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Jyaire Hill a first-round pick in early 2026 NFL mock drafts: 'The 'next in a recent line of great Michigan cornerbacks'

clayton-sayfieby: Clayton Sayfie05/06/25CSayf23
Jyaire Hill
Michigan Wolverines football cornerback Jyaire Hill started most of the season in 2024. (Photo by Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images)

Michigan Wolverines football junior cornerback Jyaire Hill is a breakout candidate not just on his team but nationally in 2025. He’s already showing up on “way-too-early” mock drafts for 2026, with the implication that there’s a chance he will declare early after his third collegiate season. Hill actually redshirted as a freshman in 2023, so he’s only entering his redshirt sophomore campaign.

The McShay Report, Bleacher Report and Fox Sports all pegged Hill as a first-round selection in their 2026 mock drafts released after the 2025 event in Green Bay.

Analyst Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report placed Hill as the No. 15 pick to the Dallas Cowboys.

“While the Cowboys spent a third-round pick on Shavon Revel Jr. [in the 2025 draft], the defense could still use further help at cornerback,” Sobleski wrote.

“Trevon Diggs missed the majority of 2023 with a torn ACL and reinjured the same knee this past season. DaRon Bland also dealt with injuries in 2024 and is about to enter a contract year. On top of that, the defense needs someone to cover the slot after Jourdan Lewis left for Jacksonville during free agency.

“Michigan’s Jyaire Hill gives Dallas a corner who has experience on the outside and could lineup at nickel, according to NFL Draft Buzz.

“‘Has explosive movement skills and the fluid athleticism and change-of-direction ability to come down and cover slot receivers,’ Draft Buzz said of its No. 1 corner heading into the summer.”

Todd McShay, meanwhile, projected Hill to the Minnesota Vikings at No. 21 overall in his way-too-early mock. He’s the third cornerback to appear, behind Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy (No. 13 to the Miami Dolphins) and Alabama’s Domani Jackson (No. 16 to the Pittsburgh Steelers).

“Hill is tabbed as the next in a recent line of great Michigan cornerbacks to hear their names called early in the NFL draft,” McShay wrote. “At 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, he’s a tall, lean, and instinctive cornerback who excels at knocking the ball away and contesting with bigger receivers (eight pass breakups and one interception last year). The Vikings failed to address arguably their top need in this year’s draft but can do so in 2026.”

McShay admitted at the top of his newsletter post that “I haven’t done anywhere near enough tape study on this class to put a stamp on these player rankings. My tape study begins next week and we will be discussing the process as we go throughout the summer in preparation for the college football season. For now, I’ve leaned on what I’ve seen briefly on tape and a lot of communications with scouts.”

Hill checked in No. 29 to the Baltimore Ravens on Fox Sports analyst Rob Rang’s projection. He’s the No. 2 cornerback on the mock draft, behind only Penn State’s A.J. Harris (No. 22 to the Los Angeles Chargers).

“A nagging injury that kept star Will Johnson off the field for much of the 2024 season pushed Hill onto the field as a sophomore; at times, he struggled, guessing wrong and being beaten for three touchdowns,” Rang wrote. “He has the frame, physicality and speed, however, to excite scouts. I see a gifted prospect ready to take a big leap forward in 2025.”

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