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Mel Kiper ranks Top 10 cornerbacks ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft

275133747_4796292347117549_592518599057046758_nby:Jonathan Wagner•12/18/22•

Jonathan Wagner

Dallas Cowboys NFL Draft
Jeff Speer | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The 2023 NFL Draft is set to begin on Thursday, April 27 at 8 p.m. ET. Despite there being multiple months before the draft gets underway, all eyes are already on the makeup of this year’s class. As bowl season continues to get underway, ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper has revealed his top ten cornerbacks in the 2023 class.

Last summer, four cornerbacks were taken in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. The class was headlined by Derek Stingley out of LSU and Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner out of Cincinnati, as they were taken at No. 3 and No. 4 overall, respectively. Washington‘s Trent McDuffie went No. 21 overall and Florida‘s Kaiir Elam went No. 23 overall, as well.

This year’s NFL Draft class has significant talent at cornerback, though there isn’t yet a consensus top player at the position. There could again be multiple cornerbacks taken in Round 1, and the depth of the class extends further than just what we see at the top, too.

Kiper’s top cornerbacks in the 2023 NFL Draft

  1. Joey Porter Jr., Penn State
  2. Christian Gonzalez, Oregon
  3. Deonte Banks, Maryland
  4. Devon Witherspoon, Illinois
  5. Kelee Ringo, Georgia
  6. Clark Phillips III, Utah
  7. Cam Smith, South Carolina
  8. Max Melton, Rutgers
  9. Kyu Blu Kelly, Stanford
  10. Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State

Multiple cornerbacks just barely missed out on Kiper’s top ten in the 2023 NFL Draft class, including Texas A&M‘s Jaylon Jones, Michigan‘s DJ Turner, Miami‘s Tyrique Stevenson, Kentucky‘s Carrington Valentine, Iowa‘s Riley Moss, Syracuse‘s Garrett Williams, and Purdue‘s Cory Trice.

Kiper’s list illustrates the true talent at the cornerback position in the NFL Draft this offseason. There is an argument to be made for each of the top five or six players as the top player at the position, and there’s probably arguments to be made for those ranked further down as well.

Following Round 1 on Thursday, Apr. 27, Rounds 2-3 will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 28, and Rounds 4-7 will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Apr. 29. The draft will be broadcasted throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.

Players in this year’s class will have the opportunity to showcase their talents and value at their respective pro days, and the 2023 NFL scouting combine will also be held from Feb. 28 through March 6 in Indianapolis.