With draft week approaching, theRams.com will be doing a big-picture overview of the positions linked to the Rams externally via mock drafts, covering names to know and what experts are saying about each class overall.
We continue the series with cornerback.
The basics
Even after the Rams aggressively added to the cornerback position already, some mock drafts still have them going after a cornerback with the 13th pick. According to the website Grinding the Mocks, which aggregates mock draft results from across the web, 23.5% of published mocks as of April 7 have Los Angeles using that pick on a cornerback, making it the third-most projected position for the team (wide receiver is 31.4%, followed by offensive tackle at 26.5%).
While Emmanuel Forbes Jr. and Josh Wallace remain under contract, three players from last year’s rotation departed in free agency. Given how valuable depth is at that spot, a case can be made for continuing to add to the group and increase its ceiling for 2026.
Outlook
“This prospect crop offers a collection of cover corners with the instincts, awareness and diagnostic skills to play in turnover-obsessed systems,” wrote Bucky Brooks in his latest top five prospects by position for NFL.com.
Five names to know
Mansoor Delane – LSU
Measurables: 6-foot, 187 pounds
Snapshot: An 11-game starter for the Tigers in 2025, Delane recorded a team-high 11 pass breakups and added 45 total tackles on his way to becoming an Associated Press First-Team All-American, First-Team All-SEC selection and finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award (nation’s top defensive back). A fluid mover and physical, reliable tackler who excels in press coverage, those traits that analysts laud him for would make him a fit for a Rams cornerback room that acquired two players who fit that bill.
Daniel Jeremiah Top 50 4.0 (NFL.com – April 1): No. 8 overall (No. 1 CB)
Dane Brugler Top 100 (The Beast; The Athletic – April 8): No. 6 overall (No. 1 CB)
Matt Miller Top 482 (ESPN – April 10): No. 12 overall (No. 2 CB)
Pro Football Focus (Big Board, April 2): No. 9 overall (No. 1 CB)
“Overall, Delane has the tools to match up with every style of receiver. He can run with the vertical weapons and play physical with the bigger ones.” – Jeremiah
Jermod McCoy – Tennessee
Snapshot: Missed entire 2025 season after tearing ACL in January last year, but when healthy in 2024, he led the Volunteers with nine pass breakups and tied for the team lead with four interceptions while starting 13 games. Press-man coverage is also a strength of McCoy’s, and his overall skillset projects a rookie who could start right away.
Daniel Jeremiah Top 50 4.0 (NFL.com – April 1): No. 15 overall (No. 2 CB)
Dane Brugler Top 100 (The Beast; The Athletic – April 8): No. 14 overall (No. 2 CB)
Matt Miller Top 482 (ESPN – April 10): No. 10 overall (No. 1 CB)
Pro Football Focus (Big Board, April 2): No. 17 overall (No. 2 CB)
“Jermod McCoy is an instinctive ballhawk with outstanding diagnostic skills and anticipation in bump-and-run and shadow coverage.” – Brooks
Colton Hood – Tennessee
Snapshot: Hood registered eight pass breakups, an interception returned for a touchdown and 50 total tackles for the Volunteers last season. Another prospect viewed as a fit for a press-man scheme, he is also regarded as a physical, reliable tackler.
Daniel Jeremiah Top 50 4.0 (NFL.com – April 1): No. 25 overall (No. 3 CB)
Dane Brugler Top 100 (The Beast; The Athletic – April 8): No. 30 overall (No. 5 CB)
Matt Miller Top 482 (ESPN – April 10): No. 28 overall (No. 4 CB)
Pro Football Focus (Big Board, April 2): No. 34 overall (No. 4 CB)
“Hood embraces press-man challenges and is the type of balanced, scrappy athlete who can attach himself to receivers and make things difficult for the offense. He has the talent and wiring to be an early NFL starter.” – Brugler
Chris Johnson – San Diego State
Snapshot: Tied for the team lead with four interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns, and 1.17 passes defensed per game (ninth-highest average in FBS) while starting 11 games for the Aztecs in 2025. Analysts like his size and frame, coverage versatility and athleticism.
Daniel Jeremiah Top 50 4.0 (NFL.com – April 1): No. 40 overall (No. 5 CB)
Dane Brugler Top 100 (The Beast; The Athletic – April 8): No. 24 overall (No. 3 CB)
Matt Miller Top 482 (ESPN – April 10): No. 23 overall (No. 3 CB)
Pro Football Focus (Big Board, April 2): No. 46 overall (No. 7 CB)
“Overall, Proctor will need to manage his weight to stay at tackle, but he has the most upside of any blocker in this draft.” – Jeremiah
D’Angelo Ponds – Indiana
Snapshot: 61 total tackles, two interceptions (one returned for touchdown), one forced fumble and one blocked kick while starting 15 games for the national-champion Hoosiers. Although viewed as undersized by traditional cornerback measurements, his speed, toughness and competitiveness make him at least a quality starting slot/nickel defender.
Dane Brugler Top 100 (The Beast; The Athletic – April 8): No. 38 overall (No. 6 CB)
Matt Miller Top 482 (ESPN – April 10): No. 36 overall (No. 7 CB)
Pro Football Focus (Big Board, April 2): No. 43 overall (No. 6 CB)
“Ponds is a productive perimeter cornerback trapped in a smaller body, but he’s not lacking in confidence or coverage tenacity. He’s tremendously competitive and winning seems to follow him at each stop.” – NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein
