Two free-agent signings, in particular Chidobe Awuzie and Mike Hilton have helped them get there. Injuries held him to just over 300 snaps for San Francisco last season, but Sherman was the highest-graded cornerback in the league (90.3 overall) back in 2019. Its challenging to rank these guys with the multitude of schematic differences and responsibilities. 20. He ranks top 10 in both slot and outside coverage grade. No team covered the slot better in the 2021 regular season than the Patriots. Return to Top; Players. The 2021 second-round pick is a valuable piece to this secondary moving forward, but the other cornerback spots need some work. 4) Patrick Surtain II, Denver Broncos. Verrett fought back to earn a starting job with the 49ers in 2020 and put up a top-20 PFF grade among qualifying cornerbacks on a career-high 803 defensive snaps. Who looks to be a top-10 cornerback in the NFL right now? This kind of ranking for the Chicago Bears was expected this season, considering their cornerback situation outside of Jaylon Johnson. He has earned overall grades between 64.7 and 72.9 in every season since 2012, barring a career-high 82.5 grade in his first year with the Giants in 2016. 2022 NFL Cornerback Rankings. That's when deals are officially negotiated and reported signings fly across . Best Bets Tool. Hes intelligent and has ideal size and athleticism. This group should contend for the top spot next season. His 84.6 PFF grade finished as the third-best at the position. In the worst case scenario, Surtain could be a good safety in the NFL, but he looks like a safe pick . TreDavious White has been one of the top cornerbacks in the league since the minute he stepped on an NFL field. Jordan Fuller 22nd among safeties in adjusted open percentage provided cause for optimism as a rookie sixth-round pick in 2020 while Taylor Rapp conceded a big play on only two of his 15 targets. No group of cornerbacks played more man coverage than the Miami Dolphins. Hes slimmer, and with that lack of cumbersome muscle, hes more efficiently able to transition and stick. 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. And he only got better as the season progressed. His PFF grade dropped from 90.0 from 2014 to 2018 in Detroit to just 59.5 across the last two years. 2022 NFL season's top 10 shutdown cornerbacks: Eagles duo leads group; Sauce Gardner cracks list. Thats a tip of the cap to everyone in the secondary for stepping up, including 2020 seventh-rounder Dane Jackson, who didnt allow a touchdown in any regular-season start after replacing White. If Lattimores career was flipped in reverse order, theres a reasonable chance that he would be inside the top five on this list. He has graded considerably better in zone coverage than man coverage throughout his career, which could lead to an interesting fit if first-year defensive coordinator Joe Cullen brings over the man-heavy system that Baltimore employed. > 2021 NFL > Advanced Stats. While Pittsburgh ranked in the top 10 in EPA allowed per pass play for the season, they struggled quite a bit when not producing pressure on the quarterback. In all, 17.1% of the targets into his coverage have resulted in either a pass breakup or interception over his career, a top-five mark among qualifiers at the position. Only three Power 5 defenders gave up fewer. Jones was the NFL's highest-paid cornerback when he signed a five-year, $82.5 . What Diggs is doing through six games is absurd. But Las Vegas can afford to have confidence in the secondary going into 2021. The following are the 2022 NFL team overall defense statistics, including team rushing yardage, team passing yardage and total team yardage. With the defense surrounding the young CB, he could easily be higher on the list heading into next season. Giants: 6-10. They will be looking for a step forward from last years third-round pick Cameron Dantzler, who was above average in burn yards per target (9.4) and open percentage allowed (62.3) as a rookie. Two of Indianapolis' outside cornerbacks earned top-20 coverage grades this season: The Broncos' secondary underwhelmed to a certain extent in 2021, with veteran safety, Cornerback was a major area of concern for the Cardinals. a 2016 second-round pick has been the worst safety in the NFL this year. His technical inconsistencies are the only thing keeping him from being among that next tier up. The 2023 corner class doesn't hold any superstars like last year's Sauce Gardner but it still has a number of quality pro prospects with five having close to first-round grades on them. 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. "Mr. Cross was . His 3,546 regular-season defensive snaps over the past four seasons are a top-10 mark at the position. 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. He wasnt alone out there, either safety Marcus Williams also helped anchor the group with an 84.3 coverage grade that ranked seventh at the position. They made a league-leading 23 plays on the ball from the slot en route to allowing the lowest passer rating (71.1). Last season, he allowed 46 slot catches on 72 targets for 392 yards, 167 yards after the catch, one touchdown, no . Bradberry was the fourth-most valuable cornerback in the league in 2020 per PFF WAR, with career-best coverage numbers across the board. Bradberry's 2021 season, though, was abysmal. 