- CB/WR Travis Hunter fits well with the Indianapolis Colts and Seattle Seahawks: Hunter requires a unique landing spot to maximize his offensive and defensive potential.
- CB Trey Amos would fit in nicely with the Denver Broncos: Amos is the 2025 NFL draft class’ best ballhawk and would pair well with Patrick Surtain.
- 2025 NFL Draft season is here: Try PFF's best-in-class Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2025's top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.
Estimated reading time: 11 minutes
Fantasy managers are regularly faced with difficult start-and-sit decisions at the wide receiver position. In-depth familiarity with each wide receiver’s primary coverage defender gives astute managers an edge in making these decisions, regardless of the scoring format.
The article below breaks down four cornerbacks from the 2025 NFL draft class and identifies their ideal landing spot. Should these pairings come to fruition, fantasy managers must think carefully as to how the rookie cornerbacks can negatively impact their fantasy-scoring results.
CB/WR Travis Hunter‘s best fits: Indianapolis Colts, Seattle Seahawks
Colorado cornerback and wide receiver Travis Hunter collected 11 honors and awards in his 2024 junior season, most notably earning the Heisman Trophy, the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Fred Biletnikoff Award. The latter two are awarded annually to college football’s best defensive player and most outstanding receiver, respectively. Hunter has made clear that he intends to play “100.0%” of both offensive and defensive snaps for whichever NFL team drafts him. While that rate is likely unattainable, Hunter can be deployed as a part-time offensive and defensive player for an NFL team that needs a speedy perimeter wide receiver and whose No. 1 cornerback shifts from the perimeter to the slot in nickel and dime formations. Both the Indianapolis Colts and Seattle Seahawks fit the bill. Hunter’s 86.3 PFF offense grade ranks third among 38 Power Five wide receivers with at least 700 offensive snaps. His 88.2 PFF defense grade ranks third among 33 Power Five cornerbacks with at least 750 defensive snaps.
In 2024, Hunter respectively tallied triple-digit offensive and defensive snap counts at perimeter wide receiver, perimeter cornerback and slot defensive back. He lined up as a slot receiver 36 times. In 2023, Hunter lined up 287 times as a slot receiver and just 176 times as a perimeter wide receiver. For this reason, his 2023 sophomore slot data is included in the sample below.
The table below ranks in parentheses:
- Hunter’s perimeter receiver data among 45 Power Five perimeter wide receivers with at least 320 perimeter receiving snaps in 2024.
- Hunter’s slot receiver data among 94 Power Five slot receivers with at least 240 slot receiving snaps in 2023 and 2024.
- Hunter’s perimeter cornerback data among 73 Power Five perimeter cornerbacks with at least 300 perimeter coverage snaps in 2024.
- Hunter’s slot coverage data among 168 Power Five slot defensive backs with at least 70 slot coverage snaps in 2024.
| Travis Hunter | Perimeter WR | Slot WR | Perimeter CB | Slot DB |
| Receiving/Coverage Snaps | 508 (No. 2) | 254 (T-No. 86) | 319 No. 63) | 76 (T-No. 155) |
| PFF Receiving Grade | 87.3 (No. 4) | 77.5 (T-No. 20) | N/A | N/A |
| Yards/Route Run | 2.37 (No. 9) | 2.12 (T-No. 24) | N/A | N/A |
| Deep-Target Rate | 22.1% (No. 15) | 13.5% (No. 63) | N/A | N/A |
| PFF Coverage Grade | N/A | N/A | 90.6 (No. 1) | 62.6 (No. 94) |
| Targeted Rate | N/A | N/A | 9.1% (No. 1) | 15.7% (No. 52) |
| Forced Incompletion Rate | N/A | N/A | 21.4% (T-No. 6) | 18.2% (T-No. 21) |
| Yards Allowed Per Coverage Snap | N/A | N/A | 0.47 (T-No. 3) | 1.00 (No. 54) |
Hunter excels on the perimeter, both offensively and defensively. Although he can play efficiently as a slot receiver, he struggles to maintain high-level play as a slot defensive back.
Both Indianapolis and Seattle lack difference-making, perimeter wide receivers who possess elite speed.
Indianapolis invested second-round picks in wide receivers Alec Pierce (2022 NFL draft) and Adonai Mitchell (2024 NFL draft) to solve the issue. Neither player panned out. Pierce delivered unreliable results in his career-best 2024 season, averaging 1.82 yards per route run (YPRR) via a 22.8-yard average depth of target (aDot) while earning a 75.3 PFF receiving grade. Mitchell likewise averaged 1.51 YPRR via a 14.7-yard aDot while earning a 61.4 PFF receiving grade.
Seattle’s starting wide receiver duo now consists of two slot receivers, ascending superstar, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who earned an 83.5 PFF receiving grade while averaging 1.81 YPRR via a 9.2-yard aDot last year, and the newly signed Cooper Kupp, who earned a 72.3 PFF receiving grade while averaging 1.88 YPRR via an 8.7-yard aDot with the Los Angeles Rams.
Neither offense would be bereft of talent with Hunter sitting out for roughly 45.0% of snaps but his insertion into the lineup would create an unpredictable and explosive dynamic.
