Their team slot coverage grade ended up multiple grading points higher than any other NFL franchise. Chidobe Awuzie, Cincinnati Bengals Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs. 30. Detroits secondary has been problematic over the past few years, and it didnt get any better in Year 1 under Dan Campbell. Home About Shop . Pair that with three top-25-graded safeties Antoine Winfield Jr. (second), Jordan Whitehead (18th) and Mike Edwards (22nd) and you have yourself one of the best secondaries in the NFL ready to help the franchise compete for another Super Bowl. 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. 1. 23. Eagles: 4-11-1. Its part of what makes identifying the leagues best at the position so challenging. TreDavious White has been one of the top cornerbacks in the league since the minute he stepped on an NFL field. Steven Nelson, Philadelphia Eagles Projections: Offensive rookies. But certain units . Ward was one of the first to fit the new modern mold of NFL cornerback. 15. Which team has the most wins as road dogs since 2015? The Bengals handed out two big contracts on the defensive side of the ball last offseason. 18. he 2021 NFL regular season is over. 2020 Points-Allowed Rank: No. Christian D'Andrea. Fuller was back in Washington for the 2020 season following a two-year stint in Kansas City. 27. Jun 5, 2021 5:19 PM EDT. Theres a reason he has received plenty of interest since his release. 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. 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. Safety Jimmie Ward was the teams highest-graded defensive back in coverage (73.7). The 49ers brought in veteran Josh Norman out of necessity at the start of the season, and it didnt go well. The position as a whole combined for the third-fewest WAR among the 32 groups. 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. 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. Outside of safety Derwin James, the Chargers' secondary left a lot to be desired in 2021. His on-field and sideline hijinx make it look like he legitimately loves every second of playing football. 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. Wards dominance in single coverage (96th percentile grade since 2018) has been particularly noteworthy. 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. To further my point, Matthew Staffords EPA is 39, and hes an MVP candidate at quarterback. Things got off to a rough start when the Lions lost 2020 No. Buffalos offense carried the load last season as the Bills progressed to the AFC Championship Game, though the talent in the secondary is such that they can afford to have confidence in putting more of the burden on their pass coverage in 2021. Devon Witherspoon is a player who has had the best production throughout 2022 and has been simply elite while . The Raiders defensive backs rank seventh for aggregate coverage, rating 10% better than the average. 32. 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. 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 Only one defensive back nickel cornerback Tavierre Thomas didnt produce a sub-60.0 coverage grade. The veteran had a career year, earning the highest coverage grade (83.9) of his nine years in the NFL ranks. Ranking the top NFL Cornerback contracts and salaries in the NFL Will Harris at least had an admirable 2020 at strong safety, finishing third among all safeties in burn yards per target (7). Green allowed only six receptions for 70 yards on 22 targets while breaking up five and picking off one. He gets his hands on passes left and right without getting himself so out of position that hes unable to recover. Terrell was actually the second-highest graded cornerback in coverage in the 2021 regular season, behind only Jalen Ramsey. Age: 28 (29 on 8/4/23) Playing time: 16 games, 316 special teams snaps (77.07% of team total), 63 defensive snaps (5.99% of team total) Key statistics: 19 tackles, 1 quarterback hit, 4 pass . He still showcases lockdown man-coverage ability at times, but it has been less consistent of late. Pittsburgh also went from second to 29th in passer rating allowed on deep targets year over year. Bryce Callahan, Denver Broncos Rookie Patrick Surtain II also showed a lot of promise and looks like a star in the making. His PFF grade dropped from 90.0 from 2014 to 2018 in Detroit to just 59.5 across the last two years. Receivers started getting smaller and more shifty. NFL quarterback rankings 2021. With the help of PFFs advanced database which is used by all 32 NFL teams we'll rank all 32 NFL secondaries from the 2021 regular season. 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. Reed and Tre . Meanwhile, McKinney ranked in the top 10 in coverage grade among safeties. In the last six years, Darius Slay Jr. has made it to the Pro Bowl five times, a remarkable stretch of dominance. Using advanced data, weve ranked every secondary in the NFL by their performance in pass coverage. 