A second look at the cornerbacks

Analysis: Witherspoon jumps up to No. 2 on my board after he finally completed his individual workout and posted a 40 time well under 4.5 seconds. That allayed any fears about him after he was unable to work out at the NFL Scouting Combine or at Illinois pro day. Forbes pushes into the top 5 despite being rail thin. His tape is just so darn good. A record six interception returns for touchdowns will do that. Forbes has the best ball skills in this draft class.

Kelee Ringo of Georgia has the size and athleticism to be a top-level cornerback. But he needs some refinement on his technique. Still, at 6-2, 207 pounds with a 4.36 40, there’s a lot with which to work. … The same goes for Kansas State’s Julius Brents (6-3, 198 lbs.). His 4.53-second 40-yard dash isn’t going to wow anyone, but his 34-inch arms add to his overall length, allowing him to adequately cover things deep. … Cam Smith and Darius Rush of South Carolina gave the Gamecocks a pair of NFL cornerbacks in 2022. Both should hear their names called before the end of Day 2 of the draft. At 6-2, 198 pounds, Rush is a little bigger, but Smith is 6-1, 180 pounds. … Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin coached Brian Kelly, the father of Stanford’s Kyu Blu Kelly when he was defensive backs coach at Tampa Bay. Kyu Blu Kelly was a four-year starter at Stanford. … Alabama’s Eli Ricks was a big-time player as a freshman in 2020 at LSU before transferring after an injury plagued sophomore season. He appeared in nine games for the Crimson Tide last season, but failed to record an interception after having five in his first two seasons. … Riley Moss of Iowa had 11 interceptions for the Hawkeyes, returning three for touchdowns. He had a solid week at the Senior Bowl and then tested well at the Combine.