A strong secondary is needed in today’s pass-happy NFL. The shutdown cornerback is essential. Grab one and you usually want to keep him for years. We’re going to differentiate between CB/DB and safeties for this exercise.
Arizona Cardinals: Patrick Peterson (2011)
After drafting Patrick Peterson out of LSU, there has been little reason for the Cardinals to go high for another stud DB. Peterson is great in the secondary and does it all. A prime pick.
Atlanta Falcons: Desmond Trufant (2013)
Desmond Trufant has been durable, starting all 88 games he has played in since being drafted by Atlanta out of Washington. He has nine picks, seven fumble recoveries and five sacks in his time as a Falcon.
Baltimore Ravens: Marlon Humphrey (2017)
Marlon Humphrey and his dad both were first-round picks out of Alabama. Bobby was a running back drafted in the supplemental draft by the Broncos. Marlon also played for the Crimson Tide. He recently said he will give his No. 29 to new Raven signee Earl Thomas. “Yeah, so, me and Marlon worked it out and he was kind enough to give me 29, so I’ll be wearing 29,” Thomas said. “I don’t know about what number he’s going to choose. I might donate to— his mom has a track team so I might throw a little bread that way.”
Buffalo Bills: Tre’Davious White (2017)
Tre’Davios White is another LSU DB who has found success in a secondary. He has started all 32 games as a Bill and made six interceptions in his first two seasons.
Carolina Panthers: Chris Gamble (2004)
Chris Gamble found a home in Carolina after being chosen out of Ohio State. He spent his entire career — nine years — with the Panthers. Gamble made 27 interceptions, 13 of which came in the first two seasons. He had one lonely sack in his career.
Chicago Bears: Kyle Fuller (2014)
Kyle Fuller led the NFL in picks with seven as part of the vaunted Bears defense in 2018. The Virginia Tech star has started all but two games in his four seasons with Chicago.
Cincinnati Bengals: William Jackson (2016)
William Jackson has one pick in his first two seasons in Cincinnati. It was a memorable one as he took it back 75 yards for a TD. After starting five games as a rookie, Jackson was a regular starter for the Bengals in 2018.
Cleveland Browns: Denzel Ward (2018)
Denzel Ward remained in Ohio, being drafted by the Cleveland Browns out of Ohio State. His one flaw as a rookie was staying healthy, as he missed three games. Should the former Buckeye continue to grow, he has the chance to be an elite player.
Dallas Cowboys: Byron Jones (2015)
Byron Jones burst on the seen at the Combine, where he put on an incredibly athletic showing. That was enough for the Cowboys to select him out of UConn. He’s started 59 of the 64 games he has played in since joining Dallas.
Denver Broncos: Bradley Roby (2014)
Bradley Roby played in Denver for five seasons. He won’t be a Bronco anymore as he took the free-agent route to Houston. He could be best remembered for picking off Tom Brady’s two-point conversion pass in the 2015 AFC Championship to put the game on ice for Denver.
Detroit Lions: Terry Fair (1998)
It’s been a long, long, long time since Detroit went DB in the draft’s first round. They grabbed Terry Fair out of Tennessee and he lasted four years as a DB and a returner.
Green Bay Packers: Jaire Alexander (2018)
Jaire Alexander had a decent rookie season after Green Bay selected him out of Louisville. This offseason in Charlotte he became the first football player at his high school, Rocky River, to have his jersey retired.
Houston Texans: Kevin Johnson (2015)
Kevin Johnson signed with the Buffalo Bills after four nondescript seasons in Houston. He only made 18 starts. The Bills’ secondary coach, John Butler, was the DB coach for Johnson in Houston for three seasons.
Indianapolis Colts: Marlin Jackson (2005)
Marlin Jackson spent five seasons with the Colts out of Michigan. Half of his 32 starts came in 2007.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Jalen Ramsey (2016)
Jalen Ramsey loves to play DB and loves to talk. One of the more entertaining DBs in the league and one who loves to back it up on the field.
Kansas City Chiefs: Marcus Peters (2015)
Marcus Peters broke into the NFL in a big way, leading the league in picks with eight, return yards with 280 and touchdowns (2) as rookie out of Washington in 2015. He led the league in return yardage in 2017 before moving to the Rams in 2018 via trade.
Los Angeles Chargers: Jason Verrett (2014)
Jason Verrett is a San Francisco 49er after spending four seasons with the Chargers. Injuries have played a huge role in derailing his career.
Los Angeles Rams: Tye Hill (2006)
Tye Hill spent three seasons as a Ram before being traded to Atlanta for a seventh-round pick.
Miami Dolphins: Vontae Davis (2009)
Vontae Davs will forever be remembered for retiring mid-game in 2018 as a Buffalo Bill. He was a Dolphins for three seasons before playing six in Indy and then his moment of infamy in Buffalo.
Minnesota Vikings: Mike Hughes (2018)
A big caution sign goes up when discussing Mike Hughes, who lost most of his rookie reason to a torn ACL.
New England Patriots: Devin McCourty (2010)
Devin McCourty is a leader and one fine defensive back. He has started all 139 game he has played in for the Patriots. That is the definition of durable.
New Orleans Saints: Marshon Lattimore (2017)
Marshon Lattimore has provided splendid results for the Saints. He’s one of the finest DBs in the league and is simply getting better. Throw at him at your own risk.
New York Giants: Eli Apple (2016)
Eli Apple had a controversial stay with the Giants out of Ohio State. He always seemed to be in the headlines for the wrong reasons. Big Blue shipped him to New Orleans last year.
New York Jets: Dee Milliner (2013)
Dee Milliner would be the definition of a draft bust. He stuck around for about two and a half seasons with the Jets and that was his NFL career.
Oakland Raiders: Gareon Conley (2017)
The Raiders drafted Gareon Conley out of Ohio State. Injuries dampened his rookie season. Since, he has blossomed and is become a major factor in their secondary.
Philadelphia Eagles: Lito Sheppard (2002)
Lito Sheppard made 18 of his career 19 interceptions in seven seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. Afterward, he played a single season with each of the Jets, Vikings and Raiders.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Artie Burns (2016)
Artie Burns came to the Steelers from Miami. He has struggled with the Steelers and things got worse at the end of 2018 when he was benched.
San Francisco 49ers: Mike Rumph (2002)
Mike Rumph only made 19 starts in four seasons in SF. He then went on to Washington for a half-year. Has to be considered a major disappointment.
Seattle Seahawks: Kelly Jennings (2006)
Kelly Jennings would be another first-round DB who did not deliver what his team wanted. He played five seasons in Seattle and made 44 starts. Off to Cincy after that and his career concluded as a Bengal.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Vernon Hagreaves (2016)
Vernon Hargreaves career has gone backward. He started every game as a rookie and in the past two seasons has missed most of them due to injuries. Needs to stay healthy to show the Bucs what he can do.
Tennessee Titans: Adoree’ Jackson (2017)
Adoree’ Jackson is a talented and versatile DB for the Titans. The former USC star can play in the secondary and also serves as a kick returner. He has a bright future.
Washington Redskins: Carlos Rogers (2005)
Carlos Rogers spent six of his 10 years in the NFL in Washington. He had eight picks there, one less than he had in three seasons as a 49er.