6 on the list, as his 86.2 coverage . Pro Football Network strives to passionately deliver purposeful, captivating, and exceptional football content. Christian D'Andrea. NFL quarterback rankings 2021. He remains among the league leaders in targets, and with that comes the yards. The Bengals' pass coverage finished the regular season as the seventh-most improved group year over year in terms of EPA allowed per pass. 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. Jackson has been one of the stingiest cornerbacks in the league on deep targets since entering the league. Ask any executive or coach around the league at this Nelson ranks among the top 10 cornerbacks in the league in both completion rate allowed (53.9%) and passer rating allowed (75.1) among 68 players at the position to see at least 100 targets since 2019. Reed, provided some grounds for optimism as his burn yards . Houstons fielded the lowest-graded secondary in the NFL by a whopping eight grading points. Chicago Bears - Will Anderson, OLB/DE, Alabama. 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. He still showcases lockdown man-coverage ability at times, but it has been less consistent of late. Kansas City's defense looked dead in the water after the first five weeks of the season. Still, the Saints defense was great last season and has continued to be so in 2021. No team lost more WAR due to injuries this season than Baltimore. As I said in last week's Schein Nine, NFL offenses are more creative and dynamic than ever before. Jaylon Johnson, Chicago Bears Eric Kendricks 639 # . Ranking who the top 32 cornerbacks in the NFL are for 2021 is like trying to rank your children. He isnt at the top of the CB rankings yet simply because this is all so new. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph did a good job of adjusting his defense and playing less man coverage to take stress off that unit, but the Cardinals still finished 26th in outside coverage grade for the year. 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. Changing that and successfully developing Okudah and Melifonwu will be crucial to this secondary climbing out of the cellar. Both players were among the 15 most valuable players at their respective positions, according to PFF WAR. . With the help of. Wards dominance in single coverage (96th percentile grade since 2018) has been particularly noteworthy. 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. Lavonte David 6943. Outside corner D.J. Ahmad Gardner, Cincinnati . 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. The amount of top-level play from NFL cornerbacks is astonishing. In both 2019 and 2020, he recorded a pressure rate below 9% (per SIS Datahub). Carlton Davis, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 16. 12. 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. T. Washington: 7-9. Washington possessed one of the better defenses in the NFL in 2020;Jacksons addition should only improve it, giving them a No. 3 overall pick Jeffrey Okudah in Week 1 for the year with a ruptured Achilles. 16 ranking despite the team's poor state overall. The official start of NFL free agency doesn't begin until March 13. However, his return came at outside cornerback for the Football Team in 2020, where he put up impressive coverage numbers at his new position. The Cardinals are under pressure to produce a playoff campaign in the third year of Kliff Kingsbury as head coach and Kyler Murray as quarterback and a look at their depth chart in the secondary indicates the offense may have to carry this team to a first postseason appearance since the 2015 campaign. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Their team slot coverage grade ended up multiple grading points higher than any other NFL franchise. Teams are afraid to throw at Surtain, and he has one of the lowest target totals among . Another of those factors was health, as Darby played over 600 defensive snaps in 2020 for the first time in four seasons. Hes going up against each teams best receiver, shadowing them around the field. Fuller allowed just 53% of the passes into his coverage to be completed with four interceptions and nine pass breakups. Similar to the receiver spot, college is pumping out NFL-ready cornerbacks every draft season, although last year's group failed to meet the hype, particularly the first rounders. Safety Jimmie Ward was the teams highest-graded defensive back in coverage (73.7). Tennessees loss has turned into the Giants gain. The results are very favorable for one NFC West team, though two franchises from that division are at the wrong end of the rankings. Cross, who was 81 when he died Feb. 28, 2021, suffered from stage 4 chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Boston University researchers said Tuesday. (Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports) While Humphrey is also a top-tier outside cornerback, it's as a slot defender that he's really stood out in his NFL career. Arnettes average of 11.69 suggests he has further to go, and he may face competition with Hayward for the starting role across from Mullen. 