The NFL has a strange obsession with trends, but none were as glaringly obvious as the disappearing act of the white cornerback. For twenty years, if you saw a guy with a light complexion in the secondary, you just assumed he was a safety. Or a punter who took a wrong turn.
Honestly, the "white cornerback" became more of a mythical creature than a football position. But everything changed over the last two seasons. If you haven't been paying attention to the Denver Broncos or the Philadelphia Eagles lately, you’ve missed a legitimate shift in how NFL front offices view the perimeter.
The 20-Year Shadow of Jason Sehorn
You can't talk about a white cb in nfl circles without mentioning Jason Sehorn. For the longest time, he was the only name anyone could come up with. He was a freak athlete for the New York Giants in the late 90s, winning the "Superstars" competition three years in a row and snagging 19 career interceptions.
🔗 Read more: Wesley Sneijder Net Worth: What Most People Get Wrong About the Dutch Icon
Then he retired in 2003.
After that? Total silence. We had a few "almosts." There was Kevin Kaesviharn, who started a game for the Bengals in 2002 but was basically a safety in disguise. You had Troy Apke, who the Commanders tried to convert from safety to corner in 2021, but it never really stuck. For two decades, the position was essentially a closed door.
Riley Moss and the Denver Breakthrough
The drought didn't just end; it got shattered in 2024. Riley Moss, a third-round pick out of Iowa, became the first white cornerback to start a game since Sehorn. That’s a 21-year gap. Imagine being a rookie and having the entire internet tracking your every snap just because of your skin color.
The Broncos stuck him opposite Patrick Surtain II. That’s like being the guy playing rhythm guitar for Jimi Hendrix. Predictably, quarterbacks avoided Surtain and threw everything they had at Moss. In 2025, he led the entire league in targets with 116.
He didn't just survive; he actually thrived.
💡 You might also like: Chris Boswell Career Stats: What Most People Get Wrong
- 19 pass breakups in 2025 (tied for league lead).
- 86 combined tackles as a sophomore.
- Multiple interceptions, including one off Gardner Minshew that officially broke the "no white CB picks" curse that had lasted since 2002.
Moss is fast. He clocked a 4.45 at the combine, which isn't just "fast for a white guy"—it’s just fast. He’s been penalized a lot, sure, but when you're being targeted more than anyone else in professional football, you’re going to get some yellow laundry thrown your way.
Cooper DeJean: The New Gold Standard
If Moss opened the door, Cooper DeJean kicked it off the hinges. Drafted 40th overall by the Eagles in 2024, DeJean arrived with a level of hype we haven't seen for a defensive back in years. He’s basically a human Swiss Army knife.
His rookie year was the stuff of legends. He didn't just start; he helped the Eagles win Super Bowl LIX. On his 22nd birthday, no less. He picked off Patrick Mahomes in the second quarter and took it 38 yards for a touchdown. That’s the kind of play that ends a narrative forever.
By the time the 2025 season wrapped up, DeJean wasn't just a "white cb in nfl" curiosity. He was a First-Team All-Pro.
- 93 tackles.
- 16 passes defended.
- Lockdown coverage in the slot and on the outside.
The kid is a superstar, period.
Why Did It Take So Long?
It’s tempting to say it’s all about speed, but that’s lazy. Ethan Bonner, another corner for the Miami Dolphins, runs a sub-4.4. The talent has always been there in track and field. The real issue was "projection."
In the NFL, if you're a fast white kid in high school or college, coaches usually move you to safety or wide receiver. It became a self-fulfilling prophecy. Because there were no white corners, no one was trained to be one.
Ethan Bonner is the perfect example of the new breed. He went undrafted out of Stanford in 2023, stuck it out on the Dolphins' practice squad, and by 2025, he was a key depth piece with his first career interception. He’s 6'1" and built like a prototypical boundary corner.
What This Means for the Future
We’re past the point of "novelty." When you have Riley Moss starting every game for a playoff-contending Broncos team and Cooper DeJean making All-Pro lists, the "white cb in nfl" conversation starts to lose its shock value. That’s a good thing.
Front offices are finally looking at the tape rather than the profile. If you can mirror a WR1 and you don't get beat on a vertical route, nobody cares what you look like.
Next Steps for Fans and Analysts:
- Watch the "Target Rate": Keep an eye on how often Riley Moss is targeted compared to his teammates in the 2026 season. Teams will likely continue to test him until his interception numbers make them pay.
- Monitor DeJean’s Versatility: Cooper DeJean is increasingly being used in the "Star" or "Lion" role (hybrid nickel). See if other teams try to replicate this by drafting high-IQ, high-athleticism players for multi-positional roles.
- Draft Outlook: Look for the "Iowa Effect." With both Moss and DeJean coming out of Phil Parker’s system at Iowa, scouts are now hovering over that program specifically for secondary talent regardless of typical positional stereotypes.