Top 5 cornerbacks in 2024 NFL draft ft. Kool-Aid McKinstry, Terrion Arnold and more

Kool-Aid McKinstry and Terrion Arnold lead the way out of Alabama amongst cornerbacks in the 2024 NFL draft. There is a talented group of young players coming through, and here is a list of the five best corners available in this year's draft:

Top 5 cornerbacks in 2024 NFL draft

#1 - Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama

Standing at 6-foot-1 and 195 lbs, Kool-Aid McKinstry is a technical cornerback out of Alabama who is seen as a player ready to step up into professional football immediately.

He is physical and strong and exceptional in zone coverage. When targeted in his sophomore year, he allowed a quarterback passer rating of just 59.0. He was a two-time First Team All-SEC in 2022 and 2023 and was an All-American last year.

Kool-Aid McKinstry will bring all the talents needed to become a top corner in the NFL. With some adjustments to his technique in route running, he can be explosive right from the go.

#2 - Terrion Arnold, Alabama

Pushing his Alabama teammate close is Terrion Arnold. He is 6-foot-0 and weighs 196 lbs. He is adept at playing man coverage and is aggressive at the point of contact. He also brings impressive speed and change of direction with fluid hip movement. Due to his tackling ability, he is also suitable as a safety.

Terrion Arnold's weaknesses lie in zone coverage and in his ability to sometimes be too aggressive and draw penalties. But these are things that can be easily ironed out and anyone who picks him in the draft will have a solid prospect on their hands.

#3 - Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo

Quinyon Mitchell is a two-time First Team All-MAC coming into the 2024 NFL Draft and possesses impressive strength and physical ability. Like Terrion Arnold, he also stands at 6-foot-0 and weighs 196 lbs. Similar to Kool-Aid McKinstry, he is good in zone coverage.

However, his technique needs a bit of polishing. Against man coverage, he has the habit of using his shoulder instead of wrapping up and there have been instances where he has not read the play quick enough. But the attributes are all there to succeed as long as he can find the right coach to polish them.

#4 - Nate Wiggins, Clemson

Nate Wiggins measures at 6-foot-2 and 185 lbs. His strengths lie in his height which gives him higher reach than many and he is good at both zone and man coverage defenses. He was a First Team All-ACC coming into the 2024 NFL draft and is a solid prospect.

Among his weaknesses, he could improve his physicality by adding some muscle mass and working on his recovery speed. Run defense remains an area of potential issue but that could be corrected by application in the training camp.

#5 - Kamari Lassiter, Georgia

A two-time National Champion with Georgia, Kamari Lassiter stands at 6-foot-0 and weighs 180 lbs. His weaknesses stem from his lean build, which might not stand up well against NFL wide receivers.

But what he lacks there, he covers in technique. He is phenomenal in the perimeter and has exceptional transition speed. He has a great tackling technique but his ability to track the ball in transition could be improved.