It’s summertime offseason content time! As the season approaches, I’m going to be taking a look at the landscape of the NFL, position by position, over the course of the next several weeks. We’ll be talking about the who’s who of the NFL in our own little version of the NFL Network’s “Top 100 Players” bit they do every year. Up next, we’re talking about the top 10 NFL cornerbacks for 2022!
I love to watch cornerbacks play. I don’t know that any position on the field is as difficult to be consistently great at as playing elite level cornerback is. You have to be a great athlete. You have to be able to adapt on the fly when things are rapidly changing in front of you. You have to know and understand NFL offenses. You have to be mentally tough enough to shake off a bad rep, knowing you’re not going to win ’em all. And even if you can master all of those things, you’re still at the mercy of the man you’re guarding knowing where he’s going while you don’t.
That’s why it’s fascinating to me to watch good corners play, especially the ones who have real sustained success in the NFL. To me, we don’t talk about it enough, but it’s as impressive as making it as a starting quarterback in the NFL. Maybe that’s a somewhat controversial statement, but shit – this is my list and I’m just telling you why I like to watch corners play.
Top 10 NFL Cornerbacks for 2022
10. Carlton Davis, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Davis is one of my favorite corners to watch, just because of what a force he is. He plays the position with impact – he’s physical, he hits hard, and he is as disruptive as they come.
9. Denzel Ward, Cleveland Browns – Ward is the quintessential mold for a shutdown corner. He’s good in one on one situations, he’s fast, and he’s sticky. What I think is underrated about Ward’s game is how productive of a tackler he is.
8. Patrick Surtain II, Denver Broncos – Maybe this is a bit high for a second year corner, but if I’m buying cornerback stock right now, I’m buying Surtain. He’s savvy, technically sound, and locks down whoever or whatever is in front of him. He could be sitting on top of this list before too long.
7. Darius Slay, Philadelphia Eagles – Can y’all believe Slay is entering his 10th season in the league?!? Much less, that he’s still playing at this high of a level? Slay has long been one of the more underrated defensive backs in the NFL. It’s high time he starts getting his flowers for so consistently being good at eliminating the big play.
6. JC Jackson, Los Angeles Chargers – Jackson is phenomenal in man-to-man situations, but it’s the added bonus of his ballhawking ability that makes him an elite corner in the league. And, that’s the reason the Chargers backed up the money truck to his house to get him in LA.
5. Xavien Howard, Miami Dolphins – Howard and the Dolphins worked out all those pesky little contract issues, and good thing for the Dolphins. Howard is one of the most well-rounded corners in the league, good in coverage situations, and also at, quite simply, disrupting receptions at the point of the catch.
4. Marshon Lattimore, New Orleans Saints – There’s still something to be said for the good old fashioned “quarterbacks just don’t even look his way” cornerbacks, and it feels like Lattimore has been that guy throughout his entire career with the Saints. He might not have the eye-popping stats or anything like that, but he is as reliable as they come one on one.
3. Jaire Alexander, Green Bay Packers – Just when it looked like Alexander was poised to challenge Ramsey for the cornerback throne (at least on the SoBros Top 10), an injury came along and sidelined him. So, yeah – this ranking is a bit of a projection. But, if he can get back to 2020 form, this guy is a terminator…just completely locks down his guy breaks up passes.
2. AJ Terrell, Atlanta Falcons – I’m ready to buy in on Terrell in Atlanta. He’s a ton of fun to watch play the position just because of what a chess piece he is…he can come from any direction and make a play. Factor in how battle tested he is playing against those NFC South receivers, and it looks like Terrell is well on his way to becoming the best young cornerback in the game.
1. Jalen Ramsey, Los Angeles Rams – Yeah, it’s still Ramsey for me. He is a guy that opposing offensive coordinators have to account for on every play. You simply have to know where Ramsey is on the field, or else you’ll pay for it. He is the best cover cornerback in the game, and has been so consistently dominant that it’s hard to fathom anyone else even remotely coming for the throne on which he sits.
OTHER 2022 NFL TOP 10S
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Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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