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. Heck, he played more snaps in the slot in 2020 than he did on the outside. 25. Two free-agent signings, in particular , The Raiders entered 2021 on a streak of arguably the worst defensive back play in the entire NFL. 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. Discover Next Gen Stats News, Charts, and Statistics. A strong work out at LSU's pro day on April 6th could help to turn around his draft stock. 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. 5. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS. 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. The ability to limit production like Ramsey did against top-flight talent is invaluable for the Los Angeles Rams defense. 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. T.J. Green has played because of . The Raiders defensive backs rank seventh for aggregate coverage, rating 10% better than the average. Free Agent Rankings QB Annual 2022 PFF analyzes every player and every play of every game in the 2022 NFL season. Fuller allowed just 53% of the passes into his coverage to be completed with four interceptions and nine pass breakups. He gets his hands on passes left and right without getting himself so out of position that hes unable to recover. Only two cornerbacks gave up a big play in coverage more regularly than Okudah, who did so on 43.9% of his targets. 15. To look exclusively at the secondary, the results for defenders who spend their playing time almost exclusively in the box have been filtered out. 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. As I said in last week's Schein Nine, NFL offenses are more creative and dynamic than ever before. Its unfortunate hes not more widely regarded as a ballhawk, but many cant look past the paltry INT numbers to his league-high 8 forced fumbles in 2020. Lavonte David 6943. But from the slot, the Seahawks' coverage unit was a bit of a nightmare. Brian Poole (not re-signed) was the only cornerback to hold opponents to negative EPA per target in 2020. . Injuries destroyed the Ravens this past season. The Patriots will look for that bounce-back season in 2021. The following are the 2022 NFL team overall defense statistics, including team rushing yardage, team passing yardage and total team yardage. The Vikings invested heavily in the secondary in recent years and the numbers suggest that decision could pay dividends in the coming season. Terrell. 247Sports Composite. Sign up and be the first to receive exclusive stats, news, and updates from the Analyst. Data modeling by Kyle Cunningham-Rhoads. But two underrated additions could see them catapult into the top five. Its challenging to rank these guys with the multitude of schematic differences and responsibilities. Whitney Mercilus has always benefited from the presence of J.J. Watt. The outlook isnt nearly as rosy heading into 2021 after a noticeable decline in play last season. The Packers still fielded a top-10-graded cornerback room this season despite losing one of the best cover corners in the game for most of the season. 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. 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. 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. Five rosters still have more questions than answers, which makes these teams the worst the NFL has to offer as they prepare for the 2021 campaign. He finished with the lowest slot coverage grade in the NFL. Only three Power 5 defenders gave up fewer. 2020 Points-Allowed Rank: No. 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. After a broken-up pass against Wake Forest in 2016, he pranced behind the unsuspecting receiver in a manner Ive never witnessed. . / by Eric Mullin. 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 6-foot-2, 202-pounder earned a few poor game grades early on, but he soon righted those wrongs. He ended up allowing 0.37 yards per coverage snap the third-lowest figure in the PFF era behind only Asante Samuel in 2019 and Nnamdi Asomugha in 2008 (0.36 each). The Patriots boast what could very well be the best of the top cornerback duos in 2021 if Stephon Gilmore has a bounce-back season. 2022 NFL Cornerback Rankings. * - denotes 2022 prospect. Terrell was actually the second-highest graded cornerback in coverage in the 2021 regular season, behind only Jalen Ramsey. Washington possessed one of the better defenses in the NFL in 2020;Jacksons addition should only improve it, giving them a No. In 2021, the two 25-year-olds each missed several games but allowed under 700 yards in coverage combined. Return to Top; Players. Changing that and successfully developing Okudah and Melifonwu will be crucial to this secondary climbing out of the cellar. 32. T. The Las Vegas Raiders took down the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday Night Football in an overtime thriller, bringing an end to the 18-week marathon to the postseason. Its too early to say Gilmore cant get back to that level, though. 20. They made a league-leading 23 plays on the ball from the slot en route to allowing the lowest passer rating (71.1). There is no shortage of defensive weapons on Clevelands roster. He remains among the league leaders in targets, and with that comes the yards. 28. The Bengals handed out two big contracts on the defensive side of the ball last offseason. a 2016 second-round pick has been the worst safety in the NFL this year. PFF's exclusive metrics provide Cornerback (CB) position rankings, grades, and snap counts. 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. but it was his worst season from a production allowed standpoint since making the switch to cornerback in 2018. Cross, who was 81 when he died Feb. 28, 2021, suffered from stage 4 chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Boston University researchers said Tuesday. Top 32 cornerbacks in the NFL for the 2021 season | 1-10. NFL Player Grades. His 3,546 regular-season defensive snaps over the past four seasons are a top-10 mark at the position. But his play has been up and down over that four-year stretch. And we mustnt forget about the impact of rookie safety Jevon Holland. Ya-Sin's 2020 coverage grade was over 20 points lower than his 2021 mark, and Rodgers played just 38 NFL coverage snaps entering the season, so this wasnt expected. 29. Bradberry's 2021 season, though, was abysmal. 