It shouldnt be a surprise that the group finished with one of the three-lowest unit coverage grades of the year. No team, this season than Baltimore. NFL quarterback rankings 2021. By continuing and using the site, including by remaining on the landing . Having an elite cornerback who is capable of traveling with an opposing team's top receiving threat, such as Jalen Ramsey, can take pressure off other players in the secondary. Lattimore possesses everything you could want in a cornerback. 11. Pittsburgh also went from second to 29th in passer rating allowed on deep targets year over year. He gets his hands on passes left and right without getting himself so out of position that hes unable to recover. The position as a whole combined for the third-fewest WAR among the 32 groups. Things got off to a rough start when the Lions lost 2020 No. This season, the division is up for grabs yet again. Even if the young Jaycee Horn hadnt gone down to injury, this would have been an outstanding move for the Panthers. Free-agent signing William Jackson III was an up-and-down performer. Pair that with three top-25-graded safeties , No team covered the slot better in the 2021 regular season than the Patriots. NAME SEASON TM GP TKL AST COMB SCK SCKY INT INT YDS INT TD FF FR FR TD; Jahleel Addae: 2021: IND. The cornerback room was more in the middle of the pack, ranking 16th in PFF WAR generated. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. Defensive rookies. Jackson is fluid and explosive with great natural feet to play a sticky brand of man coverage. The 2021 first-round pick was the lone Falcons defensive back to play 200 snaps and earn a PFF grade north of 60.0. Rookie Patrick Surtain II also showed a lot of promise and looks like a star in the making. Top 32 cornerbacks in the NFL for the 2021 season | 1-10. 14. Rookie Tyson Campbell was a reason for optimism, as he notched a couple of elite game grades above 90.0 in his last couple of months of action, but his inconsistent play was too severe for him to add considerable value to the secondary. Changing that and successfully developing Okudah and Melifonwu will be crucial to this secondary climbing out of the cellar. Veteran. With the start of the 2021 NFL regular season just around the corner, NFL.com analyst and former scout Daniel Jeremiah projects the best- and . Eric Kendricks 639 # . 30. Slay came in at No. 1 cornerback who will allow them to play more man coverage if they desire. It doesnt matter where Ramsey is at, though hes been a top-tier player at either position. 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. 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. 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. Marcus Peters, Baltimore Ravens Congratulations, Arizona. The seven touchdowns allowed into his coverage this past season were tied for second-most of any cornerback in the league. 6 and . While Surtain will go early in the 2021 NFL Draft, he is not as good of a prospect as Jalen Ramsey or C.J. Quinton Dunbar (44.4) allowed a 20-yard burn or a burn for a touchdown more often than any other player at his position when playing for the Seahawks. From Week 12 to the end of the regular season, he was one of the 10 highest-graded cornerbacks in the NFL. 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. Hes one of the few thatll travel anywhere on the defense to cover an offenses best weapon. Green, who posted a 90.3 coverage grade across his 116 coverage snaps. No group of cornerbacks played more man coverage than the Miami Dolphins. He does the razzle dazzle better than any quarterback, but he . His 17.3% forced incompletion rate ranks second among cornerbacks who have seen at least 100 targets over those two years. Even with the big plays allowed early in the season, quarterbacks have just a 68.1 rating when targeting Lattimore this season. 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). The Rams' pass-defense unit regressed some from 2020, but make no mistake: This is still an above-average group. 1. The Pro Bowl free safety will have an exciting mix of experience and youth alongside him. . 19. He should give the Broncos some playmaking ability at cornerback if he can stay healthy. No problem. After a broken-up pass against Wake Forest in 2016, he, . but it was his worst season from a production allowed standpoint since making the switch to cornerback in 2018. Overall, New York allowed more EPA per pass than any other defense in the regular season. Cornerback was a major area of concern for the Cardinals. Howard has struggled so far in 2021, but the same can be said for the entire Dolphins defense. I still expect a lot from Stephon Gilmore, and with those expectations will come quick criticism if he doesnt perform to his standards. Its worth pointing out that Slay frequently draws the opposing teams top receiving option in single coverage, and his 97 single coverage targets over the past two seasons is a top-five mark at the position. Outside corner D.J. That's when deals are officially negotiated and reported signings fly across . . Detroits secondary has been problematic over the past few years, and it didnt get any better in Year 1 under Dan Campbell. 90-81. 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. Building a high-powered offense is a sustainable way to win in the NFL, but ensuring the defensive secondary isnt a liability is what separates the contenders from the rest. What Diggs is doing through six games is absurd. 12. . Witherspoon allowed a burn on half of his 28 targets last season. Six cornerbacks played over 100 snaps for the Jaguars in 2021 and only one , Injuries destroyed the Ravens this past season. 