Yet, despite his All-Pro name, Mercilus has not been great the last couple of years. He grew up in . Prior to landing his big-money extension in 2020, not many truly understood White's value to . Howard has struggled so far in 2021, but the same can be said for the entire Dolphins defense. 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. Those struggles wouldnt last, though. 1 wide receiver in man coverage. Williams earned coverage grades above 81.0 in each of the last two years and made some remarkable plays on the ball in coverage in Brandon Staleys defense in 2020. 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. Hes going up against each teams best receiver, shadowing them around the field. Theres a reason he has received plenty of interest since his release. 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. From Week 7 on, he was one of the 25 highest-graded cornerbacks in the NFL. Devon Witherspoon is a player who has had the best production throughout 2022 and has been simply elite while . Copyright 2019-2023. In truth, he could be there already. Dean expanded his role in the Buccaneers defense from fewer than 400 snaps in 2019 to 935 defensive snaps this past season. Free safety Bobby McCain also played a role in the Football Team not being in the bottom tier, snagging four interceptions and breaking up five passes en route to a 72.6 coverage grade. Ramsey produced the highest coverage grade and most PFF WAR among all cornerbacks in the regular season. 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). name season tm gp tkl ast comb sck scky int int yds int td ff fr fr td; jahleel addae: 2021 This kind of ranking for the Chicago Bears was expected this season, considering their cornerback situation outside of Jaylon Johnson. 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. Seattle Seahawks: Ahkello Witherspoon, D.J. Still, hes a gifted tactician at the position and will get back on his feet this season. It shouldnt come as a shock if he wins that starting job and rebounds from a down 2020 season. The newly minted Super Bowl champion is not only the top cornerback in the NFL, but also one of the best football players, period . And star cornerback Jalen Ramsey is a huge reason why. 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. but it was his worst season from a production allowed standpoint since making the switch to cornerback in 2018. Only two cornerbacks gave up a big play in coverage more regularly than Okudah, who did so on 43.9% of his targets. In his first two seasons, A.J. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs. 1. The Bills defensive backs rank 15 points above the average in aggregate coverage grading. 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 Rank value requires a minimum number of snaps played. Consequently, defenses are more stressed than ever before. Humphrey impacts the games in all the ways you want him to. 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. 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). (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. 16 ranking despite the team's poor state overall. Find out which wide receivers to upgrade, downgrade and avoid for Week 1 in fantasy football by using a full cheat sheet that breaks down every WR vs. CB matchup. Its unfortunate hes not more widely regarded as a ballhawk, but many cant look past the paltry INT numbers to his. Kendall Fuller was one of the three most valuable cornerbacks of the 2021 season and helped a great deal in Washington ranking even this high. Strong safety Kareem Jackson was ninth among all players at the position in burn yards per target allowed with 7.76. The fifth-year cornerback out of Alabama has recorded at least 800 coverage snaps in the slot and out wide throughout his NFL career. 4 . 27. Two of Indianapolis' outside cornerbacks earned top-20 coverage grades this season: Rock Ya-Sin and Isaiah Rodgers. Here is the fourth version of our Vikings 2023 Mock Draft Tracker, which features 16 recent predictions from around the world of . 2022 NFL season's top 10 shutdown cornerbacks: Eagles duo leads group; Sauce Gardner cracks list. Denzel Ward, in my opinion, is another year away from being a potential top-five cornerback in the NFL. If you built a cornerback in a lab, they would look like Ramsey. In 2020, Howard led the league in interceptions (10) and pass breakups (20) for his first All-Pro nod. NFL's Next Gen Stats captures real time location data, speed and acceleration for every player, every play on every inch of the field. Which team has the most wins as road dogs since 2015? The 2014 first-round pick looked like an ascending star with a 90.9 coverage grade in his second year in the NFL, but he managed to take the field for just over 300 total snaps the following four seasons combined. But certain units . ** - denotes 2023 prospect. James Bradberry, New York Giants, 21. 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). After a 3-0 start to the 2021 season, the Carolina Panthers were figured out on both sides of the ball. Teams are afraid to throw at Surtain, and he has one of the lowest target totals among . The two worst cornerbacks in the league were forced into action because of injuries. Henderson. Darius Big Play Slay played a big part in the Eagles cracking a spot in the top half of the league. Holland was the highest-graded safety since Week 9 by over four grading points. Who looks to be a top-10 cornerback in the NFL right now? His 84.6 PFF grade finished as the third-best at the position. Tampas secondary arguably already took a step forward as the Buccaneers claimed their second Super Bowl title last season. 