2022 NFL Draft: Taking a look at the DBs this year and in past 10 drafts

An average of six defensive backs have gone in the first round of the past 10 NFL drafts, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see that many corners and safeties go in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

We have produced consensus lists of the top five corners and the top three safeties in this draft using the rankings of draft analysts Dane Brugler of The Athletic and Lance Zierlein of NFL.com as well as the ESPN consensus (from among analysts Mel Kiper, Todd McShay, Matt Miller and Jason Reid). We also take a look at the defensive backs in the past 10 drafts.

This is the last installment of an eight-part draft series leading into the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, which is Thursday in Las Vegas. We looked at quarterbacks last Wednesday, running backs last Thursday, wide receivers and tight ends Friday, offensive tackles on Saturday, interior offensive linemen on Sunday, defensive linemen Monday and linebackers on Tuesday.

As a refresher, here are the underclassmen who are available in the draft. And if you want to look into the recruiting rankings of those taken in the past few drafts, you can have fun with the On3 NFL Draft by Stars database.

Consensus top 5 CBs in this draft

1. Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, Cincinnati

The skinny: On3 Consensus three-star prospect, from Detroit King, in the 2019 recruiting class. Cincinnati hasn’t had a player go in the first round since DT Bob Bell in 1971. And the Bearcats never have had a defensive back go in the first round, so Gardner is going to make history.

2. Derek Stingley Jr., LSU

The skinny: On3 Consensus five-star prospect, from Baton Rouge (La.) Dunham School, in the 2019 recruiting class. Stingley might have been the best corner in the nation as a true freshman in 2019, but he played in just 10 total games the past two seasons. Nevertheless, he’s seen as a first-round lock. LSU last had a DB go in the first round in 2017, with Jamal Adams and Tre’Davious White.

3. Trent McDuffie, Washington

The skinny: On3 Consensus four-star prospect, from Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco, in the 2019 recruiting class. McDuffie was a three-year starter for the Huskies who never redshirted. He would be the fifth Washington player to go in the first round in the past six drafts. In that scenario, he would be the first Huskies DB to go in the first round since Marcus Peters in 2015.

4. Andrew Booth Jr., Clemson

The skinny: On3 Consensus five-star prospect, from Lawrenceville (Ga.) Archer, in the 2019 recruiting class. He only started for one season with the Tigers, but he was a key reserve in his first two years on campus. If Booth goes in the first round, he will be the second Clemson corner to go that early since Tye Hill in 2006.

5. Kaiir Elam, Florida

The skinny: On3 Consensus four-star prospect, from North Palm Beach (Fla.) The Benjamin School, in the 2019 recruiting class. Elam was a part-time starter as a true freshman, then a fulltime starter in his final two seasons. His dad, Abram, played seven seasons in the NFL as a safety, and his uncle, Matt Elam, was a first-round pick as a safety out of Florida in 2013. Florida has had a defensive back selected in six consecutive drafts and 10 of the past 13.

Consensus top 3 safeties in this draft

1. Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame

The skinny: On3 Consensus four-star prospect, from Atlanta Marist School, in the 2019 recruiting class. Hamilton missed the final six games of the season with a knee injury, but that hasn’t impacted his draft status. He should be the Irish’s first first-rounder since DT Jerry Tillery in 2019 and the first Notre Dame defensive back to go in the first round since S Harrison Smith in 2012.

2. Daxton Hill, Michigan

The skinny: On3 Consensus five-star prospect, from Tulsa (Okla.) Washington, in the 2019 recruiting class. Hill spurned home-state Oklahoma to sign with the Wolverines, where he was a two-year starter and had 20 pass breakups. Michigan has had a defensive back taken in three consecutive drafts and in four of the past five.

3. Lewis Cine, Georgia

The skinny: On3 Consensus four-star prospect, from Cedar Hill (Texas) Trinity Christian, in the 2019 recruiting class. Cine was a key reserve as a true freshman, then started in 2020 and ’21 for the Bulldogs. He led Georgia in tackles in 2021 with 73. At least eight Georgia defenders are expected to go in the draft. The Bulldogs had four DBs drafted in 2021 after having five total taken in the previous eight drafts.

First-round DBs in past 10 drafts

+ There have been 61 defensive backs (cornerbacks and safeties) in the first round of the past 10 drafts.

+ Of the 61, 14 were On3 Consensus five-star recruits. The 14: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Matt Elam, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Stephon Gilmore, Vernon Hargreaves, Marlon Humphrey, Adoree Jackson, Derwin James, Dre Kirkpatrick, Dee Milliner, Jeffrey Okudah, Jabrill Peppers, Jalen Ramsey and Patrick Surtain.

