The 'On The Clock' crew of Matt Williamson, Mike Prisuta and Max Starks take a look at the top prospects in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, which will be held in Pittsburgh in April. Today, they take a second look at the cornerback position.
Note: The opinions expressed here are their own and not those of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Matt's First Look
1. Mansoor Delane, LSU, 6-0, 187 lbs.
2. Jermod McCoy, Tennessee, 6-1, 188 lbs.
3. Avieon Terrell, Clemson, 5-11, 186 lbs.
4. Colton Hood, Tennessee, 6-0, 193 lbs.
5. Chris Johnson, San Diego State, 6-0, 193 lbs.
Matt's Thoughts
My outlook on the cornerbacks has changed. First off, Delane and McCoy are head and shoulders above every other prospect in this position group. The more I studied them, the more I fell in love. If fact, they challenge the very top players in this draft as true blue chip prospects. I still have Delane slightly above McCoy, but that is extremely close. Poking any holes in Delane's game is very difficult to do, but McCoy probably has more overall upside. Both players project as true number one corners at the next level, a designation that shouldn't be thrown around lightly…Johnson goes from fifth to third for me. He has all the traits you look for without obvious areas of concern. A high character player, there simply isn't much to dislike about Johnson. He is a very clean prospect that should hear his name called in the first round…Hood stays in the fourth spot, but Indiana's D'Angelo Ponds (5-8 ½, 180 lbs.) now cracks my top five. Obviously, Hood is small-very small-and the league is really getting away from tiny slot corners. But Hood's tape is fantastic. He makes a ton of plays, have a very aggressive nature to his game, and can challenge any corner in this draft just in terms of how good his tape is…Terrell drastically hurt his cause by running a very slow forty at his pro day. While he doesn't play extremely slow on tape, speed was never his forte to begin with. Slow and slightly undersized is just a tough sell early in the NFL draft…Much like Ponds, Duke's Chandler Rivers (5-9 ½, 185) is an undersized slot-only prospect. But also like Ponds, Rivers plays with great aggression and is a real playmaker…If you are just looking for traits, look no further than the University of Washington. The Huskies have a pair of skyscrapers in Tacario Davis (6-4, 194 lbs.) and Ephesians Prysock (6-3 ½, 196). Of course, both players have rare height and length for the position, but they also can really run. Davis and Prysock are projected as mid round draftees because of concerns about change of direction and the current overall lack of refinement in their game. But they could hit big, especially in the right system.
Mike's First Look
1. Mansoor Delane, LSU, 6-0, 187 lbs.
2. Jermod McCoy, Tennessee, 6-1, 188 lbs.
3. Avieon Terrell, Clemson, 5-11, 186 lbs.
4. Colton Hood, Tennessee, 6-0, 193 lbs.
5. D'Angelo Ponds, Indiana, 5-8 1/2, 182 lbs.
Mike's Thoughts
The stack can stay the same in the wake of McCoy, who didn't play in 2025 due to an ACL injury, crushing his Pro Day (reported numbers posted included a 4.38 40-yard dash, a broad jump of 10'7" and a vertical leap of 38"). I'm likely higher on Ponds than most (I've tended to gravitate to Indiana players throughout this process in the wake of IU's dramatic run to the national championship). Missouri's Toriano Pride Jr. (5-103/8, 185) remains a guy who might get slept on but probably shouldn't be … Arizona State's Keith Abney II (5-10, 188) plays with a noticeable aggressiveness and temperament and reportedly models his game after Denzel Ward. Abney had a sack, two forced fumbles, 11 passes defensed and two interceptions in 2025 … Oregon's Jadon Canady (5-10, 182) is a well-traveled nickel/slot candidate (two seasons at Tulane, two at Mississippi, one at Oregon) who makes plays on the ball (eight passes defensed, two interceptions in 2025) and tackles … South Carolina's Brandon Cisse (6-0, 189) will likely get a lot of first-round consideration because he's big, fast and athletic (although not necessarily the most physical corner available) … Washington's Tacario Davis (6-37/8, 194) should have the attention of teams that seek size on the corner, especially after he ran a 4.41 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah called Davis' 40 time in Indy "insane" for a player of