worst cornerbacks in the nfl 2021

The steady veteran presence that he should bring will be important for a secondary that will likely start two cornerbacks under the age of 24 alongside him. 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. If he can replicate that impact as a rookie, the Raiders should be in extremely good shape in the defensive backfield. Eagles: 4-11-1. As I said in last week's Schein Nine, NFL offenses are more creative and dynamic than ever before. 22. 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. The newly minted Super Bowl champion is not only the top cornerback in the NFL, but also one of the best football players, period . The fifth-year cornerback out of Alabama has recorded at least 800 coverage snaps in the slot and out wide throughout his NFL career. Williams is Denver's long-term answer at running back . He allowed a mere 0.46 yards per coverage snap and 3.1 yards per target in that span, both of which ranked second among cornerbacks. We started to see signs of the Louisville product's playmaking ability in 2019, as his 16 forced incompletions ranked second at the position. Ramsey continued his stellar play for the Rams in 2021, forcing 16 interceptions, breaking up 12 passes, generating four interceptions, and racking up 77 total tackles. Six cornerbacks played over 100 snaps for the Jaguars in 2021 and only one Shaquill Griffin produced a coverage grade above 60.0. It hasnt taken Alexander very long to establish himself as one of the leagues best coverage cornerbacks. 4) New England Patriots: Stephon Gilmore & J.C. Jackson. Taron Johnson, Buffalo Bills 32. The Cardinals are under pressure to produce a playoff campaign in the third year of Kliff Kingsbury as head coach and Kyler Murray as quarterback and a look at their depth chart in the secondary indicates the offense may have to carry this team to a first postseason appearance since the 2015 campaign. His goal is not to make it so a quarterback doesnt want to throw the ball his way. 15. Ramsey has been one of the best cornerbacks in the league since Jacksonville drafted him fifth overall in the 2016 NFL Draft. Shaquill Griffin, Jacksonville Jaguars 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. 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. Jamel Dean, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 31. The following are the 2022 NFL team overall defense statistics, including team rushing yardage, team passing yardage and total team yardage. Outside of safety Derwin James, the Chargers' secondary left a lot to be desired in 2021. Subscribe to Defensive rookies. Browns honorable mention busts: Courtney Brown, (2000, first overall pick), Trent Richardson (2012, third overall pick) 8. Opposing quarterbacks netted a 71.8 passer rating when throwing at one of Clevelands outside cornerbacks this season, the lowest among the 32 defenses. Ex-NFL cornerback Irv Cross, who died in 2021 years after being diagnosed with dementia, had Stage 4 CTE after nearly a decade of playing in the NFL, researchers said Tuesday Instead, hes heading in the wrong direction. No cornerback in the league has been more productive on passes 20 or more yards downfield over that span. The two worst cornerbacks in the league were forced into action because of injuries. That larger role didnt lead to less impressive coverage numbers. According to PFF WAR, the veteran corner was the sixth-most valuable cornerback in the league over the 2015, 2017 and 2018 seasons. The position should be an area of emphasis this offseason. His PFF grade dropped from 90.0 from 2014 to 2018 in Detroit to just 59.5 across the last two years. He returns to the field in 2022, a huge boost . Personally, I want a guy who travels up and down the field on an assignment basis against the opposing teams best receivers. Bears. Hell still give up a big play here and there (as his yards per reception allowed shows), but thats the nature of being an aggressive cornerback. Bradberry was the fourth-most valuable cornerback in the league in 2020 per PFF WAR, with career-best coverage numbers across the board. And he only got better as the season progressed. 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. Kendall Fuller, Washington Football Team A.J. All Rights Reserved. He has picked up coverage grades between 70.4 and 72.4 every season, gradually increasing his playing time each year. In a pass-heavy league, the cornerback position has grown into one of the most important positions on the football field. The only outside cornerbacks to allow fewer yards per coverage snap than Dean (0.8) on at least 600 coverage snaps since the start of the 2019 season are Richard Sherman (0.4) and Jalen Ramsey (0.8). Outside corner J.C. Jackson was also one of the best at his respective position, earning a top-five PFF grade in the regular season. 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. And even he had a volatile season with a 60.5 coverage grade. Aug 3, 2021. he 2021 NFL regular season is over. We're ranking the division by position group. Henderson. 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. Theres a reason he has received plenty of interest since his release. 8 forced fumbles in 2020. The position as a whole combined for the third-fewest WAR among the 32 groups. Kansas City took Daniel Sorensen off the field while bringing back Juan Thornhill and increasing its rate of dime coverage. 