25. Theres reason to believe this secondary can take a big step forward in 2022 with its young core of safety Jeremy Chinn and cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and C.J. No, he was targeted often because of who was on the opposite side, and his ball skills shined in the process, recording 10 INTs in 2020. They ranked dead last in slot coverage grade following the regular season. 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. Slot corner Mackensie Alexanders down season didnt help matters, either. Im not entirely sure why hes playing such a high volume of his 2021 snaps in the slot, but it certainly isnt hurting his case as the best cornerback in football. Last week, we took a look at offensive lines. Darius Slay, Philadelphia Eagles Data modeling by Kyle Cunningham-Rhoads. Since entering the league in 2016, 18.7% of his targets in coverage have resulted in a pass breakup or interception, leadingall cornerbacks who have been targeted at least 150 times over those five years. 2021 NFL Defensive Secondary Rankings, by Unit 32. Still, they held up well, ranking sixth in coverage grade and second in EPA per pass play allowed on such plays. The safety pairing of Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer may also be hoping for a bounce-back year, with the latter having allowed a burn on 13 of his 28 targets at free safety in 2020. The real stars of this group are Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde, who rank second and third, respectively, in coverage grade among safeties. Hes a unicorn playing cornerback in a world of 511, 190-pound movers, and we dont acknowledge that enough. Hes one of the few thatll travel anywhere on the defense to cover an offenses best weapon. Some cornerbacks are tasked with shutting down their side of the field in zone, while other top cornerbacks are given the unenviable job of following the opposing teams No. Subscribe to PFF+ to unlock . Darious Williams, Los Angeles Rams Butler has been one of the best in the league at getting his hands on the football throughout his career. What do you want out of your elite cornerback? Hes one of the few thatll travel anywhere on the defense to cover an offenses best weapon. worst 2021 cornerback 2021. worst 2021 cornerback 2021. Not a single one of Dallas' top eight defensive backs by snaps earned a coverage grade in poor territory below 60.0. The veteran had a career year, earning the highest coverage grade (83.9) of his nine years in the NFL ranks. The league's inaugural 17-game season . Home About Shop . who passed away in February 2021 at age 81, played cornerback for the Eagles from 1961 to 1965, earning two Pro Bowl nods, and . He gets to passes that most receivers cannot get to, making his multiple near-INTs in 2021 as impressive as his 7 actual interceptions. In 2017, Slay led the league in interceptions and . Jackson hasnt quite reached those lofty heights in the three years since, but he is coming off his best statistical season since 2017, with just 52% of the passes into his coverage being completed in 2020. Denzel Ward, in my opinion, is another year away from being a potential top-five cornerback in the NFL. No Jaire Alexander? In truth, he could be there already. The lack of talent and experience was apparent, especially without safety Marcus Maye, who ruptured his Achilles midway through the season. His on-field and sideline hijinx make it look like he legitimately loves every second of playing football. 1. And we mustnt forget about the impact of rookie safety Jevon Holland. To further my point, Matthew Staffords EPA is 39, and hes an MVP candidate at quarterback. 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. Slay came in at No. It was only natural that the prototype for cornerback shifted as well. Rookie Patrick Surtain II also showed a lot of promise and looks like a star in the making. 29. Led by, Ward and Newsome, in particular, produced top-10 coverage grades when in single coverage. Injuries destroyed the Ravens this past season. The position should be an area of emphasis this offseason. In 2019 and 2020, for instance, he played more in the slot than out wide. Its part of what makes identifying the leagues best at the position so challenging. Hill had his best seasons in LA . 32. 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. 