With Super Bowl 59 marking the end of the NFL season, fans will quickly shift their focus to the 2025 NFL Draft in April. The Philadelphia Eagles, competing in Sunday’s game, benefited from selecting two impact cornerbacks in the 2024 draft— a strategy teams will look to replicate in the coming months.
One program expected to have multiple high draft picks is Notre Dame, which finished as the national runner-up to Ohio State. In a recent CBS Sports mock draft, one of the Irish’s top secondary players is projected to reunite with his former defensive coordinator in the first round.
CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli has the Cincinnati Bengals selecting Notre Dame junior cornerback Benjamin Morrison with the 17th overall pick. Cincinnati’s defense struggled against the pass in 2024, allowing 223.5 passing yards per game and 25.5 points per game. Morrison’s addition would pair him with ex-Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden.
“Morrison played in only six games this season and wasn’t around for Notre Dame’s playoff run, and I think it’s caused people to forget how freaking good he is! If Morrison stayed healthy all year, I don’t think there’s any question that he’s a first-round pick. He’s an exceptional corner in coverage,” Fornelli wrote.
Despite missing time in 2024, Morrison’s freshman and sophomore seasons were outstanding. While not a direct comparison, his trajectory resembles that of former LSU star Derek Stingley Jr., who shined as a freshman, saw statistical regression, and is now thriving as a top cornerback in the NFL with the Houston Texans.
