Riser: Azareye’h Thomas, Florida State

Thomas can be considered a riser among the cornerbacks largely due to his decision to forgo his remaining eligibility and enter the 2025 draft after an impressive junior campaign.

Typically, junior prospects are covered later in the process based on expectations of whether they plan to declare. In Thomas’ case, he proved a pleasant surprise.

His blend of size, athleticism and physicality has certainly caught the attention of scouts. At 6’2″ and 198 pounds, he possesses the prototypical frame that is coveted in the NFL, along with long arms that help him contest passes and play physical coverage. His ball skills and ability to challenge receivers at the line of scrimmage make him a versatile boundary defender.

While his technique is still a work in progress, including his press coverage and ability to recover against quicker receivers, his physical tools give him significant upside for development.

As he continues to refine his game, particularly in recovery and leveraging his size, Thomas has the potential to develop into a starting outside cornerback in the NFL, making him a rising prospect in the draft.

Differential: Unranked to a Day 2 prospect

Faller: Denzel Burke, Ohio State

Burke entered this season as one of the projected top cornerback prospects but went on to disappoint to a degree.

While he still has the ideal size (6’1″, 193 lbs) and athletic traits, his performance this year has been inconsistent. Despite his physicality and versatility, he didn’t quite measure up against top-tier receivers, showing lapses in coverage during key matchups. His tendency to gamble for interceptions and his inconsistent breaks—particularly in off-coverage—have hurt his production.

Although he remains a solid tackler and a physical run defender, his overall lack of production in coverage has caused him to fall short of the elite cornerback status some once thought he held.

If Burke can clean up his technique and improve his consistency, he could still develop into a starting cornerback, but his current form leaves plenty of room for improvement.

Differential: Top-25 prospect to third-round possibility