Robert Fitzgerald is the star in the Northwestern secondary, but he might not be the only player of the bunch to hear his name called next April.
Northwestern's schedule is a gauntlet this fall, and even though the team may be more talented than last year's roster, the Wildcats could still finish with a worse record than they did in 2025.
Nonetheless, the 'Cats have several very talented players, including some who could hear their names called in the 2027 NFL Draft. Wide receiver Griffin Wilde and safety Robert Fitzgerald, who were both named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Second Team, are projected to lead the way on their respective sides of the ball. Fitzgerald may not be alone, though, among a strong Northwestern secondary.
The Athletic's Dane Brugler released his preseason cornerback rankings for the 2027 NFL Draft on Tuesday, and a Wildcat defender cracked his way-too-early list. Braden Turner's strong play last season earned him the No. 25 ranking among senior cornerback prospects, including the 10th-best among Big Ten seniors.
Twenty-seven cornerbacks were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft this past April.
Nov 15, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats defensive backBradenTurner(9) intercepts a pass against the Michigan Wolverines during the second half at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images Turner is a 5-foot-10, 185-pound corner out of Mobile, Ala. He is entering his redshirt senior season and is widely expected to be the Wildcats' starting slot cornerback this fall.
The former three-star recruit played 10 games as a redshirt freshman in 2023, then entered the starting lineup midway through the 2024 season. Turner played in all 12 games with seven starts as a sophomore before breaking through a year ago. In 13 appearances with 12 starts, Turner totaled 56 tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss, four pass breakups, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Turner had a career-best performance against Central Michigan in the 2025 GameAbove Sports Bowl. At the start of the second quarter, he picked off quarterback Angel Flores to give his team great field position, quickly resulting in the Wildcats' first touchdown of the game. Turner later made another game-changing play coming out of halftime, scooping up a fumble forced by Fitzgerald and returning it for a 47-yard touchdown. His efforts helped bring Northwestern to a dominant 34-7 win.
In his Wildcat career, Turner has combined for 100 tackles, six passes defensed, four fumble recoveries and 3.5 tackles-for-loss. He was named an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention last fall.
Northwestern snapped its NFL Draft drought this spring when two Wildcats were selected. The Minnesota Vikings drafted left tackle Caleb Tiernan with the No. 97 overall pick in the third round and the Baltimore Ravens drafted right guard Evan Beerntsen with the No. 253 overall pick in the seventh round.
