worst cornerbacks in the nfl 2021

which is used by all 32 NFL teams we'll rank all 32 NFL secondaries from the 2021 regular season. 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. No team covered the slot better in the 2021 regular season than the Patriots. Ward and Newsome, in particular, produced top-10 coverage grades when in single coverage. Data modeling by Kyle Cunningham-Rhoads. 1 cornerbacks in the NFC South are tasked with. Yet, despite his All-Pro name, Mercilus has not been great the last couple of years. It doesnt matter where Ramsey is at, though hes been a top-tier player at either position. Veteran. Check out the 2021 NFL Opposition & Defensive Statistics including AFC and NFC results and standings on Pro-football-reference.com Mahomes is king again at age 25 and may not be dethroned for a long time. 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. 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. 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. With their help, the Raiders ranked top five in yards per attempt and explosive pass rate allowed this year. 28. Outside of safety Derwin James, the Chargers' secondary left a lot to be desired in 2021. He finished with the lowest slot coverage grade in the NFL. 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. Its challenging to rank these guys with the multitude of schematic differences and responsibilities. Jamel Dean, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 31. His 3,546 regular-season defensive snaps over the past four seasons are a top-10 mark at the position. He ended up allowing 0.37 yards per coverage snap the third-lowest figure in the PFF era behind only Asante Samuel in 2019 and Nnamdi Asomugha in 2008 (0.36 each). 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. NFL's Next Gen Stats captures real time location data, speed and acceleration for every player, every play on every inch of the field. Here is PFFs 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. The 6-foot-2, 202-pounder earned a few poor game grades early on, but he soon righted those wrongs. 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). His PFF grade dropped from 90.0 from 2014 to 2018 in Detroit to just 59.5 across the last two years. Last season, he allowed 46 slot catches on 72 targets for 392 yards, 167 yards after the catch, one touchdown, no . We rank all 32 teams in 10 different position groups, plus we offer an overall roster outlook. Darius Big Play Slay played a big part in the Eagles cracking a spot in the top half of the league. 2021 NFL Defensive Secondary Rankings, by Unit 32. 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. 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. Buffalos secondary endured a crushing blow in Week 12 when CB1 TreDavious White went down with a season-ending torn ACL. 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. 2022 NFL Cornerback Rankings. Minnesotas defensive backs rank 10th in aggregate coverage rating, performing 5% better than average. / by Eric Mullin. 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. 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 Should the Giants opt to move on from the 27-year-old cornerback, they would clear $8.6 million . Ranking the 11 worst plays of the 2021 NFL regular season. His goal is not to make it so a quarterback doesnt want to throw the ball his way. Awuzie was the second-highest graded cornerback of the regular season, while Hilton was the seventh-highest graded slot corner in coverage. Hes one of the more impactful free agents still on the market. But his play has been up and down over that four-year stretch. Since 2019, Marlon Humphreys done exactly that in Wink Martindales aggressive man-to-man scheme. 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. Six cornerbacks played over 100 snaps for the Jaguars in 2021 and only one Shaquill Griffin produced a coverage grade above 60.0. 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. According to PFF WAR, the veteran corner was the sixth-most valuable cornerback in the league over the 2015, 2017 and 2018 seasons. Still seems like we're waiting for the first domino to fall with the Bears . Fuller allowed just 53% of the passes into his coverage to be completed with four interceptions and nine pass breakups. It was only natural that the prototype for cornerback shifted as well. Pittsburgh also went from second to 29th in passer rating allowed on deep targets year over year. Overall, Philadelphia's cornerback room finished second in coverage grade this season. Ranking The Top 20 Cornerbacks in the NFL 2021Top 20 NFL CB in 2021NFL Cornerback Rankings before the 2021 NFL SeasonTop 20 Corners according to MitchMitch o. He gets to passes that most receivers cannot get to, making his multiple near-INTs in 2021 as impressive as his 7 actual interceptions. 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. he 2021 NFL regular season is over. Butler had arguably his best season in coverage since his New England days last year with Tennessee. The Raiders defensive backs rank seventh for aggregate coverage, rating 10% better than the average. He still showcases lockdown man-coverage ability at times, but it has been less consistent of late. 