Ronde Barber knows a thing or two about being a top cornerback, so when the Bucs legend and Hall of Famer takes the time to talk about the top cornerback prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft, you stop and think. You’ll hear what he has to say about them.
recently 33rd teamBarber ranked the top five cornerbacks and two honorable mentions in this year’s class.
The Bucks could use another cornerback, but will it be the one Ronde Barber drafted?
It’s worth noting that before Ronde Barber’s list, the Bucs could draft another cornerback when they enter the 2024 NFL Draft. This group underwent some changes this offseason as the team traded Carlton Davis III to the Lions and added Bryce Hall and Tavierre Thomas in free agency.
![Rondo Barber reveals top 5 CBs for 2024 NFL Draft 2 Bucks HC Todd Bowles and CB Zion McCollum](https://www.pewterreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/rsz_1usatsi_21503527-1-300x200.jpg)
Bucks HC Todd Bowles and CB Zion McCollum – Photo courtesy of USA Today
Even with these additions to help the secondary, the two outside cornerbacks currently selected are Jamel Dean and Zion McCollum. Both teams have the size and speed to hold down these rankings, but there are question marks over how productive and healthy they can be through a 17-game season.
The position may not be the most pressing need, but if the right player comes along, Tampa Bay will think long and hard about selecting another defensive back.
Is that what Barber named it?
Before naming the top five, Lifetime Buccaneer looked back at two honorable mentions: Missouri’s Ennis Rakestraw Jr. and Michigan’s Mike Sainristil. Barber mentioned Rakestraw, saying, “He’s very weak physically and has an injury history, but I love his ball skills and I love his feet.” Still, the reason I took him off the list is that there are hints about him not knowing what he’ll do in the NFL.
Sainristil won a national championship with the University of Michigan last season and was a major contributor to the championship. During the season, he had six interceptions and two pick-sixes, including an 81-yard interception against the Huskies to help the Wolverines win 34-13. His size is the biggest barrier to his entry into the league, but there’s no question he can be a playmaker.
“This guy Mike Sainristil is amazing,” Barber added. “I love this kid. He’s a proven winner and a gamer despite the fact that he’s only 5-9. In today’s NFL, that doesn’t fit into their algorithm, but, well, this The kid can play.”
Ronde Barber names his top five cornerbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft
Below are the five cornerbacks that Ronde Barber considers to be the best in this year’s NFL Draft class, along with the positives and negatives he feels about each player after watching college film.
![Rondo Barber reveals top 5 CBs in 2024 NFL Draft 3 Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry](https://www.pewterreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/USATSI_21704678-300x200.jpg)
Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry – Photo Credit: USA Today
5. Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
“Kool-Aid is the ideal candidate for this position because he contributes right away. He’s obviously talented. He has great movement and that’s very consistent. One thing that scares me is that he’s not a very good tackler.
“Other than that, there are a few things that stand out about Kool-Aid. He’s very good at using his feet at the line of scrimmage and can play man coverage. He’s very good man-to-man, but the only The thing is he’s in position a lot and he doesn’t play a lot of football. For him to be productive in the NFL, things have to change.”
4. Cooper DeJean, Iowa
“He’s probably the most well-rounded athlete in this year’s class. That being said, he can play corner, he can play safety, he was a punt returner at the University of Iowa, so what can’t this guy do?” Nor.
“He’s a disciplined player, he’s a very good zone corner, but I like that he moves a lot in short spaces and doesn’t take unnecessary steps. There’s definitely some hardness to his game… But his straight-line speed makes up for some of his athleticism deficiencies. I think he’ll quickly improve in any secondary once he gets to the NFL, because he can play a lot of different roles. is.”
3. Terrion Arnold, Alabama
“He’s a very good run defender, long and fast and able to play at the speed of the game. There’s one problem. He’s the only 4.5 player on my list, but he also has Regardless, the agility component for his size is pretty insane. He was a safety at one point, but you can see how smoothly he moves the game. I made a note that I wasn’t panicking. I love his footwork. I love how he can get out of off coverage and get up to the line of scrimmage. And the way he fits in with his receivers. There is no difference at all.
“His physical tools are much better than Kool-Aid McKinstry and that’s one of the reasons I would rank him a little higher. His lack of long speed will show over time. Sometimes players will pass him at the top of the stem, but you can tell he doesn’t have the speed to catch up to him, and he’s not super fast. Of all the top defensive back prospects in this year’s draft. He stole the ball the most and also had double-digit pass breakups. The guy knows how to find the football. He’s going to be a good football player in the NFL.”
2. Nate Wiggins, Clemson
![Rondo Barber reveals top 5 CBs in 2024 NFL Draft 4 Clemson CB Nate Wiggins Backs](https://www.pewterreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Wiggins-Nate-Clemson-FAU-INT-300x201.jpg)
Clemson CB Nate Wiggins – Photo courtesy of USA Today
“What struck me right away about this kid is that he’s so flippant and not willing to make tackles aggressively. Don’t buy it. Just put film on this guy. He’ll hit you. I mean, but not violent. He made some outstanding plays, and when I say outstanding, he made outstanding hustle plays in 2023. He’s obviously 6-1. He has the ideal height and his 4.3 speed is very interesting to me.
“What he does best, which I talk about a lot in the corners, is he’s very quiet and his upper body is still, so there’s no wasted movement. He’s got great feet and he’s really smooth. He has great movement and is always in sync with his wide receivers. To me, he looks like a natural in coverage. He’s insanely confident. Nate Wiggins could be very exciting in the NFL right away. He’s going to be a player.”
1. Kunyon Mitchell, Toledo
“He could easily be the best player on the team. He’s a really, really great football player. Size, length, excellent speed at 4.33, he ticks all the boxes. I attacked his technique, but if you go back and watch the film, he pretty much covered it alone throughout his college career. His playing speed was outstanding, and when he was playing in the Chinese shop looks like a bull in a china shop at times. He lacks some ball skills, but clearly he can make up for it thanks to the other things he does.
“There might be some level of competition argument against him. When you show a movie, there’s a lot of empty stands and some very small stadiums, but that’s the reality. What stands out, and stands out, is that he is the cornerback who most closely resembles last year’s No. 1 cornerback pick, Devon Witherspoon. He looks and acts like a pro. If he were to play cornerback, it would definitely be Kunyon Mitchell, despite the fact that he played at a small school.”
Of the players Barber drafted, Mike Sainristil (top 30 visit), Kool-Aid McKinstry (top 30 visit), and Nate Wiggins (official meeting at the NFL Scouting Combine) have each met with the Bucks. .
Time will tell if any of these players are selected by Tampa Bay, but to hear Barber’s full thoughts and see highlights for each player, check out the full video below. please.