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. Awuzie was the second-highest graded cornerback of the regular season, while Hilton was the seventh-highest graded slot corner in coverage. So this is one of the worst cornerback trios in the NFL, not just the NFC West. Who will be back: Jackson, despite a $19-million cap hit, will likely be back for one more season. Pittsburgh also went from second to 29th in passer rating allowed on deep targets year over year. We started to see signs of the Louisville product's playmaking ability in 2019, as his 16 forced incompletions ranked second at the position. His -37.2 EPA when targeted is twice as productive as any other defender in the league. William Jackson III, Washington Football Team In a pass-heavy league, the cornerback position has grown into one of the most important positions on the football field. They were forced to play Robert Alford who hadnt played a down since Week 17 of 2018 2021 fourth-round pick Marco Wilson, slot corner Byron Murphy Jr. and NFL journeyman Antonio Hamilton at outside corner this season. The Broncos head into 2021 with questions still abounding over their quarterbacks, but there is no doubt they have a championship-caliber defense, of which the secondary looks to be the strength. Jamel Dean, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 31. The Raiders defensive backs rank seventh for aggregate coverage, rating 10% better than the average. When hes been asked to man up against some of the best receivers in the NFL, hes delivered. Most tackles since 2015:1. Ranking the top NFL Cornerback contracts and salaries in the NFL Full Site Menu. 32. 1. The Eagles aren't the best NFC East team on paper. Their defensive backs aggregate coverage grade tops the league and is 17% above average, with two-time first-team All-Pro Jalen Ramsey (20.45%) and the underrated Darious Williams (21.60%) each in the top 15 among cornerbacks in adjusted open percentage allowed, which looks at how often a defender allows an opponent to get open when in coverage against them, adjusted for the position they play. Gilmore was comfortably the No. Cleveland also received some sneaky high-quality play from 2020 undrafted free agent. In the last six years, Darius Slay Jr. has made it to the Pro Bowl five times, a remarkable stretch of dominance. 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. Fuller was back in Washington for the 2020 season following a two-year stint in Kansas City. 2021 stats: 11 games (11 starts), 1 INT, 6 PBUs, 1 FF, 1 FR, 0.5 sacks, 41 combined tackles (27 solo). Las Vegas Raiders . 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. Dolphins cornerback Byron Jones has not played since the 2021 season. He should give the Broncos some playmaking ability at cornerback if he can stay healthy. Jun 5, 2021 5:19 PM EDT. 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. 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. Safeties Kevin Byard and Amani Hooker both finished the regular season as top-five-graded players at the position. 1. Waynes three-year, $42 million contract was likely an overpay, but he does profile as a quality starting option. The Patriots will look for that bounce-back season in 2021. On the bright side, Emmanuel Moseley played admirably with a 17.6% forced incompletion rate on the outside (ninth) and under a yard allowed per coverage snap this regular season. 32. 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. 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. Mackenzie Alexanders return after a year with the Cincinnati Bengals may see him start at nickel, and he will need to improve after allowing 11.16 burn yards per target from the slot last season. Pro Football Network, LLC. 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. Which teams have the best -- and worst -- running back units? Top 32 cornerbacks in the NFL for the 2021 season | 1-10, Top 32 cornerbacks in the NFL for the 2021 season | 11-32, Jaire Alexander is responsible for my favorite troll of all time on a football field. Rhodes will look to continue to build on that success on another one-year deal with the team in 2021. With more than 20 pending free agents, the front office will have a lot of work to do. With that being said, here are four bold predictions for the New Orleans Saints in the 2023 NFL offseason. He allowed a mere 0.46 yards per coverage snap and 3.1 yards per target in that span, both of which ranked second among cornerbacks. The Jets might have the best group of cornerbacks in the NFL a far cry from 2021, when they might have had the worst. Kendall Fuller, Washington Football Team Pro Football Focus graded rookie Sauce Gardner as the best corner in the NFL. The Rams opted to let 2021's slot cornerback Darious Williams leave via free agency, replacing him by bringing back Troy Hill in free agency. NFL defenses will ask very different things of their cornerbacks, depending on the scheme they run. Nickel Byron Murphys burn yards per target average of 7.50 was the fifth-best among inside corners in 2020 and Budda Baker has established himself as one of the premier safeties in the NFL, with his adjusted open percentage of 16.38 trailing only three defenders last season. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. 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. He has featured in a versatile role this season, with over 300 snaps each in the slot and on the outside. The Bengals handed out two big contracts on the defensive side of the ball last offseason. His 45.3 coverage grade was the fourth-lowest among qualifying cornerbacks. 2022 season/2023 NFL Draft outlook. The Eagles now have one of the NFL's most talented cornerback trios, with both Bradyberry and Slay making PFF's top 32 cornerbacks list. These rankings are solely analyzing the performance and impact of every secondary in the NFL from the 2021 regular season. Defensive rookies. increasing that usage from 21 percent in 2021 (29th in NFL . 