2025 NFL Draft Guide: Get to know the cornerbacks

Welcome to our 2025 NFL Draft Guide rollout!

Today, we’ll be focusing on cornerbacks in our “get to know the prospects” series.

The full 1010XL 2025 NFL Draft Guide — complete with a big board and roundtable questions by our radio hosts — will be released in a PDF for free in late March.

Travis Hunter, Colorado

Consensus positional ranking: 1

Prospect bio: Hunter was a five-star recruit and the country’s top overall prospect out of Collins Hill High School. He committed to the Seminoles before switching to Jackson State to join Deion Sanders, and in doing so, became the first five-star recruit to commit to a HBCU school. Hunter earned second-team All-SWAC honors and SWAC Freshman of the Year. He then followed Sanders to Colorado State, where he received first-team All-Pac 12 recognition as a defensive back and second-team recognition as a wide receiver, plus consensus All-American honors. As a junior in 2024, Hunter’s two-way abilities were put on full display. He walked away from that season with first-team All-Big 12 honors on both sides of the ball, plus unanimous All-American honors, and he won the Chuck Bednarik Award (country’s best defender), the Fred Biletnikoff Award (country’s best receiver) and the Heisman Trophy. 

2024 stats: 1,258 receiving yards, 16 total touchdowns, 4 interceptions, 11 pass breakups, 36 combined tackles

Player comp: Darius Slay

Will Johnson, Michigan

Consensus positional ranking: 2

Prospect bio: Johnson was a four-star recruit out of Grosse Pointe South High School and committed to Michigan. He was named a freshman All-American in his first year before helping the Wolverines win the national championship (he won the title game’s Defensive MVP) as a sophomore. Johnson earned second-team All-Big 12 and All-American honors as a junior in 2024 despite missing much of the season due to a foot injury.

2024 stats: 2 interceptions, 3 pass breakups, 14 combined tackles

Player comp: Jaycee Horn

Jahdae Barron, Texas

Consensus positional ranking: 3

Prospect bio: Barron was a four-star recruit out of John B. Connally High School and committed to TCU before switching to Baylor, then to Texas. He recorded 21 tackles and 4 pass breakups in his first two seasons before becoming a starter as a junior. Barron earned second-team All-Big 12 honors in 2023, then first-team All-SEC and consensus All-American honors in 2024. He also won the Jim Thorpe Award as the country’s top defensive back in his final season.

2024 stats: 5 interceptions, 11 pass breakups, 67 combined tackles

Player comp: Tykee Smith

Shavon Revel Jr., East Carolina

Consensus positional ranking: 4

Prospect bio: Revel was a three-star recruit out of Ronald W. Reagan High School and committed to Louisburg College. After missing his first season due to the pandemic and playing six games in his second season, Revel transferred to East Carolina. He earned second-team All-ACC honors as a senior in 2023 and was on pace to be a top cornerback prospect, but he unfortunately tore his ACL prior to the 2024 season.

2024 stats: 2 interceptions, 2 pass breakups, 8 combined tackles

Player comp: Antonio Cromartie

Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky

Consensus positional ranking: 5

Prospect bio: Hairston was a three-star recruit out of West Bloomfield High School and committed to Kentucky. He recorded 2 tackles as a freshman before hauling in a SEC-high 5 interceptions, including two pick-sixes, as a sophomore to earn first-team All-ACC honors. He received the same recognition as a junior in 2024 despite seeing his turnover total drop to 1.

2024 stats: 1 interception, 4 pass breakups, 19 combined tackles

Player comp: Brandin Echols

Go to 1010xl.com/jaguars to check out the other positions we’re reviewed!