Okudah allowed the offense to gain +1.0 EPA on 43.2 percent of his targets in coverage, the worst rate in the league . Browns honorable mention busts: Courtney Brown, (2000, first overall pick), Trent Richardson (2012, third overall pick) 8. CORNERBACK PROSPECT RANKING 2023 NFL DRAFT. 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. Personally, I want a guy who travels up and down the field on an assignment basis against the opposing teams best receivers. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. His value is easy to see. And star cornerback, Cincinnatis passing offense wasnt the team's only unit to take a major leap in 2021. 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. 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. 6 and . He also ranks in at least the 87th percentile in coverage grades at both alignments. 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. 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. Henderson. Nelson was another surprise release by a team strapped for salary cap space. He is expected to compete with 2020 first-round pick Damon Arnette for one of the starting jobs in Las Vegas, reuniting with defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. Opposing offenses simply werent able to attack him in coverage. He allowed just 30 receiving yards on 359 coverage snaps across his final 11 games that season. 18. The Jets might have the best group of cornerbacks in the NFL a far cry from 2021, when they might have had the worst. 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. Justin Simmons was the best defender in the NFL in terms of adjusted open percentage in 2020, leading the way by allowing pass-catchers to get open against his coverage just 14.99% of the time. What Diggs is doing through six games is absurd. From Week 7 on, Ward allowed more than 50 yards in coverage just once. 6 on the list, as his 86.2 coverage . This group should contend for the top spot next season. Whitney Mercilus has always benefited from the presence of J.J. Watt. Its part of what makes identifying the leagues best at the position so challenging. The official start of NFL free agency doesn't begin until March 13. The only member of the Detroit Lions on our initial 2022 NFL top 100 players list, Frank Ragnow missed a majority of the 2021 season with a turf toe. Its challenging to rank these guys with the multitude of schematic differences and responsibilities. Above-average press man cornerback with NFL bloodlines and a well-rounded but not spectacular all-around game. So, which secondaries were a boon and which were a hindrance this season? These rankings are solely analyzing the performance and impact of every secondary in the NFL from the 2021 regular season. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. I simply wont acknowledge any Jalen Ramsey disrespect in this dojo. Butler allowed the 10th-most burn yards per snap among corners with at least 200 coverage snaps (2.42) while Alford has not played since the 2018 season. As you can probably expect, the quarterbacks are at the top and there are plenty of wide receivers. targeted, which leads to his interceptions. Meanwhile, McKinney ranked in the top 10 in coverage grade among safeties. 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 . It doesnt hurt that Washington can feel comfortable playing him at multiple positions in their secondary, either. 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 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. In 2021, the two 25-year-olds each missed several games but allowed under 700 yards in coverage combined. He earned a 47.4 coverage grade for the regular season while also allowing a 125.0 passer rating when targeted and being called for 10 penalties. Casey Hayward, Las Vegas Raiders Bobby Wagner 8452. Buffalos secondary endured a crushing blow in Week 12 when CB1. The 6-foot-2, 202-pounder earned a few poor game grades early on, but he soon righted those wrongs. Rashad Fenton also saw his playing time increase after the first month of the season and closed out the regular season with an 81.1 coverage grade. 1. Davis has put up a solid grading profile and coverage stats across the past two seasons in Tampa Bay despite that tough slate of opposing wide receivers. 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. Six cornerbacks played over 100 snaps for the Jaguars in 2021 and only one Shaquill Griffin produced a coverage grade above 60.0. 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. Awuzie was the second-highest graded cornerback of the regular season, while Hilton was the seventh-highest graded slot corner in coverage. Return to Top; Players. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. They made a league-leading 23 plays on the ball from the slot en route to allowing the lowest passer rating (71.1). Receivers started getting smaller and more shifty. Episode 2 of the "Top 100 Players of 2022" aired on Sunday, with three cornerbacks making the list between Nos. . Injuries destroyed the Ravens this past season. Jenkins has been about as consistent as they come over his nine-year career. Cleveland also received some sneaky high-quality play from 2020 undrafted free agent A.J. He gets his hands on passes left and right without getting himself so out of position that hes unable to recover. Sign Up. 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. The 49ers brought in veteran Josh Norman out of necessity at the start of the season, and it didnt go well. Lattimore possesses everything you could want in a cornerback. 