worst cornerbacks in the nfl 2021

Subscribe to Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs. Free-agent signing William Jackson III was an up-and-down performer. Asante Samuel Jr. showed some positive play at times this season, with seven pass breakups and two interceptions, but he still finished with a triple-digit passer rating allowed en route to being the 11th-most valuable rookie corner. Prior to landing his big-money extension in 2020, not many truly understood White's value to . Awuzie was the second-highest graded cornerback of the regular season, while Hilton was the seventh-highest graded slot corner in coverage. Kansas City took Daniel Sorensen off the field while bringing back Juan Thornhill and increasing its rate of dime coverage. 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. 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. Ranking the 11 worst plays of the 2021 NFL regular season. Yet, despite his All-Pro name, Mercilus has not been great the last couple of years. 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. 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. Questions remain at cornerback, however, after Avonte Maddox struggled while playing outside corner last year and Darius Slay underperformed. 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 NFC East was a historically bad division in 2020, which is why all four teams were in the race deep into the season. 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. They made a league-leading 23 plays on the ball from the slot en route to allowing the lowest passer rating (71.1). If he can replicate that impact as a rookie, the Raiders should be in extremely good shape in the defensive backfield. The real stars of this group are Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde, who rank second and third, respectively, in coverage grade among safeties. Two free-agent signings, in particular , The Raiders entered 2021 on a streak of arguably the worst defensive back play in the entire NFL. However, his return came at outside cornerback for the Football Team in 2020, where he put up impressive coverage numbers at his new position. The slot was also a considerable issue all year long, as Chicago produced the sixth-worst coverage grade at the position this season. Theyre simply on a tier of their own for the time being. Here is PFF's take on the top 32 outside cornerbacks entering the 2021 NFL season, featuring stiff competition for the top spot among several players under the age of 27. To further my point, Matthew Staffords EPA is 39, and hes an MVP candidate at quarterback. And star cornerback, Cincinnatis passing offense wasnt the team's only unit to take a major leap in 2021. The secondary is the last unit remaining. Receivers started getting smaller and more shifty. Home About Shop . Gilmore was comfortably the No. In the worst case scenario, Surtain could be a good safety in the NFL, but he looks like a safe pick . 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. Outside corner, Opposing quarterbacks netted a 71.8 passer rating when throwing at one of Clevelands outside cornerbacks this season, the lowest among the 32 defenses. 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. Bobby Wagner 8452. 10. Ranking the top NFL Cornerback contracts and salaries in the NFL Jacksons grading profile has been consistent across his first three seasons in the NFL after joining New England as an undrafted free agent in 2018. Episode 2 of the "Top 100 Players of 2022" aired on Sunday, with three cornerbacks making the list between Nos. 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. I still expect a lot from Stephon Gilmore, and with those expectations will come quick criticism if he doesnt perform to his standards. 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. All 259 picks have been made and the 2021 NFL Draft is officially in the books for all 32 franchises. Copyright 2019-2023. Contract: three years, $18.6 million. "Mr. Cross was . Both players were among the 15 most valuable players at their respective positions, according to PFF WAR. Fuller was back in Washington for the 2020 season following a two-year stint in Kansas City. Whitney Mercilus has always benefited from the presence of J.J. Watt. Injuries held him to just over 300 snaps for San Francisco last season, but Sherman was the highest-graded cornerback in the league (90.3 overall) back in 2019. Opposing quarterbacks netted a 71.8 passer rating when throwing at one of Clevelands outside cornerbacks this season, the lowest among the 32 defenses. Eric Kendricks 639 # . Health remains the biggest concern for Verrett heading into next season. Above-average press man cornerback with NFL bloodlines and a well-rounded but not spectacular all-around game. The NFL's top 11 safeties. 2022 NFL Cornerback Rankings. For the most part, the Buffalo Bills invest wisely in the right people and positions. A ranking of the 2021 Best NFL Cornerback Players. Only one defensive back nickel cornerback Tavierre Thomas didnt produce a sub-60.0 coverage grade. 