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. His numbers have taken a slight hit in the two years since, but Fuller is coming off a solid 70.2 coverage grade in 2020. It hasnt taken Alexander very long to establish himself as one of the leagues best coverage cornerbacks. The back-to-back AFC champions stood at a 2-3 record, and the secondary was performing at league-low levels. We use our own and third-party cookies to improve your experience and our services. This is the worst front seven in the NFL. Dean allowed a burn on 30 of his 64 targets, his percentage of 46.9 comfortably better than the average of 52.8 for corners with at least 200 coverage snaps. CORNERBACK PROSPECT RANKING 2023 NFL DRAFT. If he can replicate that impact as a rookie, the Raiders should be in extremely good shape in the defensive backfield. In a league where the deck is stacked heavily in favor of offenses, there is only so much even the best cornerbacks and safeties can do to keep the burgeoning ranks of exceptional athletes at quarterback in check. 1. NFL defenses will ask very different things of their cornerbacks, depending on the scheme they run. Ive already written my story on Trevon Diggs. (Gary Cosby Jr./. If that happens and J.C. Jackson progresses, they could solidify themselves with a gold medal there. Dean expanded his role in the Buccaneers defense from fewer than 400 snaps in 2019 to 935 defensive snaps this past season. See trending; Company. 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 Tuscaloosa News via AP) Height: 6'2" (95th percentile) Weight: 208 (94th) 40-Yard Dash: 4.42 seconds (85th) Bench Press: 18 reps (33rd) Vertical Jump: 39 inches (84th) Broad Jump: 131 inches (91st) 3-Cone Drill: N/A 20-Yard Shuttle: N/A Bio: In what will be a theme for this list of players . However, their defensive backfield is only 15th in aggregate coverage rating, coming in 3% better than average. To further my point, Matthew Staffords EPA is 39, and hes an MVP candidate at quarterback. 247Sports Composite. Lavonte David 6943. . . a 2016 second-round pick has been the worst safety in the NFL this year. via Seth Galina. A Week 5 matchup with Amari Cooper and Dallas put that on display. Terrell has flashed the ability to become one of the truly . Bradberry's 2021 season, though, was abysmal. Heck, he played more snaps in the slot in 2020 than he did on the outside. Teams are afraid to throw at Surtain, and he has one of the lowest target totals among . In truth, he could be there already. NAME GP TKL AST COMB SCK SCKY INT INT YDS INT TD FF FR FR TD; Tom Farris: 11: 4: 43: 0: 1: 0: Steve Filipowicz 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. 3 overall pick Jeffrey Okudah in Week 1 for the year with a ruptured Achilles. They consistently ranked near the bottom of the league in every metric imaginable, including defensive back, Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley brought his patented Seahawk Cover 3 defense and got the right players in place to carry it out at a quality level. The Panthers get a physical and sticky man coverage cornerback who will be an interesting fit on an incredibly young defense. Humphrey impacts the games in all the ways you want him to. If that remains the case, Buffalos secondary should stay among the best in the league even with only marginal improvements made by his teammates. They consistently ranked near the bottom of the league in every metric imaginable, including defensive back PFF WAR generated: Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley brought his patented Seahawk Cover 3 defense and got the right players in place to carry it out at a quality level. The league's inaugural 17-game season . Rankings&Projections |WR/CB Matchup Chart |NFL & NCAA Betting Dashboards | NFL Player Props Tool | NFL & NCAA Power Rankings name season tm gp tkl ast comb sck scky int int yds int td ff fr fr td; jahleel addae: 2021 Design by Matt Sisneros. . Greedy Williams, Cleveland Browns Pro Football Network strives to passionately deliver purposeful, captivating, and exceptional football content. Pro Football Focus graded rookie Sauce Gardner as the best corner in the NFL. Veteran Artie Burns and seventh-round rookie Thomas Graham Jr. were small-sample darlings with 85.1 and 90.6 coverage grades, respectively, but they didnt get enough reps to make a sizable dent. 32. The Panthers' outside coverage, in particular, was the weakest link. Henderson. White does a fantastic job of toeing the line between aggressive and reckless. Demario Davis 6634. Pro Football Network, LLC. He plays so he is targeted, which leads to his interceptions. 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. Here is the fourth version of our Vikings 2023 Mock Draft Tracker, which features 16 recent predictions from around the world of . Still, they held up well, ranking sixth in coverage grade and second in EPA per pass play allowed on such plays. 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. 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. I wouldnt have any issue calling White the best cornerback in football if Ramsey and Alexander didnt exist. His goal is not to make it so a quarterback doesnt want to throw the ball his way. 2022 NFL Cornerback Rankings. > 2021 NFL > Advanced Stats. A.J. Awuzie was the second-highest graded cornerback of the regular season, while Hilton was the seventh-highest graded slot corner in coverage. Only three Power 5 defenders gave up fewer. 