They also have Kyle Fuller as the 10th best CB in the NFL...
10. Kyle Fuller, Chicago Bears
Coverage: 20/25
Reaction: 21/25
Recovery: 20/25
Tackling: 11/15
Position Value: 10/10
Overall Grade: 82/100
One of the biggest surprises of this season was the re-emergence of former first-round pick Kyle Fuller as a legitimate starter. The Chicago Bears secondary took a major step forward as Fuller led the young unit, notching the third-most pass breakups in the league. An off-ball specialist with a quick reaction time and great acceleration, Fuller took advantage of being in a contract year as he emerged as a quality No. 1 cornerback. He should be viewed as a premier free agent this offseason.
—NFL1000 DB Scout, Ian Wharton
Fuller wasn't even assured of a roster spot as the 2017 season began—he's dealt with a lot of injury and technique issues since his fine rookie season in 2014—but he really came around in Vic Fangio's defense. Fuller has developed a smooth backpedal that allows him to track receivers well, and he's great at jumping routes to deflect passes. Less of an aggressive press cornerback than a technician in off and bail coverage, Fuller is an ideal zone cornerback who can stay with the game's better receivers in tight man coverage when necessary.
—NFL1000 Lead Scout Doug Farrar
9. Patrick Peterson, Arizona Cardinals
Coverage: 21/25
Reaction: 20/25
Recovery: 19/25
Tackling: 12/15
Position Value: 10/10
Overall Grade: 82/100
As the Arizona Cardinals played more zone coverage in 2017, especially in the first-half of the season, Patrick Peterson's production dipped despite maintaining his usual high level of play. He continues to be one of few corners who regularly follow a receiver, proving capable of matching up with any receiver archetype. His season was overshadowed by other corners, but he remains a top-tier player at the position with his blend of incredible athleticism and solid technique.
—NFL1000 DB Scout, Ian Wharton
Peterson's 2017 season was yet another example of the truism that you don't judge cornerbacks solely by their interception totals. He had just one pick, an easy play in which he was the beneficiary of a deflected pass against the Texans in Week 11. As he has done through most of his career, Peterson proved once again that he is among the best defenders in the league when it comes to tracking a receiver through a route with outstanding technique. Peterson will give up the big play at times, but for the most part, receivers do not look forward to their days with him.
—NFL1000 Lead Scout Doug Farrar
8. Marshon Lattimore, New Orleans Saints
Coverage: 22/25
Reaction: 22/25
Recovery: 19/25
Tackling: 10/15
Position Value: 10/10
Overall Grade: 83/100
Saints rookie Marshon Lattimore had as impressive a rookie year as we've seen from a cornerback. He should be the runaway Defensive Rookie of the Year selection, totaling five interceptions and 18 passes defensed. He already has elite route recognition, technique and ball skills. His only struggles this year came against Julio Jones, who is an impossible matchup for every cornerback with his otherworldly athleticism, size and precision.
—NFL1000 DB Scout, Ian Wharton
There were many reasons for New Orleans' radical defensive turnaround after Week 2 of the 2017 season. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's adherence to pattern-matching concepts helped a lot, and Lattimore's emergence was an equally crucial factor. While the Ohio State alum has all the athletic talent you'd want in a cornerback, it's his route recognition, ability to read keys and how he stays "sticky" with a receiver all the way through the route that make him special. He looked like a 10-year veteran in his rookie campaign.
—NFL1000 Lead Scout Doug Farrar
7. Xavier Rhodes, Minnesota Vikings
Coverage: 23/25
Reaction: 20/25
Recovery: 19/25
Tackling: 11/15
Position Value: 10/10
Overall Grade: 83/100
There isn't a more physical cornerback in the NFL than Xavier Rhodes. It took years for him to master the balance between being too handsy and drawing penalties to be where he is now, which is among the very best coverage threats. A pure press corner who can shadow top receivers, Rhodes only had two poor outings this season: his matchup against DeAndre Hopkins, and a surprising dud in Week 17 against Dontrelle Inman. Otherwise, he's a lockdown star for the one the NFL's best defenses.
