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          Best NFL defensive backs: Top cornerbacks, safeties at 17 skills

          • Matt BowenDec 20, 2022, 06:45 AM ET
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              Matt Bowen is a fantasy football and NFL writer for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2015, writes regularly for ESPN+ and spent multiple years on "NFL Matchup." After graduating from the University of Iowa, Matt played safety in the NFL for St. Louis, Green Bay, Washington and Buffalo over seven seasons.
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          I'm rolling out my seventh annual edition of the Shutdown Index, in which I pick the NFL's best defensive backs in 18 different categories and the league's best overall secondary. That means the top ball hawks, best DBs in run support, most rangy safety and standout cornerbacks in press and zone coverage. Established stars like Jalen Ramsey make the 2022 list, but there are also plenty of fast emerging young defensive backs, including Tariq Woolen (currently tied with C.J. Gardner Johnson for the league lead in interceptions). And we'll close it all down with three under-the-radar playmakers.

          With seven seasons of experience in an NFL secondary, I look for specific traits when breaking down cornerbacks and safeties, including physicality, range over the top, coverage traits, consistency, versatility and, of course, the ability to make plays on the ball. So I pored over the game tape and found the players who stand out most in those key areas. Here are the best of the best in every area that matters for defensive backs, and we begin with the league's top overall secondary unit this season.

          Shutdown Index archives:
          2021 | 2020 | 2019
          2018 | 2017 | 2016

          Best secondary

          Philadelphia Eagles

          The Eagles have allowed only 172.4 passing yards per game, at just 6.14 yards per attempt. Those are league-best numbers. The Eagles are mixing in both single-high and split-safety coverages this season, and this unit can challenge the NFL's best passing offenses under secondary coach Dennard Wilson.

          With two high-end coverage corners in Darius Slay and James Bradberry, Philly can control the boundaries. Per NFL Next Gen Stats, Bradberry has allowed completions on 45.3% of the throws sent his way -- 14% below expectation. On the inside, slot man Avonte Maddox is urgent and disciplined. And don't sleep on the Birds' safeties. Marcus Epps plays with juice against both the run and pass, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson (out with a lacerated kidney) has shown his playmaking skills with six interceptions. Undrafted rookie Reed Blankenship has also flashed as a top-down player.

          Runner-up: Baltimore Ravens

          Best coverage skills

          Pat Surtain II, Denver Broncos

          Surtain has the ideal frame (6-foot-2, 202 pounds) and length for an NFL cornerback, and he displays the short-area acceleration to close on the ball. He moves like a smaller defender. Surtain is the best coverage defender I've watched on tape this season. He has all the tools and the matchup versatility to lock down big receivers, vertical targets or second-level options with east-west quickness. Surtain has 10 pass breakups and two interceptions. Simply put, he's an All-Pro talent.

          Runner-up: Darius Slay, Philadelphia Eagles

          Most complete safety

          Minkah Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh Steelers

          I love the tape on Fitzpatrick. There's a physical presence to his game. And I see plenty of range, coverage ability and ball skills, whether he is playing the post, deep half or matched up in coverage. Fitzpatrick does it all. Plus, he adds a true playmaking element to this Steelers secondary. Fitzpatrick has returned one of his four picks for a touchdown while posting 74 tackles and nine pass breakups. He's an impact safety who has also logged snaps in the slot (52), out wide as a corner (28) and rolled down as a linebacker or robber defender (60).

          Runner-up: Derwin James Jr., Los Angeles Chargers

          Best range

          Marcus Williams, Baltimore Ravens

          I'm going with Williams for the second consecutive year. His range from post and split-field alignments is still the best in the league. And Williams will finish when he overlaps throws to the boundary or at the third level of the field. A highly instinctual defender who can get a jump on vertical concepts, Williams has four interceptions and six pass breakups this season -- in only seven games played.