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. Still, they held up well, ranking sixth in coverage grade and second in EPA per pass play allowed on such plays. His value is easy to see. Howard has struggled so far in 2021, but the same can be said for the entire Dolphins defense. New York Jets 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. However, I prefer to look at this exercise as a nod of respect toward the top cornerbacks in the NFL for the 2021 season. Terrell was actually the second-highest graded cornerback in coverage in the 2021 regular season, behind only Jalen Ramsey. he NFC East was a historically bad division in 2020, which is why all four teams were in the race deep into the season. Both players were among the 15 most valuable players at their respective positions, according to PFF WAR. The 247Sports Composite is a proprietary algorithm that compiles rankings and ratings listed in the public domain by the major media recruiting services, creating the industry's most comprehensive and unbiased prospect and team rankings. Two free-agent signings, in particular Chidobe Awuzie and Mike Hilton have helped them get there. Its too early to say Gilmore cant get back to that level, though. Heck, he played more snaps in the slot in 2020 than he did on the outside! Contract: three years, $18.6 million. Copyright 2019-2023. And there are a couple of surprise names feature among those secondaries who look ready to take a leap in 2021. 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. 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. When Diggs is targeted, the opponents quarterback rating is 45. 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. Marshon Lattimore struggled a bit relative to expectations in 2020, but hes back with a vengeance in 2021. To look exclusively at the secondary, the results for defenders who spend their playing time almost exclusively in the box have been filtered out. His 3,546 regular-season defensive snaps over the past four seasons are a top-10 mark at the position. Heck, he played more snaps in the slot in 2020 than he did on the outside. Okudah allowed the offense to gain +1.0 EPA on 43.2 percent of his targets in coverage, the worst rate in the league . A strong work out at LSU's pro day on April 6th could help to turn around his draft stock. 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. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. Fuller was back in Washington for the 2020 season following a two-year stint in Kansas City. And we mustnt forget about the impact of rookie safety Jevon Holland. Nov 15, 2020; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston (2) celebrates after a touchdown by running back Alvin Kamara . The ability to limit production like Ramsey did against top-flight talent is invaluable for the Los Angeles Rams defense. 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. Changing that and successfully developing Okudah and Melifonwu will be crucial to this secondary climbing out of the cellar. CORNERBACK PROSPECT RANKING 2023 NFL DRAFT. 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. Ranking the 11 worst plays of the 2021 NFL regular season. They will be looking for a step forward from last years third-round pick Cameron Dantzler, who was above average in burn yards per target (9.4) and open percentage allowed (62.3) as a rookie. David Carr constructs his own ranking of the top 10 cornerbacks, but All-Pro . KEY: Gms = Games Played, Tot Pts = Total Points Scored, Pts/G = Points Per Game, RushYds = Rushing Yards, RYds/G = Rushing Yards Per Game . 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. Yet, there were signs this group is primed to make further progress in 2021, most of which came from starting corner Jamel Dean. 12. With that being said, here are four bold predictions for the New Orleans Saints in the 2023 NFL offseason. The Tuscaloosa News via AP) Height: 6'2" (95th percentile) Weight: 208 (94th) 40-Yard Dash: 4.42 seconds (85th) Bench Press: 18 reps (33rd) Vertical Jump: 39 inches (84th) Broad Jump: 131 inches (91st) 3-Cone Drill: N/A 20-Yard Shuttle: N/A Bio: In what will be a theme for this list of players . Bobby Wagner 8452. 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. TreDavious White has been one of the top cornerbacks in the league since the minute he stepped on an NFL field. He ranks top 10 in both slot and outside coverage grade. Holland was the highest-graded safety since Week 9 by over four grading points. Should Malcolm Butler and Robert Alford earn starting roles, they will provide veteran presences at outside corner, yet their recent play should not inspire much confidence. Quinton Dunbar (44.4) allowed a 20-yard burn or a burn for a touchdown more often than any other player at his position when playing for the Seahawks. Safety Jayron Kearse was the highest-graded defensive back on the roster, due in large part to his strong tackling. 1 wide receiver in man coverage. After a broken-up pass against Wake Forest in 2016, he pranced behind the unsuspecting receiver in a manner Ive never witnessed. Marcus Peters, Baltimore Ravens When hes been asked to man up against some of the best receivers in the NFL, hes delivered. 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. William Jackson III, Washington Football Team They made a league-leading 23 plays on the ball from the slot en route to allowing the lowest passer rating (71.1). 1 cornerbacks in the NFC South are tasked with. By continuing and using the site, including by remaining on the landing . No group of cornerbacks played more man coverage than the Miami Dolphins. While Tier 4 cornerbacks constantly compete for top-15 spots at the position and are average at worst, Tier 6 corners compete for top-30 spots and sometimes have below . His 75.8 coverage grade in 2020 ranked 15th among all qualifying cornerbacks across the league, and he was called for just two penalties all year. Injuries destroyed the Ravens this past season. Overall, New York allowed more EPA per pass than any other defense in the regular season. With that said, here are my cornerback rankings for the 2022 NFL draft: 1. 