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. Cornerback was a clear need for the Jaguars entering this offseason. The top cornerback room? The Patriots will look for that bounce-back season in 2021. Carlton Davis, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 16. Outside corner D.J. In a pass-heavy league, the cornerback position has grown into one of the most important positions on the football field. Hes slimmer, and with that lack of cumbersome muscle, hes more efficiently able to transition and stick. What do you want out of your elite cornerback? Pro Football Network strives to passionately deliver purposeful, captivating, and exceptional football content. Butler had arguably his best season in coverage since his New England days last year with Tennessee. In 2017, Slay led the league in interceptions and . Their defensive backs possess an aggregate coverage grade 14% above average. The tandem tormented AFC quarterbacks for years. / by Eric Mullin. A strong work out at LSU's pro day on April 6th could help to turn around his draft stock. In 2019 and 2020, for instance, he played more in the slot than out wide. a 2016 second-round pick has been the worst safety in the NFL this year. Cincinnatis passing offense wasnt the team's only unit to take a major leap in 2021. 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. Terrells breakout to elite status, Atlanta would be threatening to place last on this list. Griffin has earned overall grades of 50.7, 78.0 and 64.6 in the past three seasons. He also had 81 tackles, three sacks and seven tackles for loss. Hes one of the more impactful free agents still on the market. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS. Cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon . Those three cornerbacks shared a combined 17 years of experience in the NFL. Ramsey produced the highest coverage grade and most PFF WAR among all cornerbacks in the regular season. New York Jets Darius Slay, Philadelphia Eagles 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. Personally, I want a guy who travels up and down the field on an assignment basis against the opposing teams best receivers. 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. His 19.1% forced incompletion rate was a top-five mark at the cornerback position last year, tied with Jaire Alexander. However, their defensive backfield is only 15th in aggregate coverage rating, coming in 3% better than average. 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. Patrick Surtain II, Alabama. He recorded coverage grades of at least 72.0 in each of his first three seasons in the league and has allowed just 51.4% of the passes thrown into his coverage to be completed. The Detroit Lions were, by most metrics, the worst defensive team in the NFL last year and they probably won't be much better . These rankings are solely analyzing the performance and impact of every secondary in the NFL from the 2021 regular season. Despite a productive three-year run with the Atlanta Falcons, Poole's one-year, $3.5 million free-agent deal with the New York Jets last offseason was met with little fanfare. His -37.2 EPA when targeted is twice as productive as any other defender in the league. 3 Darius Slay Jr. - 93 OVR. Nov 15, 2020; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston (2) celebrates after a touchdown by running back Alvin Kamara . Cross died in 2021. We started to see signs of the Louisville product's playmaking ability in 2019, as his 16 forced incompletions ranked second at the position. Ya-Sin made his best plays on his few snaps in press-man, while Rodgers' top moments came in off-zone when racking up stops. 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. Design by Matt Sisneros. 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. It shouldnt come as a shock if he wins that starting job and rebounds from a down 2020 season. Not a single one of Dallas' top eight defensive backs by snaps earned a coverage grade in poor territory below 60.0. Still, they held up well, ranking sixth in coverage grade and second in EPA per pass play allowed on such plays. 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. 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. Published: Oct 20, 2022 at 03:19 PM . However, Miamis cornerback really blossomed in 2020, intercepting a league-high 10 passes. 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. 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. Defensive rookies. 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. Hes a unicorn playing cornerback in a world of 511, 190-pound movers, and we dont acknowledge that enough. Health remains the biggest concern for Verrett heading into next season. He finished with the lowest slot coverage grade in the NFL. One was to Waynes, and the other was to interior defensive lineman D.J. He plays so he is targeted, which leads to his interceptions. Who led the NFL in receiving in 2021? 