          Runner-up: Jessie Bates III, Cincinnati Bengals

          Best press-man traits

          Jaycee Horn, Carolina Panthers

          An ascending player, Horn has the traits of a high-end, press-man defender. He has a long 6-foot-1 frame and plenty of play strength, along with lateral foot quickness and very good hand usage. He can disrupt releases and stick to the hip of opposing wide receivers. Horn is a competitive corner who plays with swagger, and he has three interceptions and eight pass breakups in 12 games this season.

          Runner-up: A.J. Terrell, Atlanta Falcons

          Best zone cornerback

          Jaire Alexander, Green Bay Packers

          We know Alexander has the traits to play aggressive and sticky man coverage, but I also see him as one of the top zone corners in the NFL due to his backfield vision and ball skills. In Green Bay's single-high and split-safety zone schemes, Alexander will disrupt throwing lanes, overlap second-level throws and match with vertical routes down the field. He has four interceptions and 12 pass breakups, and per NFL Next Gen Stats, opponents have minus-10.6 expected points added when targeting him in zone looks.

          Runner-up: Charvarius Ward, San Francisco 49ers

          Best cornerback ball hawk

          Tariq Woolen, Seattle Seahawks

          I'm going to push the rookie past the veteran names here because of his on-the-ball production. This season, Woolen has produced six interceptions and 13 pass breakups, making a play on the ball on 25% of the throws in his direction (NFL Next Gen Stats). And at 6-foot-4 with 4.2-second 40-yard dash speed, Woolen has extremely rare physical traits to track the ball vertically and impact the catch point. A rapidly developing corner, Woolen has big-time potential given his ability to finish plays.

          Runner-up: James Bradberry, Philadelphia Eagles

          Best safety ball hawk

          Jordan Poyer, Buffalo Bills

          I chose Poyer here because the Bills safety can play the ball at multiple levels of the field. That means Poyer can close the post. He can drive downhill from quarters or Cover 2. He can control the intermediate windows as a curl/hook defender. And he can lie in the weeds to jump throws in critical moments. With four interceptions and eight pass breakups, the veteran safety is a difference-maker in the Buffalo secondary.

          Runner-up: C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles

          Best transition speed

          Darius Slay, Philadelphia Eagles

          A critical trait to playing off coverage or when redirecting at the top of the break is the ability to transition with speed. It puts you in a position to sink, drive, close with juice and finish on the ball. It's all about eliminating the distance to the receiver, and we see that consistently with Slay. The veteran has three interceptions and 13 pass breakups this year, and he displays the lower-body agility to eat up grass in a hurry.

          Runner-up: Denzel Ward, Cleveland Browns

          Best safety in run support

          Marcus Epps, Philadelphia Eagles

          Epps keys quick to read the run vs. pass -- he sees it and trusts his eyes. And he can play from depth to run the alley, too, and he's both physical and urgent when aligned in the box. A strong tackler who is willing to mix it up with bigger players, Epps has logged 54 solo tackles this season while registering a run stop win rate of 38.9% (tied for seventh among DBs with 800-plus snaps).

          Runner-up: Kamren Curl, Washington Commanders

          Best cornerback in run support

          Jalen Ramsey, Los Angeles Rams

          In a Los Angeles defense allowing just 3.98 yards per carry (fourth-best in the NFL), Ramsey's ability to set an edge shows up on tape. He plays over the top of perimeter blocks and leverages the ball, and he is a strong tackler who can cut down running backs or disrupt screens. Ramsey's physical play style shows up when he is tested from alignments both inside and outside the numbers. He has 69 total tackles this season.

          Runner-up: Michael Carter II, New York Jets

          Best blitzing safety

          Derwin James Jr., Los Angeles Chargers

          James is a savvy blitzer who can set up running backs in protection or use his high-level physical traits to win one-on-one pass-rush matchups. He has produced four sacks (tied for the NFL's most among DBs) and seven quarterback pressures (tied for third) this season. Whether blitzing from depth to target interior gaps or aligned on the edge, James can create pocket disruption.

