5 best CB draft classes in NFL history feat. 1998 Draft Class

Numerous top-level CBs are in the NFL today. Players like Patrick Surtain II, Jaire Alexander and Jalen Ramsey are a wide receiver's worst nightmare. Their ability to cover distances, catch balls in coverage and shape shift on defense has been pivotal in making their teams perennial postseason contenders.

With the 2025 NFL draft around the corner, let's take a trip down memory lane in order to grade a handful of the best CB draft classes in the league's illustrious history.

Five best CB draft classes in NFL history

5. 1989 Draft Class

Ten cornerbacks were selected in the 1989 draft class. The class was home to arguably the greatest cornerback of all time, Deion Sanders, better known as Prime Time.

Sanders enjoyed a Hall of Fame career raking up six first-team All-Pro nods, two second-team All-Pro selections, eight Pro Bowl nods, and the 1994 Defensive Player of the Year Award. Other top-notch cornerbacks in the class are Pro Bowlers Donnell Woolford and Robert Massey.

4. 2016 Draft Class

Thirty-two cornerbacks were selected in the 2016 NFL Draft. The first CB taken in the draft was Jalen Ramsey, and the Miami Dolphins superstar needs little introduction.

Ramsey has compiled a Pro Football Hall of Fame-caliber career thanks to three first-team All-Pro nods, seven consecutive Pro Bowl invites, and a Super Bowl victory with the Los Angeles Rams. Xavien Howard and James Bradberry are the other two cornerbacks in the class with Pro Bowl nods, while Eli Apple and Kendall Fuller have carved out solid careers at the highest level.

3. 1997 Draft Class

Thirty-four cornerbacks were selected in the 1997 NFL Draft. The first CB off the board was Shawn Springs, who went on to enjoy a decent Pro Bowl-caliber career, while the best CB in the class is Hall of Famer Ronde Barber.

Barber is a Tampa Bay Buccaneers legend and one of the greatest cornerbacks of all time. His accolades include three first-team All-Pro nods, two second-team All-Pro selections, five Pro Bowl invitations, and a spot on the all-decade team of the 2000s. Fellow Pro Bowler cornerbacks Sam Madison and Al Harris are part of the class.

2. 2007 Draft Class

Thirty cornerbacks were selected in the 2007 NFL Draft. Darrelle Revis was the first and best CB selected in 2007, and he went on to become the greatest cornerback of his generation.

Revis was famed for putting elite wide receivers on an island and picking passes out of the air with relative ease. His accolades include four first-team All-Pro nods, seven Pro Bowl invitations, one Super Bowl ring, and a spot on the 2010s all-decade team.

Corey Graham was a member of the class, and he went on to become a Pro Bowler. Plus, the class has numerous other cornerbacks that went on to be key franchise pieces for an extended period.

1. 1998 Draft Class

Twenty-two cornerbacks were selected in the 1998 draft class. The first CB off the board was Charles Woodson. Woodson went on to become one of the greatest defensive backs in the league's history.

Fresh off a Hall of Fame college football career, the Oakland Raiders selected Woodson with the fourth overall pick, and the rest is history. Woodson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021. The class also produced Pro Bowlers Patrick Surtain Sr., Samari Rolle and Allen Rossum.