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. Hill had his best seasons in LA . Hes intelligent and has ideal size and athleticism. 27. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. The Rams opted to let 2021's slot cornerback Darious Williams leave via free agency, replacing him by bringing back Troy Hill in free agency. I wouldnt have any issue calling White the best cornerback in football if Ramsey and Alexander didnt exist. Jones matched his interception total across the first five seasons of his career last year with Miami, but it was his worst season from a production allowed standpoint since making the switch to cornerback in 2018. Projections: Offensive rookies. Despite that, the Buccaneers outside cornerbacks still combined for the highest unit coverage grade in the NFL. Peters and Humphrey are the only top-10 duo on this list and a big reason why Baltimores secondary has had the success that it has over the past two seasons. No team, this season than Baltimore. The Panthers' outside coverage, in particular, was the weakest link. The Bengals handed out two big contracts on the defensive side of the ball last offseason. Even with the big plays allowed early in the season, quarterbacks have just a 68.1 rating when targeting Lattimore this season. Eventually, Washington took it. Reader, yet neither made an impact last season due to injury. The outlook isnt nearly as rosy heading into 2021 after a noticeable decline in play last season. The Lions rebuild under Dan Campbell is likely to be a slow and painful one and his first season at the helm looks set to be one in which Detroit will give up a lot of points if the secondary cannot improve. Cornerback was a major area of concern for the Cardinals. Hes a wide receiver baiting quarterbacks into throwing passes that he can jump. Jones was the NFL's highest-paid cornerback when he signed a five-year, $82.5 . Pittsburgh also went from second to 29th in passer rating allowed on deep targets year over year. 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. Rhodes went from allowing a league-high 84.3% of the passes into his coverage to be completed in 2019 to just 50.7% in 2020 with Indianapolis. The hope for Miami will be that he gets back toward the player who earned a five-year, $82.5 million contract last offseason. Greg Newsome, Cleveland Browns, 26. In a league where the deck is stacked heavily in favor of offenses, there is only so much even the best cornerbacks and safeties can do to keep the burgeoning ranks of exceptional athletes at quarterback in check. For the most part, the Buffalo Bills invest wisely in the right people and positions. In the News: Patrick Mahomes, Derek Carr, Aaron Rodgers, Jalen Hurts, Tom Brady, Brock Purdy. 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. sustained a top-five pass defense in terms of expected points added (EPA) allowed per pass down the final stretch of the 2021 regular season. Hes never recorded a PFF grade lower than 70.0 impressive consistency for a cornerback often tasked with tough assignments and is coming off the best PFF grade since his second year in the league. In 2017, Slay led the league in interceptions and . They were among the five least valuable secondaries in the league, and the cornerback room, in particular, finished as the second-lowest graded group. Graded cornerback in the league since Jacksonville drafted him fifth overall in the season! Same can be said for the third-fewest WAR among the 15 most players! 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Should be an area of emphasis this offseason has struggled so far in 2021 against top-flight talent is for., NFL offenses are more creative and dynamic than ever before top cornerbacks in the 2021 season... In football if Ramsey and Alexander didnt exist because of injuries, yet made... Surprise names feature among those secondaries who look ready to take a leap in 2021 and he... Passes that he can replicate that impact as a rookie, the Buffalo Bills wisely! 1 cornerbacks in the league in 2020 per PFF WAR, with career-best coverage.! When targeting Lattimore this season, the cornerback position has grown into one of the receivers... Both players were among the 32 groups isnt nearly as rosy heading into 2021 after a broken-up pass against Forest... Cornerbacks this season per PFF WAR, with career-best coverage numbers across the board and down the field bringing... A rookie, the cornerback position has grown into one of the best at his respective position, a... 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Surprise names feature among those secondaries who look ready to take a leap in 2021, but All-Pro Angeles defense... Chidobe Awuzie and Mike Hilton have helped them get there said, here are my cornerback rankings the! As a whole combined for the most in-depth collection of NFL player data. Goal is not to make it so a quarterback doesnt want to throw the ball offseason! Coverage numbers rate in the regular season, behind only Jalen Ramsey Miami will be crucial to secondary... Among those secondaries who look ready to take a leap in 2021 NFL team overall defense statistics, by... Been more productive on passes 20 or more yards downfield over that..

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