round 3. Ravens – Maybe.
Quincy Riley
Riley is a 5’10 and 194 pounds out of Louisville, and ran a 4.48 forty. He’s almost 24 years old. Over his 24 starts at Louisville, Riley had outstanding ball production, with 8 interceptions and 34 passes defended. That’s production! He’s a very good athlete.
Riley was very impressive at the Senior Bowl practices. He stayed with receivers in stride down the field, and was able to break up a couple of passes, showcasing his ballhawk ability. He was very sticky. His vertical speed played well too. Riley had more difficulty with a couple of double moves.
A bit on the smallish side there are concerns regarding how he will fare against the bigger NFL receivers. Although he obviously has very good mirroring skills, I’m not quite as convinced that he can excel at press coverage because of his size limitations. He may best suited for zone coverage.
Some may see him as a nickel candidate, but he’s not the twitchiest player. Riley is a liability in run defense. He has below average play strength, missed a ton of tackles, and is easily bowled over by offensive linemen.
Notwithstanding his Senior Bowl week, I’m not exactly sure where Riley best fits. It’s hard to see him holding up on the outside against bigger wideouts and I don’t see him offering much help in run support. He’s not an elite prospect for nickel duties. In all, I have a hard time making a case for him. Round 3-4. Ravens – Pass.
Jacob Parrish
Parrish is 21.2 years old from Kansas State. He’s only 5’9 and 191 pounds and ran an excellent 4.35 forty. He has short arms and small hands. Parrish’s calling card is his man coverage skills where he displays very good footwork, an explosive burst, and an ability to process route combos. He’s likely destined to be a nickel corner, but one who is flexible enough to play on the outside too. It’s always great to have positional versatility. While he is known for transitional quickness, at the Senior Bowl practices he surprisingly found himself regularly out of phase on breaks, which wasn’t evident on game tape. Parrish possesses excellent press techniques.
Parrish has not been an impactful playmaker. He’s been susceptible to double moves. He has the potential to be impactful in both man and zone packages. Parrish had a ton of single coverage responsibilities in college and is well prepared in that sense for press coverage, where he plays physical and knows how to use his hands. He also knows how to force receivers to re-route. Parrish possesses enough twitchiness to play off-man and attack, but because he prefers more physicality in his play off-man is not his best assignment.
Parrish does not always get his head around. He’s shown an ability to quickly trigger and attack in zone coverages. With his speed, he easily rotates back into the deeper part of the field.
Parrish is tougher against the run than his size suggests. He’s physical and aggressive. His tackling has improved but could stand to improve further.
Overall, I like what Parrish brings and at 21 years old one can expect further improvement. For the Ravens, they seem intent on keeping Marlon Humphrey on the inside, but they don’t have a corner with the physical abilities that Parrish presents as a more natural nickel. I like this cornerback prospect. Round 3. Ravens – Yes.
Darien Porter
Porter is 24.3 years old from Iowa State and is 6’2 and 195 pounds. He ran a blazing 4.30 forty and has extremely long arms (33.5 inches with an 80 inch wingspan). At the Senior Bowl practices Porter showed a good burst to get to receivers on sharp cutting routes. His speed played very well. He matched up reasonably well and proved to have fluid hips in making his transitions.
As a sixth year senior (his first three as a wide receiver), Porter had never started a college game until last season, when he started seven and wound up with three interceptions and five passes defensed. He has the classic size/speed combination that one looks for in an outside corner. He’s a high effort player with excellent personal character traits.
Because of his wide receiver experience, Porter has a good understanding of man and zone concepts. He shows an easy backpedal and the ability to flip and run. He’s a bit of a long strider which could cause issues covering the quickest receivers. Right now, Porter is probably best equipped as a zone defender.
As a run defender his tackling skills need more refinement. He was an elite special teams player with numerous blocked punts.
The challenge with Porter is the paltry amount of playing time he’s logged at his age. There’s so much projection needed as a result. And he’s almost 25. In my view, he’s too much of a risk to take where he will likely be drafted. If he fell much lower, I’d be willing to turn in his card as a developmental/special teams player. Round 3-4. Ravens – Pass (unless he drops further down the board).
Dorian Strong
The 23 year old Strong went to Virginia Tech. He’s 6’1 and 185 pounds and ran a 4.50 forty. Stong’s power was evident at the Senior Bowl practices where on several occasions he stoned receivers trying to escape the line of scrimmage. That was consistent with his tape where he demonstrated good press coverage and disrupted routes, competing at the top of the route. Press-man is probably his calling card, and he fared well in press at the practices, also showing good balance. He was able to carry receivers down the field. On tape he struggled a bit with making rapid direction shifts.
Strong has not been as effective in zone coverage where he struggles a bit in space. He has good route recognition in zone coverages, showcasing an ability to attack breaks. But he lacks the twitchiness to play nickel corner and just isn’t blessed with great transitional quickness.
Strong’s a willing competitor in the run game, and has shown to be a good tackler. He brings physicality to his attack, but at his size it’s not easy for him to shed blocks.
Strong is a somewhat limited competitor. The Ravens do not play enough press coverage to take advantage of his best attributes. He could be a contributor in their Cover 3 sets, but I don’t see any special traits. Round 3-4. Ravens – No.