Indianapolis’ No. 1 cornerback Kenny Moore II and Seattle’s No. 1 cornerback Devon Witherspoon both line up on the perimeter in their team’s base defensive formation but kick inside to the slot in nickel and dime packages. Moore’s 68.2 PFF coverage grade ranks second among Indianapolis cornerbacks. Witherspoon’s 69.2 PFF coverage grade ranks second among Seattle cornerbacks.
Indianapolis’ 2024 defense logged 372 base formation snaps, 758 nickel package snaps and 25 dime package snaps.
Moore totaled 1,013 defensive snaps in 2024, the second-most among Indianapolis cornerbacks. In base formations, Moore logged a 71.4% pre-snap alignment perimeter rate (232 defensive snaps). In nickel packages, Moore logged an 83.3 % pre-snap alignment slot rate (545 defensive snaps). In dime packages, Moore logged a 69.6% pre-snap alignment slot rate (16 defensive snaps).
Indianapolis’ free agent-signee, cornerback Charvarius Ward, is expected to man one of the two perimeter spots. His 58.2 PFF coverage grade from his age-28, 2024 season compares unfavorably to Moore but Ward’s family tragedy undoubtedly impacted his play. Ward earned an 86.5 PFF coverage grade in 2023.
Ward’s former San Francisco 49ers teammate, cornerback Samuel Womack III, continued building his quietly strong resume with Indianapolis last year, earning a 71.3 PFF coverage grade on 440 coverage snaps. Womack deserves a starting NFL role, but former fifth-round castoffs rarely fend off elite prospects.
Seattle’s 2024 defense logged 219 base formation snaps, 792 nickel package snaps and 96 dime package snaps.
Witherspoon totaled 1,103 defensive snaps in 2024, the most among Seattle cornerbacks. In base formations, Witherspoon logged a 76.8% pre-snap alignment perimeter rate (162 defensive snaps). In nickel packages, Witherspoon logged a 56.6% pre-snap alignment slot rate (441 defensive snaps). In dime packages, Witherspoon logged a 76.0% pre-snap alignment slot rate (73 defensive snaps).
Seattle No. 2 cornerback Tariq Woolen earned a 69.5 PFF perimeter-coverage grade on a position group-high 772 perimeter defensive snaps.
Indianapolis’ 32.2% base formation snap rate and Seattle’s 19.4% base formation snap rate allow Hunter time to rest.
Both Indianapolis (No. 14 overall pick) and Seattle (No. 18 overall pick) must trade up for the right to draft Hunter. Indianapolis, possessing only the standard seven NFL draft picks allotted to them, may have a more difficult time doing so. Seattle, conversely, possesses 10 picks, including five on Days 1 and 2. A trade into the top four is easily executed, if general manager John Schneider sets his mind to it.
Hunter brings elite offensive and defensive traits, particularly when lined up on the perimeter. He is a perfect fit for Indianapolis and Seattle.
CB Jahdae Barron‘s best fit: Chicago Bears
Former New Orleans Saints head coach and new Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen inherits a talented defense from former defensive-minded head coach Matt Eberflus. Chicago No. 1 cornerback Jaylon Johnson and tight end-coverage specialist, safety Jaquan Brisker, provide Allen with the mismatch opportunities his defense attempts to capitalize on via various personnel formations, yet the No. 2 perimeter cornerback spot remains a glaring deficiency. Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron is a perfect fit for the role. His 90.7 PFF defense grade ties for No. 1 overall among 33 Power Five cornerbacks with at least 750 defensive snaps. Johnson’s 74.2 PFF coverage grade ranks ninth among 32 NFL cornerbacks with at least 910 defensive snaps. Brisker’s 84.6 PFF coverage grade against opposing tight ends ranks first among Chicago safeties and linebackers.
Chicago slot cornerback Kyler Gordon’s 83.9 PFF slot-coverage grade ties for third among 34 NFL slot defensive backs with at least 199 slot-coverage snaps.
Chicago’s No. 2 cornerback Tyrique Stevenson has failed to earn even a 60.0 PFF coverage grade through two NFL seasons. His 63.7 PFF run-defense grade is his career-best defensive PFF grade, falling well short of second-round draft capital expectations. Among 64 NFL perimeter cornerbacks with at least 515 perimeter-coverage snaps, Stevenson ranks third-worst in yards allowed per coverage snap (1.57) and dead last in targeted rate (21.0%).
Barron offers pre-snap versatility, logging 693 defensive snaps on the perimeter (90.5 PFF coverage grade), 122 defensive snaps in the slot (72.4 PFF coverage grade) and 144 defensive snaps in the box (71.7 PFF coverage grade) in his final college season. His 541 coverage snaps rank No. 1 among Power Five cornerbacks.
Among 37 Power Five cornerbacks with at least 400 coverage snaps, Barron ranks 14th in forced incompletion rate (14.7%), 11th in targeted rate (13.1%) and ties for No. 1 overall in yards allowed per coverage snap (0.55).
