Welcome to Part 10 of our 2023 draft preview series, which will be a position-by-position look at key prospects and where the Chargers roster stands ahead of the NFL Draft. This series will include a look at which prospects could be options for the Chargers later this month.
We chatted with draft analyst Mike Renner of Pro Football Focus to break down the cornerbacks in this draft class. Renner, one of the most well-respected draft analysts in the country, can be found on Twitter @PFFMike for his analysis.
Chargers status at CB
The Chargers have one of the league's most interesting offseason storylines in J.C. Jackson.
The cornerback was a splashy free-agent addition a year ago but missed the last half of the 2022 season with a torn patella tendon, one of the most serious knee injuries an athlete can have.
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Asante Samuel, Jr., and Michael Davis were the starting outside cornerbacks in Jackson's absence, with both playing well for a good chunk of the year. Davis was especially hot down the stretch as he was one of the league's top cornerbacks in November and December.
Bryce Callahan, who manned the slot a year ago, is currently a free agent. And if he does not return, the Chargers feel comfortable with 2022 rookie Ja'Sir Taylor, who flashed in limited playing time as a sixth-round pick.
Renner said Jackson's injury complicates the big picture at cornerback for the Bolts.
"J.C. Jackson, I'm not sure you can even rely on him after how gruesome his injury was. I'm not sure you can even pencil him in as a starter," Renner said.
The Bolts also have Deane Leonard, Lemon Hall and Michael Jacquet on the roster.
Is CB a position of need?
Jackson is signed to a long-term deal, while Samuel and Taylor are on their rookie contracts. Davis, meanwhile, is entering the final year of his contract.
With that in mind, Renner believes more overall depth is needed at this spot.
"You need to bring in some competition there. I think Samuel is fine, you're happy with him on one side," Renner said. "I just don't think you really have a slot right now and you would like to add an outside guy too ideally. It's definitely a position of need."
OK then, how high does Renner see that need?
He doesn't expect the Chargers to spend their first-round pick on a cornerback, but said a Day 3 pick might mean waiting too long.
Instead, Renner has cornerback as a mid-round need for the Bolts.
"I'm not opposed to higher than that. I think in this class, it's uniquely suited to target one in the mid rounds," said Renner, who then compared taking a cornerback or a wide receiver.
"[Cornerback is] so deep, whereas wide receiver not so much," Renner added. "I might push them towards wide receiver early, but it could fall to where there's a really good [cornerback] sitting on the board there and you say, 'Let's just take him because he's good.'"
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Key draft questions
1. How you see the overall cornerback group in this draft?
"It's the deepest, valuable position in the draft in my opinion. There's five guys in the top 32 in the PFF draft board and maybe like 13 in the top 100. It's a loaded position and I think no matter the round, first, second, third, there's going to be value on the table."
2. Which cornerback fits best under Brandon Staley?
"I really like [Maryland's] Deonte Banks there. I think he's one of the most versatile. I mean Christian Gonzalez would be the best, but Gonzalez is going to be gone so I wouldn't mention him in that conversation. But yeah, I think Deonte Banks — versatility, big dude, explosive dude — really gives them like an athlete that they don't have on the outside that can match up with better athletes. I think that's where my head would be at."
3. How about a Day 3 prospect you like?
"I like Riley Moss there. He's one of the best zone corners in the draft. Zone corners aren't super coveted, so he's going to be there on Day 3, but I think he has high-level understanding of route concepts and super quick to react to zone coverage. That would be a guy I would highlight."
Expert rankings
NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah currently has six cornerbacks in his overall Top 50: 6. Devon Witherspoon, 11. Christian Gonzalez, 20. Joey Porter, Jr., 24. Deonte Banks, 34. Emmanuel Forbes and 46. Kelee Ringo.
ESPN's Mel Kiper, Jr., has five cornerbacks in his overall Top 25: 7. Witherspoon, 11. Gonzalez, 17. Porter, 22. Forbes and 25. Banks.
Rankings for cornerbacks by Jeremiah, his NFL Media counterpart Bucky Brooks, Kiper, analytics site Pro Football Focus and The Athletic's Dane Brugler are listed below.
Potential Chargers options
Note: Heights and weights are from each player's profile on NFL.com (linked for each player's name).