—NFL1000 DB Scout, Ian Wharton
Rhodes (6'1", 218 lbs) is built more like a safety than a cornerback, and he brings a safety's physical mentality to the field. His size limits his quickness in short spaces, but Rhodes does very well to press at the line and use his receiver's movements as landmarks throughout the route. He's embraced the intricacies of his position, and that's allowed him to become one of the league's best pass defenders.
—NFL1000 Lead Scout Doug Farrar
6. Casey Hayward, Los Angeles Chargers
Coverage: 23/25
Reaction: 23/25
Recovery: 18/25
Tackling: 10/15
Position Value: 10/10
Overall Grade: 84/100
Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Casey Hayward has been one of the NFL's best values the last two seasons, with this past campaign solidifying his place amongst the best of the best. His presence helped transform the Chargers' back end into one of the better groups, routinely locking down his assignment. He uses his physicality wonderfully on the top of routes, rarely overstepping the rules, while still disrupting the timing of the play. His biggest weakness is that he lacks the truly elite speed to go one-on-one with the fastest receivers in a foot race.
—NFL1000 DB Scout, Ian Wharton
If A.J. Bouye isn't the NFL's best technician at the cornerback position, it's because Casey Hayward might be. The Packers made a major mistake letting him walk after the 2015 season. But it's been great for Hayward because he was able to maximize his talents in the Chargers defense. Hayward doesn't carry side advantages, and he doesn't have exceptional straight-line speed, but he has a tremendous understanding of the routes his receivers are running, a terrific backpedal which puts him in the right place at the right time, and a calculated yet aggressive approach to the ball when it's in his area. You won't see many 5'10" cornerbacks excelling on the outside; Hayward is the exception because he understands his position so completely.
—NFL1000 Lead Scout Doug Farrar
5. Marcus Peters, Kansas City Chiefs
Coverage: 21/25
Reaction: 24/25
Recovery: 21/25
Tackling: 9/15
Position Value: 10/10
Overall Grade: 85/100
The most dangerous cornerback in the NFL resides in Kansas City. Third-year corner Marcus Peters continued on his Hall of Fame trajectory with another five interceptions, nine pass breakups and three forced fumbles. He's massively reduced the big plays he allowed in his rookie season and is seeing less targets, yet his production remains high considering the chances he's getting. The lone weakness on his resume remains his tackling effort, which is often more of a strip attempt than staying genuine in his form.
—NFL1000 DB Scout, Ian Wharton
Peters is one of the most exhilarating and frustrating boom-and-bust players in the NFL. When he's on point, he's obviously an interception machine, with the ability to see the entire field and the athleticism to jump routes that aren't even his to cover. There are also times when he'll break technique and allow big plays. The Chiefs have made a bargain with the upside of Peters' talent, knowing that the downside is also inevitable. If Peters can stay assignment-correct on every play, he has the potential to be the best pass defender of his generation.
—NFL1000 Lead Scout Doug Farrar
4. Jalen Ramsey, Jacksonville Jaguars
Coverage: 20/25
Reaction: 21/25
Recovery: 22/25
Tackling: 12/15
Position Value: 10/10
Overall Grade: 85/100
Though Jalen Ramsey's teammate edged him for the top spot, it's not a slight on Ramsey's talent. The second-year cornerback continued his development into the elite category of playmakers at the position, tallying four interceptions and 17 pass breakups. Ramsey can continue to improve in staying disciplined and balanced as he waits for receivers to make their cut. There were numerous times this season where he was caught out of position, and either the quarterback missed the throw or never saw his receiver break Ramsey's coverage.
—NFL1000 DB Scout, Ian Wharton
Ramsey is reminiscent of Richard Sherman in his bold and aggressive approach. He has the size and physical nature to envelop receivers at the line of scrimmage and through the route, as well as the closing speed to negate any potential completion. Where Ramsey comes up short—and this has always been true of Sherman too—is his difficulty in adjusting his body fast enough against more agile receivers on quick change-of-direction routes, such as curls and comebacks. It may be that Ramsey plays very well through his career with this as his sole Achilles' heel. He has every other physical attribute to excel at the position.
