Ranking The Cornerbacks

It's pretty much as it seems, as the corners take centre stage today.

U means upside...D means decline...I means injury prone...R means should retire


1. Nate Clements, San Francisco 49ers --- Clements lived up to his huge free agent contract in year one in San Fran, but he could grab a few more INTs. Had 92 tackles, which is amazing for a CB. Has good but not great speed, and is one of the most physical corners in the game.
2. Champ Bailey, Denver Broncos --- Only grabbed three INTs, but had 84 tackles to go with it. Bailey isn't the player he once was, but hasn't fallen off that much. He still has great speed, and he plays some of the best man-to-man coverage in the league.
3. Marcus Trufant, Seattle Seahawks --- Grabbed a career-high 7 INTs last year, to go with 85 tackles. Trufant has developed into one of the better corners in the league, but has some mental lapses at times. He plays better when paired with another great corner on the other side.
4. Rashean Mathis, Jacksonville Jaguars --- Had career-lows in tackles and INTs, but he missed two games due to injury. Didn't live up to his numbers from the year before, but has great speed and could still improve as he gains more experiance.
5. Antonio Cromartie, San Diego Chargers (U) --- Wow, what a breakout season from this youngster. Cromartie grabbed a NFL-high 10 INTs, and the scary thing is he could still get better. His numbers may drop if teams throw away from him.
6. Leigh Bodden, Detroit Lions (U) --- Really came into his own last year in Cleveland, and he looks to continue his development in Detroit. Bodden has great cover skills, and good hands (7 INTs). He is also a sound tackler, as he notched 88 last year.
7. Nnamdi Asomugha, Oakland Raiders --- Fell off big time last year, and the Raiders wouldn't give him a long-term contract because of it. But, Asomugha looks to be becoming one of the better cover-corners in the NFL. Will be better because of...
8. DeAngelo Hall, Oakland Raiders --- Had 5 INTs and 70 tackles playing in a bad situation with the Falcons. Hall has amazing speed, and paired with Asomugha will scare opposing QBs out of throwing the ball against the Raiders.
9. Terrence Newman, Dallas Cowboys --- The most underrated CB in the league, because QBs avoid throwing the ball to his side. Has never had more than 4 INTs in one season,which raises questions about his hands. Newmans is a very good player who could be a Pro Bowler before long.
10. Asante Samuel, Philadelphia Eagles --- Many people would have him higher on the list, but I believe he was overrated. Only time will tell if he can play the strict man coverage that the Eagles play. Has good skills and could be successful with time.
11. Charles Woodson, Green Bay Packers --- Seems to be playing his best ball as he gets older, Woodson has honed his skills in Green Bay. A great physical player who excels at man-to-man coverage, and has always been a solid tackler.
12. Darrelle Revis, New York Jets (U) --- Revis could be a great, as he demonstrated great cover skills and improved on his tackling as the season progressed. He has solid speed, and he lived up to his first-round status.
13. Ronde Barber, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (D) --- Maybe the best Cover-2 CB in the league, Barber has been solid for a long time. Not the fastest, but plays great in zone coverage and tackles very well.
14. Sheldon Brown, Philadelphia Eagles --- Some forget that the Eagles already had a solid group of CBs. Brown has only 3 INTs a year ago, but made his presence felt with 68 tackles. He is always solid in coverage, as he had 14 pass deflections.
15. Antoine Winfield, Minnesota Vikings --- Missed 6 games with injury, but still had over 60 tackles. Only had the one INT, but he has never been known as a ball-hawk as much as he is known for being stout against the run.
16. Leon Hall, Cincinnati Bengals (U) --- Had 5 INTs and over 60 tackles as a rookie, and looks to improve even more this year. Hall has decent speed, but uses good cover skills to his advantage.
17. Chris McAllister, Baltimore Ravens (I) --- Needs to stay healthy to return to his old form. Has good speed, but has lost a step with age. Has great hands, and can make plays on the ball like the best, but the key will be to stay on the field.
18. Leodis McKelvin, Buffalo Bills (U) --- Has an oppourtunity to start right away, and the #11 pick in this year's draft looks to impress. Has great speed and cover skills, and he can also be a huge help in the return game.
19. Shawn Springs, Washington Redskins (D) --- Has lost a step, but is still among the elite when it comes to cover corners. Springs isn't as fast as he once was, but still plays quick. Has solid hands and is not a liability in the running game.
20. Aaron Ross, New York Giants (U) --- Was a big part of the Giants surge to the finals, Ross emerged as a solid starter after Corey Webster failed. Ross has solid speed and decent hands, but knows how to stay with a receiver.
21. Quentin Jammer, San Diego Chargers
22. Ken Lucas, Carolina Panthers
23. Al Harris (D), Green Bay Packers
24. Terrence McGee, Buffalo Bills
25. Will Allen, Miami Dolphins
26. Dre Bly, Denver Broncos
27. Fred Bennett, Houston Texans (U)
28. Drayton Florence, Jacksonville Jaguars
29. Fred Smoot, Washington Redskins
30. Marlin Jackson, Indianapolis Colts (U)
31. Richard Marshall, Carolina Panthers
32. Adam Jones, Dallas Cowboys
33. Mike Jenkins, Dallas Cowboys (U)
34. Ty Law, Free Agent (D/R)
35. Ellis Hobbs, New England Patriots
36. Dunta Robinson, Houston Texans (I)
37. Aqib Talib, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (U)
38. Lito Sheppard, Philadelphia Eagles
39. Walt Harris, San Francisco 49ers (D)
40. Samari Rolle, Baltimore Ravens (D/I)