          Runner-up: Donovan Wilson, Dallas Cowboys

          Best rookie cornerback

          Sauce Gardner, New York Jets

          Gardner has two interceptions and leads the NFL with 16 passes defended. The tape is pretty high level here for a first-year defender, too. At 6-foot-3, Gardner has the length to create on-the-ball disruption in the pass game, and he's very fluid for his size. He can transition and change directions with speed. And in the Jets' defined coverage schemes, Gardner can play both man and zone, with the ability to press up on receivers or pedal to match them down the field on verticals and in-breakers. Per NFL Next Gen Stats, he has kept opponents to six fewer receptions than expected, tied for 10th-best in the league.

          Runner-up: Tariq Woolen, Seattle Seahawks

          Best rookie safety

          Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore Ravens

          The splash plays are lacking with Hamilton in his rookie season, but we have to trust what we see on tape. At 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, Hamilton has rare size for the position, with explosive top-down ability. It allows him to drive down on underneath throws, close on ball carriers and play as a multidimensional defender in the Ravens' system with sub-package versatility. This season, Hamilton has posted 36 solo tackles with three pass breakups, two sacks and one forced fumble.

          Runner-up: Jaquan Brisker, Chicago Bears

          Best slot cornerback

          L'Jarius Sneed, Kansas City Chiefs

          I like Sneed here at the slot position due to his versatile play style and inside/outside flexibility. In Steve Spagnuolo's system, Sneed is often deployed as a blitzer, where he has logged 3.5 sacks and 14 pressures. We know he can play in space as zone defender, match in man and tackle in the run game, too. And he will create disruption in coverage. With 66 solo tackles this season, two interceptions, 11 pass breakups and three forced fumbles, Sneed is often around the ball for a reason.

          Runner-up: Mike Hilton, Cincinnati Bengals

          Most versatile cornerback

          Marlon Humphrey, Baltimore Ravens

          I like Humphrey here given his physical coverage traits, blitz ability and positional flexibility. The veteran has registered 555 snaps as an outside corner, with 147 snaps in the slot and 36 more as an outside linebacker/overhang defender. And the production is there, too, as Humphrey has hauled in three interceptions and registered three sacks.

          Runner-up: Desmond King II, Houston Texans

          Most versatile safety

          Kyle Dugger, New England Patriots

          I always look at the safety spot in Bill Belichick's defense. You'll usually see multiple alignments at the second and third levels, sub-package deployment and the ability to play both the run and the pass. That's Dugger, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound hybrid defender who can patrol deep or spin down. This season, Dugger has logged 109 snaps at safety, 126 in the slot, 45 at corner and 249 as a linebacker/sub-package defender. He has multidimensional traits.

          Runner-up: Kevin Byard, Tennessee Titans

          Best tone-setter

          Talanoa Hufanga, San Francisco 49ers

          You want guys like Hufanga in your defensive back room. He's urgent and disruptive. He's explosive on contact. His game speed jumps on tape. And the system under defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans is a prime fit for Hufanga's traits, as he can play top-down on everything. This season, Hufanga has produced four interceptions, eight pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two sacks. He's an active defender.

          Runner-up: Budda Baker, Arizona Cardinals

          Three under-the-radar defensive backs

          Darrick Forrest, S, Washington Commanders

          The Washington safety has produced numbers this season, with three picks, seven pass breakups and two forced fumbles. He's disruptive with center field ability, and I like what I see on tape.

          Kader Kohou, CB, Miami Dolphins

          The undrafted rookie is a sudden mover in the slot for Miami. He's sticky when matched to quick-game throws and decisive against the run. Kohou is a good fit for the Dolphins' single-high coverage schemes, posting six pass breakups and 63 tackles so far in his first season.

          Andre Cisco, S, Jacksonville Jaguars

          You see the half-field ability with Cisco. Range to the boundary. Downhill transition speed. And he strikes receivers on contact. The second-year pro out of Syracuse has three interceptions and 10 pass breakups this year.