The NFL’s final true lockdown cornerback was Deion Sanders.
That is not an indictment on the nice corners who adopted him. Charles Woodson, Champ Bailey and Darrelle Revis are deserving Corridor of Famers. Richard Sherman will doubtless observe them into Canton. However as offenses have modified over the previous couple of many years, it is grow to be more durable for particular person corners to lock down a facet of the sphere like Sanders would do within the Nineties. There are extra dime and nickel formations, numerous zone protection and fixed pre-snap movement — making it more durable for an elite cornerback to have the outsized influence he as soon as did.
Let’s use pay for example. In 1995, Sanders signed a seven-year, $35 million contract with the Cowboys that made him the highest-paid defensive participant in soccer. That very same yr, Dallas re-signed Corridor of Fame receiver Michael Irvin to a five-year deal price 12.3 million.Â
In 2023, the highest-paid cornerback is Jaire Alexander, with a median annual worth of $21.3 million. Tyreek Hill makes $30 million per yr, and Justin Jefferson will very doubtless beat that quantity when he indicators an extension within the subsequent yr.
That ought to not, nevertheless, take away from the accomplishments and capabilities of this period of corners. The highest two corners on our checklist, notably, are younger gamers off to sensational begins, with an actual likelihood to get their very own busts sometime.
Our writers listed their finest 10 cornerbacks based mostly on their confidence in every participant had been he wholesome and set to take the sphere for a sport subsequent week. A primary-place vote merited 10 factors in our methodology and descended from there, right down to a single level for tenth place. We then mixed the scores to find out our rankings.
1: Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, New York Jets
Henry McKenna: He seemed like prime Richard Sherman within the 2022 season, his rookie yr. Gardner wanted no time to acclimate to the NFL. He perched himself on the left facet of Jets coach Robert Saleh’s protection and infrequently lets something come that means. Final yr, he deserved competition for Defensive Participant of the Yr Award, not simply Defensive Rookie of the Yr. And groups cannot conceal from Gardner by going to the opposite facet, as a result of D.J. Reed is among the finest CB2s within the NFL. Gardner has the proper teaching and assist system to remain atop this checklist in 2023.
2: Patrick Surtain Jr., Denver Broncos
Ben Arthur: The Broncos protection has gotten off to a disastrous begin to the season, and Surtain is certainly not innocent (He is allowed a 152.2 passer score when focused via three weeks, second-worst within the league amongst all cornerbacks who’ve performed not less than 30 protection snaps, in line with Subsequent Gen Stats). Nevertheless it’s too small of a pattern measurement to be involved. Surtain has been incredible since he entered the NFL in 2021, elevating his play to a Professional Bowl and first-team All-Professional stage final season. He is a giant, lengthy cornerback who’s arguably the very best technician on the place in soccer.
3: Jaire Alexander, Inexperienced Bay Packers
Carmen Vitali: Be certain that once you speak about Alexander, you are utilizing the phrase ‘nice.’ Good would not suffice. He is coming off his second Professional Bowl choice after nabbing 5 interceptions and tallying 14 passes defended in 2022. He allowed simply two touchdowns all season, in line with Professional Soccer Reference.Â
This season, he got here in as scorching as ever, dubbing the Inexperienced Bay secondary “Strap Metropolis” although that hasn’t essentially been the case via three video games. The Packers’ loss in Atlanta, the place he dropped a pick-six, amongst different points, served as a wake-up name. Alexander and the remainder of the Packers protection stood up within the fourth quarter of final Sunday’s sport towards the Saints during which the Packers engineered a powerful comeback due to the protection holding their floor and quarterback Jordan Love persevering.Â
4: Darius Slay, Philadelphia Eagles
Ralph Vacchiano: He’s 32, in his eleventh NFL season and the Eagles see no signal of him slowing down. In truth, they made retaining him a precedence within the offseason after they had been attempting to maintain their protection from falling aside underneath the wage cap. Slay is a beacon of confidence within the backfield, keen to tackle any receiver and sometimes getting the very best of them. The higher they’re, the higher he performs. He is aware of their strikes and counter them. And even when he isn’t as quick as he was once, he is nonetheless fast sufficient to maintain up with all of them.
