Let’s say you’re an NFL team, and you need a bunch of really good cornerbacks. Step one, of course, is determining which characteristics define your version of that ideal. Last season, the Chargers led the NFL by playing 75% zone coverage, so their definitions are going to be different than the ones the Patriots come up with — because the Patriots played man coverage on 54% of their snaps. Only the Lions played more man coverage, and the extent to which the Lions failed to do so at a competent level implies that perhaps they weren’t exact enough with their definitions.
Add in the fact that teams are playing more dime than base defense these days (20.9% dime to 18% base), and it’s an NFL that demands more cornerbacks, and more of those cornerbacks, than ever before. It used to be enough to press up against your receiver and work him to the boundary; now, you may have to move from zone to man to combo with different numbers of defensive backs around you. And you’re doing that against offenses that present more receivers in more complex formations and route concepts than ever before.
The outside cornerback position has never been more valuable than it is now as a result, and here are the 11 best at the position as we head into the 2020 season.
Other Top 11 Lists: Slot defenders | Safeties
Honorable Mentions
Assembling a list of the NFL’s 11 best outside cornerbacks in 2020 is a brutal exercise, because there are so many good cornerbacks in the NFL out of necessity. There were instances in which the players fell just short of the 50-target limit — our apologies to Jason McCourty of the Patriots and Jimmy Smith of the Ravens, who each had 49 targets (including the postseason) and would have challenged for the top 11 with an extra rep or two. Sidney Jones of the Eagles and Jamel Dean of the Buccaneers are two younger players who also didn’t make the target limit, but are excellent talents on the rise. In other instances, overall coverage numbers represented a primary focus on the slot, and while guys like Brian Poole of the Jets, Marlon Humphrey of the Ravens, K’Waun Williams of the 49ers, and D.J. Hayden of the Jaguars also played well outside to a point, it wasn’t their primary focus. So, you’ll find all of those guys on our list of the NFL’s top 11 slot defenders.
There were other cases in which cornerbacks had high interception totals and good overall charting stats, but their touchdowns allowed (stats backed up by tape study) got in the way. So it was for Pittsburgh’s Joe Haden, who allowed 49 catches on 79 targets for 468 yards, 139 yards after the catch, had five interceptions, and allowed an opponent passer rating of 70.0… but also allowed six touchdowns. Marcus Peters of the Ravens barely made this list because of a similar touchdown problem, but the negative plays he did create for opposing offenses were frequent and important enough to be considered.
11. Bashaud Breeland, Kansas City Chiefs
When it comes to the Chiefs, all the talk is about their offense, which is understandable — especially after Patrick Mahomes grabbed a new contract with the approximate value of the gross national product of a medium-sized country. But the defending champs have an excellent chance to repeat because of a defense on the rise, and their cornerbacks are a big part of that. Breeland made this list after he allowed just 34 receptions on 73 targets for 546 yards, 204 yards after the catch, three touchdowns, three interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 68.6. Bookend Charvarius Ward nearly made the list as well — he allowed 48 catches on 100 targets for 796 yards, 249 yards after the catch, two touchdowns, two interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 73.6. Add in safety/slot defender Tyrann Mathieu and safety Juan Thornhill, and all of a sudden, a Chiefs secondary that was a weakness before the 2019 season looks pretty formidable
A fourth-round pick of the Washington NFL Team out of Clemson in 2014, Breeland played on a one-year, $2 million deal for the Chiefs in 2019 after spending 2018 in Green Bay, and was re-signed by Kansas City to a one-year, $4.5 million deal in April. His April arrest and possible suspension for violations of the league’s substance abuse policy complicate matters, but when he’s on the field, Breeland has become a top-level cornerback.
10. Steven Nelson, Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers are known historically as a franchise that likes to develop its talent through the draft. So it’s interesting that so many pieces of a secondary that has become a much-needed strength have come through either free agency or the trade route. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, cornerback Joe Haden, and Nelson are all from other teams, and Nelson proved to be an especially astute pickup when Pittsburgh signed him to a three-year, $25.5 million contract before the 2019 season. Last year, he allowed just 34 receptions on 69 targets for 468 yards, 110 yards after the catch, one touchdown, one interception, and an opponent passer rating of 73.3.
Nelson isn’t the biggest guy at five-foot-11 and 194 pounds, but he uses quickness, as well as excellent technique, to match up with and succeed against bigger receivers who would seem to be able to take him out in a physical sense. Nelson was specifically one of the league’s best cornerbacks in man coverage, but the scheme didn’t really matter in 2019 — he was outstanding no matter what the schematic circumstances were.
