Will Lee III is a 6’1, 189 lb cornerback out of Texas A&M. He began his college career at Iowa Western Community College, where he earned NJCAA First Team All-America honors in 2022 while helping lead the Reivers to the NJCAA National Championship. Kansas State signed him out of the portal, and he started nine of eleven games for the Wildcats in 2023, recording 42 tackles and two interceptions before entering the portal a second time. Rated a four-star prospect, the 13th-ranked cornerback and 124th overall player in the 2023 transfer cycle, Lee landed at Texas A&M, where he started every game over two seasons. In 2024, he finished fifth in the SEC with ten pass breakups, recorded two interceptions, and earned Second Team All-SEC honors. In 2025, he helped A&M’s pass defense climb from 13th to 3rd in the SEC, finishing with fifty tackles and eight pass breakups. He closed out his college career with an appearance at the 2026 Senior Bowl.
Lee brings good length and size to the cornerback position, and he knows how to use it. He weaponizes his frame consistently on film, constantly rerouting receivers at the line, minimizing their catch radius, and timing his attacks on the ball with awareness and precision. He tends to be a step or two behind faster receivers on deep routes and crossing routes, but when he wins at the line of scrimmage with his press technique, he has enough speed to run with receivers down the field and stay competitive through the top of routes. His hip fluidity allows him to stay in phase without losing leverage. Mentally, Lee processes the game at a solid level. He identifies screen plays quickly and has shown the ability to diagnose blitz-related checkdown throws fast enough to break downhill and make plays in space. His competitiveness stands out, as his opponents do not linger in his mind, and he has demonstrated the ability to reset and compete effectively on the very next snap.
Will Lee III is a technically sound press-man cornerback who brings legitimate starting-caliber traits to an NFL roster. His press technique is his strongest trait. He is active and disciplined with his hands, consistently shooting his arms into receivers’ chests at the line to disrupt their release, redirect their routes, and take away their working space before they can get into their stem. He is patient with his hips, rarely opening them too early or too late, staying square to receivers and mirroring their movements with disciplined footwork from the snap all the way through the route. In man coverage, he executes the trail technique well, staying in the receiver’s hip pocket down the field while using his length to disrupt timing. In zone, he has shown comfort in Cover 2 structures, trailing receivers correctly, and flipping his eyes to the quarterback at the right depth while trusting safety help over the top. His tackling technique leans heavily on going low and using his length to trip ball carriers rather than wrapping up. Lee’s run defense is a work in progress. He shows adequate gap awareness but is not a physical presence against the run. He is at his best on the boundary in a press-heavy man scheme. Lee’s unconventional path to a Power Four starter and Second Team All-SEC selection speaks to his work ethic and his capacity to develop, and those same traits give him a strong foundation to continue growing at the next level.
In conclusion, Lee is a long, technically disciplined press-man corner who wins through patience, hip fluidity, and the ability to stay in receivers’ hip pockets throughout routes. He has the length and ball skills to compete outside at the next level and projects best in a scheme that keeps him on the boundary in press-man. His tackling and run support are legitimate concerns, but his coverage ability gives him a realistic path to a starting role early in his career.
Scheme Fit and Team Fit
Lee fits best in press-man and two-high shell schemes where outside corners are asked to press, reroute, and mirror receivers from the boundary. His size, length, and hip fluidity make him a natural fit for Cover 1 and Cover 2 structures. Teams like the Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, and Miami Dolphins are natural fits. The Eagles run a press-man heavy system that demands long, physical corners who can mirror and reroute at the line, which is what Lee does well. The Chiefs ask their outside corners to handle both man and zone responsibilities, and Lee’s trail technique and reliability in Cover 2 align with what Kansas City expects in that role. Miami has increasingly leaned on press-heavy boundary coverage, and Lee’s combination of press technique and length makes him a strong fit for their system.
NFL Player Comparison: Jaylon Johnson
Johnson is a physical, press-man boundary corner who wins through technique, active hands, and disciplined hip fluidity rather than elite athleticism. Like Lee, he is at his best when asked to press, reroute, and mirror receivers from the outside in a scheme that keeps him in one-on-one situations, and he uses his length to disrupt routes and compete at the catch point rather than relying on top-end speed to make plays.
Projection: Low End Starter
Lee projects as a press-man boundary cornerback who can step in and contribute as a starter in the right scheme early in his career. His technical foundation, particularly his press technique, hip fluidity, and ball skills, gives him a legitimate path to a role. Within three years, it is expected that he will develop into a Low End Starter.
Grade and Round Projection: 3.85, Rounds 3–4 (Day 2, Day 3)
Lee’s combination of SEC-tested press coverage ability, size, and ball skills makes him a third to fourth-round target.
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