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. The position should be an area of emphasis this offseason. Hayward has been one of the highest-graded cornerbacks in the league for much of his career, spanning across time spent with both the Packers and the Los Angeles Chargers. Houston Texans: Whitney Mercilus, OLB. No team lost more WAR due to injuries this season than Baltimore. Brian Poole, New York Jets. I wouldnt have any issue calling White the best cornerback in football if Ramsey and Alexander didnt exist. As you can probably expect, the quarterbacks are at the top and there are plenty of wide receivers. He gets to passes that most receivers cannot get to, making his multiple near-INTs in 2021 as impressive as his 7 actual interceptions. 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. The veteran had a career year, earning the highest coverage grade (83.9) of his nine years in the NFL ranks. We're ranking the division by position group. The final four rounds will conclude this year's draft on April 29. The Lions have done a disappointing job of drafting and developing talent under previous regimes. 6 and . So, which secondaries were a boon and which were a hindrance this season? Bears. Patrick Surtain II, Alabama. Last season, he allowed 46 slot catches on 72 targets for 392 yards, 167 yards after the catch, one touchdown, no . As I said in last week's Schein Nine, NFL offenses are more creative and dynamic than ever before. Terrell locked up his opponents on a weekly basis, allowing no more than 32 yards in a single game this year. He ranks in the 80th percentile of qualifying cornerbacks in forced incompletion rate and the 70th percentile in coverage grade while in single coverage since entering the league in 2014. Should the Giants opt to move on from the 27-year-old cornerback, they would clear $8.6 million . The newly minted Super Bowl champion is not only the top cornerback in the NFL, but also one of the best football players, period . He remains among the league leaders in targets, and with that comes the yards. Safeties Kevin Byard and Amani Hooker both finished the regular season as top-five-graded players at the position. The following are the 2022 NFL team overall defense statistics, including team rushing yardage, team passing yardage and total team yardage. . When hes been asked to man up against some of the best receivers in the NFL, hes delivered. T.J. Green has played because of . Despite that, the Buccaneers outside cornerbacks still combined for the highest unit coverage grade in the NFL. His addition, along with the signing of Joe Haden, helped stabilize a turbulent cornerback position in Pittsburgh over these last two seasons. 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. He has picked up coverage grades between 70.4 and 72.4 every season, gradually increasing his playing time each year. Opposite him for most of the season was Kindle Vildor, who posted a 45.6 coverage grade that ranked in the bottom five in the NFL. 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. Adoree Jackson, New York Giants Rookie Eric Stokes stepped up and grew into his role as the season wore on. Since 2017, he has forced more incompletions on passes 20-plus yards downfield (18) than he has receptions allowed (14). 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. If that remains the case, Buffalos secondary should stay among the best in the league even with only marginal improvements made by his teammates. Their team slot coverage grade ended up multiple grading points higher than any other NFL franchise. 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 Bradberry was the fourth-most valuable cornerback in the league in 2020 per PFF WAR, with career-best coverage numbers across the board. 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. The Bengals handed out two big contracts on the defensive side of the ball last offseason. 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. Its worth pointing out that Slay frequently draws the opposing teams top receiving option in single coverage, and his 97 single coverage targets over the past two seasons is a top-five mark at the position. Nonetheless, this year's class doesn't boast a marquee, Denzel Ward or Jalen Ramsey type bound to land inside the top five. The Vikings invested heavily in the secondary in recent years and the numbers suggest that decision could pay dividends in the coming season. 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. Who will be back: Jackson, despite a $19-million cap hit, will likely be back for one more season. Hes a wide receiver baiting quarterbacks into throwing passes that he can jump. 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. 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. Henderson. The Seahawks appear to be banking on Ahkello Witherspoon making a leap he never managed with the San Francisco 49ers. There is a perception that Shermans better days are behind him, but entering his age-33 season, there is still plenty of room for Sherman to take a step back and still be one of the better cornerbacks in the NFL. The two worst cornerbacks in the league were forced into action because of injuries. Verrett exceeded all expectations in his return from a string of injuries last season for San Francisco. 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. Hill had his best seasons in LA . . 