Lindley decided to return for his senior year after filing paperwork with the NFL Draft. It was a smart decision for the man-cover ace. He has NFL quickness and anticipation skill. If he can get a little stronger, there's no reason he shouldn't be a first-round pick.

Wilson is an incredible all-around athlete. He was named an All-American for his punt return ability and still managed to pull in five interceptions to lead the Broncos. During the offseason he's ran in the low 4.4 range.

The diminutive Arenas earns this high of a ranking thanks largely to his special teams play and tackling ability. His hands are only average and he has just one career interception.

With plenty of room to add bulk to his frame, Ghee is a player with good upside. He's a good tackler and likes to hit, so he's not a liability against the run. His hands are suspect, but he has the high-point agility to make a play on the ball. Looked better than the Broncos' Alphonso Smith in 2007. Can struggle some against bigger receivers.

Robinson's play tailed off some last year, mostly because teams weren't throwing in his direction. While he only had one interception, he shows the skills to be a solid No. 2 cornerback. Robinson is an athletic receiver who has the quickness to close the gap quickly. His tackling is only average, but he has man coverage skills.

Few cornerbacks can be considered sack artists, but Lewis could be. He had five last year to go with five interceptions, seven tackles for a loss and two forced fumbles. Lewis might not have great speed, but he does things most cornerbacks cannot.

A first-team all-conference performer in 2008, Thompson has surprisingly sound tackling ability for a player his size. His hands and athletic ability are above average. Also returns punts.

After looking sensational as an underclassmen, Verner's play has leveled off. However, that level is still fairly high. He's a good tackle and led the nation with 20 passes broken up in 2008. He's also smart in the classroom and is expected to become UCLA's secondary captain.

Virgil has the makings of a solid man coverage cornerback. In one game last year, he returned a fumble for a touchdown, blocked an extra point and returned it for two points and blocked a punt for a safety.

With his size, Cox might not last long in the draft. What may hold him back is his ability in press coverage. His jam is poor and his backpedal needs work. When Cox is allowed to freelance some in space, he shows good instincts to quickly break on the ball. His hands are good and, as a return specialist, he has good vision.

One of the fastest players in the nation, Butler has showed the skills of being a top cornerback. He has good ball skills and will support against the run. What's held him back some is consistency.

Murphy has nice length and strength, but his tackling ability doesn't equate to his measurables. When he's not in press coverage he gives up too much space and gets beaten inside. He's more of a zone corner who can break on the ball. Seems to have a good understanding of the routes opponents are running.

Many considered Thurmond a better player than former teammate Jairus Byrd, who was taken in the second round of this year's draft. Injuries slowed Thurmond some last year, but he still led the Pac-10 in interceptions. If anyone could rise up these rankings during the year, it could be Thurmond.

Haden has shown he can do just about anything asked of a cornerback. Although his career interception total is low (four), he has the ball skills required of a No. 1 cornerback.

A two-year starter for the Wolverines, Warren is expected to become an elite player this season. He's shown the potential, breaking up 11 passes during his career. He can be put on an island thanks to his quickness and tackling ability. He also started a game a free safety last season.

Franks has the ability and size of a No. 1 man coverage corner. He has plenty of speed and quickness to stick with fast receivers in the boundary. While Franks may not have the best hands, he has the ability to break up passes. He's a good enough tackler and can help against the run.

Few cornerbacks in the nation combine Dowling's physical prescence and pure skill as a cover man. Corners his size don't come around too often and Dowling should only get better.

A combination of athleticism and confidence, Bolden has improved during his second year as a starter in 2008. If he continues to work on the technical side of the game he could become a potential starter at the next level.

Jackson has started two years for Alabama, no easy feat on a Nick Saban defense. He's the team's most-experienced defensive back but doesn't get the ball thrown at him often. After picking off three passes in 2007, he only had one last season.

Spievey is big, physical and is being largely avoided by opposing Os. He's shown great tackling with amazing run support and excellent STs play as a gunner on punts. He's usually in zone with safety help over the top so there's not many chances to see him covering deep, but he does a good job outjumping the WRs on the few deep balls he's faced and on endzone fades.

Burney may be undersized, but he has great quickness. He can jam at the line and has the speed to recover deep. Burney's hands aren't all that great, but he's been able to knock the ball out of the hands of opponents. At the least he could be a very good nickel cornerback.