The Top 10 Cornerbacks in the NFL

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Cornerbacks, more than any other position in football, are left on an island consistently throughout each game. These players are left one-on-one against some of the best athletes in the world in space with the expectation of sticking with them through every cut. For this reason, the skill level of corners is scrutinized constantly. Corners are often seen either as elite or as a weakness, with opinions changing with each interception and each blown coverage. In the third installment of my position rankings series, I’ve listed my top ten cornerbacks in the NFL.

10. Trevon Diggs, Dallas Cowboys

While Trevon Diggs doesn’t have the coverage stats of some of the other corners in this list, his ball production is nearly unmatched. Diggs’ high-risk-high-reward style of coverage is predicated on creating turnovers at the expense of a few big completions. His eleven interceptions back in 2021 led the league by a wide margin. After missing last season with an injury, Diggs will look to reassert himself as one of the league’s top corners.

9. Derek Stingley Jr., Houston Texans

In just his second season, Derek Stingley Jr. finished fifth among corners in PFF’s coverage grade. He allowed just a 53.8% completion percentage and finished the year with five interceptions and six deflected passes. Stingley is clearly one of the rising corners in the NFL and has become a key piece in the Texans’ defense. As Houston steps into the league’s spotlight, I expect Stingley to get the recognition he deserves.

8. L’Jarius Sneed, Tennessee Titans

The Kansas City Chiefs know how to develop cornerbacks. Spoiler alert, Sneed is one of three current or former Chiefs on this list. Throughout the 2023 season, Sneed matched up with opponents’ top receivers as a key cog in the Chiefs’ defensive machine. He did so without allowing a single touchdown in the regular season. In a new defensive system, the Titans will hope that Sneed can produce similar results.

7. Jaire Alexander, Green Bay Packers

While Jaire Alexander may be past his prime, he remains one of the NFL’s best lockdown corners. From 2019 to 2021, he never allowed more than a 60% completion percentage to opposing quarterbacks. Alexander has battled injuries in recent years but continues to play at an elite level when healthy. He is a key piece in a rising Packers defense.

6. Charvarious Ward, San Fransisco 49ers

Another graduate of the Kansas City Chiefs School of Cornerbacking, Charvarious Ward has been one of the best cover corners in the league for years. Though his stardom is overshadowed by the big names on San Francisco’s roster, Ward has produced consistently in his time with the 49ers. Ward posted a coverage grade of 83.3 (per PFF) last season, along with five interceptions and sixteen deflections.

5. Trent McDuffie, Kansas City Chiefs

Trent McDuffie is one of the most versatile cornerbacks in football. He can play in the nickel or on the outside at an elite level. With 54 tackles last season, McDuffie proved himself to be one of the better run-stopping corners in football. McDuffie is a dangerous blitzer as well, as he produced three sacks and seven QB hits in 2023. With L’Jarius Sneed out of the picture, the third-year corner should see an expanded role this season.

4. Jalen Ramsey, Miami Dolphins

As the most senior defender on this list, Jalen Ramsey has been one of football’s top cornerbacks for quite some time. From 2020 to 2022, he totaled nine interceptions and 31 deflections. Ramsey has battled injuries in recent years, causing a significant dip in his production. When healthy, he still deserves to be mentioned among the elite corners of the league.

3. Jaylon Johnson, Chicago Bears

Jaylon Johnson is a rising star and may be the best player on one of the NFL’s best defenses in Chicago. He received a coverage grade of 90.4 (per PFF), which ranked second in the league last season. Johnson allowed just a 50% completion percentage and produced four interceptions and nine deflections. If he can repeat his breakout performance, Johnson will push himself into the top tier of cornerbacks.

2. Patrick Surtain II, Denver Broncos

In his three full seasons in the NFL, Patrick Surtain has never allowed more than four receiving touchdowns in a year. In Surtain’s first two seasons, he allowed less than 60% of his targets to be caught. His coverage grade of 86.7 was one of the league’s best in 2022, though he saw slight regression in 2023. On a weak Broncos roster, Surtain is one of the few bright spots.

1. Sauce Gardner, New York Jets

There is little question what impact Sauce Gardner has had on the Jets’ defense. In his rookie season, he almost immediately transformed New York’s defensive backfield from a relative weakness to one of the best in the NFL. Gardner’s coverage grade of 90.8 (per PFF) was the highest in the league. He’s rarely targeted but allowed a completion percentage of just 56% last season when quarterbacks challenged him.