2027 Draft: Cornerback

[mayoclinic]

 

[mayoclinic]

 

[manxman2601]

 

[manxman2601]

James Foster very very bullish on Ashton Hampton.

 

[mayoclinic]

Foster is clearly VERY bullish on Hampton, has him at #9 overall on his board.

He may be right, but based on 2025 tape I can't project Hampton ahead of Trevor Goosby, Jamari Johnson, Will Echoles and David Stone just yet.

 

[mayoclinic]

A Potential Sleeper First Round Pick Prepares for his Second Season At Miami

Entering last season, the Miami Hurricanes went hard in the transfer portal for secondary talent to match what they already had. The key to the secondary was t

www.si.com

eed to watch those Miami CBs (and DTs) this season.

 

[manxman2601]

Ryan Roberts on Hampton

CB Ashton Hampton, Clemson​

Perhaps my most exciting watch of the offseason so far has been Clemson cornerback Ashton Hampton. I’ve known the name because he’s been a starter since his true freshman year with the Tigers, but I was not familiar enough with the overall upside and physical profile he brings to the table. At a hair over 6-3 and 204 pounds, Hampton is the prototypical press man corner with tremendous length, physicality, and patience near the line of scrimmage.

He’s also twitchy, working back toward the line of scrimmage with the foot fire to match receivers in man coverage while also exploding in zone coverage to close on short-area throws. Hampton is a physical player who comes to balance in the run game and pass game, delivering vicious hits. If he improves his technique at the catch point and becomes more consistent in locating the football, this is a player who has a chance to be the second cornerback off the board behind Notre Dame’s Leonard Moore in the 2027 NFL Draft.

2027 NFL Draft Scouting Notebook: The top CB after Leonard Moore, an outstanding DT class, and the next Jake Matthews

The 2027 NFL Draft has a chance to be a tremendous class. Here are a few of the top prospects to keep a close eye on.

atozsports.com

 

[mayoclinic]

So right now:

Leonard Moore
Ellis Robinson
Zabien Brown
Kelley Jones
Ashton Hampton
Demello Jones
Brice Pollack
OJ Frederique
Xavier Lucas

Pretty exciting group.

 

[mayoclinic]

Hurricanes position preview: UM returns strong group of cornerbacks in 2026

Spring football is in the rearview mirror, and the Hurricanes’ season opener against Stanford is still about two months away, but Miami’s roster is set for the upcoming season. The Hurricanes are coming off their best season in decades, going 10-2 in the regular season before winning three...

sports.yahoo.com

 

[manxman2601]

 

[mayoclinic]

 

[mayoclinic]

 

[mayoclinic]

 

[mayoclinic]

 

[mayoclinic]

Some thoughts, looking at the current Consensus Big Board pre-season CB ratings:

5. Leonard Moore, Notre Dame
13. Ellis Robinson IV, Georgia
26. Zabien Brown, Alabama
33. Kelley Jones, Mississippi St.
51. Ashton Hampton, Clemson
52. OJ Frederique, Miami
56. Jamari Sharpe, Indiana
62. Chris Peal, Syracuse
65. Brice Pollack, Texas Tech
129. Jontez Williams, USC
132. DJ McKinney, Notre Dame
139. Elijah Green, Tulsa
148. Jyaire Hill, Michigan
153. Jayden Bellamy, UCF
179. Jermaine Matthews, Ohio St.
187. AJ Harris, Indian
242. Ja'Bril Rawls, Florida St.
267. Xavier Lucas, Miami (listed at S)
268. Dezz Ricks, Texas A&M
300. Vicari Swain, S. Carolina
369. Demello Jones, Georgia

My Thoughts:

Finding a long-term #2 opposite Christian Gonzalez to succeed Carlton Davis should be one of the top priorities for 2027. CB is valued higher than S, and the CB pool is not as deep. This could be a 1st round area if a top talent slips, but I think 2nd round is more likely.

Leonard Moore and Ellis Robinson IV will be out of reach - Moore will be in the Gonzo/Surtain/Stingley class. But one of Ashton Hampton, Kelly Washington, OJ Frederique, Brice Pollack and #369 Demello Jones should slip into day 2 and could be a good complement to Gonzo. Demello Jones is way off the radar right now, but with a good season he will rise fast.

Elijah Green, Jayden Bellamy, Dezz Ricks, Jyaire Hill, Ja'Bril Rawls and Xavier Lucas are other sleepers to watch.

 

[mayoclinic]

 

[manxman2601]

I keep seeing Ashton hampton described as a "bully". That does sound like a Vrabel guy.

 

[mayoclinic]

I want more of a "bully" opposite Gonzo. A more athletic Brandon Browner suits me just fine.

 

[mayoclinic]

James Foster needs to update his board, Frederique not at 28 on the version that comes up for me.

2. Leonard Moore
9. Ashton Hampton
20. Ellis Robinson IV
32. Kelley Jones
37. Zabien Brown