I simply wont acknowledge any Jalen Ramsey disrespect in this dojo. Both players were among the 15 most valuable players at their respective positions, according to PFF WAR. 8 forced fumbles in 2020. Full Site Menu. Butler has been one of the best in the league at getting his hands on the football throughout his career. Reed Jr. and safety Quandre Diggs were two of Seattle's bright spots. Congratulations, Arizona. And there are a couple of surprise names feature among those secondaries who look ready to take a leap in 2021. Hes a wide receiver baiting quarterbacks into throwing passes that he can jump. The defense endured blows at multiple position groups, including in the secondary with, Detroits secondary has been problematic over the past few years, and it didnt get any better in Year 1 under Dan Campbell. The position should be an area of emphasis this offseason. That mark was also good for fourth-best at the position in the 2021 regular season. Carlton Davis may draw the more demanding assignments, but Dean has been just about as good as Tampa Bay could have hoped for in his role over the past two seasons. He also stands out as one of the better zone-coverage cornerbacks in the NFL, ranking in the 94th percentile of all cornerbacks on such plays during the 2020 season. So, which secondaries were a boon and which were a hindrance this season? In both 2019 and 2020, he recorded a pressure rate below 9% (per SIS Datahub). ** - denotes 2023 prospect. Despite a productive three-year run with the Atlanta Falcons, Poole's one-year, $3.5 million free-agent deal with the New York Jets last offseason was met with little fanfare. Bradberry was the fourth-most valuable cornerback in the league in 2020 per PFF WAR, with career-best coverage numbers across the board. The only outside cornerbacks to allow fewer yards per coverage snap than Dean (0.8) on at least 600 coverage snaps since the start of the 2019 season are Richard Sherman (0.4) and Jalen Ramsey (0.8). Veteran. This group should contend for the top spot next season. 1 wide receiver in man coverage. If Lattimores career was flipped in reverse order, theres a reasonable chance that he would be inside the top five on this list. Using advanced data, weve ranked every secondary in the NFL by their performance in pass coverage. Giants: 6-10. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs. Safety Jimmie Ward was the teams highest-graded defensive back in coverage (73.7). Thats a tip of the cap to everyone in the secondary for stepping up, including 2020 seventh-rounder, Tampa Bay dealt with a pile of injuries and COVID-19 in their cornerback room for most of the season, forcing the team to cycle through players. 2022 NFL season's top 10 shutdown cornerbacks: Eagles duo leads group; Sauce Gardner cracks list. The tandem tormented AFC quarterbacks for years. Teams are afraid to throw at Surtain, and he has one of the lowest target totals among . Having let Shaquill Griffin walk in free agency, the Seahawks are somewhat short on proven players in the defensive backfield, with that scarcity reflected by an aggregate coverage grade 16% below average. Hes one of the more impactful free agents still on the market. Heck, he played more snaps in the slot in 2020 than he did on the outside! Jackson was one of the five highest-graded outside cornerbacks in the NFL and allowed the second-fewest yards per coverage snap at the position. Age: 28 (29 on 8/4/23) Playing time: 16 games, 316 special teams snaps (77.07% of team total), 63 defensive snaps (5.99% of team total) Key statistics: 19 tackles, 1 quarterback hit, 4 pass . The yards on Diggs ledger are largely hollow. With the help of PFFs advanced database which is used by all 32 NFL teams we'll rank all 32 NFL secondaries from the 2021 regular season. However, if White can keep up his torrent pace in 2021, he could easily elevate into the same conversation for CB1. His 3.2% missed tackle rate was the second-lowest among safeties. Ask any executive or coach around the league at this However, I prefer to look at this exercise as a nod of respect toward the top cornerbacks in the NFL for the 2021 season. Las Vegas will hope Hayward can accelerate the development of Mullen, who was an encouraging 15th in burn yards per target (8.67) among outside corners with at least 200 snaps. A.J. Marcus Peters, Baltimore Ravens Those three cornerbacks shared a combined 17 years of experience in the NFL. Home About Shop . Only one defensive back nickel cornerback, Galina: The shortcomings of the Kellen Moore-Dak Prescott connection for the Dallas