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. 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. He gets to passes that most receivers cannot get to, making his multiple near-INTs in 2021 as impressive as his 7 actual interceptions. NFL teams most likely to unravel in 2021. The lack of talent and experience was apparent, especially without safety Marcus Maye, who ruptured his Achilles midway through the season. He isnt at the top of the CB rankings yet simply because this is all so new. Still, the Saints defense was great last season and has continued to be so in 2021. 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. The slot was also a considerable issue all year long, as Chicago produced the sixth-worst coverage grade at the position this season. Mahomes is king again at age 25 and may not be dethroned for a long time. He still showcases lockdown man-coverage ability at times, but it has been less consistent of late. 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. 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. 20. After a 3-0 start to the 2021 season, the Carolina Panthers were figured out on both sides of the ball. Waynes three-year, $42 million contract was likely an overpay, but he does profile as a quality starting option. Green allowed only six receptions for 70 yards on 22 targets while breaking up five and picking off one. Dean expanded his role in the Buccaneers defense from fewer than 400 snaps in 2019 to 935 defensive snaps this past season. But certain units . No cornerback in the league has been more productive on passes 20 or more yards downfield over that span. Over the past few weeks, PFF has unveiled its positional rankings and unit rankings for the 2021 NFL season. 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. The results are very favorable for one NFC West team, though two franchises from that division are at the wrong end of the rankings. Obviously, this is a subjective endeavor, and we could argue for days about the names that are too high or too low. Free safety Tracy Walker (12.85), though, offered little to suggest he can help Detroit turn the ship around quickly on defense. 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. Galina: The shortcomings of the Kellen Moore-Dak Prescott connection for the Dallas Cowboys These rankings are solely analyzing the performance and impact of every secondary in the NFL from the 2021 regular season. Those missed opportunities only make the 77.5 passer rating allowed over that span (13th in the NFL) more impressive. Projections: Offensive rookies. The back-to-back AFC champions stood at a 2-3 record, and the secondary was performing at league-low levels. As the teams big free-agent acquisition at the position, Griffin does bring plenty of experience for a younger player. Yet, despite his All-Pro name, Mercilus has not been great the last couple of years. 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. A cause for concern may come across from White after a mediocre year for Levi Wallace, whose adjusted open percentage (30.85) was close to double that of White, but the Bills have to be impressed by the progress of nickel Taron Johnson, who allowed a big play on only 14 of his 74 targets at inside corner last year. Were taking a look at the best and worst units in football at each positional grouping. 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. 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. In a pass-heavy league, the cornerback position has grown into one of the most important positions on the football field. 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. Questions remain at cornerback, however, after Avonte Maddox struggled while playing outside corner last year and Darius Slay underperformed. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. 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. They were among the five least valuable secondaries in the league, and the cornerback room, in particular, finished as the second-lowest graded group. They made a league-leading 23 plays on the ball from the slot en route to allowing the lowest passer rating (71.1). Las Vegas will hope Hayward can accelerate the development of Mullen, who was an encouraging 15th in burn yards per target (8.67) among outside corners with at least 200 snaps. The Packers signed veteran Rasul Douglas midseason, and he far surpassed expectations with a 76.5 coverage grade. The cornerback room was more in the middle of the pack, ranking 16th in PFF WAR generated. Eventually, Washington took it. If that happens and J.C. Jackson progresses, they could solidify themselves with a gold medal there. Humphrey impacts the games in all the ways you want him to. Blake Martinez 6575. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Which teams have the best -- and worst -- running back units? 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. 8 forced fumbles in 2020. 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. 2020 Yards-Allowed Rank: No. Still, hes a gifted tactician at the position and will get back on his feet this season. The Lions have done a disappointing job of drafting and developing talent under previous regimes. Griffin has earned overall grades of 50.7, 78.0 and 64.6 in the past three seasons. Who looks to be a top-10 cornerback in the NFL right now? 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. The presence of Breeland, who is expected to compete with Dantzler for a starting job, and Peterson gives the Vikings strong depth at corner and should mitigate the potential loss of 2020 first-round pick Jeff Gladney, whose future is in doubt amid off-field troubles. 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. All Rights Reserved. Congratulations, Arizona. Health remains the biggest concern for Verrett heading into next season. Jones allowed 1.4 yards per coverage snap . The top cornerbacks for 2022 are all established stars who are all playing some of the best football of their careers. . Jones allowed 1.4 yards per coverage snap with Miami in 2020 double his 0.7 yards per coverage snap average across the 2018 and 2019 seasons in Dallas. 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 Seahawks appear to be banking on Ahkello Witherspoon making a leap he never managed with the San Francisco 49ers. Nov 15, 2020; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston (2) celebrates after a touchdown by running back Alvin Kamara . Safeties Kevin Byard and Amani Hooker both finished the regular season as top-five-graded players at the position. 2020 Points-Allowed Rank: No. This is not a forward-looking list, nor is it considering what a group accomplished prior to this season. 2021 stats: 11 games (11 starts), 1 INT, 6 PBUs, 1 FF, 1 FR, 0.5 sacks, 41 combined tackles (27 solo). Patrick Surtain II, Alabama. 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. . Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs. Minnesotas defensive backs rank 10th in aggregate coverage rating, performing 5% better than average. 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. Building a high-powered offense is a sustainable way to win in the NFL, but ensuring the defensive secondary isnt a liability is what separates the contenders from the rest. The Raiders entered 2021 on a streak of arguably the worst defensive back play in the entire NFL. If Ramsey is the freak, Alexander is the new mold. Howard has struggled so far in 2021, but the same can be said for the entire Dolphins defense. 2022 NFL Cornerback Rankings. 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. 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