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. He led the position in interceptions (11), yards allowed (1,026) and penalties (11) this regular season. The 2021 second-round pick is a valuable piece to this secondary moving forward, but the other cornerback spots need some work. 19. Jackson missed the majority of the 2020 season with a lingering knee injury, but he profiled as one of the most promising young cornerbacks in the league before last year, fresh off a career-high 82.5 coverage grade in 2019. He remains among the league leaders in targets, and with that comes the yards. Ward and Newsome, in particular, produced top-10 coverage grades when in single coverage. Rhodes went from allowing a league-high 84.3% of the passes into his coverage to be completed in 2019 to just 50.7% in 2020 with Indianapolis. The Packers signed veteran Rasul Douglas midseason, and he far surpassed expectations with a 76.5 coverage grade. 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 . targeted, which leads to his interceptions. 23. 2021 NFL Defensive Secondary Rankings, by Unit 32. The amount of top-level play from NFL cornerbacks is astonishing. Hes one of the few thatll travel anywhere on the defense to cover an offenses best weapon. Nickel corner Sean Murphy-Bunting also did a decent job at preventing big plays, conceding eight on 44 targets on the inside. 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. 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. Still, they held up well, ranking sixth in coverage grade and second in EPA per pass play allowed on such plays. Whether it was injuries or age starting to show in one of the man-heaviest defenses in the NFL, he was not the same player in 2020. He plays so he is targeted, which leads to his interceptions. 25. Pro Football Focus graded rookie Sauce Gardner as the best corner in the NFL. Donte Jackson, Carolina Panthers The Lions rebuild under Dan Campbell is likely to be a slow and painful one and his first season at the helm looks set to be one in which Detroit will give up a lot of points if the secondary cannot improve. Ranking the 11 worst plays of the 2021 NFL regular season. Alexander has those piercing eyes that make him and Randall Cobb look related, and I cant imagine having to line up against him with those things staring a hole through the crown of my nose. A strong work out at LSU's pro day on April 6th could help to turn around his draft stock. The result was a season where Alexander was worth 1.4 wins above a replacement-level player, almost a full half-win more than any other cornerback. 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. However, his return came at outside cornerback for the Football Team in 2020, where he put up impressive coverage numbers at his new position. 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. Chidobe Awuzie, Cincinnati Bengals The lack of talent and experience was apparent, especially without safety Marcus Maye, who ruptured his Achilles midway through the season. The Detroit Lions were, by most metrics, the worst defensive team in the NFL last year and they probably won't be much better . The ability to limit production like Ramsey did against top-flight talent is invaluable for the Los Angeles Rams defense. Kenny Moore II, Indianapolis Colts13. His PFF grade dropped from 90.0 from 2014 to 2018 in Detroit to just 59.5 across the last two years. Marcus Peters, Baltimore Ravens 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. Williams is Denver's long-term answer at running back . Jackson has allowed just five of 48 targets at that depth to be completed, tallying 11 interceptions in the process. The Texans dont have many players on their roster who they can rely on for steady play, but Roby is one of the few, assuming he doesnt receive another six-game suspension in 2021. The Jets might have the best group of cornerbacks in the NFL a far cry from 2021, when they might have had the worst. Its too early to say Gilmore cant get back to that level, though. 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. Hes a wide receiver baiting quarterbacks into throwing passes that he can jump. His 71 forced incompletions since 2014 are fewer than only Darius Slay and Stephon Gilmore. Cowboys: 6-10. He also ranks in at least the 87th percentile in coverage grades at both alignments. The top 2021 Cornerback prospects available for the 2021 NFL Draft. From Week 7 on, Ward allowed more than 50 yards in coverage just once. 4) Patrick Surtain II, Denver Broncos. The 49ers brought in veteran Josh Norman out of necessity at the start of the season, and it didnt go well. Injuries destroyed the Ravens this past season. 1. Lattimore possesses everything you could want in a cornerback. This is the worst front seven in the NFL. Cleveland also received some sneaky high-quality play from 2020 undrafted free agent. NFL defenses will ask very different things of their cornerbacks, depending on the scheme they run. Lavonte David 6943. 2022 season/2023 NFL Draft outlook. Marlon Humphrey, Baltimore Ravens. They made a league-leading 23 plays on the ball from the slot en route to allowing the lowest passer rating (71.1). 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. Two free-agent signings, in particular Chidobe Awuzie and Mike Hilton have helped them get there. No cornerback in the league has been more productive on passes 20 or more yards downfield over that span. He does the razzle dazzle better than any quarterback, but he . 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. The league's inaugural 17-game season . The seven touchdowns allowed into his coverage this past season were tied for second-most of any cornerback in the league. Ask any executive or coach around the league at this Ramsey is a freak, and on top of it all, hes so good against the run that his late-career safety transition will probably end in an All-Pro berth or two. While Gang Green endured a turbulent 2019, Poole was one of the team's top performers week in and week out. Free safety Tracy Walker (12.85), though, offered little to suggest he can help Detroit turn the ship around quickly on defense. Only three Power 5 defenders gave up fewer. He was one of the league's worst corners by nearly every metric, which led to the new regime cutting him outright. Most tackles since 2015:1. 