This years draft has several intriguing Day 2 and Day 3 cornerback options who have potential starting upside
Will McFadden
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. It's officially draft month, and while the Falcons may be waiting a little longer than usual to make their first selection, the excitement is building nonetheless.
Atlanta was highly active during the first free agency period under general manager Ian Cunningham and head coach Kevin Stefanski, and the draft provides them another crucial opportunity to strengthen their roster. The Falcons currently have five picks to work with, but Cunningham has made it clear he'd like to have more swings at the plate if they can acquire more selections.
MORE POSITIONS IN THIS SERIES:Linebackers|Offensive Tackles|Defensive Tackles|Wide Receivers
For this exercise, however, I will be sticking to the five picks Atlanta has at the start of April. More specifically, the rounds in which those picks fall. Keep in mind that I'm not a professional scout, and the round projections were made through a combination of publicly available scouting reports and limited film review.
The Falcons have a good secondary in place, but teams are always looking to add cornerback depth. This year's draft is filled with intriguing Day 2 and Day 3 options who have potential starting upside, which meets Atlanta's goal of elevating the floor of its roster while being able to develop players for the future.
Here are some cornerback candidates who could make sense in each round the Falcons have a pick.
SECOND ROUND
Brandon Cisse South Carolina
Cisse is 5-11 and 189 pounds with the explosive athleticism to match up with the best receivers in the NFL. He's a bit raw when it comes to the ins and outs of playing cornerback at the highest level, but the tools are there and he's got the mentality defensive coordinators will covet.
D'Angelo Ponds Indiana
Although Ponds is undersized at 5-8 and 182 pounds, he's incredibly springy and voracious in coverage. Ponds has a chip on his shoulder, and that shows through in his play style. He flies downhill against the run and sticks in the hip pocket of wide receivers. His vertical jump of 43.5 inches ranks in the 98th percentile of all cornerbacks who tested at the combine. The leaping ability is reminiscent of Brent Grimes.
Keith Abney II Arizona State
A confident press-man cornerback, Abney makes quick decisions and likes to get early contact on wide receivers. His aggressiveness can get him in trouble at times, but that comes with a lot of useful intuition. Abney allowed a 44.4% completion rate one of the best marks in the country and had 21 pass defenses with five interceptions in his final 25 starts.
THIRD ROUND
Davison Igbinosun Ohio State
At 6-2 and 189 pounds, Igbinosun has the length NFL teams look for on the perimeter of their defense. He uses that length effectively and is adept at jamming wide receivers at the line of scrimmage and turning to run with them downfield. Igbinosun allowed just 22 catches as a senior and should continue to develop as a pro.
Chandler Rivers Duke
Rivers is an experienced player who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds at the NFL Combine. That speed, coupled with his overall game awareness, means Rivers is often in position to make a play on the ball. He's on the smaller side for a professional corner, but he has the football smarts and feistiness to be a good player at the next level.
FOURTH ROUND
Devin Moore Florida
The 2025 season was really the first full one for Moore, who dealt with injuries each year in college. Teams will have to be comfortable taking on that injury risk, and that could cause him to slip a bit in the draft. The team that selects Moore, though, is going to get a long, versatile and physical player who could develop quickly with more time on the field.
Daylen Everette Georgia
Everette is another player with the size and speed NFL coaches covet. He has all of the tools to become a consistent starter, especially if he cleans up some of his coverage mechanics. Everette has played in a lot of big games and against big-time players. It's not hard to project him to the next level.
Julian Neal Arkansas
Neal will immediately add size and physicality to whichever secondary he joins. He's a tick under 6-2 and weighs 203 pounds, and he uses his large wingspan to pester receivers off the line and down the boundary. Neal won't win in a pure foot race, but his ball skills and leaping ability can make up for that downfield.
SIXTH ROUND
Charles Demmings Stephen F. Austin
Like many of the cornerbacks on this list, Demmings is long and has the size to challenge NFL receivers off the line. He's explosive and can contest passes at their highest point. Demmings will face questions about the level of competition he played against but there is true upside here if he develops to his potential.
Latrell McCutchin Sr. Houston
McCutchin is another player who has all of the requisite athletic traits to be a contest-and-run cornerback, but his instincts in the secondary hold him back at times. That's to be expected for a Day 3 pick, and it's at least something that can be improved with coaching.
SEVENTH ROUND
Domani Jackson Alabama
Jackson's 4.4 speed will draw the eye of NFL teams on Day 3. He can run with any receiver downfield, but he'll need to improve his ability to impact the play at the catch point.
Andre Fuller Toledo
Another player with the traits and mentality to be an effective press-man corner, and Fuller's 2025 season was encouraging when looking at his development trajectory. Although he's a little bit stiff in coverage, Fuller can disrupt receiver timing well and is a willing run defender.
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