The league is all about its flashy quarterbacks. But somebody has to offset those guys. So we give you the top five cornerbacks in the NFL.
You’ve heard the saying like father, like son. Patrick Surtain is making the case in only his second season, that he’s better than his father, Pat Sr. The elder Surtain, a second-round draft pick in 1998, played 11 seasons in the NFL.
The players voted Surtain Jr, the 2021 first-round pick of the Broncos, as the best cornerback in the NFL. At 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, he has the length that the pros love in an elite corner. And he also had the production.
Here’s how Pro Football Focus described him: “Surtain plays with an elite level of patience that most corners can’t rival, and it means he’s rarely beaten for big plays. In a league waiting for the next crop of elite young corners, Surtain has the chance to lead that group.”
Take a Look at Who Else Made the List of Top NFL Cornerbacks
Darius Slay finished second in the vote for the NFL’s best cornerback. And his name is front and center in league news this week. He was one of the best defenders for the Eagles, who came so close to a Super Bowl. And the 31-year-old would like to finish his career with the team.
However, the Eagles are looking to trade Slay. He brought up the trade topic on his podcast, Big Play Slay.
“I just want my fans to know, Slay did not ask to be traded,” he said. “But this is part of the business. There’s no bad blood against neither one of us, me or (general manager) Howie (Roseman). None of that. We all good. Great understanding, just the business part of it. A lot of guys go up for trade, you know, it got a lot of money involved in this situation. It’s nothing big. Nothing too serious, man. It’s part of the business.”
Jaire Alexander, the Green Bay star with five interceptions last season, finished third amongst NFL cornerbacks. He turned in a big play at the Pro Bowl Games back in February. Organizers nixed the traditional game. Instead, the all-stars ran obstacle courses or played dodgeball. The players did do seven-on-seven games. And Alexanders made a spectacular interception of Trevor Lawrence, returning it for a pick-six.
Two Rookies Earn Spots on the League List
Sauce Gardner, the NFL’s defensive rookie of the year, came in fourth in voting for best NFL cornerbacks. The Jets defender definitely is a charmer off the field. And he’s damn good on it. Pro Football Focus actually gave him the highest grade of all league corners. His rookie season will be a high bar for the rest of his career.
“I just have to work 10 times harder,” Gardner said. “I can’t do exactly what I did the last offseason because there are guys that are trying to get where I want to be or get where I’m at, so I have to find the little, small things. I’ve got to go work even harder than I worked the last offseason because I want to be better than I was this year.”
And Seattle’s Tariq Woolen wraps up the top five. Like Gardner, he’s a rookie. And like so many other of the best league corners, he talks a good game. Add in his six interceptions — you’ve got a great cornerback.