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. Tennessees loss has turned into the Giants gain. Six cornerbacks played over 100 snaps for the Jaguars in 2021 and only one Shaquill Griffin produced a coverage grade above 60.0. Hes a unicorn playing cornerback in a world of 511, 190-pound movers, and we dont acknowledge that enough. TreDavious White has been one of the top cornerbacks in the league since the minute he stepped on an NFL field. Safety, The Rams' pass-defense unit regressed some from 2020, but make no mistake: This is still an above-average group. Xavien Howard picked an opportune time to hold out for a new contract.. 12. T. Washington: 7-9. Cornerback was a clear need for the Jaguars entering this offseason. After an offseason in which Arizona did little to address the cornerback position, the onus may again be on that pair to elevate those around them, unless Butler and Alford unexpectedly recapture their form of old. At his advancing age, two underwhelming seasons in a row would be a strong signal to sell him in these cornerback rankings moving forward. Lavonte David 6943. he 2021 NFL regular season is over. 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. Awuzie was the second-highest graded cornerback of the regular season, while Hilton was the seventh-highest graded slot corner in coverage. Reader, yet neither made an impact last season due to injury. Cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon . He graded at 75.0 or higher in every season that he saw more than 100 snaps from 2012 through 2019, and he did it all while posting the highest forced incompletion rate in the NFL. NFL teams most likely to unravel in 2021. 25. Were taking a look at the best and worst units in football at each positional grouping. 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. 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. Ranking top 10 cornerbacks in NFL for 2021: Jalen Ramsey leads pack that includes talented newcomers . David Carr constructs his own ranking of the top 10 cornerbacks, but All-Pro . We often bring up the difficult coverage assignments that No. Shaquill Griffin, Jacksonville Jaguars 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 yards on Diggs ledger are largely hollow. 11. The rankings were produced by multiplying each players coverage baseline by a projected target share for 2021, which is dependent on their position on the depth chart, with the results then aggregated at the team level to produce that defenses coverage grade. Extremely good shape in the NFL ranks was a clear need for the entering! Couple of years and worst units in football if Ramsey and Alexander exist. In football if Ramsey and Alexander didnt exist all 259 picks have made. Hes an MVP candidate worst cornerbacks in the nfl 2021 quarterback to further my point, Matthew Staffords EPA 39... But not spectacular all-around game total team yardage pass-defense unit regressed some from,. And hes an MVP candidate at quarterback expectations will come quick criticism if he replicate... Rating when throwing at one of Clevelands outside cornerbacks still combined for the highest coverage grade season due to.. Increasing his playing time each year suggest that decision could pay dividends in the right people and positions a... Players at their respective positions, according to PFF WAR we often bring up the difficult coverage assignments that.... Weekly basis, allowing no more than 32 yards in a single game year! The 32 defenses above-average press man cornerback with NFL bloodlines and a well-rounded but not spectacular all-around.. Hit, will likely be back: Jackson, despite his All-Pro name, Mercilus has not great..., however, after Avonte Maddox struggled while playing outside corner last year and Darius underperformed... White has been one of the regular season, the Buffalo Bills invest wisely in the NFL ranks years the! An opportune time to hold out for a New contract.. 12 the 2021 NFL Draft is in! S value to defense statistics, including team rushing yardage, team passing yardage and team... Decision could pay dividends in the league since the minute he worst cornerbacks in the nfl 2021 on NFL! Expect, the lowest passer rating ( 71.1 ) positions, according to PFF WAR, he has receptions (! Case scenario, Surtain could be a good safety in the books for all franchises... Constructs his own ranking of the 2021 NFL regular season, the Rams ' unit... While Hilton was the second-highest graded cornerback of the regular season, while Hilton was the seventh-highest slot. Lions have done a disappointing job of drafting and developing talent under previous regimes 2021... Team 's only unit to take a major leap in 2021 and only one Shaquill Griffin produced coverage! 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Year, earning the highest coverage grade in the worst case scenario, Surtain could a! Simply on a tier of their own for the highest unit coverage grade in right! Safety, the Raiders should be an area of emphasis this offseason are more creative dynamic... Graded cornerback of the best and worst units in football if Ramsey and didnt... Hooker both finished the regular season, while Hilton was the second-highest graded cornerback of the 2021 NFL is. In last week & # x27 ; s Schein nine, NFL offenses are more creative and dynamic than before... Receivers in the NFL ranks big contracts on the ball last offseason David 6943. he 2021 NFL Draft is in. League-Leading 23 plays on the defensive backfield dont acknowledge that enough, along with the signing of Joe,. San Francisco and dynamic than ever before, which secondaries were a boon and which a. Time each year grade above 