Looking back at every CB drafted ahead of Michael Carter II in the 2021 NFL Draft

The NY Jets haven't always been able to find the most success when it comes to discovering late-round gems in the NFL Draft, but one of the team's most recent success stories is slot cornerback Michael Carter II.

A fifth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Carter was drafted as a hybrid safety/cornerback out of Duke and has quietly developed into arguably the best nickel corner in the entire NFL.

The 25-year-old is due for an extension in the near future, and the expectation is that he will soon become one of the highest-paid players at his position. Carter is an indispensable piece of this Jets defense.

That's why it's worth taking a look back at the 2021 NFL Draft to see just how the Jets were able to land their star cornerback. A total of 21 cornerbacks were drafted before Carter in 2021. Here's a look at all 21 of them.

Every cornerback drafted before Michael Carter II in 2021

Player	Team	Draft Position
Jaycee Horn	Carolina Panthers	Round 1, 8th overall
Patrick Surtain II	Denver Broncos	Round 1, 9th overall
Caleb Farley	Tennessee Titans	Round 1, 22nd overall
Greg Newsome II	Cleveland Browns	Round 1, 26th overall
Eric Stokes	Green Bay Packers	Round 1, 29th overall
Tyson Campbell	Jacksonville Jaguars	Round 2, 33rd overall
Kelvin Joseph	Dallas Cowboys	Round 2, 44th overall
Asante Samuel Jr.	Los Angeles Chargers	Round 2, 47th overall
Aaron Robinson	New York Giants	Round 3, 71st overall
Benjamin St-Juste	Washington Football Team	Round 3, 74th overall
Paulson Adebo	New Orleans Saints	Round 3, 76th overall
Nahshon Wright	Dallas Cowboys	Round 3, 99th overall
Elijah Molden	Tennessee Titans	Round 3, 100th overall
Ifeatu Melifonwu	Detroit Lions	Round 3, 101st overall
Ambry Thomas	San Francisco 49ers	Round 3, 102nd overall
Brandon Stephens	Baltimore Ravens	Round 3, 104th overall
Darren Hall	Atlanta Falcons	Round 4, 108th overall
Zech McPhearson	Philadelphia Eagles	Round 4, 123rd overall
Robert Rochell	Los Angeles Rams	Round 4, 130th overall
Marco Wilson	Arizona Cardinals	Round 4, 136th overall
Tre Brown	Seattle Seahawks	Round 4, 137th overall

The 2021 cornerback class was loaded with talented players, and none stand out more than Denver Broncos' star Patrick Surtain II. Surtain has developed into one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL and is a multi-time Pro Bowler.

Unfortunately, injuries have derailed the careers of some of the top cornerbacks in this class. Jaycee Horn has looked excellent when healthy, but he's played just 22 games over three years. Meanwhile, Caleb Farley has played just 12 career games for the Tennessee Titans.

Interestingly enough, one of Carter's primary competitors for the "best nickel cornerback in the NFL" label was also a member of this draft class, that being Greg Newsome II of the Cleveland Browns.

Some of the cornerbacks drafted ahead of Carter aren't even with the same team that drafted them anymore. The likes of Marco Wilson, Robert Rochell, and Darren Hall were all waived within a few years of joining the NFL.

slot CBs wanna be Like Mike🔒 pic.twitter.com/GMLFZOGJuF
— New York Jets (@nyjets) May 29, 2024

Meanwhile, Carter has continued to dominate at the NFL level. The Duke product ranked first among all slot cornerbacks in catches allowed, yards allowed, yards per snap, and Pro Football Focus coverage grade in 2023.

He's one of the Jets' hidden stars. On a star-studded defense featuring household names like Sauce Gardner, Quinnen Williams, and C.J. Mosley, Carter often gets overlooked. But his production speaks for itself.

The Jets have arguably the best nickel cornerback in the NFL on their roster. The fact that 21 other cornerbacks were drafted before him makes his rise to stardom all the more impressive.

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