27. Who looks to be a top-10 cornerback in the NFL right now? One was to Waynes, and the other was to interior defensive lineman D.J. The Pro Bowl free safety will have an exciting mix of experience and youth alongside him. The real stars of this group are Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde, who rank second and third, respectively, in coverage grade among safeties. 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. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. NFL Player Grades - current. Pittsburgh also went from second to 29th in passer rating allowed on deep targets year over year. worst 2021 cornerback. he NFC East was a historically bad division in 2020, which is why all four teams were in the race deep into the season. Nonetheless, this year's class doesn't boast a marquee, Denzel Ward or Jalen Ramsey type bound to land inside the top five. Heck, he played more snaps in the slot in 2020 than he did on the outside. Fuller is set to be reunited with Vic Fangio in Denver. Now the question is, are they able to maintain that if they undergo another coaching change? 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. (Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports) Listen . Xavien Howard picked an opportune time to hold out for a new contract.. His technical inconsistencies are the only thing keeping him from being among that next tier up. Ward and Newsome, in particular, produced top-10 coverage grades when in single coverage. He recorded just one interception and two pass breakups on 42 targets, allowing a career-high 96.7 passer rating into his coverage. Verrett exceeded all expectations in his return from a string of injuries last season for San Francisco. via Seth Galina. 2021 NFL Defensive Secondary Rankings, by Unit 32. They were forced to play, Theres reason to believe this secondary can take a big step forward in 2022 with its young core of safety, This kind of ranking for the Chicago Bears was expected this season, considering their cornerback situation outside of, Minnesota put forth some of the worst cornerback play in the NFL. Cross, who was 81 when he died Feb. 28, 2021, suffered from stage 4 chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Boston University researchers said Tuesday. If that remains the case, Buffalos secondary should stay among the best in the league even with only marginal improvements made by his teammates. Adoree Jackson, New York Giants Nickel corner Sean Murphy-Bunting also did a decent job at preventing big plays, conceding eight on 44 targets on the inside. Howards 2020 performance put that playmaking ability on full display, with double-digit pass breakups and interceptions to go along with an 89.6 coverage grade. Last week, we took a look at offensive lines. The lack of talent and experience was apparent, especially without safety Marcus Maye, who ruptured his Achilles midway through the season. The low-level play ultimately led to his benching by the seasons end. 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. Published: Oct 20, 2022 at 03:19 PM . Using advanced data, weve ranked every secondary in the NFL by their performance in pass coverage. 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. 8 forced fumbles in 2020. Cornerback was a major area of concern for the Cardinals. 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. All Rights Reserved. So, which secondaries were a boon and which were a hindrance this 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. . 23. The top cornerback room? Will Harris at least had an admirable 2020 at strong safety, finishing third among all safeties in burn yards per target (7). The Panthers get a physical and sticky man coverage cornerback who will be an interesting fit on an incredibly young defense. Williams is Denver's long-term answer at running back . In 2017, Slay led the league in interceptions and . The seven touchdowns allowed into his coverage this past season were tied for second-most of any cornerback in the league. We started to see signs of the Louisville product's playmaking ability in 2019, as his 16 forced incompletions ranked second at the position. Davis and Dean form one of the best cornerback pairings in the NFL. He ranks top 10 in both slot and outside coverage grade. Tennessees loss has turned into the Giants gain. Quarterback Josh Allen, cornerback Tre'Davious White, wide receiver . Taron Johnson, Buffalo Bills No team covered the slot better in the 2021 regular season than the Patriots. 25. Devon Witherspoon is a player who has had the best production throughout 2022 and has been simply elite while . Here is PFFs 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. Ranking the top NFL Cornerback contracts and salaries in the NFL Ramsey continued his stellar play for the Rams in 2021, forcing 16 interceptions, breaking up 12 passes, generating four interceptions, and racking up 77 total tackles. Those missed opportunities only make the 77.5 passer rating allowed over that span (13th in the NFL) more impressive. Las Vegas Raiders . 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. Him at multiple positions in their secondary, either defensive lineman D.J March. The leagues best at the position so challenging wide receivers Wagner 8452 in Week 12 when.. The second-highest graded cornerback of the regular season, while Hilton was the seventh-highest graded corner! Talent and experience was apparent, especially without safety Marcus Maye, who ruptured Achilles! 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