Denzel Burke
Burke is a 22.5 year old Ohio State alum at 5’11 and 186 pounds. He ran a 4.48 forty. Burke is a fairly limited prospect in my view. He lacks coverage versatility, as he’s not particularly effective in man coverages, and is best suited for zones, and he’s played very little on the inside. Burke had a very difficult time carrying plays down the field. He’s not a playmaker, with only 31 defensed plays in 51 games, and just four interceptions. Burke just doesn’t get his head around. He’s effective with plays in front of him, but is not that fluid.
Nor is Burke a great tackler, though he is aggressive. I just don’t see a lot to recommend Burke for the Ravens. Round 5. Ravens – Pass.
Robert Longerbeam
Longerbeam is 24.3 years old out of Rutgers. He’s 5’11 and an extraordinarily light 175 pounds and ran a 4.39 forty. In his 31 career starts he produced 42 passes defensed and five interceptions. Longerbeam is such a small player that his utilization will be limited. He’s obviously not going to get snaps on the outside, nor is he well suited to offer run support on the edge. Longerbeam is probably best suited as a nickel option and special teams contributor, but his poor run support ability even limits his appeal in the nickel. Round 6. Ravens – Pass.
Mac McWilliams
McWilliams is 23.5 out of UCF, is 5’10 and 191 pounds and ran a 4.41 forty. He has very small hands, small arms and among the shortest wingspans you will ever see. Although McWilliams has good movement ability, his physical limitations greatly reduce his utility in the NFL. He lacks adequate functional strength, but he has smoothness in good transitional quickness and could offer some potential as a nickel corner, where his aggressive nature and tackling ability could be of some use. Yet, he’s likely to have difficulty getting off of blocks because of his limitations. McWilliams has good long speed to take receivers down the field.
To the extent that the Ravens are seeking a traditional nickel corner with the ability to stay in the hip of twitchy slot receivers, McWilliams is worthy of consideration. For that reason, I think he’s a later round candidate for the Ravens. Round 5-6. Ravens – Yes.
Upton Stout
Stout is 23.3 years old from Western Kentucky and is only 5’8 and 181 pounds. He ran a 4.44 forty. Although very small and destined to play nickel corner in the NFL, Stout is an aggressive player. At the Senior Bowl practices he did a good job staying attached to receivers in the slot, and he has that natural twitchiness that you need to compete with the stop-start and elusive slot receivers at the next level. Stout also demonstrated good timing on the ball. He had a very good week locking up wideouts wherever he was.
Stout has excellent fluidity and natural change of direction ability. He’s athletic, but he’s not going to be able to match up against big receivers or tight ends. Stout has had his issues in zone packages, as he’s been susceptible to being fooled, and he generally needs to settle down and let plays come to him. One can’t ignore the large number of penalties he’s been flagged for as he can be very grabby, especially as receivers are getting by him. Stout is a fighter in the run game, but one can’t ignore his limited reach, requiring him to maintain excellent form. He’s shown a good ability to blitz.
Stoudt is another late round nickel possibility, with more physicality than many of his peers. I don’t see him as being able to contribute in that role immediately. He could compete for special teams opportunities. Round 6. Ravens – Yes.
Korie Black
Out of Oklahoma State, Black is 6’ and 192 pounds and ran an excellent 4.35 forty and possesses an excellent wingspan. Only one other 6’+ corner in the class ran a 4.35 forty (Darien Porter). Black started for three seasons and played almost 50% of his snaps in man coverage last season (only two corners played a higher percentage in man). He possesses a good back pedal but is not elite transitioning as receivers get by him.
Black is a bit grabby when he’s beaten; obviously, he’s in need of more discipline. But his size and length offer him opportunities on the outside, and he’s good locating the ball. Round 5-6. Ravens – Maybe.
Bilhal Kone
Kone is 23.1 years old from Western Michigan, is 6’1 and 190 pounds and ran a 4.43. Kone had an inconsistent week at the Senior Bowl practices, and did not utilize his hands well while showing an ability to turn his hips. He mirrored well on tape. Kone has been effective matching receivers routes, with good anticipation regardless of the coverage structure.
Kone played a lot of off man coverage in college, and was not tested by the elite receivers of the major conferences. As a result, he was not challenged by a lot of different coverage packages, and therefore has a learning curve (maybe a significant one) as he enters the NFL. I don’t rate Kone as high as others. Round 5. Ravens – Pass.
Zah Frazier
Frazier is 24.6 years old, 6’2 and 186 pounds from UTSA with 4.36 speed, and an 80” wingspan. An older prospect who has had a circuitous college career that includes only ten starts (all last year), Frazier is a late bloomer who is very athletic. Frazier proved to be quite a ballhawk last year, with six interceptions and 15 passes defensed. He brings excellent burst and has proven to be a strong player over the top of receivers. Frazier brings excellent range in zone coverage, and in man trail he is blessed with the speed to get to the throws.
Given his inexperience, he needs some work with route recognition. And he can play too high allowing too much separation. But he excelled in press coverage last season. Frazier has some work to do as a run defender. His leverage is erratic and he’s not a great tackler.
Frazier is a very interesting press-man cover corner who also suits well in zone packages. If he were two years older, he’d go much higher in this draft. But if he lands where I’m projecting, even at his age he’s a reasonable risk given his upside. Round 5-6. Ravens – Yes.
Others
Justin Walley, 22.6 years old, 5’10 and 190 pounds from Minnesota, 4.40 speed. Round 6-7. Ravens- Maybe.
Marcus Harris, 24.1 years old, California, 5’10 and 188 pounds with 4.45 speed. Round 6. Ravens: Yes.