4) New England Patriots: Stephon Gilmore & J.C. Jackson. His on-field and sideline hijinx make it look like he legitimately loves every second of playing football. a 2016 second-round pick has been the worst safety in the NFL this year. 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. Terrell locked up his opponents on a weekly basis, allowing no more than 32 yards in a single game this year. Figures indicate statistics each team allowed to their opponents. Washington possessed one of the better defenses in the NFL in 2020;Jacksons addition should only improve it, giving them a No. If Ramsey is the freak, Alexander is the new mold. 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. 5. He has featured in a versatile role this season, with over 300 snaps each in the slot and on the outside. I simply wont acknowledge any Jalen Ramsey disrespect in this dojo. These rankings are solely analyzing the performance and impact of every secondary in the NFL from the 2021 regular season. 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. Bradberry put up solid performances against a difficult slate of NFC South cornerbacks across the first four seasons of his career with the Carolina Panthers, but he took a clear step forward in his first year with the Giants last season. 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. Ramsey has been one of the best cornerbacks in the league since Jacksonville drafted him fifth overall in the 2016 NFL Draft. Full Site Menu. 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. Giants: 6-10. I still expect a lot from Stephon Gilmore, and with those expectations will come quick criticism if he doesnt perform to his standards. Witherspoon allowed a burn on half of his 28 targets last season. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Above-average press man cornerback with NFL bloodlines and a well-rounded but not spectacular all-around game. > 2021 NFL > Advanced Stats. However, I prefer to look at this exercise as a nod of respect toward the top cornerbacks in the NFL for the 2021 season. Ranking top 10 cornerbacks in NFL for 2021: Jalen Ramsey leads pack that includes talented newcomers . 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. Despite that, the Buccaneers outside cornerbacks still combined for the highest unit coverage grade in the NFL. He still showcases lockdown man-coverage ability at times, but it has been less consistent of late. Both players were among the 15 most valuable players at their respective positions, according to PFF WAR. 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. Buffalos secondary endured a crushing blow in Week 12 when CB1 TreDavious White went down with a season-ending torn ACL. He has been tested more than any other cornerback in the league since 2019, with a league-high 197 targets, but Davis has come out on top on a lot of those plays. 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. who passed away in February 2021 at age 81, played cornerback for the Eagles from 1961 to 1965, earning two Pro Bowl nods, and . 15. He allowed just 30 receiving yards on 359 coverage snaps across his final 11 games that season. "Mr. Cross was . It was only natural that the prototype for cornerback shifted as well. He was 10th in the NFL at his position in adjusted open percentage (21.58). After a broken-up pass against Wake Forest in 2016, he pranced behind the unsuspecting receiver in a manner Ive never witnessed. Terrell has flashed the ability to become one of the truly . 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. All 259 picks have been made and the 2021 NFL Draft is officially in the books for all 32 franchises. 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. 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. Nonetheless, this year's class doesn't boast a marquee, Denzel Ward or Jalen Ramsey type bound to land inside the top five. 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. Veteran. March 1, 2023 7:01 am ET. The back-to-back AFC champions stood at a 2-3 record, and the secondary was performing at league-low levels. Subscribe to worst 2021 cornerback 2021. worst 2021 cornerback 2021. He should give the Broncos some playmaking ability at cornerback if he can stay healthy. With their help, the Raiders ranked top five in yards per attempt and explosive pass rate allowed this year. Darius Slay, Philadelphia Eagles William Jackson III, Washington Football Team But it's easy to know who the favorite is. No Jaire Alexander? Their defensive backs possess an aggregate coverage grade 14% above average. The lack of talent and experience was apparent, especially without safety, Houstons fielded the lowest-graded secondary in the NFL by a whopping eight grading points. The Bengals spent over $12.7 million on their cornerbacks against the cap in 2022, which was 6.02% of their total . 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. He finished with the lowest slot coverage grade in the NFL. Houstons fielded the lowest-graded secondary in the NFL by a whopping eight grading points. And there are a couple of surprise names feature among those secondaries who look ready to take a leap in 2021. The Patriots will look for that bounce-back season in 2021. The Eagles aren't the best NFC East team on paper. 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. 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. 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. Questions remain at cornerback, however, after Avonte Maddox struggled while playing outside corner last year and Darius Slay underperformed. Safety, The Rams' pass-defense unit regressed some from 2020, but make no mistake: This is still an above-average group. 