Barron’s addition would provide Allen with a uniquely versatile cornerback capable of manning No. 2 perimeter duties, or shifting inside, while Johnson shadows the opposition’s No. 1 wide receiver. Replacing Stevenson with Barron would make Chicago a very difficult matchup for opposing wide receivers.
S Malaki Starks‘ best fit: Minnesota Vikings
Georgia safety and slot defensive back Malaki Starks is a perfect fit for the Minnesota Vikings’ secondary. He profiles as a year-one slot- and box-coverage defender and part-time free safety who can eventually replace free safety Harrison Smith, who returns for his 14th and expectedly final NFL season. Starks’ drafting would allow cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. to abdicate part-time slot- and box-coverage duties in favor of a full-time perimeter role. Starks’ 78.3 PFF defense grade ranks 14th among 34 Power Five defensive backs with at least 820 defensive snaps. Smith’s 65.3 PFF coverage grade ranks 13th among 32 NFL safeties with at least 600 coverage snaps. Murphy earned an 83.6 PFF perimeter-coverage grade in 2024, handily besting his 57.8 PFF slot-coverage grade.
Minnesota’s front office retained three of five 2024 secondary starters while signing stud perimeter cornerback Isaiah Rodgers and washed-up cornerback Jeff Okudah in free agency. Rodgers’ 73.4 PFF perimeter-coverage grade ranks 25th among 133 NFL perimeter cornerbacks with at least 45 perimeter-coverage snaps, while Okudah’s 34.6 PFF perimeter-coverage grade ranks 131. Okudah is best suited to a backup role behind both Murphy and Rodgers on the perimeter, while Starks mans the interior coverage spots.
Among 52 Power Five slot defensive backs with at least 275 slot-coverage snaps in 2023 and 2024, Starks ranks 15th in completion rate allowed (59.6%), ties for 14th in forced incompletions (eight) and ranks second in forced incompletion rate (15.4%). His 69.7 PFF slot-coverage grade ranks 22nd.
Starks earned a 70.6 PFF coverage grade on 89 box-coverage snaps in 2024. He earned between a 67.1 PFF coverage grade and a 68.2 PFF coverage grade across all three college seasons when lined up as a free safety. Starks also defends against the run well when lined up in the free safety spot, earning an 81.4 PFF run-defense grade and an 84.8 PFF run-defense grade, respectively, over the last two seasons.
Starks boasts 11 career tackles for loss or no gain and five career quarterback pressures via 20 blitzes. Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores notoriously wields the league’s second-highest defensive back blitz rate (19.4%). His secondary racked up 26 quarterback pressures via the blitz in the 2024 regular season, tying for fourth-most among NFL teams.
Starks makes for a perfect slot- and box-coverage defender for Minnesota in Year 1, who can eventually replace Smith at free safety.
CB Trey Amos‘ best fit: Denver Broncos
Ole Miss cornerback Trey Amos is the solution to the Denver Broncos’ two-year search for their No. 2 perimeter cornerback role. He makes a strong case for being the 2025 NFL draft class’ premier ballhawk, maintaining elite disruptive play despite playing in three different defensive systems and gaining experience in both zone and man coverage. His 85.6 PFF defense grade ranks fourth among 33 Power Five cornerbacks with at least 750 defensive snap
Amos’ five-year college career includes stops at Louisiana Lafayette (2020-2022), Alabama (2023) and Ole Miss (2024). He tallied 899 zone coverage snaps and 390 man coverage snaps during that span, notably earning a career-best 75.4 PFF man coverage grade via a career-high 183 man coverage snaps in 2024.
Denver’s 2024 regular season defense logged 721 defensive snaps in zone, the 20th-most among NFL teams, and 383 defensive snaps in man, the sixth-most among NFL teams.
Amos logged 2,263 defensive snaps lined up on the perimeter but offers box-coverage versatility thanks to his 6-foot-1, 195-pound frame. He totaled 180 defensive snaps as a box defender.
Amos maintained elite all-around coverage defense over the last three seasons at the Group of Five and Power Five levels. Among 109 Group of Five cornerbacks with at least 288 coverage snaps, Amos ranks second in forced incompletion rate (28.3%). Among 40 Power Five cornerbacks with at least 675 coverage snaps from 2023-2024, Amos ranks No. 1 overall in both forced incompletion rate (21.9%) and yards allowed per coverage snap (0.56).
Amos punctuated his elite three-year stretch with a top-tier 2024 season, manning Ole Miss’ perimeter.
Among 35 Power Five perimeter cornerbacks with at least 350 perimeter-coverage snaps, Amos ranks 12th in targeted rate (13.5%), seventh in interceptions per coverage target (5.0%), fourth in forced incompletion rate (21.7%) and third in yards allowed per coverage snap (0.61). His 85.4 PFF perimeter-coverage grade ranks fourth.
Denver desperately needs a play-making counterpart for No. 1 cornerback Pat Surtain II, whose 85.0 PFF perimeter-coverage grade ranks No. 1 overall among 32 NFL cornerbacks with at least 460 perimeter-coverage snaps. Amos possesses the ball-hawking skills to capitalize on passes thrown to the opposition’s No. 2 perimeter wide receiver.
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