2015 NFL draft: Top 10 defensive backs

The Observer’s top 10 defensive backs available in the 2015 NFL draft:

1. CB Trae Waynes

College: Michigan State.

Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 186.

Projected round: 1st.

Comment: Fastest cornerback in the class after running a 4.31 at the combine, and his 31-inch arms help too.

2. CB Kevin Johnson

College: Wake Forest.

Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 188.

Projected round: 1st.

Comment: Good hips and great ball skills make him the second defensive back off the board.

3. SS Landon Collins

College: Alabama.

Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 228.

Projected round: 1st.

Comment: It’s been a while since we saw a safety class this weak, but Collins would still be the best with a stronger class beneath him.

4. CB Jalen Collins

College: LSU.

Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 203.

Projected round: 1st-2nd.

Comment: From a long line of Tigers defensive backs, Collins could make an impact immediately with his body, but he only had 10 career starts at LSU.

5. CB Marcus Peters

College: Washington.

Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 197.

Projected round: 1st-2nd.

Comment: The only thing that will keep him out of the first round is himself. Peters was kicked off the Huskies squad after getting into it with an assistant coach during practice.

6. S Shaq Thompson

College: Washington.

Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 228.

Projected round: 1st-2nd.

Comment: He went to the combine as a linebacker and may play that at the next level, but he has experience at safety and a team could try him there.

7. CB Ronald Darby

College: Florida State.

Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 193.

Projected round: 2nd.

Comment: The former ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year was one of the fastest players the combine, and that speed translates on the field.

8. CB/S Byron Jones

College: Connecticut.

Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 199.

Projected round: 2nd.

Comment: Jones shattered the combine’s broad jump record with a leap of 12 feet, 3 inches. His athleticism could get him into the first round.

9. CB Quinten Rollins

College: Miami (Ohio).

Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 195.

Projected round: 2nd-3rd.

Comment: A former basketball player, Rollins has the foot speed and agility for the position. He’s come a long way in his short time playing football.

10. CB P.J. Williams

College: Florida State.

Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 194.

Projected round: 2nd-3rd.

Comment: He was a fringe first-rounder before he was arrested on suspicion of DUI earlier this month, just four weeks before the draft.

Panthers’ perspective

In his short history as the Panthers’ general manger, Dave Gettleman has shown he prefers to find bargains in the defensive backfield, be it in free agency or later in the draft. Three of the five secondary positions have young players in cornerback Josh Norman, nickel Bené Benwikere and free safety Tre Boston. Corner Charles Tillman is 34 and strong safety Roman Harper was slow at times last season. Selecting a defensive back in the first two rounds would be new for Gettleman, but it may not be a bad idea.

Local connection

Wake Forest’s Kevin Johnson is a likely first-round pick and possibly will be the first defensive back taken off the board. Johnson has the best hips of all the corners in the draft but has to improve his tackling. He’s added weight in his four years at Wake Forest, but he’s still not strong or big enough to take down a big, elite receiver in the open field.

Sleeper

Oregon cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu was an All-American in 2014 before suffering a knee injury before the Rose Bowl and has been unable to work out at the combine or for teams privately. He went from a fringe first-rounder to likely a third-round pick, but if he can return to full health in time for the season, he should be a steal.

Worth noting

Former Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall went to the Senior Bowl and combine as a cornerback. He’s too slight to be a quarterback in the NFL, and his athleticism will likely get him drafted even though he’s raw at the position. ... Miami cornerback Ladarius Gunter could go undrafted, but it’s fairly incredible he’s even in this position. Gunter suffered a neck injury in 2013 that saw him put on a stretcher and airlifted to a hospital. He started all 13 games last season.

Jonathan Jones

This story was originally published April 23, 2015 at 1:11 PM with the headline "2015 NFL draft: Top 10 defensive backs."