—NFL1000 Lead Scout Doug Farrar
3. Darius Slay, Detroit Lions
Coverage: 20/25
Reaction: 23/25
Recovery: 21/25
Tackling: 11/15
Position Value: 10/10
Overall Grade: 85/100
Prior to this season, the biggest knock on Darius Slay's play was the lack of high-end ball production. But that massively changed as Slay took advantage of the targets load he was given. The NFL leader in interceptions and passes defensed at the position, Slay was a slam dunk All-Pro selection. He's not quite the stickiest player in man coverage, lacking the elite fluidity that others have, but he's proven to be excellent playing off the line of scrimmage. His numbers fairly represent his mastery of timing and ball awareness.
—NFL1000 DB Scout, Ian Wharton
Slay brings to mind former Patriots/Eagles/Falcons cornerback Asante Samuel with his ability to not only time his close coverage with receivers after the snap in off-coverage concepts, but his uncanny ability to time the jump of a route to get the ball. Additionally, Slay has a great sense of a quarterback's weaknesses—he seems to know when a QB doesn't have the arm to make a particular throw, or tends to be inaccurate to a certain part of the field. His success is an obvious example of the value of tape study and the understanding of an opponent's tendencies and weaknesses.
—NFL1000 Lead Scout Doug Farrar
2. Jimmy Smith, Baltimore Ravens
Coverage: 22/25
Reaction: 21/25
Recovery: 21/25
Tackling: 12/15
Position Value: 10/10
Overall Grade: 86/100
There's been no question whether cornerback Jimmy Smith can play at an elite level over the last three years, including a masterful 2017 campaign. The issue has been staying on the field and avoiding setbacks, as he tore his Achilles and was suspended four games for PED use. Smith has a near-perfect blend of physicality, route recognition and field awareness. He doesn't defend the ball extremely well, and thus his production was average, but he does more before the ball arrives to affect the offensive player than he does as it arrives. He's undervalued compared to his impact on the Ravens defense.
—NFL1000 DB Scout, Ian Wharton
Smith has played just two full seasons in his NFL career, but when he's on the field, he's one of the smartest cornerbacks in the league—and a perfect foil for the schemes of newly retired Ravens defensive coordinator Dean Pees, who loved to use altered and disguised coverages to fool enemy quarterbacks. Injures have limited his top-level speed, but few defenders in the NFL have a better sense of route recognition, and Smith has the mental edge to succeed in any defense. If health is a skill, it's the only one he hasn't fully shown in his pro career.
—NFL1000 Lead Scout Doug Farrar
1. A.J. Bouye, Jacksonville Jaguars
Coverage: 22/25
Reaction: 22/25
Recovery: 21/25
Tackling: 11/15
Position Value: 10/10
Overall Grade: 86/100
Our top cornerback this season is Jacksonville Jaguars' All-Pro A.J. Bouye. There wasn't a more consistent corner in terms of coverage positioning, and his six interceptions and 18 pass breakups enhanced our stance. This was Bouye's first full season as a starter, and he set the tone for one of the league's elite defensive units. He's a terrific player in all phases, alignments and scheme.
—NFL1000 DB Scout, Ian Wharton
Though Bouye played cleanly throughout the regular season, he was victimized for two touchdowns against the Steelers in the Jaguars' divisional playoff win. On the first, Antonio Brown benefited from an uncalled push-off in the end zone; on the second, Brown used a dynamite foot fake to establish inside position on a deep boundary route. If Antonio Brown is the only NFL receiver making you look vulnerable, you're in pretty good shape. For the most part, Bouye is the NFL's best technician at the position, able to play press, off and bail coverage with equal aplomb. Moreover, he proved that his outstanding 2016 season in Houston was no one-year wonder.
—NFL1000 Lead Scout Doug Farrar
