Ben Solak FA/Draft review: Cornerback

[WestCoastRam]

3. Cornerback​

Good year to need ... a slot corner
Bad year to need ... an outside corner with size

Great players don't really hit free agency at cornerback, as the position has been in desperate need of the market-setting contracts it finally got when Pat Surtain II, Derek Stingley Jr., Jaycee Horn and Sauce Gardner all signed their extensions. Last year's group was actually a fairly competitive bunch: Byron Murphy Jr. didn't get out of Minnesota, but Charvarius Ward, Carlton Davis III, Paulson Adebo and D.J. Reed all signed deals with new teams.

This year's group isn't as good. The outside-only guys are Riq Woolen (Seahawks), Jaylen Watson (Chiefs) and Jamel Dean (Buccaneers). Alontae Taylor (Saints) has inside-outside versatility, but he has always played his best ball from the slot. Similarly, Greg Newsome II played outside for the Jaguars but could return to some slot play with a new squad. (He was always more productive there.) One of the wild cards of this group is ex-Steeler Asante Samuel Jr., now more than a season removed from his spinal surgery. He is another inside-outside guy with a history of solid play.

Woolen is a particularly tricky one to calibrate. He fell out of favor with Mike Macdonald's defensive staff multiple times in the past two seasons, getting benched for stretches. Yet he also led all cornerbacks in yards per coverage snap allowed (0.6) last season. In a simpler defense that lets Woolen play faster and think less, he might see more consistent and productive play (looking at you, Robert Saleh and the Titans).

The draft class looks strong for cornerback overall, but even the best players are lacking in size. LSU's Mansoor Delane and Tennessee's Jermod McCoy -- both considered clear Round 1 players -- are both listed at 6-foot and sub-195 pounds. (And McCoy didn't play at all in 2025 after sustaining an ACL tear that January.) Clemson's Avieon Terrell, the younger brother of Falcons CB A.J. Terrell Jr. and another potential first-rounder, is a nickel at 5-11, 180 pounds. Even Keionte Scott (Miami) and D'Angelo Ponds (Indiana), the darlings of the College Football Playoff, are both clearly slot players at the next level.

Defenses that need a starter on the outside, especially in a defense that prioritizes height and length, won't enjoy this offseason much should they miss out on Woolen or Watson. The draft target for size is Florida's Devin Moore, though he has a spotty injury history. Those defenses that prioritize interchangeability and quickness over size and stopping power -- like the Jeff Hafley unit in Green Bay and the Chris Shula group with the Rams -- will find plenty of options available.

 

[Flatlyner]

We desperately need one of Watson, Dean, Woolen. I also am very intrigued with Samuel Jr. Think he will be fully recovered and played well in chances last year in Pittsburgh.

 

[Merlin]

Slot corners are always easier to find. They are usually more available in FA and well into most drafts. The outside hash dudes with size are always a supply/demand problem, and if anything that has gotten worse with more of the top athletes with size opting to play wideout.

Dean should be our target in FA. Rams are a top destination, so should be one of the few teams who can capitalize on the top options at corner.

Also in the draft the options at 29 range look pretty good for outside the hash. I think they need to address it round 1 to ensure they don't have another season of disappointment in the secondary. Dean and a top pick and we should be in business, the depth options can be had until later in the draft or FA perhaps.