NFL Draft Betting: Who Will Be the First Cornerback Selected?
Continuing our look at the first players to be drafted markets on offer at the NFL odds, let's turn our attention to the cornerback spot.
With the importance of the passing game growing every season, the need for NFL teams to find stud corners to help them shut down a passing attack also grows. Here are some possible contenders to be the first player taken at the cornerback spot.
All measurements are courtesy of Mockdraftable.com
Ahmad Gardner, Cincinnati
FanDuel Sportsbook: -370
The current favorite to be taken first is Cincinnati corner Ahmad Gardner. Gardner is a veteran of 33 games in college, with nine interceptions and 16 pass breakups in that time. Gardner is on the tall side for a corner, standing all of 6-foot-2 and 3/4 inches while weighing just 190 pounds. But he has long arms and huge hands and has shown an ability to make plays on the ball.
Dane Brugler has Gardner going at the fifth overall pick in his latest mock draft, sending him to the cornerback needy New York Giants.
Derek Stingley, LSU
Odds: +260
A while back, it seemed a certainty that Derek Stingley would be the first cornerback taken as soon as he was draft eligible. He exploded for LSU in an incredible 2019 season in which Stingley broke up 15 passes and picked off another six.
But Stingley has played just 10 games in the last two seasons and hasn't added to his interception tally. He did not have a single pass breakup in 2021.
Stingley is a prospect who still has questions to answer, it would seem, and these questions will likely result in him waiting a little longer to hear his name called. But not a long wait, one would expect.
Trent McDuffie, Washington
Odds: +1100
Several factors are working against Trent McDuffie, formerly of Washington, being the first cornerback taken in this year's draft. Namely, he isn't that big at 5-foot-10. He isn't that heavy, either, weighing 193 pounds. He has short arms and small hands.
But despite all this, McDuffie will probably still be one of the first corners drafted. He just almost certainly won't be the first.
Andrew Booth, Clemson
Odds: +5000
Andrew Booth was a decent all-round player on the Clemson Tigers' defense over the last two seasons. He logged three tackles for loss in each season with a combined five interceptions and nine breakups to boot.
Booth is another corner who tends towards height, standing over 6-feet feet tall. He also boasts an impressive wingspan of almost 77 inches.
Booth has not been able to show off his speed due to an injury he suffered before the NFL Scouting Combine. This question mark may affect his draft stock and should stop him from going ahead of his peers.
Roger McCreary, Auburn
Odds: +10000
Roger McCreary is one of the more experienced prospects this year. He played in 39 games for the Auburn Tigers between 2018 and 2021, with his best season coming last year. McCreary posted a career-high 49 combined tackles, logged his first sack, and had two tackles for loss. McCreary also picked off two passes and broke up another 14.
But he is small, standing 5-foot-11 and weighing 190 pounds. McCreary also only has 29-inch arms, which might not cut it in the NFL.
Brugler has McCreary going off the board at the 60th overall selection. He's more likely to go in the middle of Day 2 than he is to be the first corner taken.
My Pick -- Gardner
I don't like to be boring, but I can't look past Gardner.
I remember Stingley's 2019 season, and I hate that he's not an automatic choice for this pick. But Gardner's stock is only going one way of late, while all the other players are -- at best -- holding ground. It's a very dull call, but go with the favorite on this occasion.
