1. 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. The top cornerback room? Two free-agent signings, in particular , The Raiders entered 2021 on a streak of arguably the worst defensive back play in the entire NFL. That all came to a halt with the Chargers in 2020, as Hayward earned a PFF grade of just 59.5 while allowing nearly 17 yards per reception into his coverage. Taron Johnson, Buffalo Bills Safeties Kevin Byard and Amani Hooker both finished the regular season as top-five-graded players at the position. Data modeling by Kyle Cunningham-Rhoads. In the last six years, Darius Slay Jr. has made it to the Pro Bowl five times, a remarkable stretch of dominance. The NFL's top 11 safeties. Overall, New York allowed more EPA per pass than any other defense in the regular season. In 2021, the two 25-year-olds each missed several games but allowed under 700 yards in coverage combined. 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. Hill had his best seasons in LA . 4) New England Patriots: Stephon Gilmore & J.C. Jackson. Cornerback Charvarius Ward was also playing exceptionally better after missing a month due to injury. Tennessees loss has turned into the Giants gain. 3 overall pick on a defensive back like Derek Stingley Jr. (PFFs No. 1. 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. A strong work out at LSU's pro day on April 6th could help to turn around his draft stock. The Bengals handed out two big contracts on the defensive side of the ball last offseason. Marcus Peters, Baltimore Ravens Their defensive backs possess an aggregate coverage grade 14% above average. Darius Big Play Slay played a big part in the Eagles cracking a spot in the top half of the league. He gets to passes that most receivers cannot get to, making his multiple near-INTs in 2021 as impressive as his 7 actual interceptions. Yet, with Quandre Diggs coming off a year in which he conceded a disappointing 13.82 burn yards per target, this is a group with more questions than answers. One was to Waynes, and the other was to interior defensive lineman D.J. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Since 2017, he has forced more incompletions on passes 20-plus yards downfield (18) than he has receptions allowed (14). Congratulations, Arizona. Davis and Dean form one of the best cornerback pairings in the NFL. he 2021 NFL regular season is over. The yards on Diggs ledger are largely hollow. While the group combined for the sixth-most interceptions (14) among the 32 secondaries, it also allowed a successful play at a bottom-five rate. Full Site Menu. Only three inside corners gave up fewer burn yards per snap than Ugo Amadi (1.14) in 2020 while safety Jamal Adams was not the coverage liability many made him out to be; the Seahawks sack leader last season gave up a big play on 10 of his 41 targets. 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. Here is the fourth version of our Vikings 2023 Mock Draft Tracker, which features 16 recent predictions from around the world of . Cincinnatis passing offense wasnt the team's only unit to take a major leap in 2021. Williams career trajectory is very similar to Dean's in that he graded exceptionally well in a limited role in 2019 and didnt take any sort of step back in a full-time starting job this past season. The 2021 first-round pick was the lone Falcons defensive back to play 200 snaps and earn a PFF grade north of 60.0. 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. Obviously, this is a subjective endeavor, and we could argue for days about the names that are too high or too low. Nik Needham was an underrated player among the group by producing a top-10 slot coverage grade in the NFL. Jan 10, 2022. The Detroit Lions were, by most metrics, the worst defensive team in the NFL last year and they probably won't be much better . Nonetheless, this year's class doesn't boast a marquee, Denzel Ward or Jalen Ramsey type bound to land inside the top five. Carlton Davis III was less impressive, giving up a burn on exactly half of his 92 targets, though the fact he conceded a big play on 25% of his targets (the average was 26 among all corners) leaves room for encouragement. Pittsburgh also went from second to 29th in passer rating allowed on deep targets year over year. MORE: The 10 most intriguing prospects in the 2023 NFL draft class. 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. Pittsburgh also went from second to 29th in passer rating allowed on deep targets year over year. 2020 Yards-Allowed Rank: No. 3 overall pick, The Jets four most-played cornerbacks on the outside or slot this year were either Day 3 picks or undrafted in one of the past two classes. If Ramsey is the freak, Alexander is the new mold. 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. In all, 17.1% of the targets into his coverage have resulted in either a pass breakup or interception over his career, a top-five mark among qualifiers at the position. It shouldnt be a surprise that the group finished with one of the three-lowest unit coverage grades of the year. However, Miamis cornerback really blossomed in 2020, intercepting a league-high 10 passes. Quarterback Josh Allen, cornerback Tre'Davious White, wide receiver . NFL Player Grades - current. 