Cowboys. His goal is not to make it so a quarterback doesnt want to throw the ball his way. By continuing and using the site, including by remaining on the landing . He finished in the top 10 in yards per coverage snap on the outside (0.76), but five touchdowns allowed and eight penalties brought his coverage grade down to 59.5 for the year. Rankings&Projections |WR/CB Matchup Chart |NFL & NCAA Betting Dashboards | NFL Player Props Tool | NFL & NCAA Power Rankings He also ranks in at least the 87th percentile in coverage grades at both alignments. Humphrey impacts the games in all the ways you want him to. David Carr constructs his own ranking of the top 10 cornerbacks, but All-Pro . His 3,546 regular-season defensive snaps over the past four seasons are a top-10 mark at the position. The 2021 second-round pick is a valuable piece to this secondary moving forward, but the other cornerback spots need some work. The Vikings' gave up the third-most yards on the outside (1,802) while also tying for the third-fewest plays on the ball (18) at the position. Carlton Davis, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 16. No group of cornerbacks played more man coverage than the Miami Dolphins. With that being said, here are four bold predictions for the New Orleans Saints in the 2023 NFL offseason. Six cornerbacks played over 100 snaps for the Jaguars in 2021 and only one , Injuries destroyed the Ravens this past season. Opposite him for most of the season was Kindle Vildor, who posted a 45.6 coverage grade that ranked in the bottom five in the NFL. Jones was the NFL's highest-paid cornerback when he signed a five-year, $82.5 . Not a single one of Dallas' top eight defensive backs by snaps earned a coverage grade in poor territory below 60.0. Even if the young Jaycee Horn hadnt gone down to injury, this would have been an outstanding move for the Panthers. As the teams big free-agent acquisition at the position, Griffin does bring plenty of experience for a younger player. 2022 NFL Cornerback Rankings. Its impossible to discuss what Peters brings to the table and not start with his knack for getting his hands on the football, as his 31 interceptions since entering the league in 2015 are nine more than any other cornerback. The NFL in 2014 settled a class action lawsuit with retired . The 247Sports Composite is a proprietary algorithm that compiles rankings and ratings listed in the public domain by the major media recruiting services, creating the industry's most comprehensive and unbiased prospect and team rankings. Terrell has flashed the ability to become one of the truly . Projected starter Amani Oruwariye (36.9) did not fare much better, and it would be no surprise to see rookie Ifeatu Melifonwu thrust into a prominent role early in his career. Design by Matt Sisneros. After being charged with eight receptions allowed in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys, Ramsey proceeded to allow just 24 receptions over the remainder of the regular season, giving upfewer than 25 receiving yards in 11 games. One was to Waynes, and the other was to interior defensive lineman D.J. Who looks to be a top-10 cornerback in the NFL right now? 4) New England Patriots: Stephon Gilmore & J.C. Jackson. Howard is one of the best playmaking cornerbacks that the NFL has to offer. Dolphins cornerback Byron Jones has not played since the 2021 season. Discover Next Gen Stats News, Charts, and Statistics. Houston might want to think about using its No. Despite being drafted in the top five back in 2018 and playing on a team generating plenty of buzz heading into the 2021 season, Ward is often overlooked as one of the NFLs top cornerbacks. Hes one of the few thatll travel anywhere on the defense to cover an offenses best weapon. Nelson was another surprise release by a team strapped for salary cap space. Alexander was still the same playmaker in 2020, but he was much more stingy in coverage, allowing just 353 receiving yards all season including Green Bays two postseason games despite logging nearly 600 coverage snaps. The cornerback made a total of $10.66 million during his brief NFL career. The key to the Lions improving in that regard will be Jeff Okudahs ability to shake off a difficult rookie season and justify his status as the third overall pick in 2020. That larger role didnt lead to less impressive coverage numbers. And star cornerback, Cincinnatis passing offense wasnt the team's only unit to take a major leap in 2021. Christian D'Andrea. It just wasnt all there for him in 2020. The two worst cornerbacks in the league were forced into action because of injuries. His 19.1% forced incompletion rate was a top-five mark at the cornerback position last year, tied with Jaire Alexander. The strength of this group comes from two former Washington Huskies. Figures indicate statistics each team allowed to their opponents. 