The 2021 second-round pick is a valuable piece to this secondary moving forward, but the other cornerback spots need some work. Blake Martinez 6575. His addition, along with the signing of Joe Haden, helped stabilize a turbulent cornerback position in Pittsburgh over these last two seasons. 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. 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. The Rank value requires a minimum number of snaps played. These rankings are solely analyzing the performance and impact of every secondary in the NFL from the 2021 regular season. TreDavious White has been one of the top cornerbacks in the league since the minute he stepped on an NFL field. Those struggles wouldnt last, though. With their help, the Raiders ranked top five in yards per attempt and explosive pass rate allowed this year. Fuller allowed just 53% of the passes into his coverage to be completed with four interceptions and nine pass breakups. 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. So, which secondaries were a boon and which were a hindrance this season? They each produced coverage grades above 70.0 for the season. 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. 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. After a broken-up pass against Wake Forest in 2016, he, . A.J. 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. Jalen Ramsey, Los Angeles Rams. 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 2021, the two 25-year-olds each missed several games but allowed under 700 yards in coverage combined. Ramsey produced the highest coverage grade and most PFF WAR among all cornerbacks in the regular season. 4-overall prospect). It was only natural that the prototype for cornerback shifted as well. Still, hes a gifted tactician at the position and will get back on his feet this season. 3 overall pick Jeffrey Okudah in Week 1 for the year with a ruptured Achilles. Design by Matt Sisneros. Ward was one of the first to fit the new modern mold of NFL cornerback. However, I prefer to look at this exercise as a nod of respect toward the top cornerbacks in the NFL for the 2021 season. 2021 NFL Defensive Secondary Rankings, by Unit 32. Xavien Howard has always been an outstanding blend of consistency and aggression. After trading Matthew Stafford in 2021 and T.J. Hockenson at the trade deadline last year, the Lions have five picks in the top 81 selections of this year's NFL Draft, including picks No. Terrell was actually the second-highest graded cornerback in coverage in the 2021 regular season, behind only Jalen Ramsey. worst 2021 cornerback 2021. worst 2021 cornerback 2021. 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. Going into the 2021 season, there are several teams that stand out as best prepared to do that with the talent they possess in the defensive backfield. His 84.6 PFF grade finished as the third-best at the position. His value is easy to see. Its part of what makes identifying the leagues best at the position so challenging. Carolina ranked 24th in outside coverage grade and allowed the fourth-worst passer rating to the outside (107.8). Kendall Fuller, Washington Football Team Buffalos secondary endured a crushing blow in Week 12 when CB1. Lavonte David 6943. He gets to passes that most receivers cannot get to, making his multiple near-INTs in 2021 as impressive as his 7 actual interceptions. . 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. . Best Bets Tool. Above-average press man cornerback with NFL bloodlines and a well-rounded but not spectacular all-around game. He allowed just 30 receiving yards on 359 coverage snaps across his final 11 games that season. Only one defensive back nickel cornerback, Galina: The shortcomings of the Kellen Moore-Dak Prescott connection for the Dallas Cowboys. Cornerback was a major area of concern for the Cardinals. 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. 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. Mahomes is king again at age 25 and may not be dethroned for a long time. Nelson was another surprise release by a team strapped for salary cap space. Pittsburgh also went from second to 29th in passer rating allowed on deep targets year over year. 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. Outside corner D.J. 24. 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. 1. It doesnt hurt that Washington can feel comfortable playing him at multiple positions in their secondary, either. The tandem tormented AFC quarterbacks for years. 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. who passed away in February 2021 at age 81, played cornerback for the Eagles from 1961 to 1965, earning two Pro Bowl nods, and . The final four rounds will conclude this year's draft on April 29. After a 3-0 start to the 2021 season, the Carolina Panthers were figured out on both sides of the ball. The cornerback made a total of $10.66 million during his brief NFL career. 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. The amount of top-level play from NFL cornerbacks is astonishing. . Theres a reason he has received plenty of interest since his release. 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. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. The Lions have done a disappointing job of drafting and developing talent under previous regimes. Opposing offenses simply werent able to attack him in coverage. Darious Williams, Los Angeles Rams The top cornerbacks for 2022 are all established stars who are all playing some of the best football of their careers. Still, the Saints defense was great last season and has continued to be so in 2021. Congratulations, Arizona. This is not a forward-looking list, nor is it considering what a group accomplished prior to this season. 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. With modern NFL rules, its a disadvantage not to have the type of foot speed Ward possesses. Slay will look to rebound under a new coaching staff and get back to making plays on the ball after ranking second in the league in forced incompletions (75) across his seven years in Detroit. In the News: Patrick Mahomes, Derek Carr, Aaron Rodgers, Jalen Hurts, Tom Brady, Brock Purdy. However, in White, the Bills have a shutdown corner who can lift the play of those around him. 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. But with Horn getting shut down after a Week 3 injury and Henderson struggling to get acclimated after getting traded to the team a month into the season, it was a subpar year for the secondary. Both players were among the 15 most valuable players at their respective positions, according to PFF WAR. They were among the five least valuable secondaries in the league, and the cornerback room, in particular, finished as the second-lowest graded group. Last season, he allowed 46 slot catches on 72 targets for 392 yards, 167 yards after the catch, one touchdown, no . Ranking top 10 cornerbacks in NFL for 2021: Jalen Ramsey leads pack that includes talented newcomers . In both 2019 and 2020, he recorded a pressure rate below 9% (per SIS Datahub). Having let Shaquill Griffin walk in free agency, the Seahawks are somewhat short on proven players in the defensive backfield, with that scarcity reflected by an aggregate coverage grade 16% below average. 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. It doesnt matter where Ramsey is at, though hes been a top-tier player at either position. Those three cornerbacks shared a combined 17 years of experience in the NFL. Awuzie was the second-highest graded cornerback of the regular season, while Hilton was the seventh-highest graded slot corner in coverage. The 49ers brought in veteran Josh Norman out of necessity at the start of the season, and it didnt go well. And there are a couple of surprise names feature among those secondaries who look ready to take a leap in 2021. Using advanced data, weve ranked every secondary in the NFL by their performance in pass coverage. Kansas City took Daniel Sorensen off the field while bringing back Juan Thornhill and increasing its rate of dime coverage. Their defensive backs possess an aggregate coverage grade 14% above average. Health remains the biggest concern for Verrett heading into next season. Prior to landing his big-money extension in 2020, not many truly understood White's value to . > 2021 NFL > Advanced Stats. (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. name season tm gp tkl ast comb sck scky int int yds int td ff fr fr td; jahleel addae: 2021 The 6-foot-2, 202-pounder earned a few poor game grades early on, but he soon righted those wrongs. 1 wide receiver in man coverage. Reed, provided some grounds for optimism as his burn yards . It just wasnt all there for him in 2020. It shouldnt come as a shock if he wins that starting job and rebounds from a down 2020 season. Obviously, this is a subjective endeavor, and we could argue for days about the names that are too high or too low. Its unfortunate hes not more widely regarded as a ballhawk, but many cant look past the paltry INT numbers to his. He gets his hands on passes left and right without getting himself so out of position that hes unable to recover. His on-field and sideline hijinx make it look like he legitimately loves every second of playing football. 22. The Bengals spent over $12.7 million on their cornerbacks against the cap in 2022, which was 6.02% of their total . Darius Slay, Philadelphia Eagles NFL quarterback rankings 2021. increasing that usage from 21 percent in 2021 (29th in NFL . Humphreys seamless inside-outside versatility is a big reason why he ranks so highly here. While Gang Green endured a turbulent 2019, Poole was one of the team's top performers week in and week out. Shaquill Griffin, Jacksonville Jaguars 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. 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. Moehrig allowed a big play on 20.3% of his targets in 2020, giving them up at the sixth-fewest rate of all Power 5 safeties with at least 25 targets. 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. 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. 11. He has been one of the best run defenders (88.5 run-defense grade in five seasons with the Vikings) at the position since entering the league in 2015. (Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports) Listen . 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. Outside of safety Derwin James, the Chargers' secondary left a lot to be desired in 2021. Meanwhile, Bashaud Breeland, another free agency signing, was tied fifth in open percentage (52.7) among corners to have played at least 200 coverage snaps.