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• Seahawks unheralded weapons: Tre Brown Leading all cornerbacks by a score of 88.5 in the press coverage category for 2023.
• Stephon Gillian There is still a role for impact players: Cowboys veteran Cornerback has still one of the highest press coverage scores in the NFL.
• Get a head start on fantasy football: You can use PFF’s fantasy football draft simulator Create real life mock draft Prepare for the draft with these simulations!
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes
Every week, NFL cornerbacks must guard some of the best wide receivers on the planet. The cornerbacks must be fast, agile, intelligent, and strong. As with every NFL position, this is not for those who are weak-willed. A growing theme in the league, especially compared to college football, is cornerbacks being asked to play in press coverage — right up in a receiver’s face at the line of scrimmage.
The 10 most popular cornerbacks as reported in the press from 2023.
The threshold to be included was that the player had to face at least 20 press targets. It excludes Sauce Garden (19), Michael Carter II (12) and Dane Jackson (15), amongst others.
1. Tre Brown, Seattle Seahawks: 88.5
Brown played sporadic starting roles for the Seahawks but had the highest press coverage score in the NFL at 88.5. Brown is well-known for being a physical player at the point of contact.
Brown’s 59.1% success rate was achieved despite only being targeted 22 times in 145 snaps. Brown might not have a big name but the fact is that he made opposing quarterbacks’ and receivers’ lives harder by forcing five incomplete passes in press coverage.
2. Jamel Dean, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 82.5
Dean received the worst grade of his NFL career in 2023 with a 68.3 but he still managed to achieve the second best press coverage grade. Tre Brown. Dean was only targeted 23 times out of 111 shots in the press.
It was his excellent press coverage score of 82.5 that was enhanced by the fact that he could force non-compliance. Dean achieved this on 30,4% of his press coverage targets for 2023. This was one of the best marks of the league.
3. Isaac Yiadom, New Orleans Saints: 81.7
Yiadom began the season in a rotating cornerback role, but was promoted to a starter position during Week 12, replacing the injured Marshon Lattimore The NFL’s third best press coverage grade was earned by him in his sixth start. He also received a PFF score of 65.0 or more.
Just 13 of the 171 snaps he took in press coverage were targeted. Yiadom gave up another 165 yards of press coverage. This was despite forcing 8 incompletions with a rate 29.6%, and also grabbing an interception.
4. Charvarius ward, San Francisco 49ers: 77.6
Ward was named to the second team of the All-Pros for 2023. His 77.6 grade on press coverage was also the best among NFL corners. Ward had the most press snaps amongst this list of top 10. However, he still only received 15.8%.
The press reported that he had two interceptions, an average passer rating of 65.7, eight forced incompletions and a total of 8 incompletes.
5. Stephon Gillian, Dallas Cowboys: 76.3
He is still in the prime of his life at age 33. Gilmore The 74.4 was higher than average, but it still ranked within the top 25 for the position. Gilmore’s 2023 press coverage was where he really shone, with a grade of 76.3 across 190 snaps.
On this workload, he allowed only 311 yards with a completion rate of less than 50%. He was also targeted for just 19.5% snaps. Gilmore also forced nine incomplete passes and recorded six tackles. Gilmore’s size and length make him an extremely difficult opponent.
6. Greg Newsome, II, Cleveland Browns: 75.8
Newsome, who was selected with the 26th selection in the NFL Draft 2021, has become a mainstay for the Browns. Three seasons in a row, Newsome has been rated at least 68.0 and was one the best corners in press coverage. Newsome’s 18.2% target rate was achieved across 148 reps. He allowed only 149 yard in coverage.
Newsome’s 33.3% forced incompletion rate tied for the best among this top 10. He was also one of only two players to not allow a touchdown during press coverage all season. His 33.3% forced incompletion rate tied for the best in this top 10, and he didn’t allow a touchdown in press coverage all season — one of only two players in the top 10 to do so.
7. Joshua Williams, Kansas City Chiefs: 75.2
Williams only started two games in his Chiefs career, but he made an impact every time he was on the field. He excelled at press coverage. In press coverage, Williams was in the center of attention on 172 of 236 snaps. That’s 72.8%.
The former fourth-round pick saw a target on just 12.2% of his press coverage snaps, and just 38.1% of those targets were caught — the second-lowest mark in this top 10. He will seem to have a greater role following L’Jarius Sneed‘s departure.
8. Trent McDuffie, Kansas City Chiefs: 74.1
McDuffie moved to the slot in his second season with the Chiefs and was a buzzsaw at the heart of the defense, earning an 82.9 grade — the seventh-highest mark among cornerbacks. He also earned a top-10 rating for his press coverage, with a target rate of just 14.3%.
In press coverage, he made seven stops while sticking like glue to his targets.
9. Steven Nelson, Houston Texans: 72.9
Nelson earned a 72.9 grade for press coverage in 2023. His performance was the main reason. Nelson earned a 72.9 grade in press coverage in 2023, allowing a target on just 22 of his 193 snaps — a ludicrously low 11.4%.
Nelson went through the 2023 campaign without conceding a single touchdown to press coverage. He also allowed a passer rating of just 55.5, which is the lowest in the top 10.
10. A.J. Terrell, Atlanta Falcons: 72.7
The top 10 includes another first round pick from Terrell. This Falcons cornerback lined-up in press coverage in 2023 more than any of the other corners in the Top 10 (388 snaps), only allowed one target in 12.9% coverage snaps, and forced ten incompletions out 50 targets.
Terrell has a reputation as a man-toman cornerback who is also physically tough at the point of contact.
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