Welcome to the thick of the pre-draft process. With a little over a week until practices kick off in Mobile, Alabama, I’ll be providing a layered look into each positional group set to compete at the 2024 Senior Bowl.
The draft cycle’s premier showcase that presents prospects the opportunity to don their respective college helmets just one final time, let’s get rolling with a peek into the headlining ballplayers set to compete at cornerback and safety.
Senior Bowl 2024 DB Primer
Jaylin Simpson, Auburn
One of the premier safeties in the class, Simpson has a chance to lock himself in as a top-64 pick with a good week in Mobile. He’s got the length, coverage ability, and pop in his pads that pump you up if you’re a defensive coordinator.
Mike Sainristil, Michigan
My top nickel in the class, Sainristil is a flat-out ballplayer. Teams that try to get free releases in the slot when working over the former Wolverine will quickly find out they’ll have to attack a different way. He’s a heck of a prospect who I expect to play for a long time on Sundays.
Johnny Dixon & Kalen King, Penn State
Two alphas on the perimeter in Happy Valley, Dixon and King can flat-out play ball. They played off each other nicely this fall and I’m intrigued to see how they separate themselves in practices all week long.
Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo
Arguably the premier Group of Five defender in the class, Mitchell has the chance to lock himself in as a day-one pick with a dominant week. He checks off many of the boxes teams look for in a pure cover corner with an immense athletic profile.
Max Melton, Rutgers
The brother of Green Bay Packers wideout—and former Senior Bowl attendee Bo—Max is an inside-out defender with a twitched-up frame and the versatility to produce in multiple phases.
Khyree Jackson & Evan Williams, Oregon
A transfer from Alabama, Jackson could force teams to shuffle their CB rankings around with a good week. He looks the part at 6-foot-3. Williams is a hybrid defender who should become a nice rotational piece and a heck of a special teams contributor from the onset of his career.
Caelen Carson & Malik Mustapha, Wake Forest
Two alphas that can really do it all, Carson and Mustapha enter Mobile with everything to gain. The headliners for the Demon Deacons defense in 2023, both athletes take reps personally and will provide a jolt into any secondary they join.
Kris Abrams-Draine, Missouri
I’m excited to see Abrams-Draine work both on the outside and inside at nickel. Identifying him as a ‘CB1’ would be rich at this point in his eval, but teams in need of depth, versatility, and instincts will prioritize the former Tiger.
Kitan Oladapo, Oregon State
Super athletic kid. Love the hybrid ability to mix it up multiple levels and the stickiness in coverage if placed as the field safety in a two-high look.
Josh Proctor, Ohio State
One of the more experienced players in the class, Proctor enters Mobile with six seasons of college ball under his belt. He’ll be an excellent piece rotationally.
Beau Brade, Maryland
Maryland produced two corners last year (Deonte Banks and Jakorian Bennett) and will have two more secondary defenders (JaQuan Sheppard and Tarheeb Still) joining Brade as potential selections in April. The 6-foot-1 Brade plays with excellent awareness and is always around the football. Plug and play athlete.
Cole Bishop & Sione Vaki, Utah
Two versatile players that’ll bring their lunch pail to work every single day, both Bishop and Vaki are going to make a GM happy come springtime. Bishop has the chance to solidify himself as one of the premier safeties in the class while Vaki (who also played RB for Utah) could force some teams to rethink their positional board with a good week.
Andru Phillips, Kentucky
An underrated player in the class, Phillips was excellent for the Wildcats this fall. A nuanced perimeter defender, Phillips has a high athletic profile and was formally the No. 1-rated triple-jumper in the country in high school.
Jarvis Brownlee Jr., Louisville
Brownlee Jr. has a ton of buzz heading into the week. A physical athlete, he can overpower wideouts at the line of scrimmage and has the hips to flip and run as well.
Cam Hart, Notre Dame
One of my favorite corners in the class, I expect Hart to showcase extremely well. While he lived in the shadow of potential 2025 first-rounder Benjamin Morrison the last few years, Hart deserves his own massive spotlight that the Senior Bowl should provide, and then some. He can play.
Javon Bullard & Tykee Smith, Georgia
Bullard has a ton of Jalen Pitre (Houston Texans) to his game when flipping on his tape. Not a huge athlete, but has zero issues playing downhill and knocking players off their feet. Smith is a mature defender too with the foundation to earn snaps early in his career.
Jaden Hicks, Washington State
One of the premier underclassmen—and safeties—in the class, Hicks has been a focus of the position for months. He’s an early day two lock for me but can raise his stock even more with a standout week.
Kamren Kinchens, Miami (FL)
Arguably the top safety in the class, Kinchens is the cream of the crop in the class when it comes to instincts, range, and ball skills. He’ll force quarterbacks to think twice on vertical shots at the next level.
Nehemiah Pritchett & D.J. James, Auburn
A pair of experienced athletes on the outside, Pritchett and James enter Mobile with more than 5,000 snaps of Power Five experience. Both are 6-foot-1 but have unique games that can fit a variety of defensive schemes.
Josh Newton, TCU
A playmaker on the perimeter, it’ll be a big week for Newton who has a long list of Top 75 grades from teams. He looks the part, is rarely out of phase, and can take it back the other way for six if granted the opportunity.
Willie Drew, Virginia State
A small-school stud, the step up in competition will be a fantastic opportunity for Drew. Dominant at the Division II level, Drew was a first-team All-American and won’t be intimidated by the slew of Power Five talent around him.
Chau Smith-Wade, Washington State
It’bbe be a big week for Smith-Wade. A team captain for the Cougars, he competes his tail off and I wouldn’t be shocked if he has a few picks in team sessions. Good ballplayer.
Elijah Jones, Boston College
A late addition to Mobile, what a great opportunity for Jones to force teams to check back in with their Northeast scouts on his game. He’s looking to become the first corner drafted out of Boston College since 2019 (Will Harris).