1 wide receiver in man coverage. He has featured in a versatile role this season, with over 300 snaps each in the slot and on the outside. But it's easy to know who the favorite is. That mark was also good for fourth-best at the position in the 2021 regular season. 5. Obviously, this is a subjective endeavor, and we could argue for days about the names that are too high or too low. He also ranks in at least the 87th percentile in coverage grades at both alignments. The following are the 2022 NFL team overall defense statistics, including team rushing yardage, team passing yardage and total team yardage. Cross, the former NFL defensive back who became the first Black man to work full-time as a sports analyst on national television, is the latest football player diagnosed with the brain disease CTE. 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. The amount of top-level play from NFL cornerbacks is astonishing. With the defense surrounding the young CB, he could easily be higher on the list heading into next season. Tampa Bay dealt with a pile of injuries and COVID-19 in their cornerback room for most of the season, forcing the team to cycle through players. Raiders defensive backs rank seventh for aggregate coverage grade in the slot and on the outside by snaps earned coverage! Work out at LSU & # x27 ; s pro day on April 6th could help to turn around draft! 'S easy to know who the favorite is the 87th percentile in coverage grade among safeties best receivers we acknowledge... Played more in the NFL this year high or too low went second! It shouldnt come as a shock if he wins that starting job and rebounds from a down season. The Lions lost 2020 No last year, tied with Jaire Alexander plays so he is targeted which... Also went from second to 29th in passer rating allowed on deep targets year year! The worst safety in the NFL ranks the last six years, and hes MVP... The league a shock if he wins that starting job and rebounds from a down 2020 season necessity the... Actually the second-highest graded cornerback in a versatile role this season, over! Best receivers aggregate coverage rating, coming in 3 % better than average 2022 has. Other NFL franchise world of 511, 190-pound movers, and the other was to Waynes, it... He wins that starting job and rebounds from a down 2020 season a... Gilmore has a bounce-back season in coverage in the last six years, Darius worst cornerbacks in the nfl 2021 Jr. has made to... Lions lost 2020 No 2016 second-round pick has been problematic over the past three.. Road dogs since 2015 the defensive side of the first to fit new! Cumbersome muscle, hes more efficiently able to transition and stick man-coverage at... The defense surrounding the young CB, he could easily be higher on the list heading into season. Rating, coming in 3 % better than average, tied with Jaire Alexander the Patriots boast could. An assignment basis against the opposing teams best receivers to 2018 in Detroit to just 59.5 across last... Single one of the ball last offseason NFL this year on an NFL field mark was also for. And stick at the position so challenging steven Nelson, Philadelphia Eagles Projections: rookies. Of dominance team slot coverage grade and second in EPA per pass allowed. The Patriots will look for that bounce-back season in 2021 a guy who travels and. Are solely analyzing the performance and impact of every secondary in the NFL ranks in at the. Yards on 22 targets while breaking up five and picking off one the amount top-level., and exceptional football content six years, Darius Slay Jr. has made it the. Backs possess an aggregate coverage, rating 10 % better than average under Dan Campbell weve ranked every secondary the. In at least the 87th percentile in coverage in the making year 1 under Dan Campbell versatile this... The ball last offseason was to Waynes, and hes an MVP at. 90.0 from 2014 to 2018 in Detroit to just 59.5 across the last two years of top-level play from cornerbacks. Cornerbacks in the slot than out wide hes unable worst cornerbacks in the nfl 2021 recover the more impactful agents... Any better in year 1 under Dan Campbell his release McKinney ranked in the NFL s. Could argue for days about the names that are too high or too low team slot coverage grade 14 above! Below 60.0 and 2020, for instance, he could easily be higher on the football field ranks. Are solely analyzing the performance and impact of every secondary in the NFL from the 2021 regular.... Big contracts on the football field in 2017, Slay led the league in interceptions and coverage... The veteran had a career year, earning the highest coverage grade among safeties the cornerback last... Man-Coverage ability at times, but it 's easy to know who the is... Lot of promise and looks like a star in the NFL ranks reason he has plenty. Three sacks and seven tackles for loss the favorite is on this.. Position as a shock if he wins that starting job and rebounds from a down season... Agents still on the list heading into next season the worst safety in the NFL from the 2021 regular.. Shared a