In his first two seasons, A.J. Eric Kendricks 639 # . Cross, who was 81 when he died Feb. 28, 2021, suffered from stage 4 chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Boston University researchers said Tuesday. The NFL in 2014 settled a class action lawsuit with retired . Were taking a look at the best and worst units in football at each positional grouping. Check out the 2021 NFL Opposition & Defensive Statistics including AFC and NFC results and standings on Pro-football-reference.com However, Miamis cornerback really blossomed in 2020, intercepting a league-high 10 passes. Sign Up. They were forced to play Robert Alford who hadnt played a down since Week 17 of 2018 2021 fourth-round pick Marco Wilson, slot corner Byron Murphy Jr. and NFL journeyman Antonio Hamilton at outside corner this season. And yet, the Bills still 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 one of the few thatll travel anywhere on the defense to cover an offenses best weapon. he 2021 NFL regular season is over. The Seahawks appear to be banking on Ahkello Witherspoon making a leap he never managed with the San Francisco 49ers. NAME SEASON TM GP TKL AST COMB SCK SCKY INT INT YDS INT TD FF FR FR TD; Jahleel Addae: 2021: IND. 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. 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 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. Minnesotas defensive backs rank 10th in aggregate coverage rating, performing 5% better than average. Nelson ranks among the top 10 cornerbacks in the league in both completion rate allowed (53.9%) and passer rating allowed (75.1) among 68 players at the position to see at least 100 targets since 2019. Casey Hayward, Las Vegas Raiders 22. 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. Which teams have the best -- and worst -- running back units? The Jets might have the best group of cornerbacks in the NFL a far cry from 2021, when they might have had the worst. Overall, Philadelphia's cornerback room finished second in coverage grade this season. Ward and Newsome, in particular, produced top-10 coverage grades when in single coverage. Lattimore possesses everything you could want in a cornerback. 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. What do you want out of your elite cornerback? Aug 3, 2021. 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. 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. Humphreys seamless inside-outside versatility is a big reason why he ranks so highly here. The Detroit Lions were, by most metrics, the worst defensive team in the NFL last year and they probably won't be much better . 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. T.J. Green has played because of . By continuing and using the site, including by remaining on the landing . Humphrey impacts the games in all the ways you want him to. When hes been asked to man up against some of the best receivers in the NFL, hes delivered. The strength of this group comes from two former Washington Huskies. The 2021 top-10 pick allowed over 60 yards just once last season and led the draft class in combined interceptions and pass breakups (12). Browns honorable mention busts: Courtney Brown, (2000, first overall pick), Trent Richardson (2012, third overall pick) 8. David Carr constructs his own ranking of the top 10 cornerbacks, but All-Pro . The lack of talent and experience was apparent, especially without safety Marcus Maye, who ruptured his Achilles midway through the season. 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. Things got off to a rough start when the Lions lost 2020 No. 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 Safety Jayron Kearse was the highest-graded defensive back on the roster, due in large part to his strong tackling. We use our own and third-party cookies to improve your experience and our services. 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. Ramsey has been one of the best cornerbacks in the league since Jacksonville drafted him fifth overall in the 2016 NFL Draft. And we mustnt forget about the impact of rookie safety Jevon Holland. Best Bets Tool. NFL defenses will ask very different things of their cornerbacks, depending on the scheme they run. but it was his worst season from a production allowed standpoint since making the switch to cornerback in 2018. Kansas City took Daniel Sorensen off the field while bringing back Juan Thornhill and increasing its rate of dime coverage. The amount of top-level play from NFL cornerbacks is astonishing. But it's easy to know who the favorite is. . Should the Giants opt to move on from the 27-year-old cornerback, they would clear $8.6 million . 1 cornerback in the league heading into the 2020 season, fresh off a Defensive Player of the Year award in 2019. Awuzie was the second-highest graded cornerback of the regular season, while Hilton was the seventh-highest graded slot corner in coverage. Yet, despite praise for Antoine Winfield Jrs rookie year, both he and fellow starting safety Jordan Whitehead will hope to make improvements in coverage, having given up 11.33 and 12.32 burn yards per target, respectively. Ranking the 11 worst plays of the 2021 NFL regular season. 2020 Yards-Allowed Rank: No. Considering the team introduced new starters on the outside in Jackrabbit Jenkins and Kristian Fulton and in the slot in Elijah Molden, thats still above preseason expectations. 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. Who led the NFL in receiving in 2021? Brian Poole, New York Jets. Meanwhile, McKinney ranked in the top 10 in coverage grade among safeties. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. (Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports) While Humphrey is also a top-tier outside cornerback, it's as a slot defender that he's really stood out in his NFL career. Minnesota put forth some of the worst cornerback play in the NFL. 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. 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. Reed Jr. and safety Quandre Diggs were two of Seattle's bright spots. Ive already written my story on Trevon Diggs. A strong work out at LSU's pro day on April 6th could help to turn around his draft stock. 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). There is a massive amount of talent currently at the position. Since 2017, he has forced more incompletions on passes 20-plus yards downfield (18) than he has receptions allowed (14). He should give the Broncos some playmaking ability at cornerback if he can stay healthy. Cross died in 2021. Nonetheless, this year's class doesn't boast a marquee, Denzel Ward or Jalen Ramsey type bound to land inside the top five. In 2019 and 2020, for instance, he played more in the slot than out wide. Terrells breakout to elite status, Atlanta would be threatening to place last on this list. Safeties Kevin Byard and Amani Hooker both finished the regular season as top-five-graded players at the position. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. Health remains the biggest concern for Verrett heading into next season. Cincinnatis passing offense wasnt the team's only unit to take a major leap in 2021. He led the position in interceptions (11), yards allowed (1,026) and penalties (11) this regular season. Reed, provided some grounds for optimism as his burn yards per target average of 8.21 put him 15th among corners with at least 200 coverage snaps. His 19.1% forced incompletion rate was a top-five mark at the cornerback position last year, tied with Jaire Alexander. Thats a tip of the cap to everyone in the secondary for stepping up, including 2020 seventh-rounder, 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. Demario Davis 6634. Hes going up against each teams best receiver, shadowing them around the field. He has picked up coverage grades between 70.4 and 72.4 every season, gradually increasing his playing time each year. Return to Top; Players. In a pass-heavy league, the cornerback position has grown into one of the most important positions on the football field. Pro Football Network strives to passionately deliver purposeful, captivating, and exceptional football content. Full Site Menu. Their defensive backs possess an aggregate coverage grade 14% above average. Despite that, the Buccaneers outside cornerbacks still combined for the highest unit coverage grade in the NFL. Ramsey produced the highest coverage grade and most PFF WAR among all cornerbacks in the regular season. Contract: three years, $18.6 million. Jackson burst onto the scene with a 90.4 coverage grade in his first season of action back in 2017. 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. Free Agent Rankings QB Annual 2022 PFF analyzes every player and every play of every game in the 2022 NFL season. The dude still smacks like a truck as a tackler and despite allowing over 60% completions, hes only allowing 5.5 yards per target and under 10 yards per catch. 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. 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. J.C. Jackson isnt the most consistent cornerback in the world, but hes not necessarily the gambler that Howard and Marcus Peters tend to be. Cornerback Trevon Diggs has been possibly the biggest boom-or-bust cornerback of the PFF era. Cornerbacks in the slot than out wide on April 6th could help to turn his. Philadelphia 's cornerback room finished second in coverage 's only unit to a., depending on the landing the ways you want out of your elite?... 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