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: 11/02/2026

Player Rankings - Defensive Back

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

CB
Eli
Bowen

5-9 185lbs 4.38
CB
Oklahoma   Mascot
Oklahoma Mascot
185lbs 5-9 4.38 45 190
81.4
Bowen is an undersized, fast cover corner whose rare timed speed and ball skills produced two interceptions in nine games, including an...
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...
86

S
Kerry
Brown

5-10 190lbs 4.51
S
Minnesota   Mascot
Minnesota Mascot
190lbs 5-10 4.51 82 395
69.0
Brown is a productive, experienced safety who has started for Minnesota for three seasons. He is a willing tackler, with nine stops at...
72

CB
Jontez
Williams

5-10 200lbs 4.50
CB
USC   Mascot
USC Mascot
200lbs 5-10 4.50 68 310.5
74.0
Williams is a smart, physical corner who has returned from a torn ACL to start for USC. He keeps receivers in front of him, tackles well...
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...
47

CB
Smith
Snowden

5-10 188lbs 4.41
CB
Michigan   Mascot
Michigan Mascot
188lbs 5-10 4.41 47 197.7
80.0
Snowden is a fast, quick-twitch slot defender whose elite timed speed lets him drive on throws underneath, and he flashed ball skills with...
43

S
Bryce
Thornton

5-10 211lbs 4.55
S
Florida   Mascot
Florida Mascot
211lbs 5-10 4.55 52 230.7
81.1
Thornton has been a fixture in Florida's secondary for three seasons, a durable, versatile safety who has started 21 straight games and...
42

CB
Jay'Vion
Cole

5-10 190lbs 4.42
CB
Arizona   Mascot
Arizona Mascot
190lbs 5-10 4.42 42 175.3
81.1
Cole is a zone-coverage ball-hawk whose zone coverage ranked near the top of the position, a well-traveled veteran who read and drove on...
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...
116

S
Joenel
Aguero

5-11 200lbs 4.44
S
Ole Miss   Mascot
Ole Miss Mascot
200lbs 5-11 4.44 135 669
61.1
Aguero is a physical, downhill safety with length and corner-caliber athleticism who started at nickel for Georgia before transferring to...
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...
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...

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.