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. 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. Terrell has flashed the ability to become one of the truly . 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. Its challenging to rank these guys with the multitude of schematic differences and responsibilities. Its unfortunate hes not more widely regarded as a ballhawk, but many cant look past the paltry INT numbers to his league-high 8 forced fumbles in 2020. Minnesota put forth some of the worst cornerback play in the NFL. He also stands out as one of the better zone-coverage cornerbacks in the NFL, ranking in the 94th percentile of all cornerbacks on such plays during the 2020 season. Prior to landing his big-money extension in 2020, not many truly understood White's value to . 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. Veteran Artie Burns and seventh-round rookie Thomas Graham Jr. were small-sample darlings with 85.1 and 90.6 coverage grades, respectively, but they didnt get enough reps to make a sizable dent. Safety, The Rams' pass-defense unit regressed some from 2020, but make no mistake: This is still an above-average group. If you built a cornerback in a lab, they would look like Ramsey. 2021 NFL Defensive Secondary Rankings, by Unit 32. Cowboys: 6-10. The Raiders entered 2021 on a streak of arguably the worst defensive back play in the entire NFL. Defensive rookies. 32. Cross, who was 81 when he died Feb. 28, 2021, suffered from stage 4 chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Boston University researchers said Tuesday. With some personnel tweaks, the Chiefs secondary revived itself. His 71.5 overall grade in 2020 was his highest single-season mark since back in 2017 with the Broncos. Things got off to a rough start when the Lions lost 2020 No. 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. Heck, he played more snaps in the slot in 2020 than he did on the outside! The two worst cornerbacks in the league were forced into action because of injuries. Copyright 2019-2023. 14. The Vikings' gave up the third-most yards on the outside (1,802) while also tying for the third-fewest plays on the ball (18) at the position. The 2017 first-round pick earned a 76.4 coverage grade and led the league in pass breakups (18) en route to being the second-most valuable cornerback in the league, according to PFF WAR. Jackson is fluid and explosive with great natural feet to play a sticky brand of man coverage. New York Jets Having an elite cornerback who is capable of traveling with an opposing team's top receiving threat, such as Jalen Ramsey, can take pressure off other players in the secondary. Best Bets Tool. 1. Ramsey is a freak, and on top of it all, hes so good against the run that his late-career safety transition will probably end in an All-Pro berth or two. 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. 11. 22. Washington possessed one of the better defenses in the NFL in 2020;Jacksons addition should only improve it, giving them a No. Bobby Wagner 8452. 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. Darious Williams, Los Angeles Rams Still, hes a gifted tactician at the position and will get back on his feet this season. Ward and Newsome, in particular, produced top-10 coverage grades when in single coverage. Yet, there were signs this group is primed to make further progress in 2021, most of which came from starting corner Jamel Dean. who passed away in February 2021 at age 81, played cornerback for the Eagles from 1961 to 1965, earning two Pro Bowl nods, and . These rankings are solely analyzing the performance and impact of every secondary in the NFL from the 2021 regular season. 28. Consequently, defenses are more stressed than ever before. 12. This week, were evaluating defensive backs. With the defense surrounding the young CB, he could easily be higher on the list heading into next season. Theres reason to believe this secondary can take a big step forward in 2022 with its young core of safety Jeremy Chinn and cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and C.J. He led the position in interceptions (11), yards allowed (1,026) and penalties (11) this regular season. If Lattimores career was flipped in reverse order, theres a reasonable chance that he would be inside the top five on this list. The 2021 second-round pick is a valuable piece to this secondary moving forward, but the other cornerback spots need some work. The Raiders secondary has received its fair share of criticism in the Jon Gruden-Mike Mayock years, with doubts cast over the merits of selecting Trayvon Mullen in the second round in 2019 and Damon Arnette in the first last year. In truth, he could be there already. The Panthers' outside coverage, in particular, was the weakest link. 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. The final four rounds will conclude this year's draft on April 29. The defense endured blows at multiple position groups, including in the secondary with Marcus Peters (torn ACL in the preseason) and Marlon Humphrey (torn pectoral in Week 13). 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. 