From prospects to pros: 2022 NFL Draft résumé for Kentucky defensive back Yusuf Corker
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This year’s NFL Draft is April 28-30. A number of former University of Kentucky stars are eligible, and many are expected to be selected this year. We’re taking a look at every UK player who hopes to have their name called.
Yusuf Corker
Height: 6-foot-0.
Weight: 197 pounds.
Hometown: McDonough, Ga. (Woodland High School).
Projected NFL position: Safety.
What you’ll remember about him at UK: Perhaps more than anything, his dependability. Not much was made of it, but Corker started the final 37 games of his career and played in 50 straight games beginning with the Wildcats’ season opener against Central Michigan in 2018. He tied the school record for solo tackles in a game, 16, in a loss to Missouri his junior season in 2020, and led the team in total tackles with 74 in 2019, his first season as a starter.
Key stats: Allowed 20 receptions on 40 targets as a senior. Recorded 81 tackles in 2021 (second on the team), including 3.5 for a loss and a sack. Led UK with eight pass breakups last season. Had three interceptions in his career.
Career development: Corker came to Kentucky as a four-star recruit and lived up to that billing. After redshirting in 2017, he played in all 13 games the next season before solidifying himself as a starter for the Wildcats in 2019. His playing career was bookended by 10-win seasons, the only two in UK history since the 1980s.
Latest draft projections: Most mocks project Corker as a sixth- or seventh-round selection, which would have him going on the final day. Unless a team has fallen in love with him, it’s unlikely he’ll go before the fifth round on Saturday. According to Pro Football Focus, the following teams are in most need of safety help: the Eagles, Jaguars, Lions and Texans. Could he end up with former teammate Josh Allen in Jacksonville?
His future: Corker’s strength is his biggest asset and is what could separate him from a host of defensive backs vying for consideration at the tail end of the draft. He threw up 23 repetitions in the 225-pound bench press at the combine, which is a nice gym measurement, but his power is better on display when placed into the box and deployed as a pass-rusher. Inconsistency as a tackler and as a man defender are oft mentioned as downsides to his game, along with a relative lack of statistical production in pass coverage, but if he can refine his natural instincts, Corker has the tools to play for a while at the next level.
Quote: “I felt like I communicated a lot better than in the past. They put a lot more on my plate, just making checks and making sure everybody’s on the same page. As a defense, everybody can be doing everything right but if one person’s not, it leads to touchdowns and big plays. I made sure I did a good job containing those big plays and things like that.” — Yusuf Corker on “The Man to Man Pod” ahead of the Reese’s Senior Bowl
This story was originally published April 21, 2022 at 8:06 AM.
