NFL offenses have exploded in 2020. Nineteen NFL teams are averaging at least 25 points a game, compared to 10 a year ago. Six teams average at least 400 total yards per game.
With minimal time to prepare this offseason due to COVID-19, defenses have spent the first seven weeks of the year trying to match the intensity -- and employing zone coverages. Thirteen NFL teams are dropping into a variation of zone coverage at least 55% of the time, compared to six teams at that same clip a year ago.
All this puts good cornerback play at a premium. Many of the league's best defenses have solid duos on the back end.
After tweeting about Baltimore having the league's premier duo a few weeks back, I heard from plenty of Patriots fans -- for good reason.
So I asked some personnel people, did some research and came up with rankings. Complicating matters: Having two good ones is fairly rare. Plenty of top-shelf corners might play in a good system or defensive backfield but don't have enough support on the other side. But there's enough talent on this list to make quarterbacks hesitate from the pocket.
1. Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters, Baltimore Ravens
A good tandem has balance and versatility, which is what makes Baltimore's duo great.
"Baltimore is way above everybody," one AFC exec said. "Those two guys might be top five right now."
Humphrey is the steady corner who does everything, from playing over the top to covering in the slot and tackling at the line of scrimmage.
Peters is the ultimate gambler, which sometimes gets him into trouble, but it's hard to argue with 29 interceptions in five-plus seasons, more than many Pro Bowl corners get in a decade of play. Some evaluators consider him the best true ball hawk in the game.
One veteran NFL quarterback told me Peters scares him more than any other corner because of his unpredictability. He's determined to get the ball, for better or worse.
Both corners have combined for 10 pass deflections in six games. Save the ugly 34-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football, when Andy Reid caught the Ravens in too many blitz-and-man-coverage combos, Baltimore is allowing one touchdown pass per game this season.
Humphrey's new $98.75 million contract is justified, one NFC exec says, because "he can do everything. And he plays his ass off every play."
And vet Jimmy Smith deserves a shout-out as a Ravens staple who used to give Antonio Brown and others problems, now serving as a steady No. 3.
2. Stephon Gilmore and J.C. Jackson, New England Patriots
The Patriots have incredible corner depth, with veteran Jason McCourty a reliable starter and Jonathan Jones posting 29 pass deflections since 2017.
But evaluators agree that Jackson is the most dynamic option opposite Gilmore. He's considered a rising star, building on last year's momentum with seven pass deflections and three interceptions through six games this season.
Jackson has allowed 10 receptions for 89 total yards on 18 targets as the nearest defender, per Next Gen Stats, equating to an exceptional 4.94 yards per passing attempt.
"He's a playmaker and an athlete," said one NFC exec about Jackson. "If I were drafting corners to start a team, he'd be one of the first 10."
That athleticism is the perfect pairing for Gilmore, who is busy covering on an island for 50 or so snaps per game.
Some evaluators agree Gilmore hasn't been as dominant so far this year, but landing on the COVID-19 list didn't help matters, and he's still holding quarterbacks to a 55.6% completion percentage as the nearest defender, per Next Gen Stats.
At age 30, Gilmore is playing his way into legacy. He's in the exclusive club of defensive backs to win a defensive player of the year award, joining Charles Woodson, Deion Sanders, Rod Woodson, Lester Hayes and Mel Blount.
3. Byron Jones and Xavien Howard, Miami Dolphins
A team that spends nearly $160 million on two starting corners has to crack this list to feel good about that investment.
Miami locked up Howard and Jones to play as much man coverage as possible. The Dolphins played man 44% of the time last season, the third-highest rate in the NFL, and the free agent acquisition of Jones offers more flexibility for the front seven to mix and match blitzes and pass-rushing combos.
The duo wasn't off to the best debut: Howard started coming off an offseason knee injury, and Jones missed two games with a groin injury. But the Jones-Howard combo helped get Jimmy Garoppolo benched during a 43-17 Dolphins win in Week 5, allowing 35 yards on seven targets thrown their way, according to Next Gen Stats. They helped shut out the New York Jets the next week.
Howard has returned to his ball-hawking ways with an interception in each of his past four games. His 41.7% completion percentage allowed as the nearest defender is tops in the league among corners with 20 or more targets thrown their way (10-of-24), according to Next Gen Stats. He's averaging an interception every 2.88 games for his career (16 INTs in 46 outings), awfully close to Peters' average of 2.86.
"He's not a perfect corner, but he's got rare instincts to make plays on the ball, and that's a premium right now," said an NFC exec about Howard.
Jones gets knocked for lack of interceptions (two in his first five seasons, none since 2017), but as one general manager pointed out, he's a 2018 All-Pro for a reason, and his athleticism hasn't waned. Big, fast, disciplined corners with good footwork always get paid.
And he's been steady upon return from the injury by allowing 10 receptions for 111 yards on 19 targets for the season.
4. Joe Haden and Steven Nelson, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh's best tandem in years has shown its worth in big moments. Take a 38-29 win over Philadelphia in Week 5. The Steelers didn't play their best and receiver Travis Fulgham went for 152 yards, but Nelson secured two interceptions and Haden had a key pass breakup late. Haden came over the top with three pass breakups against his old team, the Cleveland Browns, in Week 6.
Neither has elite, top-end speed, and Pittsburgh's loaded defensive front helps balance out the back end, but these corners are savvy, opportunistic and smart.
