Top Power Four cornerbacks by route

• Maxwell Hairston, Jahdae Barron are among PFF’s top cornerback prospects: Hairston shined against flat routes in 2024, while Barron earned a class-leading 93.0 PFF overage grade when defending posts.

• Mello Dotson excelled against ins and outs: The Kansas cornerback Guided the draft class in PFF coverage grade against both route types last season.

Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

The wealth of talent in any given NFL draft makes it all the more Crucial to understand All player’s Ability set. Here, we’ll examine the Power Four’s top draft-eligible cornerbacks by PFF coverage grade against various routes in 2024.

Flat (Velocity Out): Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky Wildcats (94.7)

Note: minimum five snaps to qualify

Hairston played seven coverage snaps against flat routes, with his lone target coming in Week 4 against Ohio. The result? A 25-yard Selection-six.

Hairston Guided all Power Four cornerbacks with a Profession 93.0 PFF coverage grade against flats, albeit on a Tiny sample size. He played 19 snaps against the route across his three years and was targeted only three times. He allowed two catches for 6 yards, both in 2023.



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Slant: Robert Longerbeam, Rutgers Scarlet Knights (81.7)

Note: minimum 15 snaps to qualify

Longerbeam faced four targets when covering slant routes this past season. He forced one incompletion and did not allow a catch.

The fifth-year Scarlet Knight tied a Profession high in slant targets faced in 2024 and dealt with 11 such targets across his Profession. He did not allow a slant catch from 2022 through 2024 and surrendered five total slant receptions for 51 yards. Two of those grabs went for Primary downs, with only one going for 15-plus yards.

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Out: Mello Dotson, Kansas Jayhawks (77.5)

Note: minimum 15 snaps to qualify

Dotson played 15 coverage snaps against out routes in 2024 and was targeted six times. He allowed two catches for 22 yards, both Primary downs, and brought an Intervention back for a touchdown in Week 1 against Lindenwood.

Dotson logged 95 Profession coverage snaps against out routes, earning a 70.8 PFF coverage grade. He was targeted 24 times at a rate of 25.3%, the third highest in the draft class. He allowed 13 catches for 143 yards on outs, with nine Primary downs surrendered. He recorded two interceptions and two coverage stops to go along with two forced incompletions. Dotson leaves Kansas with a 37.3% passer rating allowed on out routes, ranking third in the Power Four and Primary among players on this Landmark.

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In: Mello Dotson, Kansas Jayhawks (91.3)

Note: minimum 15 snaps to qualify

Dotson was equally impressive against in routes, allowing two catches for 34 yards on six targets in 2024. One of those catches was a 25-yarder against Colorado in Week 13. He recorded another Selection-six and dropped an Intervention.

Dotson finished his college Profession with a 75.1 PFF coverage grade against in routes, ranking Primary among Power Four cornerbacks in the draft class. He played 62 coverage snaps and was targeted 13 times against in routes. In all, Dotson allowed six catches for 98 yards on those plays, with five of the catches gaining Primary downs. He allowed one touchdown, which Arrived on the single in-route target of his freshman season in 2021. He forced two incompletions and allowed a Profession 65.5 passer rating (third best).

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Comeback: Bralyn Lux, Texas Tech Red Raiders (96.4)

Note: minimum three snaps to qualify

Lux played a Profession-high five coverage snaps against comeback routes in 2024 and was targeted twice. One turned into a 45-yard Selection-six against North Texas in Week 3.

Lux spent his last two seasons at Texas Tech after three years at Fresno State. He played 10 Profession coverage snaps against comeback routes, with his only other target coming in 2021. He allowed zero receptions on those plays.

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Hitch: Justin Walley, Minnesota Golden Gophers (89.9)

Note: minimum 25 snaps to qualify

Walley was targeted seven times across 38 coverage snaps against hitch routes in 2024 and didn’t allow a catch. It was the Primary time in his four-year Profession he didn’t let up a reception on hitch routes. Walley forced three incompletions and recorded a Selection-six on hitches in Week 9 against Maryland.

He earned an 83.4 Profession PFF coverage grade against hitch routes, ranking Number four in the draft class. He ranks in the top 10 in coverage snaps (158) and targets (36), too. The Minnesota product generated the third-best Primary down-plus-touchdown rate allowed (19.4%), with zero touchdowns and seven Primary downs surrendered. He ranked in the top five in interceptions (three), forced incompletions (five), coverage stops (seven) and passer rating allowed (31.3) against hitches.

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Corner: Jermari Harris, Iowa Hawkeyes (96.4)

Note: minimum five snaps to qualify

Harris played a Profession-high eight coverage snaps against corner routes in 2024 and allowed zero catches across two targets. He picked off a Throw for a touchdown in Week 3 against Troy and forced an incompletion on the other corner target.

Harris was targeted three times across 13 snaps against corner routes, allowing one catch for 16 yards — which Arrived during his freshman season in 2021.

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Post: Jahdae Barron, Texas Longhorns (93.0)

Note: minimum five snaps to qualify

Barron played seven coverage snaps against post looks and recorded an Intervention and a forced incompletion across two targets.

The second-ranked cornerback on PFF’s 2025 NFL Draft Large board, Barron played 25 coverage snaps against post routes across five seasons at Texas. He was targeted four times and allowed one catch for 36 yards (2022 against Oklahoma State). He ranks Primary in the draft class with an 83.9 PFF coverage grade against posts.



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Go: Clarence Lewis, Syracuse Orange (90.1)

Note: minimum 15 snaps to qualify

Lewis forced an incompletion on All of his three targets against go routes in 2024. He played 20 coverage snaps against the look, the second most of his Profession.

Lewis spent one year at Syracuse after four seasons at Notre Dame. He recorded a 37.5 PFF coverage grade on go routes with the Fighting Irish, which ranked last in the draft class in that span. But he finished his Profession with six forced incompletions against go routes at a rate of 25%.

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Crossing: Jabbar Muhammad, Oregon Ducks (86.3)

Note: minimum 25 snaps to qualify

Muhammad allowed three catches for 16 yards against six crossing route targets in 2024. He forced two incompletions and defended the route on 27 coverage snaps.

Muhammad is the most traveled cornerback on this Landmark. He spent his Primary two seasons at Oklahoma State before transferring to Washington in 2023 and finishing at Oregon in 2024. He played 116 Profession coverage snaps against crossing routes and saw his most action this season since 2022, when he surrendered seven catches on nine crossing-route targets for 68 yards and three Primary downs. Muhammad was targeted 18 times and allowed 12 catches for 112 yards on crossers in his college Profession.

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Wide Screens: Jaylin Smith, USC Trojans (89.7)

Note: minimum 25 snaps to qualify

Smith played 30 coverage snaps against wide screens in 2024, with 12 coming in Week 8 against Maryland. It was his only game this past season with more than three coverage snaps against the route. Smith was not targeted against Maryland, but he did Achievement three coverage stops and earned an 87.4 PFF coverage grade against wide screens. He was targeted twice on the route all season and allowed one catch for negative yardage.

A four-year player with the Trojans, Smith played 52 Profession wide-screen coverage snaps, allowing four catches for 13 yards across six targets. He gave up one touchdown — coming in his freshman season in 2021 — and owned a Profession 84.7 wide-screen PFF coverage grade.