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. Henderson. Galina: The shortcomings of the Kellen Moore-Dak Prescott connection for the Dallas Cowboys a 2016 second-round pick has been the worst safety in the NFL this year. Marshon Lattimore struggled a bit relative to expectations in 2020, but hes back with a vengeance in 2021. Slay came in at No. The NFL's top 11 safeties. Only three Power 5 defenders gave up fewer. Free safety Bobby McCain also played a role in the Football Team not being in the bottom tier, snagging four interceptions and breaking up five passes en route to a 72.6 coverage grade. Those missed opportunities only make the 77.5 passer rating allowed over that span (13th in the NFL) more impressive. 17. Patrick Peterson was considered to have had a down year last season but his open percentage of 51.9 when playing outside corner was seventh among players to have taken snaps at that spot. 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. He finished with four picks, made the PFWA All-Rookie Team and was PFF's 41st-graded corner in 2021, just behind Colts Pro Bowler Kenny Moore. The lack of talent and experience was apparent, especially without safety Marcus Maye, who ruptured his Achilles midway through the season. 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. For the most part, the Buffalo Bills invest wisely in the right people and positions. T.J. Green has played because of . Above-average press man cornerback with NFL bloodlines and a well-rounded but not spectacular all-around game. Receivers started getting smaller and more shifty. 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. 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. Marcus Peters, Baltimore Ravens Howard has struggled so far in 2021, but the same can be said for the entire Dolphins defense. 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. Which teams have the best -- and worst -- running back units? worst 2021 cornerback 2021. worst 2021 cornerback 2021. Hes intelligent and has ideal size and athleticism. Patrick Surtain II has been quite literally living up to his name as an elite cornerback and has helped the Denver Broncos maintain their position as a top-tier defense even after trading away their star edge rusher. David Carr constructs his own ranking of the top 10 cornerbacks, but All-Pro . Marlon Humphrey, Baltimore Ravens. It hasnt taken Alexander very long to establish himself as one of the leagues best coverage cornerbacks. With that being said, here are four bold predictions for the New Orleans Saints in the 2023 NFL offseason. If you take away a disastrous 2019 season with the Philadelphia Eagles in which he earned just a 44.8 overall grade, Darby has graded above 68.0 overall since being drafted in 2015. 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. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. We started to see signs of the Louisville product's playmaking ability in 2019, as his 16 forced incompletions ranked second at the position. When hes been asked to man up against some of the best receivers in the NFL, hes delivered. Terrell was actually the second-highest graded cornerback in coverage in the 2021 regular season, behind only Jalen Ramsey. Greedy Williams, Cleveland Browns 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). 4) Patrick Surtain II, Denver Broncos. He should give the Broncos some playmaking ability at cornerback if he can stay healthy. White does a fantastic job of toeing the line between aggressive and reckless. A strong work out at LSU's pro day on April 6th could help to turn around his draft stock. Hes a unicorn playing cornerback in a world of 511, 190-pound movers, and we dont acknowledge that enough. 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 . Alexander has those piercing eyes that make him and Randall Cobb look related, and I cant imagine having to line up against him with those things staring a hole through the crown of my nose. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. The Patriots will look for that bounce-back season in 2021. Christian D'Andrea. The Lions have done a disappointing job of drafting and developing talent under previous regimes. 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. Bradberry put up solid performances against a difficult slate of NFC South cornerbacks across the first four seasons of his career with the Carolina Panthers, but he took a clear step forward in his first year with the Giants last season. The Bills defensive backs rank 15 points above the average in aggregate coverage grading. The Bengals spent over $12.7 million on their cornerbacks against the cap in 2022, which was 6.02% of their total . 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. Despite being drafted in the top five back in 2018 and playing on a team generating plenty of buzz heading into the 2021 season, Ward is often overlooked as one of the NFLs top cornerbacks. However, in White, the Bills have a shutdown corner who can lift the play of those around him. The Panthers get a physical and sticky man coverage cornerback who will be an interesting fit on an incredibly young defense. increasing that usage from 21 percent in 2021 (29th in NFL . And we mustnt forget about the impact of rookie safety Jevon Holland. 