Defensive Back Rankings 2027 NFL Draft

73 defensive backs ranked

DEFENSIVE BACK RANKINGS 2027 NFL DRAFT

The secondary is one of the strongest parts of this class. Three defensive backs sit inside our top fifteen and five inside the top thirty-two, in line with the stronger years we have graded, and corner and safety are both well stocked.

Notre Dame's Leonard Moore leads it, a corner who took five interceptions and added seven pass breakups in ten games. Georgia safety KJ Bolden is immediately behind him, the top-ranked safety of his recruiting class who posted 78 tackles with only four misses across single-high, box and slot alignments. Ellis Robinson IV tied for the SEC lead among defensive players with four interceptions in his first year of starts, and Alabama's Zabien Brown, a five-star who started all thirteen games as a true freshman, has returned takeaways for scores in both his seasons.

Between corner and safety this is the largest group in the class, and the one where a team can wait longest and still find a starter.
LAST UPDATED: 09/28/2026

Player Rankings - Defensive Back

# Player Pos H/W/S Team Weight Height 40YD AVG POS RANK AVG OVR RANK Rating Summary
1

CB
Leonard
Moore

6-2 195lbs 4.45
CB
Notre Dame   Mascot
Notre Dame Mascot
195lbs 6-2 4.45 1 3.5
89.0
Moore is the best cover corner in this class, a true sophomore whose man coverage sat at the very top of the position and whose ball...
2

CB
Ellis
Robinson IV

6-0 180lbs 4.48
CB
Georgia   Mascot
Georgia Mascot
180lbs 6-0 4.48 3 20.2
87.9
Robinson is a ball-hawking corner who turned his first year as a starter into four interceptions, including a pick-six against Tennessee on...
3

S
KJ
Bolden

6-0 185lbs 4.33
S
Georgia   Mascot
Georgia Mascot
185lbs 6-0 4.33 4 20.3
87.4
Bolden stepped into Georgia's deep middle for a departed first-rounder and looked the part, a rare athlete whose run defense and tackling...
4

S
Tae
Johnson

6-2 193lbs 4.50
S
Notre Dame   Mascot
Notre Dame Mascot
193lbs 6-2 4.50 5 25.3
86.9
Johnson burst onto the scene as a true freshman, pairing ball-hawking instincts that produced four interceptions with the cleanest tackle...
5

S
Dashawn
Spears

6-3 208lbs 4.43
S
LSU   Mascot
LSU Mascot
208lbs 6-3 4.43 11 52.3
86.9
Spears is a big, fast safety who covered and defended the run as well as anyone at the position, a 208-pounder with rare speed who carries...
6

CB
Zabien
Brown

6-0 192lbs 4.34
CB
Alabama   Mascot
Alabama Mascot
192lbs 6-0 4.34 8 37.8
86.7
Brown pairs rare timed speed with the kind of run defense corners rarely post, a sticky man-cover corner and willing force in support whose...
7

S
Jelani
McDonald

6-2 199lbs 4.45
S
Texas   Mascot
Texas Mascot
199lbs 6-2 4.45 10 51.3
86.5
McDonald is a downhill thumper with rare speed, a safety whose tackling was among the best in the class and whose sets a firm edge and...
8

CB
Kelley
Jones

6-4 195lbs 4.42
CB
Mississippi State   Mascot
Mississippi State Mascot
195lbs 6-4 4.42 7 36.3
86.4
Jones is a long, sticky press-man corner whose 76-inch frame lets him smother routes at the line and contest at the catch point, rarely...
9

CB
Ashton
Hampton

6-2 200lbs 4.43
CB
Clemson   Mascot
Clemson Mascot
200lbs 6-2 4.43 6 35.6
86.2
Hampton is a long, willing outside corner with good timed speed and 74-inch length who started all thirteen games as a sophomore, picked...
10

S
Keon
Sabb

6-1 204lbs 4.55
S
Alabama   Mascot
Alabama Mascot
204lbs 6-1 4.55 29 116
86.2
Sabb is a versatile, experienced safety with a high coverage, a do-everything defender who logged 821 snaps across free safety, the box,...
11

CB
Vicari
Swain

6-0 193lbs 4.42
CB
South Carolina   Mascot
South Carolina Mascot
193lbs 6-0 4.42 12 53.3
86.1
Swain is a quick-twitch nickel with plus speed and drive who closes on throws in a hurry, is comfortable in man and zone, and backed his...
12

CB
Zach
Lutmer

6-0 205lbs 4.44
CB
Iowa   Mascot
Iowa Mascot
205lbs 6-0 4.44 9 43
85.9
Lutmer is a versatile, productive nickel whose man and zone both held up and whose value extends well beyond coverage: thirty-two run...

2027 NFL Draft Athleticism Chart - Defensive Back

We've compared players post combine 40 times and weight and charted them on the scatter chart below. You'll find the 40 time on the Y-axis and on the X-axis the weight in pounds.
The exceptional athletic freaks (determined by the combination of speed vs weight) will be found at the top right of the chart while the less impressive athletes will be sitting towards the bottom left.

For a much improved viewing experience (with more players) please view on a larger screen.

2027 NFL Draft Athleticism Chart - Defensive Back

We've compared players 40 times and weight and charted them on the scatter chart below. You'll find the 40 time on the Y-axis and on the X-axis the weight in pounds.
The exceptional athletic freaks (determined by the combination of speed vs weight) will be found at the top right of the chart while the less impressive athletes will be sitting towards the bottom left.