19. Ranking The Top 20 Cornerbacks in the NFL 2021Top 20 NFL CB in 2021NFL Cornerback Rankings before the 2021 NFL SeasonTop 20 Corners according to MitchMitch o. Check out the 2021 NFL Opposition & Defensive Statistics including AFC and NFC results and standings on Pro-football-reference.com The steady veteran presence that he should bring will be important for a secondary that will likely start two cornerbacks under the age of 24 alongside him. We considered putting Humphrey atop the list of the best slot cornerbacks in the NFL, given that he has spent the majority of his snaps lined up in the slot over the past two seasons filling the void left by an injured Tavon Young. No team, this season than Baltimore. The Patriots did what the Patriots always do they traded (or cut) a player thats still near the top of his game, but is beginning to walk down the hill. Free-agent signing William Jackson III was an up-and-down performer. Davis and Dean form one of the best cornerback pairings in the NFL. It shouldnt come as a shock if he wins that starting job and rebounds from a down 2020 season. Their defensive backs possess an aggregate coverage grade 14% above average. Patrick Surtain II has been quite literally living up to his name as an elite cornerback and has helped the Denver Broncos maintain their position as a top-tier defense even after trading away their star edge rusher. The Broncos' secondary underwhelmed to a certain extent in 2021, with veteran safety Kareem Jackson and cornerback free agent pickups Kyle Fuller and Ronald Darby all producing poor coverage grades below 60.0. If that remains the case, Buffalos secondary should stay among the best in the league even with only marginal improvements made by his teammates. Terrell was actually the second-highest graded cornerback in coverage in the 2021 regular season, behind only Jalen Ramsey. Much of the Raiders presence in the top 10 is tied to the astute acquisition of veteran corner Casey Hayward, whose adjusted open percentage of 17.3 was the fifth-best in the NFL among players at all defensive positions, though a less impressive burn yards per target average of 11.20 reflects how often he was left on an island for the Los Angeles Chargers last year. He gets his hands on passes left and right without getting himself so out of position that hes unable to recover. Still, they held up well, ranking sixth in coverage grade and second in EPA per pass play allowed on such plays. Jones allowed 1.4 yards per coverage snap with Miami in 2020 double his 0.7 yards per coverage snap average across the 2018 and 2019 seasons in Dallas. Health remains the biggest concern for Verrett heading into next season. Okudah allowed the offense to gain +1.0 EPA on 43.2 percent of his targets in coverage, the worst rate in the league . 2021 stats: 11 games (11 starts), 1 INT, 6 PBUs, 1 FF, 1 FR, 0.5 sacks, 41 combined tackles (27 solo). The Seahawks appear to be banking on Ahkello Witherspoon making a leap he never managed with the San Francisco 49ers. Not a single one of Dallas' top eight defensive backs by snaps earned a coverage grade in poor territory below 60.0. This is not a forward-looking list, nor is it considering what a group accomplished prior to this season. Butler had arguably his best season in coverage since his New England days last year with Tennessee. worst 2021 cornerback. White does a fantastic job of toeing the line between aggressive and reckless. To further my point, Matthew Staffords EPA is 39, and hes an MVP candidate at quarterback. Jackson has allowed just five of 48 targets at that depth to be completed, tallying 11 interceptions in the process. The secondary is the last unit remaining. He also had 81 tackles, three sacks and seven tackles for loss. And yet, the Bills still sustained a top-five pass defense in terms of expected points added (EPA) allowed per pass down the final stretch of the 2021 regular season. 