Defensive Back Rankings 2027 NFL Draft

126 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: 11/03/2026

Player Rankings - Defensive Back

# Player Pos H/W/S Team Weight Height 40YD AVG POS RANK AVG OVR RANK Rating Summary
117

CB
Rodrick
Pleasant

5-10 175lbs 4.24
CB
UCLA   Mascot
UCLA Mascot
175lbs 5-10 4.24 149 703.5
61.1
Pleasant is an elite sprinter who has become a starting cornerback at UCLA. He has rare speed, earned All-Big Ten recognition in 2025 and...
115

CB
Gentry
Williams

5-11 190lbs 4.29
CB
Georgia   Mascot
Georgia Mascot
190lbs 5-11 4.29 160 767
61.3
Williams is an instinctive, technically sound corner with ball skills and leadership who was among Oklahoma's best when healthy and...
123

S
Prophet
Brown

5-11 190lbs 4.30
S
USC   Mascot
USC Mascot
190lbs 5-11 4.30 170 836.5
59.5
Brown is a fast, versatile defensive back who has moved into USC's lineup in his sixth season. He has two interceptions and has played...
52

CB
Elliot
Washington I...

5-11 200lbs 4.30
CB
Clemson   Mascot
Clemson Mascot
200lbs 5-11 4.30 50 216
79.0
Washington is a burner, a corner with rare timed speed and quick-twitch movement who drives on throws and added a blocked-kick return for a...
36

CB
Kayin
Lee

5-11 190lbs 4.30
CB
Tennessee   Mascot
Tennessee Mascot
190lbs 5-11 4.30 28 106.4
82.9
Lee is a burner, a corner with rare timed speed whose mirrors routes step for step in man thanks to the burst to match releases off the...
78

CB
Michael
Turner Jr.

6-1 162lbs 4.32
CB
LSU   Mascot
LSU Mascot
162lbs 6-1 4.32 83 410.5
72.0
Turner is one of the fastest players in the class, a former receiver who is learning to play cornerback at LSU. He has the ball skills to...
3

S
KJ
Bolden

6-0 195lbs 4.33
S
Georgia   Mascot
Georgia Mascot
195lbs 6-0 4.33 4 21.5
87.8
Bolden is a rare athlete at safety whose run defense and tackling have been among the best in the country since the day he arrived at...
7

CB
Zabien
Brown

6-0 194lbs 4.34
CB
Alabama   Mascot
Alabama Mascot
194lbs 6-0 4.34 8 42.3
85.4
Brown is a fast, physical corner whose ball skills have produced big plays since his first season. He has rare speed, sealed a win over...
98

CB
Terhyon
Nichols

5-11 194lbs 4.35
CB
Kentucky   Mascot
Kentucky Mascot
194lbs 5-11 4.35 116 548.5
66.7
Nichols is a fast, athletic cover man who is now a regular for Kentucky. His elite speed and instincts showed against LSU, when he made six...
60

S
King
Mack

5-10 195lbs 4.35
S
NC State   Mascot
NC State Mascot
195lbs 5-10 4.35 65 297.5
78.0
Mack is a rangy free safety with rare timed speed, a defender who patrols the deep middle on a high zone coverage and reads and drives on...
19

CB
Chris
Peal

6-1 200lbs 4.35
CB
Syracuse   Mascot
Syracuse Mascot
200lbs 6-1 4.35 21 89.6
84.7
Peal is a fast, physical corner who has become a reliable starter since transferring from Georgia. He has rare speed, reads the quarterback...
12

S
Jaylen
McClain

6-0 203lbs 4.35
S
Ohio State   Mascot
Ohio State Mascot
203lbs 6-0 4.35 12 59
84.8
McClain is a fast, instinctive safety whose game has taken a clear step in 2026. He has rare speed, reads route concepts and drives on...

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.