5: Jalen Ramsey, Miami Dolphins
Arthur: Ramsey just isn’t who he was only a few years in the past, and he’ll miss most of this season after tearing the meniscus in his left knee. However I believe he nonetheless has some elite soccer left in him. He is 28. Vic Fangio’s protection has the potential to deliver the very best out of him. He has 4 interceptions in every of the final two seasons. In 2022, he allowed a passer score of 99.1 when focused, which ranked eleventh within the league amongst all cornerbacks who performed not less than 500 protection snaps, per NGS.
Eric D. Williams: A lockdown nook in his prime, Ramsey stays a beneficial chess piece due to his physicality and flexibility. Ramsey performed the “star” place whereas with the Rams, permitting head coach Sean McVay to get the hard-hitting cowl man nearer to the motion in protection and as a blitzer. As soon as Ramsey recovers from his knee harm, anticipate Dolphins defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to make use of the veteran defensive again in the same method when wholesome.
6: Trevon Diggs, Dallas Cowboys
Vacchiano: The 11 interceptions he had in 2021 could grow to be an anomaly, most likely as a result of groups will not throw at him usually sufficient for him to succeed in these heights anymore. However even when he finally ends up with three to 5 every season, it would not take away from how good he’s — and why it is such an enormous blow to the Cowboys to lose him for the season to a torn ACL. He’s fast, sensible and has proven a knack for understanding precisely what opposing receivers are going to do. Little doubt he has the advantage of a terrific go rush in entrance of him. However these go rushers give him credit score, too, as a result of it is easy for them to place their head down and rush the quarterback, understanding the opportunistic Diggs is behind them.
7: Denzel Ward, Cleveland Browns
Arthur: I do not suppose Ward, a former No. 4 total decide, will get sufficient love nationally for his function within the Browns’ elite protection. Well being has been a difficulty — he is ranged between 12 to fifteen appearances yearly of his profession — however he is been among the finest cornerbacks within the league when obtainable. He is made two Professional Bowls in his first six seasons. He had a league-high two fumble recoveries for a landing in 2022. Up to now this season, he is permitting only a 55.9 passer score when focused and a 59% completion fee, which ranks fifth and eighth within the league, respectively, amongst cornerbacks who’ve performed not less than 70 snaps, per Subsequent Gen Stats.
8: Riq Woolen, Seattle Seahawks
Williams: Now in his second season, Woolen is the most recent of Pete Carroll’s lengthy, rangy corners, a part of a lineage led by Richard Sherman. Drafted within the fifth spherical of the 2022 draft, the transformed large receiver in school at UT-San Antonio completed tied for the league lead with six interceptions final season, incomes a Professional Bowl invitation as a rookie. Blessed with a 79-inch wingspan, Woolen led the Seahawks with 16 go breakups in 2022.
9: Stephon Gilmore, Dallas Cowboys
McKenna: He is 33 years previous. Let’s begin there. And whereas Patriots coach Invoice Belichick gave up on Gilmore just a few years in the past — which is usually a demise knell for any participant — Gilmore went the way in which of Tom Brady reasonably than Wes Welker. Gilmore stays among the finest gamers at his place and is on a staff with Tremendous Bowl ambitions. The cornerback has been a journeyman, maybe as a result of groups are giving him short-term contracts in concern his play will decline. Nevertheless it hasn’t. He is as dependable as ever, notably in overlaying longer-framed receivers.
10: Xavien Howard, Miami Dolphins
McKenna: He has not been tremendous wholesome lately. After which there have been the issues with the Miami Dolphins’ system. Howard just isn’t the identical caliber of participant he was just a few years in the past, when he would have been in consideration for the highest spot on this checklist. Now he has to accept a paltry tenth place (I am kidding.) Howard looks like he is discovering his footing in Vic Fangio’s system, and when issues begin to click on for Miami’s protection (which is able to embrace the return of Jalen Ramsey), I anticipate to see Howard terrorizing quarterbacks.
Honorable mentions: A.J. Terrell, Atlanta Falcons; James Bradberry, Philadelphia Eagles; Jaycee Horn, Carolina Panthers
These rankings had been compiled by:
AFC South reporter Ben Arthur (@benyarthur)
NFC South reporter Greg Auman (@gregauman)
Dallas Cowboys reporter David Helman (@davidhelman_)
AFC East reporter Henry McKenna (@McKennAnalysis)
NFC West reporter Eric D. Williams (@eric_d_williams)
NFC East reporter Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano)
NFC North reporter Carmen Vitali (@CarmieV)
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