Benjamin Morrison’s final college season was cut short with a hip injury in October. But that hasn’t taken him off the NFL draft boards for 2025. He is ranked as the No. 8 defensive back and the No. 5 cornerback this year. The 6’0″, 190-pound speedster has run a 4.39 in the 40-yard dash, which NFL scouts will love.
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Morrison is an excellent man coverage corner, though he has made a few mistakes when he’s asked to play zone at Notre Dame. He’s a willing and aggressive tackler, which is a massive plus at the pro level. However, there is scope to improve his strength — he tends to stick on blocks rather than shedding them, and his relatively slight build isn’t doing him any favors.
The 20-year-old was targeted just 27 times in seven games this season before being ruled out for the year. Morrison allowed 12 catches for 125 yards and a 58.3 passer rating.
He is expected to be a late 1st or early 2nd round pick, so there will be a lot of teams that get a shot at the Phoenix native. But which team is the most likely to land him?
3) Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars have a whole bunch of holes they need to plug during the 2025 offseason. Cornerback should be near the top of the list of priorities.
Jacksonville’s pass defense has been atrocious this year. They’ve allowed an NFL-high 263.0 passing yards per game, 13 more than the next-worst unit, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They are also the only team giving up over 7.0+ net yards per pass attempt (7.3).
The Jags have given up the fourth-most pass TDs (27) while grabbing the 3rd-fewest interceptions (5). Overall, their secondary is ranked as the 4th-worst by Pro Football Focus, with a 51.9 coverage grade through 16 games. They need a ball hawk in Duval, because an opportunistic defense can make up for a lot of other deficiencies, which the Jaguars have.
Morrison led his conference with six interceptions as a true freshman and added three more to go with a conference-high 10 passes defended as a sophomore. Jags CBs Ronald Darby, Tyson Campbell, and Montaric Jackson have been specifically poor in man coverage. Morrison seems like just what the doctor ordered.
2) Buffalo Bills
There is every chance that the AFC will be represented by the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl 59. But that will be despite their secondary, not because of it. Christian Benford has been a nice find at the cornerback position. But apart from him, guys like Rasul Douglas and Taron Johnson have been disappointing. Buffalo has particularly struggled in man coverage.
The Bills have allowed 250+ passing yards in three straight games. They also rank in the bottom 10 in both passing yards and passing TDs allowed.
Buffalo seems to have everything they need on offense, so their first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft is very likely to be a defender. If they do make a deep run into the playoffs, they could be set up in the perfect position in the late first round to get Morrison at an excellent value.
1) Pittsburgh Steelers
When you think about the Pittsburgh Steelers, you think about hard-nosed defense. While they have been solid this year, they have struggled against the pass, allowing the 5th-most pass yards so far this season. They’ve also given up over 375 total yards in four of their last five games.
If they don’t go for a wide receiver in the first round, Pittsburgh should seriously consider taking a guy playing opposite the wide receiver.
Joey Porter Jr. has developed nicely, but his absence was sorely felt last week as the Chiefs threw for 320 yards. Patrick Mahomes was finding guys in wide open acres of space on many occasions. Fellow starting CB Donte Jackson’s absence has also been very notable. Rookie Beanie Bishop has flashed, but he’s more of a slot guy anyway.
The Steelers can’t be playing James Pierre and Cameron Sutton on crucial snaps next year. So they need some cornerback depth on the outside. They could get a pick in the mid-to-late 1st round, and are likely to have a shot at Morrison.
Pittsburgh has drafted an offensive player in the 1st round in four straight years. Considering they drafted a defender in the 1st in 10 of Mike Tomlin’s initial 13 years, they’re due for another.
