As the NFL season nears the end of the first quarter and college football approaches its regular-season midpoint, we can sift through flashes in the pan, NFL team needs, which teams are likely to select early in the 2027 NFL Draft, and adjusted expectations for some top prospects. Candidly, this week offered no major revelations.
Checking in with the First-Round Cornerbacks
While we entered the season with Notre Dame’s Leonard Moore atop the cornerback position (and remain there), the group right behind Moore has performed admirably through the first few weeks. While scouts largely regarded Clemson’s Ashton Hampton as the No. 2 cornerback, I personally had Alabama’s Zabien Brown and Georgia’s Ellis Robinson IV ahead of him. That foursome, plus Mississippi State’s Kelley Jones, have emerged as legitimate first-round players. Hampton had a tougher week, but against a Miami offense that makes almost every defense look silly, it’s easy to write that off. While Brown hasn’t necessarily taken giant leaps forward, he’s still much more sound in coverage, taking fewer risks and staying patient and within his frame. He allowed a few catches this week, but he’s stringing together impressive performances to start this year. Maybe most impressive is Robinson, who had massive leaps to make in a larger role this season. Robinson still isn’t perfect, putting himself in tough spots that require an elite recovery, but he’s certainly doing a much better job at staying in phase, trusting his eyes, and minimizing the need for elite recoveries. The elite recoveries are still there, though, and that’s what makes him a definite candidate for CB2 behind Moore. He has athleticism you cannot teach, and his former five-star status shows up regularly. Jones had a tougher time with Keelon Russell’s Alabama Crimson Tide this week, but he’s still a player teams avoid throwing at, and his four PBUs have been impressive this season.
The group isn’t perfect, but it is a solid collection of potential first-round picks. Hopefully, they keep ascending and push into the top-15 range.