9. Troy Hill, Los Angeles Rams
Hill may be one of the lesser-known names on this list, but the former undrafted free agent out of Oregon made a real impact for the Rams’ defense in his fifth NFL season — especially as a cornerback in zone coverage, where he allowed seven receptions on 20 targets for 118 yards, no touchdowns, one interception, and a Positive Play Rate of 35% — the fifth-best rate in the NFL for cornerbacks targeted 20 or more times. Overall, Hill allowed 20 catches on 50 targets for 263 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions, and a Positive Play Rate allowed of 38%, which is the second-lowest among outside cornerbacks with at least 50 targets, behind only New England’s J.C. Jackson. It’s a testament to Hill’s trail ability, recovery speed, and intelligent aggression that he’s become a positive attribute in a defense that’s looking to (re)build around Aaron Donald.
8. Marcus Peters, Baltimore Ravens
Peters is the ultimate boom-and-bust cornerback of his era, and nobody else comes close. Since his rookie season, he has outpaced the rest of the league with 29 interceptions, but he’s also allowed 26 touchdowns. In 2018 for the Rams, he allowed six touchdowns to three interceptions, and for the Rams and the Ravens following an October trade, he allowed five touchdowns to his five interceptions. Yes, he gave up just 46 catches on 80 targets for 534 yards, 212 yards after the catch, and an opponent passer rating of 72.6, his relative consistency allowed Baltimore to retain its status as the NFL’s most blitz-heavy team, and the Ravens set their faith in Peters’ future potential with a three-year, $42 million contract extension in December, but one wonders what Peters would be if he freelanced a bit less and adhered to the system a bit more. Perhaps he’d have fewer explosive plays, but would also be a more efficient defender in a down-to-down sense.
7. Ross Cockrell, Unsigned Free Agent
If Troy Hill isn’t the least-known cornerback on this list, it’s because Ross Cockrell is. But after a broken tibia and fibula that cost him the entire 2018 season, the fourth-round pick of the Bills in 2014, who also played for the Steelers and Giants before he signed a two-year deal with Carolina in 2018, recovered quite nicely. Last season, Cockrell gave up 37 receptions on 67 targets for 441 yards, 171 yards after the catch, one touchdown, two interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 68.1 — sixth-best among cornerbacks with at least 50 targets. With James Bradberry signing with the Giants in free agency, one would think that the Panthers would want Cockrell back on the roster for 2020 and beyond; his lack of a new team may just be a procedural hangup due to the complications brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. But any team looking for a reliable player who has developed excellent technique should have his agent’s number.
6. Denzel Ward, Cleveland Browns
The Browns have had more than their share of first-round busts in recent years (especially in 2012, when they blew it on both Trent Richardson and Brandon Weeden, and 2014, when they blew it on both Johnny Manziel and Justin Gilbert), but the fourth overall selection of Ohio State’s Denzel Ward in 2018 has been one of the league’s better choices. Cornerback is generally a position that requires an adjustment period when one goes from college to the NFL, but Ward hit the ground running, and he’s never stopped. Ward gave up a few big plays in his rookie campaign, but proved mature beyond his years on the field, and the 2019 season showed his further development. Last season, Ward allowed just 31 catches on 69 targets for 426 yards, 128 yards after the catch, one touchdown, two interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 58.0. This despite hamstring injuries that cost him four games, and an ankle issue later in the season.
Ward has great technique and on-field acumen, but it’s his pure athleticism that sets him apart — it allows him to make an exceedingly difficult position look embarrassingly easy at times. If there’s one young cornerback I’d say could be at the top of this list in a year or two, it’s Ward.
5. Quinton Dunbar, Seattle Seahawks
The good news for the Seahawks, who traded a 2020 fifth-round pick to the Washington NFL Team for Dunbar in March, is that Dunbar is one of the league’s best cornerbacks, and was one of just three players to make my list of the best at his position in both man and zone coverage. Dunbar shared that with the two top players on this list, and based on stats and tape, there’s little doubt that he’s one of the NFL’s best. If he’s able to bring his athleticism and acumen to the field in Seattle, he’ll do a lot to bring the Seahawks’ defense back after a few years of worrying regression in the Emerald City. Not too much to ask for a guy who allowed 29 catches on 52 targets last season for 344 yards, 145 yards after catch, two touchdowns, four interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 56.9 in a defense where he was the only credible cornerback.
The bad news for the Seahawks? Dunbar’s legal situation gets weirder and weirder, and there’s no way of knowing how it will turn out.
4. J.C. Jackson, New England Patriots
If you’re a cynic when reading Jackson’s preposterous charting stats for the 2019 season, you might insist that Jackson is a man-dominant quarterback, he’s not challenged by No. 1 receivers because he’s got Stephon Gilmore in his secondary, and when a safety like Devin McCourty in his back third, he’s got the cushion to take chances that most cornerbacks don’t. Then, you turn on the tape and you realize that most teams have more than one “No. 1 receiver,” and that Jackson wouldn’t be on the field as much as he is in Bill Belichick’s defense if he wasn’t legit. Which he certainly is.