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. Six cornerbacks played over 100 snaps for the Jaguars in 2021 and only one Shaquill Griffin produced a coverage grade above 60.0. His PFF grade dropped from 90.0 from 2014 to 2018 in Detroit to just 59.5 across the last two years. 20. Nickel Ronald Darby (37.8) and free-agent signing Kyle Fuller (40.3), inexplicably released by the Chicago Bears, each ranked in the top seven in burn percentage allowed for corners with at least 200 coverage snaps. 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. None of their cornerbacks had a quality campaign, but Bashaud Breeland who was waived in mid-December was the main reason for the outside struggles. 1 cornerback who will allow them to play more man coverage if they desire. He has picked up coverage grades between 70.4 and 72.4 every season, gradually increasing his playing time each year. I simply wont acknowledge any Jalen Ramsey disrespect in this dojo. 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. Devon Witherspoon is a player who has had the best production throughout 2022 and has been simply elite while . Las Vegas Raiders . 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. It doesnt hurt that Washington can feel comfortable playing him at multiple positions in their secondary, either. Reed, provided some grounds for optimism as his burn yards . The Buccaneers game in Week 5 was the culmination of bad luck early in the season, and it resulted in Howard allowing a season-high 89 yards in coverage. 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. This is the worst front seven in the NFL. Jalen Ramsey, Los Angeles Rams Its too early to say Gilmore cant get back to that level, though. Steven Nelson, Philadelphia Eagles The Texans dont have many players on their roster who they can rely on for steady play, but Roby is one of the few, assuming he doesnt receive another six-game suspension in 2021. 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. But Las Vegas can afford to have confidence in the secondary going into 2021. He finished with the lowest slot coverage grade in the NFL. Ask any executive or coach around the league at this 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. Theyre simply on a tier of their own for the time being. PFF's exclusive metrics provide Cornerback (CB) position rankings, grades, and snap counts. NFL Player Grades. Rookie Eric Stokes stepped up and grew into his role as the season wore on. Hes 61, 210 pounds, and his spider chart might as well have been colored in by a nine-year-old. This season, the division is up for grabs yet again. Giants: 6-10. His aggression will burn him on occasion, but you cant say that Peters doesnt make up for it with the positives he brings to the table. Green allowed only six receptions for 70 yards on 22 targets while breaking up five and picking off one. 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. In his first two seasons, A.J. His 17.3% forced incompletion rate ranks second among cornerbacks who have seen at least 100 targets over those two years. 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. The Bills defensive backs rank 15 points above the average in aggregate coverage grading. And there are a couple of surprise names feature among those secondaries who look ready to take a leap in 2021. As the teams big free-agent acquisition at the position, Griffin does bring plenty of experience for a younger player. 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. Verrett fought back to earn a starting job with the 49ers in 2020 and put up a top-20 PFF grade among qualifying cornerbacks on a career-high 803 defensive snaps. Injuries destroyed the Ravens this past season. He has featured in a versatile role this season, with over 300 snaps each in the slot and on the outside. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph did a good job of adjusting his defense and playing less man coverage to take stress off that unit, but the Cardinals still finished 26th in outside coverage grade for the year. Hes picked off nine passes over the past three seasons, and that total should be even higher, as Hadens nine dropped interceptions since 2018 are tied for the most at the position. Houston might want to think about using its No. Theres a reason he has received plenty of interest since his release. 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. Questions remain at cornerback, however, after Avonte Maddox struggled while playing outside corner last year and Darius Slay underperformed. But certain units . which is used by all 32 NFL teams we'll rank all 32 NFL secondaries from the 2021 regular season. 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. Jordan Fuller 22nd among safeties in adjusted open percentage provided cause for optimism as a rookie sixth-round pick in 2020 while Taylor Rapp conceded a big play on only two of his 15 targets. NAME SEASON TM GP TKL AST COMB SCK SCKY INT INT YDS INT TD FF FR FR TD; Jahleel Addae: 2021: IND. 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. Williams earned coverage grades above 81.0 in each of the last two years and made some remarkable plays on the ball in coverage in Brandon Staleys defense in 2020. 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worst cornerbacks in the nfl 2021