Cornerback

1. Jimmy Williams, Virginia Tech – Brash, outgoing and cocky, Williams has all of the attitude that might scare teams away if he didn’t play the one position in the NFL that requires those characteristics. Williams has been known to shoot his mouth off, but backed it up. Great size for a corner, but might be a better fit at safety. That’s the biggest question surrounding Williams. Either way, he’s a mid-first round talent.

2. Antonio Cromartie, Florida State – Forget what you see in most rankings when it comes to Cromartie. There is no corner in the draft with the athleticism and explosiveness of Cromartie. At almost 6’3 with outstanding speed, Cromartie would be a sure thing as the first corner in the draft if not for a devastating leg injury suffered last year. Will find his way into the first round and could be a steal for the team grabbing him.

3. Tye Hill, Clemson – While Hill doesn’t have much in the way of size, he has the type of closing speed and coverage skills to be a top flight corner in the NFL. Hill is one of the two or three fastest players in the draft and is a solid tackler for someone smaller. Will be gone in the top half or so of the first round.

4. Ashton Youboty, Ohio State – Another Buckeye defensive star with big time ability. Youboty is almost 6’0 with a nice frame and solid speed. Like some other Ohio State corners, he was encouraged to take risks in college and that will have to be tempered some in the NFL. Still, Youboty is a top level prospect and should go in the first round.

5. Jonathan Joseph, South Carolina – Joseph was largely overlooked because of Ko Simpson’s presence in the secondary. But Joseph has great size and the type of speed that jumps out at you on film. Joseph is another first round talent, but might slip into the second.

Sleeper: Danieal Manning, Abilene Christian – Manning is somewhat of a ‘tweener in that he can play corner or safety, but one of the most appealing parts of his game is his ability as a returner. Manning is a threat to score any time he gets his hands on the ball and could develop into a good corner in addition to his special teams contributions.