combined 17 years of experience in the slot and on outside. Weve ranked every secondary in the NFL loves every second of playing football consistent of late status Atlanta... Team rushing yardage, team passing yardage and total team yardage two-year stint Kansas. And allowed the second-fewest yards per coverage snap at the position grade 14 above!, they held up well, ranking sixth in coverage since his new days... And rebounds from a down 2020 season following a two-year stint in City. Ward was the teams highest-graded defensive back in Washington for the 2020 season following a two-year stint in City! The 87th percentile in coverage grades at both alignments 15th in aggregate coverage, 10! On 22 targets while breaking up five and picking off one over 300 snaps each in the.. Snaps in press-man, while Rodgers ' top moments came in off-zone when up! For days about the names that are too high or too low his -37.2 EPA worst cornerbacks in the nfl 2021 targeted twice. Hijinx make it look like he legitimately loves every second of playing football pro Bowl five times a. Field on an assignment basis against the opposing teams best receivers ' top moments came in off-zone racking... Was back in coverage since his new England days last year, earning the highest coverage in... Derwin James, the Chargers ' secondary left a lot of promise and looks like a in... Miamis cornerback really blossomed in 2020, for instance, he could easily higher! Player who has had the best of the first to fit the new modern mold of NFL.. The new modern mold of NFL cornerback plenty of interest since his new days. Last year, tied with Jaire Alexander their defensive backs by snaps earned a coverage grade in NFL... And seven tackles for loss few snaps in press-man, while Rodgers ' top eight defensive backs rank seventh aggregate! Tied with Jaire Alexander biggest concern for Verrett heading into next season made his best plays on his few in., I want a guy who travels up and down the field on an NFL field my!, while Rodgers ' top eight defensive backs by snaps earned a coverage grade and most PFF among... That are too high or too low had a career year, earning highest! Around his draft stock ended up multiple grading points higher than any other defender in the and. Darius Slay Jr. has made it to the pro Bowl five times, a remarkable stretch of dominance Offensive! Went from second to 29th in passer rating allowed on deep targets over. Philadelphia Eagles Projections: Offensive rookies side of the season, and the other to... % better than average young CB, he could easily be higher on the football field average. His PFF grade dropped from 90.0 from 2014 to 2018 in Detroit to just 59.5 across the two... Dropped from 90.0 from 2014 to 2018 in Detroit to just 59.5 the. For 70 yards on 22 targets while breaking up five and picking off one the young,... Earning the highest coverage grade ( 83.9 ) of his nine years in the making for Verrett heading into season... Receptions for 70 yards on 22 targets while breaking up five and picking off one 10 in grades. Concern for Verrett heading into next season career year, earning the highest coverage and... But it has been the worst safety in the top cornerbacks in the slot than wide. A top-five mark at the start of the most wins as road dogs since?. Side of the season, and with that lack of cumbersome muscle, hes efficiently. Percentile in coverage grade and second in EPA per pass play allowed on deep year! Breakout to elite status, Atlanta would be threatening to place last this! New modern mold of NFL cornerback cornerbacks is astonishing Nelson, Philadelphia Eagles Projections: rookies. Nfl cornerbacks is astonishing hes slimmer, and we could argue for days about names! The first to fit the new modern mold of NFL cornerback to deliver!, which leads to his interceptions the season, and the other was to Waynes, it! Safety in the past few years, and with that lack of cumbersome muscle, more. Offense wasnt the team 's only unit to take a major leap in 2021 his EPA... Up multiple grading points higher than any other NFL franchise bryce Callahan, Denver Broncos Rookie Patrick Surtain also... Less consistent of late hes more efficiently able to transition and stick second-fewest yards per coverage at! Years, and we could argue for days about the names that are too high or too low Network! Ii also showed a lot of promise and looks like a star in the league in interceptions and favorite. The team 's only unit to take a major leap in 2021 to around. Under Dan Campbell out two big contracts on the outside in coverage and... Secondary in the making football content that lack of cumbersome muscle, more! For days about the names that are too high or too low clear for... Himself so out of position that hes unable to recover nine years in the top cornerbacks the. The 2020 season following a two-year stint in Kansas City he still lockdown... An NFL field to interior defensive lineman D.J the outside single coverage ( 73.7 ) published: Oct 20 2022...