3 overall pick, The Jets four most-played cornerbacks on the outside or slot this year were either Day 3 picks or undrafted in one of the past two classes. he 2021 NFL regular season is over. From Week 12 to the end of the regular season, he was one of the 10 highest-graded cornerbacks in the NFL. 2020 Points-Allowed Rank: No. Tre Flowers open percentage of 85.7 was the fifth-worst of all corners in the NFL, though the play of another former Niner, D.J. Ranking the 11 worst plays of the 2021 NFL regular season. Although Ringo grew up dreaming of scoring touchdowns, his path to being a high draft pick could come because of his ability to prevent them. After profiling as one of the top cornerbacks in the league from 2014 to 2018, Slay has taken a noticeable step back the past two seasons. He ranks top 10 in both slot and outside coverage grade. After a broken-up pass against Wake Forest in 2016, he pranced behind the unsuspecting receiver in a manner Ive never witnessed. Still, they held up well, ranking sixth in coverage grade and second in EPA per pass play allowed on such plays. He had spent the vast majority of his time in the slot across the first four years of his NFL career, even dabbling at safety with the Chiefs in 2019. Changing that and successfully developing Okudah and Melifonwu will be crucial to this secondary climbing out of the cellar. Here is PFF's take on the top 32 outside cornerbacks entering the 2021 NFL season, featuring stiff competition for the top spot among several players under the age of 27. Fuller allowed just 53% of the passes into his coverage to be completed with four interceptions and nine pass breakups. Wards dominance in single coverage (96th percentile grade since 2018) has been particularly noteworthy. No team covered the slot better in the 2021 regular season than the Patriots. Xavien Howard picked an opportune time to hold out for a new contract.. In a pass-heavy league, the cornerback position has grown into one of the most important positions on the football field. It eventually got so bad that they had to move Will Harris from safety to outside corner and were forced to play 2021 undrafted cornerbacks AJ Parker and Jerry Jacobs for more than 300 coverage snaps. Hes going up against each teams best receiver, shadowing them around the field. Cross died in 2021. He has been one of the best run defenders (88.5 run-defense grade in five seasons with the Vikings) at the position since entering the league in 2015. Slot corner Mackensie Alexanders down season didnt help matters, either. From Week 7 on, he was one of the 25 highest-graded players at the position and allowed more than 60 yards in coverage just once this season. Top 25 cornerbacks in the NFL. Bryce Hall, New York Jets, XFL Fantasy Football Rankings Week 2: Josh Gordon, Jeff Badet, Max Borghi, and More, Final Fantasy PPR Rankings for the NFL Playoffs: Tony Pollard, Ezekiel Elliott, James Cook, and More, NFL All-Time RB Records: Season and Career Leaders, College football Week 6 live reactions, results, and takeaways. Kansas City's defense looked dead in the water after the first five weeks of the season. With the defense surrounding the young CB, he could easily be higher on the list heading into next season. Best Bets Tool. Rhodes will look to continue to build on that success on another one-year deal with the team in 2021. We rank all 32 teams in 10 different position groups, plus we offer an overall roster outlook. Now the question is, are they able to maintain that if they undergo another coaching change? Gilmore was comfortably the No. Ya-Sin made his best plays on his few snaps in press-man, while Rodgers' top moments came in off-zone when racking up stops. Led by Denzel Ward, Greedy Williams and rookie Greg Newsome II, the Browns' cornerback grade finished with the third-best coverage grade in the NFL. That is how much top-end cornerback play there is in the NFL. Carolina ranked 24th in outside coverage grade and allowed the fourth-worst passer rating to the outside (107.8). The Rams may have lost key pieces in the secondary in the form of safety John Johnson and cornerback Troy Hill but, even with the departure of defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, moving the ball on Los Angeles through the air will be an imposing challenge in 2021. Humphrey impacts the games in all the ways you want him to. Six cornerbacks played over 100 snaps for the Jaguars in 2021 and only one Shaquill Griffin produced a coverage grade above 60.0. We often bring up the difficult coverage assignments that No. The seven touchdowns allowed into his coverage this past season were tied for second-most of any cornerback in the league. That's when deals are officially negotiated and reported signings fly across . While the group combined for the sixth-most interceptions (14) among the 32 secondaries, it also allowed a successful play at a bottom-five rate. Still, the Saints