Davis' size … Stephen F. Austin's Charles Demmings (6-11/8, 193) registered a combined nine interceptions, including four in 2025, but only had 63 tackles over the last four seasons. Jeremiah suspected the tackles total might have been a scheme-related result. Evaluators "check whether you're willing and can you tackle, not how many," Jeremiah maintained … Georgia's Daylen Everette (6-11/4, 196) is another big, run-and-hit corner on the board. He showed up on big stages for the Bulldogs … Iowa's T.J. Hall (6-03/4, 189) has been described as "feisty" by NFL Network analyst Charles Davis. "He's a tough kid," Jeremiah agreed. "I don't know if you're allowed to get to the Iowa program without being tough." … Ohio State's Davison Igbinosun (6-21/8, 189) is talented but grabby. Davis sees "a lot of similarities with Joey Porter Jr., especially how grabby they were in college." … San Diego State's Chris Johnson (6-0, 193) will likely be viewed as a Top 5 guy in a lot of teams' eyes. Johnson showed up in Indy needing to answer questions about his speed, then ran a 4.4 40. "He's heard the noise," NFL Network reporter Stacey Dales observed. Johnson, an Associated Press Second-Team All-America selection in 2024 and 2025, was the only player in FBS with nine-plus passes defensed and 100-plus yards on interception returns last season … Texas A&M's William Lee III (6-2, 189) ran a 43.52 40, had a broad jump of 11' and a vertical leap of 42" in Indy. He had 40-plus tackles and six-plus passes defensed in each of the last three seasons (one at Kansas State, two at Texas A&M) … California's Hezekiah Masses (6-1, 179) tied for seventh in FBS with five interceptions and also registered 13 passes defensed in 2025 and was an AP Second-Team All-America pick … Florida's Devin Moore (6-31/4, 198) is still another big corner that can run (4.50) who's available. He battled injuries for four seasons with the Gators and had groin surgery in December … Malik Muhammed of Texas (6-0, 182) impressed in Indy (4.42), as he had on tape. "He's fluid, he can high-point the ball and play it," Jeremiah maintained … Julian Neal of Arkansas (6-15/8, 203) posted a 4.49 40 in Indy and is a big hitter who's NFL future might include a transition to safety … Washington's Ephesians Prysock (6-33/8, 196) isn't as polished as some of the other big corners that can run in this class but he's intriguing. "He's a little bit of a work in progress but you have a whole lot to work with," Jeremiah assessed … Duke's Chandler Rivers (5-91/2, 185) lacks ideal size but not the skills to be a "Day One nickel, just plug him and play him," Jeremiah insisted. "He can mirror and match and cover, he has closing speed and he's tough." … Toledo's Avery Smith (5-101/2, 196) talks to fellow Toledo product Quinyon Mitchell almost every day, the NFL Network reported. Smith's 14 passes defensed in 2024 tied for second in FBS and he was in on 127 tackles in four seasons … Arizona's Treydan Stukes (6-1, 190) has size, speed (4.33) and three seasons's worth of experience both inside and outside. He's a former walk-on who became a team captain and a likely Day Two selection.
Max's First Look
1. Mansoor Delane, LSU, 6-0, 187 lbs.
2. Avieon Terrell, Clemson, 5-11, 186 lbs.
3. Jermod McCoy, Tennessee, 6-1, 188 lbs.
4. Colton Hood, Tennessee, 6-0, 193 lbs.
5. Brandon Cisse, South Carolina, 6-0, 189 lbs.
Max's Thoughts
Rounding the "corner" back position for a second look, I really like this group! There are some amazing athletes in this category and there's a lot of potential for position flexibility. We have cover corners, nickel slots, rangy zone guys, and some safety body types with speed. After running a sub 4.4 40, Jermod McCoy has started catching people's attention again. I think it might be enough to move him ahead of Clemson's Terrell. Chris Johnson, the SDSU prospect, is also gathering steam after his pro day performance. I could easily slot him in front of Brandon Cisse for the fifth position. Guys I really like in this group as well D'Angelo Ponds and Keionte Scott. Overall, this is a very deep draft for the cornerback position and considering the different body types and skill sets. There are a lot of positions that can be filled in this draft by teams. A lot of the guys that I mentioned above can also cover core 4 special teams as well as returner duties. I think all of my top 5 can be drafted in day one!