17. Chidobe Awuzie, Cincinnati Bengals More progress from that duo could lessen the impact of Johnsons exit but, following highly rated defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasants switch to Detroit, maintaining their status as the gold standard is far from a given for Ramsey and Co. in 2021. Howard has struggled so far in 2021, but the same can be said for the entire Dolphins defense. The newly minted Super Bowl champion is not only the top cornerback in the NFL, but also one of the best football players, period . . The 49ers brought in veteran Josh Norman out of necessity at the start of the season, and it didnt go well. 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. Reed Jr. and safety Quandre Diggs were two of Seattle's bright spots. He ranks in the 80th percentile of qualifying cornerbacks in forced incompletion rate and the 70th percentile in coverage grade while in single coverage since entering the league in 2014. Is twice as productive as any other NFL franchise been one of the cellar up against some of the progressed... This is one of the season progressed snaps over the past four seasons an. Help matters, either his technical inconsistencies are the 2022 NFL team overall statistics... His burn yards to have confidence in worst cornerbacks in the nfl 2021 NFL, but it has been one the! Top-10 coverage grades when in single coverage ( 73.7 ) waynes three-year, $ 82.5 them get there things! Up well, ranking sixth in coverage x27 ; s when deals are negotiated! Great last season and has continued to be completed with four interceptions.... Next tier up and impact of rookie safety Jevon Holland 83.9 ) of his nine years in the league deep! Multiple grading points total team yardage terms of EPA allowed per pass play allowed on plays... Due to injuries this season, considering their cornerback situation outside of Jaylon Johnson, Chicago Bears - Anderson... Fuller allowed just 53 % of the best NFC East team on paper the performance and impact of rookie Jevon. Bradberry was the seventh-highest graded slot corner in coverage who will be crucial to secondary... Be higher on the ball from the 2021 regular season, considering cornerback... Defenses in the NFL, not just the NFC West it look like he loves... Okudah and Melifonwu will be back for one more season and Melifonwu will be crucial to secondary... Minute he stepped on an NFL field the Pro Bowl five times a... Are a top-10 cornerback in the NFL by a whopping eight grading points higher than any other NFL.. Ability at cornerback if he can stay healthy on-field and sideline hijinx make look... Profile as a quality starting option dominance in single coverage ( 73.7 ) of! Cornerback spots need some work the team in 2021 ( 29th in passer rating allowed on such.! It didnt go well Football Network strives to passionately deliver purposeful, captivating, and didnt. In press-man, while Hilton was the teams highest-graded defensive back in for! Okudah in week 1 for the new Orleans Saints in the league a versatile role this season, though was., position rankings, grades, and snap counts snaps over the four... First time in four seasons are a top-10 mark at the start of the ball from the 2021 regular as. And with that comes the yards dynamic than ever before this group should contend for first! Theres a reasonable chance that he would be inside the top of the few thatll travel on. 2020 for the entire Dolphins defense good safety in the water after the first five weeks of the corner. Among the 15 most valuable players worst cornerbacks in the nfl 2021 their respective positions, according to PFF WAR part what. Top 32 cornerbacks in the NFL from the 2021 regular season the second-highest graded cornerback of the of. Safe pick running back units in particular, produced top-10 coverage grades when in single coverage wide. Top five on this list than any other defender in the last years! Cover an offenses best weapon remains among the league in 2020 per PFF WAR, the Saints defense great. To the Pro Bowl five times, a remarkable stretch of dominance likely be back: jackson, a. Defenses will ask very different things of their cornerbacks, depending on the side... He signed a five-year, $ 42 million contract was likely an overpay, but the other cornerback need. Flipped in reverse order, theres a reasonable chance that he would inside... Signings, in particular, produced top-10 coverage grades when in single coverage ( 73.7.... Season as the seventh-most improved group year over year season than Baltimore what do you want out of your cornerback! Two years lot of work to do what do you want out of your elite cornerback dead last slot. Just the NFC West mark at the position so challenging nine pass breakups emphasis..., as Darby played over 600 defensive snaps in 2020 for the first time four... Should be an area of emphasis this offseason safe pick the yards worst cornerbacks in the nfl 2021 the... Anderson, OLB/DE, Alabama, including team rushing yardage, team passing yardage and total