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Renner's 2027 NFL Draft scouting series: Is Leonard Moore the best CB prospect since Jalen Ramsey?
If you are in need of a big corner, this is the class for you. The top three prospects on this list all have wingspans that look like they belong in the NBA . That's not all this class has, though, with some very impressive athletes coming in after them.
This is a much better class a year out than what we had at this time last year, especially considering CB1 Jermod McCoy's injury concerns.
We haven't seen more than three corners go in Round 1 since 2023, but my guess is that will change with the 2027 class.
Positional rankings: IOL • S • LB • DT • TE • OT • RB • CB • EDGE • WR • QB
Note: ⭐️ represents each player's 247Sports star rating as a high school recruit
What Jeremiah Smith is to wide receiver prospects, Leonard Moore is almost that for cornerback prospects. There's a very good chance he ends up as at least the best cornerback prospect since Jalen Ramsey in 2016, and we may even have to go all the way back to Patrick Peterson in 2011 to find a comparable corner prospect by the time Moore's career is through.
He truly has it all physically, with the production as a press-man corner to boot. Last season, he allowed only 201 yards on 48 targets and just nine first downs. You don't have to watch much more than the USC tape, where he shut down first-round receiver Makai Lemon last season, to understand what Moore is all about.
Leonard Moore is elite. Definition of a blue chip CB prospect pic.twitter.com/NuF1LwAOI8
While Moore looks like a lock to be a top-10 pick, Ashton Hampton could easily join him in that realm of prospect. At a shade over 6-foot-3, Hampton has some of the best movement skills you'll ever see for a tall corner. The only contemporary I've scouted in that regard is Sauce Gardner, and he went fourth overall. While Hampton doesn't have the sheer lockdown production of the former Cincinnati cornerback, who famously allowed zero touchdowns in three years as a starter, he isn't too far off with only one score allowed in two seasons as a starter. In addition to being able to cover at that size, Hampton is also a terrific tackler. He engulfs ball carriers around the line of scrimmage, stopping them in their tracks. That's the skill set of a cornerback who will fit into every defense in the NFL nowadays.
Ashton Hampton pic.twitter.com/GEWwMNVZQs
While Leonard Moore gets all the headlines in this class, and rightfully so, you might be surprised to find out that Kelley Jones was actually the hardest cornerback in the country to complete a pass against last season. In 13 games, he allowed a grand total of 11 completions. That's 0.85 per game!
It doesn't take more than a few snaps of watching Jones to see what makes him unique. The nearly 6-foot-4 corner is a press-man eliminator. He even took out top-10 pick Jordyn Tyson last season, allowing one catch on six targets for 21 yards with two pass breakups in their Week 2 matchup.
Mississippi State CB Kelley Jones (6-3/195) pic.twitter.com/svzarHJlHo
His combination of an egregiously long wingspan and legit top-end speed is difficult to exploit in an outside corner. While he's never going to be particularly versatile or great in off coverage, his ability in press is going to thrive in certain schemes.
South Carolina had one heck of a cornerback duo last fall, with Swain lining up across from second-rounder Brandon Cisse. While Cisse was a touch more explosive and active around the line of scrimmage, Vicari Swain was the better of the two in pure man coverage.
He's got a steady and patient game with the length to disrupt routes. Swain can be patient because he's a terrific athlete with the long speed to keep up swimmingly with the speedy LSU receiving corps. My biggest issues with his game come in the physicality department. He's a fine form tackler, but there's a hesitance to get involved that won't be for every scheme. He's much more of a coverage-first player.
It should also be noted that Swain is an electric returner. He took three of his 19 punt returns to the house last season.
Vicari Swain (6’0 190) South Carolina ✅ Dynamic punt returner with 3 punts returned for touchdowns during the 2025 season ✅ Speed and vision as a returner ✅ 74.0 coverage grade in 2025 ✅ Short-area burst and explosiveness ✅ 50% completion rate allowed against him during the… pic.twitter.com/rts8jzn65W
I'm throwing out his banged-up sophomore campaign and relying on what I saw from OJ Frederique Jr . as a true freshman in 2024 for this ranking. A litany of injuries hampered him down the stretch and caused him to miss the better part of seven games in 2025.
In the national title game, though, he showed up big with four forced incompletions in man coverage. He's at his best one-on-one. That's where his competitiveness and ability to read receivers' route cues really shine.
OJ Frederique is such an obvious breakout candidate for next year. Only 368 snaps in 2025, but was matched up with NFL-caliber WRs almost every week and more than held his own. Currently my CB4 (28 overall) pic.twitter.com/bWGsMbhQZW
Ellis Robinson IV was the No. 1 cornerback recruit in the 2024 cycle and even the No. 1 overall prospect, according to ESPN.
While he sat as a true freshman, he took over as a starter early last fall and had one of the stingier seasons among SEC corners. He allowed only a 42.9% completion rate with four interceptions. He's a feisty corner who's very competitive at the catch point.
There's one big thing missing from his game, though, and that's play strength. At only 180 pounds, Robinson can get jostled by stronger receivers. While it's not a big concern given how athletic he is, it's what is keeping him from a first-round grade at the moment.
Ellis Robinson IV | CB | Georgia | 6-0, 180 Springy athlete that can turn and run with ease. Exceptional ball skills to high point and create turnovers. LB-like appetite for contact in run support. pic.twitter.com/iqu3G6h9yy
Jalen Mayo 's tape last fall at Stephen F. Austin was about as impre...
Renner'sNFL DraftIs Leonard MooreJalen RamseyThe Notre DameJeremiah Smith
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