School: Penn State | Year: Redshirt junior | Ht: 6-foot-2 | Wt: 193 pounds
| Daniel Jeremiah | Bucky Brooks | Mel Kiper, Jr. | Pro Football Focus | Dane Brugler |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB3 | CB3 | CB3 | CB4 | CB3 |
2022 stats: 10 games; 27 tackles (21 solo), 11 passes defensed, 1 fumble recovery
Quick facts: Porter made All-Big Ten teams in each of his three full seasons, including First Team in 2022. He also set a Penn State single-game record with six pass breakups in a game against Purdue.
| Daniel Jeremiah | Bucky Brooks | Mel Kiper, Jr. | Pro Football Focus | Dane Brugler |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB4 | -- | CB5 | CB3 | CB4 |
2022 stats: 12 games; 38 tackles (25 solo), 0.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, 1 interception, 9 passes defensed
Quick fact: Banks bounced back in his last collegiate season after suffering a season-ending injury in 2021, posting his most impressive season yet with career-highs in tackles and passes defended.
School: Mississippi State | Year: Junior | Ht: 6-foot-1 | Wt: 166 pounds
| Daniel Jeremiah | Bucky Brooks | Mel Kiper, Jr. | Pro Football Focus | Dane Brugler |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB5 | CB5 | CB4 | CB5 | CB5 |
2022 stats: 11 games; 39 tackles (20 solo), 6.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks, 6 interceptions, 15 passes defensed
Quick fact: Forbes was a ballhawk throughout college, racking up 14 interceptions in three seasons. He also owns the FBS career record in pick-sixes with six.
School: South Carolina | Year: Redshirt junior | Ht: 6-foot-1 | Wt: 180 pounds
| Daniel Jeremiah | Bucky Brooks | Mel Kiper, Jr. | Pro Football Focus | Dane Brugler |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -- | CB4 | CB8 | CB6 | CB10 |
2022 stats: 11 games; 27 tackles (23 solo), 1 tackle for loss, 1 interception, 6 passes defensed
Quick fact: A Second-Team All-SEC selection in 2021, Smith had an impressive final two seasons at South Carolina, defending 20 passes in his last 22 games.
School: Georgia | Year: Redshirt sophomore | Ht: 6-foot-2 | Wt: 207 pounds
| Daniel Jeremiah | Bucky Brooks | Mel Kiper, Jr. | Pro Football Focus | Dane Brugler |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB6 | -- | CB7 | CB12 | CB6 |
2022 stats: 15 games; 42 tackles (37 solo), 2 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 9 passes defensed, 1 forced fumble
Quick fact: Ringo was a driving force on the outside of the Georgia defense that helped the team win back-to-back National titles. He capped off the 2021 National Championship game with a 79-yard interception return for a score.
School: Kansas State | Year: Redshirt senior | Ht: 6-foot-3 | Wt: 198 pounds
| Daniel Jeremiah | Bucky Brooks | Mel Kiper, Jr. | Pro Football Focus | Dane Brugler |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -- | -- | CB9 | CB8 | CB12 |
2022 stats: 14 games; 45 tackles (28 solo), 3.5 tackles for loss, 4 interceptions, 8 passes defensed, 1 forced fumble
Quick fact: Brents was voted to the 2022 First-Team All Big-12 Team by the coaches and had his best season of his collegiate career. In the Big 12 Championship Game, Brents recorded an interception and forced a fumble in the win.
| Daniel Jeremiah | Bucky Brooks | Mel Kiper, Jr. | Pro Football Focus | Dane Brugler |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -- | -- | CB10 | CB7 | CB11 |
2022 stats: 7 games; 36 tackles (25 solo), 1.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks, 2 interceptions, 5 passes defensed, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery
Quick fact: Stevenson was a force as outside cornerback in his final two years at Miami, breaking up 14 passes in that span.
School: Syracuse | Year: Redshirt junior | Ht: 5-foot-10 | Wt: 192 pounds
| Daniel Jeremiah | Bucky Brooks | Mel Kiper, Jr. | Pro Football Focus | Dane Brugler |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -- | -- | CB11 | CB9 | -- |
2022 stats: 7 games; 36 tackles (25 solo), 1.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks, 2 interceptions, 5 passes defensed, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery
Quick fact: Williams only played seven games due to injury in 2022, but with full playing time the two years prior, he led the ACC in pass breakups both years.
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