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. Should the Giants opt to move on from the 27-year-old cornerback, they would clear $8.6 million . 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. 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. 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 . If he can do this for 17 games, even if the interceptions evade him, itll be tough to argue theres a better cornerback in the league. However, with a full offseason under their belt to coalesce further, the arrow is pointing up for a young and clearly talented secondary that will again be playing behind one of the best front sevens in football after the Bucs kept the band together for another run in 2021. 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. Cornerback was a major area of concern for the Cardinals. Houston might want to think about using its No. Eventually, Washington took it. As a result, Diggs' coverage grade rang in just above the 50th percentile among cornerbacks. 4) New England Patriots: Stephon Gilmore & J.C. Jackson. In 2017, Slay led the league in interceptions and . Mar 1, 2021 at 11:51 am ET 34 min read NFL Draft season is in full swing, so a Top 50 Big Board is in order. The top cornerback room? The final four rounds will conclude this year's draft on April 29. 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. His goal is not to make it so a quarterback doesnt want to throw the ball his way. 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. Tampas secondary arguably already took a step forward as the Buccaneers claimed their second Super Bowl title last season. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs. The Eagles aren't the best NFC East team on paper. 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. Jalen Ramsey, Los Angeles Rams 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. However, in White, the Bills have a shutdown corner who can lift the play of those around him. Copyright 2019-2023. 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. 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. Bradberry was the fourth-most valuable cornerback in the league in 2020 per PFF WAR, with career-best coverage numbers across the board. The perception of Rhodes is much different this offseason than it was at this time a year ago following a bounceback season for the Colts in 2020. 1. From Week 7 on, Ward allowed more than 50 yards in coverage just once. 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. Giants: 6-10. 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. Top 25 cornerbacks in the NFL. If you built a cornerback in a lab, they would look like Ramsey. Verrett exceeded all expectations in his return from a string of injuries last season for San Francisco. 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. Hes a wide receiver baiting quarterbacks into throwing passes that he can jump. That pairing will be joined by arguably the premier corner from this years draft class, Patrick Surtain II, who makes the step up to the league after a stellar college career with Alabama, which he ended by helping the Crimson Tide to a National Championship and allowing 0.93 burn yards per snap. 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. While it wasn't easy putting together this list, here is our ranking of the NFL's 10 best cornerbacks in 2022. > 2021 NFL > Advanced Stats. Pro Football Network strives to passionately deliver purposeful, captivating, and exceptional football content. A.J. And star cornerback, Cincinnatis passing offense wasnt the team's only unit to take a major leap in 2021. Nickel corner Sean Murphy-Bunting also did a decent job at preventing big plays, conceding eight on 44 targets on the inside. In his first two seasons, A.J. Outside corner D.J. Fuller is set to be reunited with Vic Fangio in Denver. 12. Cincinnatis passing offense wasnt the team's only unit to take a major leap in 2021. Home About Shop . 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. Hill had his best seasons in LA . 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. He has picked up coverage grades between 70.4 and 72.4 every season, gradually increasing his playing time each year. Still, the Saints defense was great last season and has continued to be so in 2021. he 2021 NFL regular season is over. 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. Those struggles wouldnt last, though. 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. 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. While Tier 4 cornerbacks constantly compete for top-15 spots at the position and are average at worst, Tier 6 corners compete for top-30 spots and sometimes have below . What do you want out of your elite cornerback? Detroits defensive backs aggregate coverage grade is 27% below average. The lack of talent and experience was apparent, especially without safety Marcus Maye, who ruptured his Achilles midway through the season. NFL defenses will ask very different things of their cornerbacks, depending on the scheme they run. And even he had a volatile season with a 60.5 coverage grade. 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. He has featured in a versatile role this season, with over 300 snaps each in the slot and on the outside. Yet, between Mullens progress, the arrival of Hayward and the selection of free safety Trevon Moehrig in the second round of this years draft, the Raiders secondary is one that looks primed to establish itself as one of the better groups in the NFL. Jaylon Johnson, Chicago Bears William Jackson III, Washington Football Team 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). After an offseason in which Arizona did little to address the cornerback position, the onus may again be on that pair to elevate those around them, unless Butler and Alford unexpectedly recapture their form of old. Awuzie was the second-highest graded cornerback of the regular season, while Hilton was the seventh-highest graded slot corner in coverage. 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. 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. Its unfortunate hes not more widely regarded as a ballhawk, but many cant look past the paltry INT numbers to his. So, which secondaries were a boon and which were a hindrance this season? Bears. Hes one of the more impactful free agents still on the market. Additions could see them catapult into the top cornerback duos in 2021 if Gilmore... 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