defense was great last season and has continued to be so in 2021. But certain units . Kendall Fuller, Washington Football Team Hes picked off nine passes over the past three seasons, and that total should be even higher, as Hadens nine dropped interceptions since 2018 are tied for the most at the position. But Las Vegas can afford to have confidence in the secondary going into 2021. After a broken-up pass against Wake Forest in 2016, he, . A few coverage lapses have led to big plays this year, but that happens in a scheme that relies on communication both pre- and post-snap. Moehrig allowed a big play on 20.3% of his targets in 2020, giving them up at the sixth-fewest rate of all Power 5 safeties with at least 25 targets. The Jets four most-played cornerbacks on the outside or slot this year were either Day 3 picks or undrafted in one of the past two classes. Carlton Davis III was less impressive, giving up a burn on exactly half of his 92 targets, though the fact he conceded a big play on 25% of his targets (the average was 26 among all corners) leaves room for encouragement. Receivers started getting smaller and more shifty. . (Gary Cosby Jr./. While Surtain will go early in the 2021 NFL Draft, he is not as good of a prospect as Jalen Ramsey or C.J. Since 2017, he has forced more incompletions on passes 20-plus yards downfield (18) than he has receptions allowed (14). Cross, who was 81 when he died Feb. 28, 2021, suffered from stage 4 chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Boston University researchers said Tuesday. Ward was one of the first to fit the new modern mold of NFL cornerback. 15. Jacksons grading profile has been consistent across his first three seasons in the NFL after joining New England as an undrafted free agent in 2018. The most impressive part is that it all comes in a man-heavy Baltimore defense few cornerbacks in the league possess that kind of ability. TreDavious Whites continuing success is a reason for that, as the two-time Pro Bowler first among all cornerbacks in adjusted open percentage allowed (16.20%) in 2020. His lone interception was a career-worst -- as was his tally of 50 combined tackles and 66.2 completion percentage allowed -- but with a full training camp to come (after having been absent a traditional one in 2020 due to the COVID-19 . His 17.3% forced incompletion rate ranks second among cornerbacks who have seen at least 100 targets over those two years. Byron Murphy, Arizona Cardinals12. The former Samford Bulldog put up one of the better performances of any cornerback in the league against Allen Robinson II, allowing just one reception on six targets with three pass breakups and an interception in that Week 2 matchup. Considering the team introduced new starters on the outside in Jackrabbit Jenkins and Kristian Fulton and in the slot in Elijah Molden, thats still above preseason expectations. 1. The low-level play ultimately led to his benching by the seasons end. Should the Giants opt to move on from the 27-year-old cornerback, they would clear $8.6 million . This week, were evaluating defensive backs. The secondary finished 26th in unit coverage grade and ranked in the bottom 10 in passer rating, yards per attempt and separation allowed when the quarterback threw from a clean pocket. Pair that with three top-25-graded safeties , No team covered the slot better in the 2021 regular season than the Patriots. He was 10th in the NFL at his position in adjusted open percentage (21.58). Bradberry's 2021 season, though, was abysmal. which is used by all 32 NFL teams we'll rank all 32 NFL secondaries from the 2021 regular season. Buffalos offense carried the load last season as the Bills progressed to the AFC Championship Game, though the talent in the secondary is such that they can afford to have confidence in putting more of the burden on their pass coverage in 2021. Lattimore possesses everything you could want in a cornerback. Verrett exceeded all expectations in his return from a string of injuries last season for San Francisco. There is a massive amount of talent currently at the position. The Bengals' pass coverage finished the regular season as the seventh-most improved group year over year in terms of EPA allowed per pass. Two free-agent signings, in particular , The Raiders entered 2021 on a streak of arguably the worst defensive back play in the entire NFL. Galina: The shortcomings of the Kellen Moore-Dak Prescott connection for the Dallas Cowboys Despite that, the Buccaneers outside cornerbacks still combined for the highest unit coverage grade in the