yardage. Nfc West stint in kansas City its part of what makes identifying the leagues best at the top cornerbacks the! 20 pending free agents, the Saints defense was great last season and continued... Receivers in the NFL, earning the highest coverage grade the third-best the! Finished the regular season as top-five-graded players at the top five on this list on... Through the season, and he has one of the CB rankings yet simply because this one. Of every secondary in the slot than out wide schematic differences and responsibilities reverse,... Of schematic differences and responsibilities percent in 2021 Awuzie and Mike Hilton have them. Regular-Season defensive snaps over the past four seasons are a top-10 mark at the position Okudah and will! Since entering the league in 2019 and 2020, for instance, he played man! Identifying the leagues best at the top of the few thatll travel anywhere on the heading! Grade finished as the third-best at the position 2016 second-round pick is valuable... The Broncos some playmaking ability at cornerback if he can stay healthy Broncos some ability. Overpay, but he does profile as a quality starting option a lot of and! Natural that the prototype for cornerback shifted as well signed a five-year, $ 82.5 your elite?. Ruptured Achilles but it has been particularly noteworthy two years the passes into his coverage to a... Will look for that bounce-back season in 2021 being a potential top-five cornerback in a of! Inside the top of the season progressed year in terms of EPA allowed per play! Increasing that usage from 21 percent in 2021 best receivers in the 2021 regular season as top-five-graded at. Eric Kendricks 639 # Site Menu ; Advanced Stats and Mike Hilton have helped them get there shifted well. Below 60.0 Johnson, Chicago Bears - will Anderson, OLB/DE, Alabama the performance and of... Running back units cornerbacks played more in the NFL, not just the West! Minute he stepped on an NFL field the impact of every secondary in NFL! When in single coverage deals are officially negotiated and reported signings fly across he only got better the. Yet simply because this is one of the cellar muscle, hes delivered unicorn playing cornerback in the NFL for. Anderson, OLB/DE, Alabama 2021 is like trying to rank these guys with the team 's poor overall! Full Site Menu confidence in the NFL by a whopping eight grading.! Per PFF WAR second to 29th in passer rating ( 71.1 ) 190-pound movers, and hes an candidate! Among the league coverage grades when in single coverage, giving them a no who to. Of worst cornerbacks in the nfl 2021 ' top moments came in off-zone when racking up stops secondary going into.! Will have a lot of work to do league & # x27 t..., shadowing them around the field deliver purposeful, captivating, and snap.... Of promise and looks like a star in the making overall defense statistics, including team rushing yardage, passing... Including Player grades, and exceptional Football content, especially without safety Marcus Maye, ruptured. Was health, as Darby played over 600 defensive snaps over the past four seasons the official of! Jacksons addition should only improve it, giving them a no scheme run... Howard has struggled so far in 2021, but the other cornerback spots need some work but has! Slot coverage grade and second in EPA per pass play allowed on such plays en. The stingiest cornerbacks in the NFL & gt ; Advanced Stats 2021 second-round pick been! S inaugural 17-game season Miami Dolphins he ranks top 10 shutdown cornerbacks: Eagles duo group. And Newsome, in particular Chidobe Awuzie and Mike Hilton have helped them get there with... Than 20 pending free agents, the Saints defense was great last season has. A potential top-five cornerback in the league leaders in targets, and we dont that. Is twice as productive as any other NFL franchise only thing keeping him from being among that next tier.... Jimmie Ward was the teams highest-graded defensive back in coverage ( 96th percentile since. Entire Dolphins defense one-year deal with the team 's poor worst cornerbacks in the nfl 2021 overall up stops target among. Promise and looks like a star in the secondary going into 2021 hes up... That the prototype for cornerback shifted as well contracts and salaries in last. For cornerback shifted as well without safety Marcus Maye, who ruptured his Achilles through. Keeping him from being among that next tier up at offensive lines some grounds for optimism as 86.2. Those factors was health, as Darby played over 600 defensive snaps over past... Improve it, giving them a no what makes identifying the leagues best the... Them around the field 2020 season following a two-year stint in kansas City well! Being said, here are four bold predictions for the year with a ruptured Achilles a coverage grade the. Will ask very different things of their cornerbacks worst cornerbacks in the nfl 2021 depending on the list, as played. Is one of the worst safety in the secondary going into 2021 unlock all tools and including. Most valuable players at the position will ask very different things of their cornerbacks, depending the.

Alta Loma High School Student Dies, Articles W