+ Here’s how the other 47 first-rounders were ranked. The former On3 Consensus four-star prospects were Jamal Adams, Eli Apple, Mark Barron, Artie Burns, Gareon Conley, Caleb Farley, Justin Gilbert, C.J. Henderson, Jaycee Horn, Mike Hughes, Noah Igbinoghene, Marshon Lattimore, Keanu Neal, Eric Reid, Harrison Smith, A.J. Terrell, Kenny Vaccaro, Denzel Ward and Tre’Davious White. Former three-star prospects were Johnathan Abram, Jaire Alexander, Damon Arnette, Deandre Baker, Deone Bucannon, Morris Claiborne, Darqueze Dennard, Terrell Edmunds, Jeff Gladney, Kyle Fuller, Malik Hooker, William Jackson, Kevin Johnson, Karl Joseph, Greg Newsome, Marcus Peters, Calvin Pryor, Xavier Rhodes, Bradley Roby, Darnell Savage, Eric Stokes, Desmond Trufant and Trae Waynes. Former three-star junior-college prospects were D.J. Hayden, Damarious Randall and Jason Verrett. Former two-star recruits were Byron Jones and Jimmie Ward.

+ The conference breakdown of the 61: 21 were from the SEC; 13 from the Big Ten; 11 from the ACC; five each from the Big 12 and Pac-12; three from the AAC; and one each from Conference USA, the MAC and independent ranks. Note: Houston was in Conference USA when D.J. Hayden was a first-rounder and thus that pick goes to C-USA. It’s the same for the AAC and UConn when Byron Jones was a first-rounder in 2015.

+ Two of the Pac-12 first-rounders came in 2015, and the league hasn’t had a first-round defensive back since; that string likely will be broken this year by McDuffie

+ Ohio State has had the most first-round defensive backs in the past 10 drafts, with eight. Alabama is second with seven, while Florida and LSU each have had four.

+ Three of those Ohio State first-rounders came in the 2017 draft, with Marshon Lattimore, Malik Hooker and Gareon Conley.

+ Alabama (in 2012) and Florida (2016) are the other schools with multiple players taken in the same first round in the past 10 drafts.

+ There were three defensive backs selected in the top 10 in 2012, with two in 2016, 2020 and 2021.

Total DBs taken in past 10 drafts

+ There have been 517 defensive backs selected in the past 10 drafts, with a high of 59 in 2021 and a low of 46 in 2015.

+ Alabama and LSU have had the most defensive backs selected in the past 10 drafts, at 17 each. Ohio State has had 15 and Florida 14.

+ Some surprisingly low draft totals: Arizona State (including a first-rounder), Arkansas, Tennessee and UCLA with two each; and Texas Tech with one. Ole Miss and Southern Miss each have had three draftees. Cincinnati has had three defensive backs drafted; it could have three this year alone. And for an esoteric stat: Three defensive backs with the first name of “Duke” have been drafted against just two defensive backs from Duke.

The 5-star defensive backs

There were 57 five-star defensive backs in the 2009-19 recruiting classes (those in the ’09 class were eligible for the first time in the 2012 NFL Draft and those in the ’19 class are eligible for this draft).

+ As noted earlier, 14 of those five-star defensive backs went in the first round.

+ Here are the other 18 former five-star defensive backs who have been drafted. Mackensie Alexander, Vonn Bell, Tyson Campbell, Landon Collins, Su’a Cravens (as a linebacker), Kristian Fulton, Lamarcus Joyner and Teez Tabor were second-round picks. Kendall Fuller was a third-round selection. Darnay Holmes, Iman Marshall, Josh Shaw, Kendall Sheffield and Jaylen Watkins went in the fourth round. Richard LeCounte, Caden Sterns and Shaun Wade were fifth-rounders. And JaCoby Stevens was a sixth-round pick.

+ There were 17 five-star defensive backs who completed their eligibility and weren’t drafted. From the 2009 class: Ray Ray Armstrong, Randall Carroll, Janzen Jackson, Craig Loston, Greg Reid, Branden Smith and Darius Winston (there were nine five-star DBs in that class; seven went undrafted and the other two – Stephon Gilmore and Dre Kirkpatrick – were first-rounders). From the 2012 class: Tracy Howard and Eddie Williams. From the 2013 class: Tony Conner and Max Redfield. From the 2014 class: Quin Blanding and Tony Brown. From the 2015 class: Tarvarus McFadden and Kevin Toliver II. From the 2016 class: Levonta Taylor. From the 2018 class: Olaijah Griffin.

+ There are five former five-star defensive backs available in this draft: Andrew Booth Jr., Daxton Hill, Derek Stingley (all mentioned earlier and all from 2019 class) and Derion Kendrick and Isaac Taylor-Stuart (from 2018 class).

+ Three former five-star defensive backs will be playing this fall, all from the 2018 class: Sam Houston State’s B.J. Foster, Nebraska’s Tyreke Johnson and Boston College’s Jaiden Lars-Woodbey. All three transferred (Foster from Texas, Johnson from Ohio State and Lars-Woodbey from Florida State).