The Browns may have one of the better outside cornerback duos in the league heading into 2026, but that doesn’t mean the position is settled in Cleveland. Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell give the secondary a strong foundation, even if Campbell’s production hasn’t fully matched his contract. Beyond those two, though, the depth chart gets thin fast, with undrafted rookie Michael Coats Jr. projected to have a real workload.
That’s why the 2027 NFL Draft already looms as a place where Cleveland could keep adding talent at corner. If the Browns want to keep stacking one of their strengths, there are several prospects worth tracking as the college season opens up.
Kelley Jones is the kind of corner who jumps off the page immediately. The Mississippi State defender checks in at six-foot-four and clocks a 4.42-second forty-yard dash, and the athletic profile is backed up by real coverage ability, especially when he’s asked to play man. His only real limitation at this point is a lack of slot experience, which would likely push Campbell inside if Cleveland ever took Jones.
Zabien Brown brings a different kind of appeal. His game doesn’t really show a glaring hole, and he pairs speed with physicality and discipline in coverage.
He may not have an elite trait yet outside of that speed, but he looks like someone who could step into the league and hold down a starting job right away. He’s also seen some action in the slot, which would give the Browns another option to mix and match with in nickel looks.
Ashton Hampton fits the mold of the big, sturdy corner NFL coaches love. The Clemson defender is six-foot-two and has the size to handle both man and zone responsibilities.
If he takes another step in his third season with the Tigers, he has the look of a first-round pick. At that point, Cleveland may have to think hard about whether another early cornerback makes sense, especially if it means Campbell could be moved.
Ellis Robinson IV is still early in his college career, but what he has shown at Georgia has already been enough to turn heads. In 2025, he came away with four interceptions and four pass deflections, and he’s quickly become one of the SEC’s top defensive backs. At 180 pounds, he’s not the biggest player on the field, but he plays with enough edge as a tackler and at the catch point to make up for it.
Then there’s Leonard Moore, who sits at the top of this group for a reason. The Notre Dame standout is considered by the source here to be not only the best corner in this class, but arguably the best corner prospect of the last five years.
He’s polished in just about every area, with tackling efficiency being the one thing he could sharpen. Cleveland probably won’t get the chance to draft him, but he belongs at the top of any cornerback watch list.
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