NFL. Humphreys seamless inside-outside versatility is a big reason why he ranks so highly here. Eagles: 4-11-1. Consequently, defenses are more stressed than ever before. And we mustnt forget about the impact of rookie safety Jevon Holland. Hes 61, 210 pounds, and his spider chart might as well have been colored in by a nine-year-old. via Seth Galina. After a few poorly graded games in the first quarter of the season, the first-round pick stepped up and was a legitimate CB1 for Denver. He graded at 75.0 or higher in every season that he saw more than 100 snaps from 2012 through 2019, and he did it all while posting the highest forced incompletion rate in the NFL. The 2021 first-round pick was the lone Falcons defensive back to play 200 snaps and earn a PFF grade north of 60.0. Xavien Howard has always been an outstanding blend of consistency and aggression. Melifonwu was tied for ninth in the fewest burn yards per snap (1.23) allowed among Power 5 corners in his final season with Syracuse. Seattle Seahawks: Ahkello Witherspoon, D.J. The Panthers' outside coverage, in particular, was the weakest link. Theres a reason he has received plenty of interest since his release. Theyre simply on a tier of their own for the time being. This kind of ranking for the Chicago Bears was expected this season, considering their cornerback situation outside of Jaylon Johnson. What Diggs is doing through six games is absurd. He recorded coverage grades of at least 72.0 in each of his first three seasons in the league and has allowed just 51.4% of the passes thrown into his coverage to be completed. The 49ers brought in veteran Josh Norman out of necessity at the start of the season, and it didnt go well. His 71.5 overall grade in 2020 was his highest single-season mark since back in 2017 with the Broncos. In 2019 and 2020, for instance, he played more in the slot than out wide. J.C. Jackson isnt the most consistent cornerback in the world, but hes not necessarily the gambler that Howard and Marcus Peters tend to be. PFF's exclusive metrics provide Cornerback (CB) position rankings, grades, and snap counts. Pro Football Focus graded rookie Sauce Gardner as the best corner in the NFL. It hasnt taken Alexander very long to establish himself as one of the leagues best coverage cornerbacks. worst 2021 cornerback 2021. worst 2021 cornerback 2021. Going into the 2021 season, there are several teams that stand out as best prepared to do that with the talent they possess in the defensive backfield. He still showcases lockdown man-coverage ability at times, but it has been less consistent of late. The defense endured blows at multiple position groups, including in the secondary with Marcus Peters (torn ACL in the preseason) and Marlon Humphrey (torn pectoral in Week 13). Tre Flowers' open percentage of 85.7 was the fifth-worst of all corners in the NFL, though the play of another former Niner, D.J. Lavonte David 6943. Jenkins was part of the facelift at the cornerback position for Tennessee this offseason, replacing Malcolm Butler and Adoree Jackson with Jenkins and first-round pick Caleb Farley. The position as a whole combined for the third-fewest WAR among the 32 groups. Only two cornerbacks gave up a big play in coverage more regularly than Okudah, who did so on 43.9% of his targets. Detroits defensive backs aggregate coverage grade is 27% below average. In the News: Patrick Mahomes, Derek Carr, Aaron Rodgers, Jalen Hurts, Tom Brady, Brock Purdy. The following are the 2022 NFL team overall defense statistics, including team rushing yardage, team passing yardage and total team yardage. As the passing game has furthered its position as the dominant and most critical aspect of NFL attacks, the need for a secondary with the talent to regularly withstand aerial assaults led by a deep crop of quarterbacks has become an increasingly pressing one. Here is the fourth version of our Vikings 2023 Mock Draft Tracker, which features 16 recent predictions from around the world of . Allowed to their opponents graded rookie Sauce Gardner as the teams big free-agent acquisition at the position should an. Humphreys seamless inside-outside versatility is a big play in coverage grade and allowed the fourth-worst passer rating to the (... ) position rankings, grades, and hes an MVP candidate at quarterback offenses best weapon 71.5 overall in. 10Th in the slot better in the NFL White can keep up his torrent in... Didnt go well been colored in by a team strapped for salary cap space low-level play ultimately led his... 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