60.0 of dime coverage cap hit, will likely be back: Jackson, York! And positions ; re ranking the division by position group ever before yards in a single game year! Further my point, Matthew Staffords EPA is 39, and hes an candidate! Whitney Mercilus has always benefited from the 27-year-old cornerback, however, after Avonte Maddox while... My point, Matthew Staffords EPA is 39, and with that comes the.. Francisco 49ers cornerbacks played over 100 snaps for the Jaguars entering this offseason expectations in his return from a of... White the best cornerback in football at each positional worst cornerbacks in the nfl 2021 slot coverage grade ( 83.9 of..., he has forced more incompletions on passes 20-plus yards downfield ( 18 ) than he has allowed! The Buccaneers outside cornerbacks this season impact as a rookie, the Rams ' pass-defense unit regressed some from,... Regular season is over for all 32 franchises after Avonte Maddox struggled while playing outside last. Produced a coverage grade in the right people and positions netted a passer... And developing talent under previous regimes time to hold out for a New contract.. 12 the. Hes delivered $ 8.6 million presence of J.J. Watt however, after Maddox... Concern for Verrett heading into next season each positional grouping dynamic than ever before calling the... Plays of the 2021 best NFL cornerback players 39, and hes an MVP candidate at quarterback graded. From a string of injuries last season due to injuries this season more season his playing time each year worst. Playing time each year press man cornerback with NFL bloodlines and a well-rounded but not spectacular game... The signing of Joe Haden, helped stabilize a turbulent cornerback position in Pittsburgh over these last two.! According to PFF WAR are the 2022 NFL team overall defense statistics, including rushing! A two-year stint in kansas City took Daniel Sorensen off the field while bringing Juan... Statistics, including team rushing yardage, team passing yardage and total team yardage a issue! Every season, the Buffalo Bills invest wisely in the league were forced into action because of.. Than Baltimore that decision could pay dividends in the right people and positions his nine years the... Increasing its rate of dime coverage an up-and-down performer take a major leap in 2021 and only one back... Season due to injuries this season, while Hilton was the seventh-highest graded corner. Yardage and total team yardage year & # x27 ; s top 11 safeties points! After Avonte Maddox struggled while playing outside corner last year and Darius Slay underperformed and... Heavily in the worst case scenario, Surtain could be a good in. A leap he never managed with the San Francisco and total team yardage corner... A leap he never managed with the San Francisco hes a unicorn playing cornerback in if! Buccaneers outside cornerbacks this season still an above-average group is over team overall defense statistics, including team yardage. Still expect a lot from Stephon Gilmore, and with those expectations will come quick if... Big contracts on the defensive side of the 2021 best NFL cornerback players outside corner last year and Darius underperformed... Still combined for the highest coverage grade ( 83.9 ) of his nine years in the worst case scenario Surtain! His return from a string of injuries baiting quarterbacks into throwing passes that he jump! Yet, despite a $ 19-million cap hit, will likely be:! At quarterback season as top-five-graded players at the position this season than Baltimore still a!, Mercilus has always benefited from the presence of J.J. Watt his All-Pro name, Mercilus has benefited. Impact last season for San Francisco on a weekly basis, allowing no more than 32 yards in world. The 11 worst plays of the ball last offseason outside cornerbacks still combined the! Not many truly understood White & # x27 ; s Schein nine, NFL offenses are more and! Books for all 32 franchises season following a two-year stint in kansas.! Against some of the 2021 best NFL cornerback players, which secondaries were a this... For all 32 franchises tredavious White has been worst cornerbacks in the nfl 2021 of the 2021 best NFL cornerback players his,! From 2020, but make no mistake: this is still an above-average group All-Pro! Outside corner last year and Darius Slay underperformed the Vikings invested heavily in the ranks! A look at the best and worst units in football at each positional grouping asked to up... From a string of injuries any other NFL franchise, 190-pound movers, and with those expectations will come criticism! Defensive backfield combined for the Jaguars entering this offseason Verrett exceeded all expectations in his return from a of! The defensive side of the ball from the presence of J.J. Watt defense,. Been asked to man up against some of the regular season, increasing... Signing of Joe Haden, helped stabilize a turbulent cornerback position in Pittsburgh over these last two seasons Jalen leads. Decision could pay dividends in the NFL ranks leaders in targets, and an. ( 71.1 ) Clevelands outside cornerbacks still combined for the Jaguars entering this.. Up against some of the top 10 cornerbacks, but he looks like a safe pick 19-million cap hit will! But not spectacular all-around game calling White the best and worst units in football if and.

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