NFL Mocks Watch: Is Ellis Robinson IV separating himself as CB2 in the 2027 NFL Draft?

Ellis Robinson IV got his first interception of the season this weekend in Georgia's 38-14 win over Vanderbilt.

The takeaway was the icing on top of five weeks of really high-level play from the junior cornerback.

In this week's NFL Mocks Watch, we'll analyze whether Robinson has already separated himself as the clear second-best cornerback in the 2027 NFL Draft, or if there's room for the field to track him down.

Ellis Robinson IV is separating himself in the CB2 race

Out of 286 college cornerbacks with at least 100 snaps in coverage this season, Robinson is 14th in pass coverage grade per PFF. And despite just 111 coverage snaps (228/286) and 15 targets, he already has four pass breakups.

After leading the SEC in interceptions last year with four, Robinson walked into the 2026 season with high expectations and a "CB2" outlook for the 2027 NFL Draft. And this week's interception gave everyone a clear reminder of that potential.

What Ellis Robinson IV's interception showed NFL scouts

Interceptions are great. They take potential points away from the opponent while giving your team an increased chance of scoring. And they look cool! But this highlight shows great process by Robinson, as well as the result.

We first see excellent recovery speed from Robinson to get back into the play while the ball is in the air. Then, Robinson is able to stay in phase while getting his hands up to make a play on the ball. It takes a tremendous amount of coordination to maintain speed, not break stride, and make a play on the ball as he does on this play. And of course, come down with it in the end.

He's also able to do all of this without committing a penalty. He sticks his hand out for a second to establish position with the receiver, but other than that, he does all of this without interfering with the other player.

Recovery speed, coverage technique, ball skills, and discipline all rolled into one play. Those are very important qualities in a first-round cornerback.

Ellis Robinson IV's 2027 NFL Draft stock keeps climbing

Robinson's hot start to the season and big interception this week were the perfect starting point for the conference portion of Georgia's schedule.

Robinson has held strong to his draft projection from the beginning of the season: a first-round pick, the second cornerback taken, and a top-20 player. He has maintained that projection while several players saw their stock fall in the first few weeks of the year.

Next up, he'll have a chance to match up against potential first-round pick wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams when Georgia takes on Alabama. Four of Georgia's next five opponents are ranked teams, giving Robinson plenty of chances to shine.

3 NFL teams that could target Ellis Robinson IV in the 2027 NFL Draft

With several quarterbacks and the top player in the draft garnering the attention of offense-needy teams, there will be plenty of defensive talent available for teams outside the top eight or so picks.

Leonard Moore will likely be the first cornerback, maybe even the first defensive player, drafted, but these are a few teams that could look to Robinson if Moore is not available to them.

New York Jets

The Jets could use some help in the secondary next year after spending big all along the defense in 2026.

Winning teams build through the draft, and while the spending spree this offseason could jump-start the defense this year, any sustained success will come through the draft.

The starting cornerbacks for the Jets this year are Brandon Stephens and Azareye'h Thomas. Stephens will be 30 years old next year and will be in the last year of his contract. Stephens has been a solid No. 2 cornerback, but as he ages, he'll become less reliable.

Plugging in Robinson to play across from Thomas would make a nice trio with 2026 draftee D'Angelo Ponds in the secondary moving forward.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Robinson could be the perfect infusion of talent to get the Pittsburgh Steelers' secondary back on track. There are a lot of questions about the secondary for Pittsburgh after trading Joey Porter Jr. last week.

To add insult to injury, or injury to insult, Pittsburgh's other intended starting cornerback, Jamel Dean, is now out for "a couple of weeks" with an ankle injury. Dean has never played a fully healthy season and will turn 30 years old this month. Making Pittsburgh's outlook at the position even more dreary.

Robinson isn't the typical body type Pittsburgh has looked for in a cornerback in the past, but defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has gotten the most out of several types of players and in several defensive schemes, so maybe they'll be more flexible with their "type" in the draft.

Washington Commanders

Heading into Week 4, Washington was 31st in passing yards allowed and 29th in pass defense DVOA.

The secondary has been a huge problem under Dan Quinn, who hasn't found reliable starters at any of the positions. Specifically, at cornerback, 2024 second-round pick Mike Sainristil hasn't found his footing yet as he plays on the outside, when his best position is probably in the slot.

And 2025's second-round pick, Trey Amos, broke his leg during his rookie season and is still not yet on the field.

Veterans Amik Robertson and Rasul Douglas are both seeing a lot of action with the team this year, but neither has much guaranteed in their contracts for 2027.

With the talent Washington has on offense, and the investments they've made in their defensive front in 2026, a high draft pick in the secondary in the 2027 NFL Draft could do them a lot of good.

Robinson still has a long way to go before the 2027 NFL Draft, and Leonard Moore remains the clear CB1 in the class. But Robinson has done everything he can through the first five weeks to hold onto the CB2 spot.

With four ranked opponents coming up over Georgia's next five games, he'll have plenty of opportunities to prove he belongs there. If he continues to play at this level, the question might not be whether he's CB2, but how high in the first round he could go.

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