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. "Mr. Cross was . The dude still smacks like a truck as a tackler and despite allowing over 60% completions, hes only allowing 5.5 yards per target and under 10 yards per catch. Yet, despite praise for Antoine Winfield Jrs rookie year, both he and fellow starting safety Jordan Whitehead will hope to make improvements in coverage, having given up 11.33 and 12.32 burn yards per target, respectively. Hayward has been one of the highest-graded cornerbacks in the league for much of his career, spanning across time spent with both the Packers and the Los Angeles Chargers. Things got off to a rough start when the Lions lost 2020 No. In 2017, Slay led the league in interceptions and . The Raiders entered 2021 on a streak of arguably the worst defensive back play in the entire NFL. Haden may be on the downward slope of his career, but he has provided Pittsburgh with steady play at cornerback since joining the team in 2018 and should continue to do so in 2021. The Philadelphia Eagles cornerback, who became the first Black man to work full-time as a sports analyst on national television, is the latest football player diagnosed with CTE. Questions remain at cornerback, however, after Avonte Maddox struggled while playing outside corner last year and Darius Slay underperformed. 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. Ranking the top NFL Cornerback contracts and salaries in the NFL The Vikings invested heavily in the secondary in recent years and the numbers suggest that decision could pay dividends in the coming season. The strength of this group comes from two former Washington Huskies. Home About Shop . His 75.8 coverage grade in 2020 ranked 15th among all qualifying cornerbacks across the league, and he was called for just two penalties all year. 1. 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. None of their cornerbacks had a quality campaign, but Bashaud Breeland who was waived in mid-December was the main reason for the outside struggles. he 2021 NFL regular season is over. Building a high-powered offense is a sustainable way to win in the NFL, but ensuring the defensive secondary isnt a liability is what separates the contenders from the rest. Receivers started getting smaller and more shifty. The Seahawks appear to be banking on Ahkello Witherspoon making a leap he never managed with the San Francisco 49ers. Reed, provided some grounds for optimism as his burn yards . 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. Overall, Philadelphia's cornerback room finished second in coverage grade this season. Ward was one of the first to fit the new modern mold of NFL cornerback. The Raiders entered 2021 on a streak of arguably the worst defensive back play in the entire NFL. Those three cornerbacks shared a combined 17 years of experience in the NFL. Buffalos secondary endured a crushing blow in Week 12 when CB1. Cornerback Charvarius Ward was also playing exceptionally better after missing a month due to injury. Will Harris at least had an admirable 2020 at strong safety, finishing third among all safeties in burn yards per target (7). Hes 61, 210 pounds, and his spider chart might as well have been colored in by a nine-year-old. 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 outlook isnt nearly as rosy heading into 2021 after a noticeable decline in play last season. Minnesota put forth some of the worst cornerback play in the NFL. The hope for Miami will be that he gets back toward the player who earned a five-year, $82.5 million contract last offseason. 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. The position should be an area of emphasis this offseason. What do you want out of your elite cornerback? Their team slot coverage grade ended up multiple grading points higher than any other NFL franchise. The 2021 top-10 pick allowed over 60 yards just once last season and led the draft class in combined interceptions and pass breakups (12). Should the Giants opt to move on from the 27-year-old cornerback, they would clear $8.6 million . While Gang Green endured a turbulent 2019, Poole was one of the team's top performers week in and week out. If it werent for A.J. (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. With modern NFL rules, its a disadvantage not to have the type of foot speed Ward possesses. Full Site Menu. Veteran Casey Hayward Jr. who played in Bradley's scheme with the Los Angeles Chargers was the 13th-highest graded outside corner of the regular season, while rookie Nate Hobbs was the highest-graded slot corner. 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. 23. Ahmad Gardner, Cincinnati . Terrell was actually the second-highest graded cornerback in coverage in the 2021 regular season, behind only Jalen Ramsey. He led the position in interceptions (11), yards allowed (1,026) and penalties (11) this regular season. Jaylon Johnson, Chicago Bears The Bengals spent over $12.7 million on their cornerbacks against the cap in 2022, which was 6.02% of their total . Feb. 28 (UPI) --Former NFL star cornerback Irv Cross, who died in 2021, was diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, Boston University researchers announced Tuesday. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS. Subscribe to These rankings are solely analyzing the performance and impact of every secondary in the NFL from the 2021 regular season. The rankings were produced by multiplying each players coverage baseline by a projected target share for 2021, which is dependent on their position on the depth chart, with the results then aggregated at the team level to produce that defenses coverage grade.