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. As I said in last week's Schein Nine, NFL offenses are more creative and dynamic than ever before. Jackson hasnt quite reached those lofty heights in the three years since, but he is coming off his best statistical season since 2017, with just 52% of the passes into his coverage being completed in 2020. T. Washington: 7-9. Things got off to a rough start when the Lions lost 2020 No. Those three cornerbacks shared a combined 17 years of experience in the NFL. His value is easy to see. Those struggles wouldnt last, though. Published: Oct 20, 2022 at 03:19 PM . Cross, who was 81 when he died Feb. 28, 2021, suffered from stage 4 chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Boston University researchers said Tuesday. Opposite him for most of the season was Kindle Vildor, who posted a 45.6 coverage grade that ranked in the bottom five in the NFL. Rankings&Projections |WR/CB Matchup Chart |NFL & NCAA Betting Dashboards | NFL Player Props Tool | NFL & NCAA Power Rankings The tandem tormented AFC quarterbacks for years. He also ranks in at least the 87th percentile in coverage grades at both alignments. In truth, he could be there already. Its part of what makes identifying the leagues best at the position so challenging. If you built a cornerback in a lab, they would look like Ramsey. It shouldnt be a surprise that the group finished with one of the three-lowest unit coverage grades of the year. Wards dominance in single coverage (96th percentile grade since 2018) has been particularly noteworthy. They were among the five least valuable secondaries in the league, and the cornerback room, in particular, finished as the second-lowest graded group. Dean allowed a burn on 30 of his 64 targets, his percentage of 46.9 comfortably better than the average of 52.8 for corners with at least 200 coverage snaps. Waynes three-year, $42 million contract was likely an overpay, but he does profile as a quality starting option. Seattle Seahawks: Ahkello Witherspoon, D.J. . Prior to landing his big-money extension in 2020, not many truly understood White's value to . I still expect a lot from Stephon Gilmore, and with those expectations will come quick criticism if he doesnt perform to his standards. NAME SEASON TM GP TKL AST COMB SCK SCKY INT INT YDS INT TD FF FR FR TD; Jahleel Addae: 2021: IND. . It just wasnt all there for him in 2020. Last week, we took a look at offensive lines. 24. Reed Jr. and safety Quandre Diggs were two of Seattle's bright spots. Jones allowed 1.4 yards per coverage snap with Miami in 2020 double his 0.7 yards per coverage snap average across the 2018 and 2019 seasons in Dallas. They consistently ranked near the bottom of the league in every metric imaginable, including defensive back, 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. After a few poorly graded games in the first quarter of the season, the first-round pick stepped up and was a legitimate CB1 for Denver. From Week 7 on, he was one of the 25 highest-graded players at the position and allowed more than 60 yards in coverage just once this season. 22. The Bengals handed out two big contracts on the defensive side of the ball last offseason. With the help of PFFs advanced database which is used by all 32 NFL teams we'll rank all 32 NFL secondaries from the 2021 regular season. Taron Johnson, Buffalo Bills Cincinnatis passing offense wasnt the team's only unit to take a major leap in 2021. Theres a reason he has received plenty of interest since his release. And star cornerback Jalen Ramsey is a huge reason why. Not a single one of Dallas' top eight defensive backs by snaps earned a coverage grade in poor territory below 60.0. TreDavious Whites continuing success is a reason for that, as the two-time Pro Bowler first among all cornerbacks in adjusted open percentage allowed (16.20%) in 2020. He also had 81 tackles, three sacks and seven tackles for loss. 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. who passed away in February 2021 at age 81, played cornerback for the Eagles from 1961 to 1965, earning two Pro Bowl nods, and . Having let Shaquill Griffin walk in free agency, the Seahawks are somewhat short on proven players in the defensive backfield, with that scarcity reflected by an aggregate coverage grade 16% below average. Cornerback Charvarius Ward was also playing exceptionally better after missing a month due to injury. Cowboys: 6-10. 25. Marshon Lattimore was the highlight of a Saints secondary that ranked seventh in coverage grade and allowed an open target at the third-lowest rate in the league. The Patriots did what the Patriots always do they traded (or cut) a player thats still near the top of his game, but is beginning to walk down the hill. He recorded coverage grades of at least 72.0 in each of his first three seasons in the league and has allowed just 51.4% of the passes thrown into his coverage to be completed. Cross died in 2021. He returns to the field in 2022, a huge boost . The Raiders entered 2021 on a streak of arguably the worst defensive back play in the entire NFL. This kind of ranking for the Chicago Bears was expected this season, considering their cornerback situation outside of Jaylon Johnson. Jackson is fluid and explosive with great natural feet to play a sticky brand of man coverage. He and Darrelle Revis are the only two cornerbacks with at least 250 targets since 2010 who have allowed fewer than 50% of those passes to be completed. At his advancing age, two underwhelming seasons in a row would be a strong signal to sell him in these cornerback rankings moving forward. The 2021 first-round pick was the lone Falcons defensive back to play 200 snaps and earn a PFF grade north of 60.0. Subscribe to PFF+ to unlock . We're ranking the division by position group.

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