In this Week 14 interception of a Patrick Mahomes pass, watch how Jackson (at the bottom of the screen) delays his drop on the crossing route, giving the NFL’s best quarterback a false sense of security before dropping the hammer.
So, how preposterous were those charting stats? Last season, Jackson allowed 31 receptions on 65 targets for 328 yards, 146 yards after the catch, one touchdown, five interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 35.9 — by far the best among cornerbacks with at least 50 targets (Richard Sherman finished second at 45.3). Jackson is No. 4 on our list only because he’s not his team’s top cornerback, but he’d be CB1 on most teams. The tape and the stats make that abundantly clear.
3. Richard Sherman, San Francisco 49ers
Being a great cornerback is hard. Being a great cornerback for a long time? Well, that’s really hard, and very rare.
Sherman was unquestionably the NFL’s most dominant cornerback in the Seahawks’ Super Bowl seasons of 2013 and 2014. In those two years combined, he gave up just two touchdowns to 14 interceptions, and quarterbacks were better off throwing the ball away than anywhere near him. In the years since, Sherman had a couple of relatively off-years due to injury, but he enjoyed a remarkable comeback season with the 49ers in 2019. At 31, an age when a lot of cornerbacks are preparing for broadcasting gigs, the nine-year veteran allowed 34 catches on 61 targets for 373 yards, 123 yards after the catch, one touchdown, five interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 45.3 — his lowest since he hit 40.3 in 2014. Sherman hasn’t lost much of a step, and he’s been able to offset whatever physical attrition he may have undergone in his career with as incisive a football mind as you’ll see on any field.
How long will he be able to play at this level? Unknown, but betting against Richard Sherman has proved to be a fool’s errand for a long time.
2. Tre’Davious White, Buffalo Bills
Last December, I did a tape piece in which I tried to discern who was the NFL’s best cornerback — New England’s Stephon Gilmore, or Buffalo’s Tre’Davious White? The differences between the two as far as overall excellence were tough; these are the two best at their position in the NFL. But White’s attributes in zone coverage were made abundantly clear:
White is slightly less aggressive, and perhaps more of a technician. His backpedal is a thing of beauty, which allows him to play off coverage more effectively. Few if any cornerbacks play bail coverage better — White has a supernatural ability to track the backfield with his eyes while keeping up with the most difficult routes and most talented receivers. He showed this with his first interception against the Steelers, covering speed receiver James Washington downfield. If you want to draw up a zone cornerback and all that is required from the position, White is as close to the paradigm as you’ll find in the league today.
The Bills played zone on 57% of their snaps last season, and whenever they did, White put on a clinic — which is why I believe him to be the NFL’s best cornerback in zone coverage. There, he allowed 25 receptions on 43 targets for 325 yards, no touchdowns, five interceptions, and a Positive Play Rate of 48.8%. But in man coverage, he was just as effective — he gave up 15 catches on 35 targets for 132 yards, no touchdowns, one interception, and a Positive Play Rate of 31.4%, which was third-best in the NFL.
Were it not for the presence of Stephon Gilmore, who White replaced as Buffalo’s top cornerback before Gilmore moved on in free agency to the Patriots, we’d be talking about Tre’Davious White as the NFL’s best cornerback. We may do so anyway before too much more time has elapsed.
1. Stephon Gilmore, New England Patriots
I had Gilmore as the NFL’s best outside cornerback last year, and putting him back at No. 1 was an easy call. Why? Because although the Patriots play more man coverage than any other team (54% of their snaps last season), and Gilmore is an ideal man cornerback, there isn’t anything he doesn’t do well. In 2019, Gilmore allowed 28 catches on 62 targets for 424 yards, one touchdown, four interceptions, and an opposing QBR of 34.1 in man coverage. He allowed 11 receptions on 24 targets for 124 yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions, and a Positive Play Rate of 41.7% in zone coverage. And when he was asked to move inside to the slot, Gilmore allowed 10 catches on 20 targets for 161 yards, 77 yards after the catch, one touchdown, two interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 54.4.
Recently, ESPN revealed its list of the NFL’s top 10 receivers, and on that list, Cowboys star receiver Amari Cooper was debited for catching just two passes on 30 routes against the Patriots last season. Here’s the problem for Cooper: Gilmore was on him throughout the game, and when the Cowboys telegraphed their route concepts, Gilmore picked them up and used them against Dallas (and specifically Cooper) when the ball came Cooper’s way. So. maybe we should give Cooper a break on that one.
Gilmore won the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year award, and there’s no way to argue the honor. At a position that has become more and more crucial to team success, he’s as good as it gets in every way possible.