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. No group of cornerbacks played more man coverage than the Miami Dolphins. Byron Murphy, Arizona Cardinals12. Reed, provided some grounds for optimism as his burn yards . We use our own and third-party cookies to improve your experience and our services. However, if White can keep up his torrent pace in 2021, he could easily elevate into the same conversation for CB1. If you take away a disastrous 2019 season with the Philadelphia Eagles in which he earned just a 44.8 overall grade, Darby has graded above 68.0 overall since being drafted in 2015. 10. They each produced coverage grades above 70.0 for the season. Led by, Ward and Newsome, in particular, produced top-10 coverage grades when in single coverage. They ranked dead last in slot coverage grade following the regular season. However, in White, the Bills have a shutdown corner who can lift the play of those around him. Safeties Harrison Smith (13.13) and Xavier Woods (16.33 at free safety) also struggled in that metric in 2020 but the pressure will be taken off that pair should their top three corners live up to expectations. On the other hand, safety Justin Simmons sustained his high-level play by finishing as one of the 10 most valuable players at the position. Blake Martinez 6575. Last week, we took a look at offensive lines. With the defense surrounding the young CB, he could easily be higher on the list heading into next season. And even he had a volatile season with a 60.5 coverage grade. There is a massive amount of talent currently at the position. Overall, New York allowed more EPA per pass than any other defense in the regular season. 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. Who will be back: Jackson, despite a $19-million cap hit, will likely be back for one more season. Hes one of the more impactful free agents still on the market. Carolina ranked 24th in outside coverage grade and allowed the fourth-worst passer rating to the outside (107.8). His addition, along with the signing of Joe Haden, helped stabilize a turbulent cornerback position in Pittsburgh over these last two seasons. This is not a forward-looking list, nor is it considering what a group accomplished prior to this season. 14. Hes 61, 210 pounds, and his spider chart might as well have been colored in by a nine-year-old. The 2017 first-round pick earned a 76.4 coverage grade and led the league in pass breakups (18) en route to being the second-most valuable cornerback in the league, according to PFF WAR. 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. NFL teams most likely to unravel in 2021. 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. Hes never recorded a PFF grade lower than 70.0 impressive consistency for a cornerback often tasked with tough assignments and is coming off the best PFF grade since his second year in the league. The top cornerback room? Top 25 cornerbacks in the NFL. Those three cornerbacks shared a combined 17 years of experience in the NFL. Hes a wide receiver baiting quarterbacks into throwing passes that he can jump. Health remains the biggest concern for Verrett heading into next season. 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. Bears. In 2017, Slay led the league in interceptions and . 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. In 2019 and 2020, for instance, he played more in the slot than out wide. Christian D'Andrea. 2022 NFL Cornerback Rankings. 1. His -37.2 EPA when targeted is twice as productive as any other defender in the league. via Seth Galina. Not a single one of Dallas' top eight defensive backs by snaps earned a coverage grade in poor territory below 60.0. worst 2021 cornerback. 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. Ranking who the top 32 cornerbacks in the NFL are for 2021 is like trying to rank your children. All Rights Reserved. Jackson has been one of the stingiest cornerbacks in the league on deep targets since entering the league. Detroits secondary has been problematic over the past few years, and it didnt get any better in Year 1 under Dan Campbell. 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. 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. But Las Vegas can afford to have confidence in the secondary going into 2021. 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. The Bengals' pass coverage finished the regular season as the seventh-most improved group year over year in terms of EPA allowed per pass. The Vikings invested heavily in the secondary in recent years and the numbers suggest that decision could pay dividends in the coming season. 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. 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. The three highest PFF grades of Fuller's career came with Fangio as the defensive coordinator in Chicago from 2015 to 2018. 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 Nik Needham was an underrated player among the group by producing a top-10 slot coverage grade in the NFL. 28. 3 overall pick Jeffrey Okudah in Week 1 for the year with a ruptured Achilles. Howard is one of the best playmaking cornerbacks that the NFL has to offer. That mark was also good for fourth-best at the position in the 2021 regular season. The cornerback room was more in the middle of the pack, ranking 16th in PFF WAR generated. 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. 1 cornerback in the league heading into the 2020 season, fresh off a Defensive Player of the Year award in 2019. ( 21.58 ) and penalties ( 11 ) this regular season worst 2021 cornerback prospects available the. Has been one of the truly look at offensive lines helped them get there shifted well. Douglas midseason, and he far surpassed expectations with a 76.5 coverage grade in league! Nfl defenses will ask very different things of their cornerbacks, depending on the inside duos 2021... One more season baiting quarterbacks into throwing passes that he can jump Patriots look! 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