Nelson openly believes he's the league's best corner, and that helps him play with confidence. He doesn't give up big plays often. After injuries midway through his career, Haden's athleticism has held up well at age 31, and he's holding quarterbacks to a 55.9% completion percentage this season.
"Both really solid players -- and perfect for that system," an NFL passing game coordinator said. "They aren't going to beat themselves and will keep everything in front for the most part."
Slot corner Mike Hilton deserves a shout-out as a big piece to the Steelers' secondary. He's a rocket blitzer and can hold up in coverage.
5. Jaire Alexander and Kevin King, Green Bay Packers
Alexander is the cornerstone of Green Bay's defensive backfield. Some evaluators consider him a top-five cornerback right now, and he's validating that belief with a stellar 90.9 Pro Football Focus rating this season.
He's averaging nearly one pass deflection per game for his career (31 in his first 35 NFL contests).
One NFC exec said he's aggressive, instinctual, has good feel in coverage and adequate speed.
"A stud," the exec said.
The knock on Alexander is a 5-foot-10 frame teams can exploit, but his body positioning and willingness to battle can help offset that.
King turned a corner in his third year, in 2019, with 15 pass deflections and five interceptions. At 6-foot-3, 200 pounds with speed, he's the kind of player who gets paid in free agency. King knows it, which means he'll be looking for big plays in his contract year. But first, he'll need to improve that 0.0% ball-hawk rate on the year (zero pass deflections). And he'll need to prove more durable after missing two games this year and a combined 18 games through his first three seasons.
The Packers are zone-heavy (66.5%, fourth in NFL) and that limits the corners' ranking a bit. But Alexander might be even better suited for more one-on-one work because of his stickiness.
Green Bay's 38-10 loss to Tampa Bay in Week 6 wasn't a good look, but Tampa relied mostly on tight end and running back work, with Chris Godwin and Mike Evans combining for 58 yards on nine targets.
6. Kyle Fuller and Jaylon Johnson, Chicago Bears
In his seventh season, the 28-year-old Fuller has prime years left and is active on the ball with 23 solo tackles, five deflections, a forced fumble and an interception through six games.
ESPN NFL analyst Matt Bowen said Fuller is among the game's best off-the-ball corners, which makes him effective in quarters coverage (otherwise known as Cover 4). And he allowed 17 receptions on 33 targets his way through the first six games, good enough for a 51.5% completion percentage.
"Good visual guy, pursues the ball and plays instinctively," said an NFL coordinator.
Aiding the Bears' 4-1 start is the development of Johnson, a rookie who fell to the second round due to a shoulder injury. His ball production is hard to ignore, ranking fourth in the NFL in pass breakups, with nine.
In Week 5, he had several head-to-head matchups with Mike Evans, who got 41 yards and a touchdown, but Johnson also held his own. And even though he's allowed 334 yards in coverage, quarterbacks are 19-of-41 throwing toward him through the first six games, per Next Gen Stats, and his ball-hawk rate is a solid 22%.
"He had first-round ability coming into the draft, and he's starting to show some of that," said an NFC scout.
7. Marshon Lattimore and Janoris Jenkins, New Orleans Saints
Don't let Lattimore's game-clinching tackle of Mike Williams on Monday Night Football cloud the bottom line: This duo has not been stellar this year.
The two combined for seven penalties in nine games played between them, and the Saints should be higher than 17th in pass defense based on supreme talent at several positions.
But Lattimore is considered a top-three to top-five corner when he's really cooking -- see Mike Evans' 2-yard performance in Week 1 -- and Jenkins has covered receivers stride for stride all his life. He did it at Florida, with the Rams, the Giants and now with the Saints; he also added a pick-six in Week 1. At age 31, he can do that well for at least one more year.
Both have suffered injuries early in the season, which affected the overall performance, but they show flair for big plays. Lattimore -- who admittedly thrives off marquee matchups, even if it results in a few downers against lesser talent -- will see Allen Robinson next week. That should get his attention.
8. Chris Harris Jr. and Casey Hayward, Los Angeles Chargers
Pedigree puts this duo in the top 10, but both corners are 31 and have missed time due to injury (Harris is on currently on injured reserve).
Despite a compelling case as a top corner over the years, Hayward still gets knocked by evaluators as a zone-heavy corner. Emmanuel Sanders going for 122 against that zone in Week 6 didn't help the cause. He's dominated PFF rankings in the past, so seeing him with a 59.7 overall grade is unique. On the year, Hayward has allowed 22 receptions on 40 attempts as the nearest defender for 268 yards, per Next Gen Stats.
But Hayward is still "a really smart, savvy player who's been producing for a long time," one AFC exec said. The Chargers can win with him as the No. 1 guy.
If you want interceptions, Harris is not your guy. He has four picks in nine-plus NFL seasons. If you want solid coverage, though, Harris can still do that. The problem is, he hasn't played since Sept. 27.
9. Shaquill Griffin and Quinton Dunbar, Seattle Seahawks
Not many corners have been tested like Griffin, who has had 43 targets thrown his way as Seattle navigates wild games, injuries and shootouts each week.
He's given up 31 receptions, which is a high number, but he's also been disruptive, with two interceptions and seven pass deflections.
Multiple NFL defensive coaches consider Griffin a fringe top-10 NFL cornerback due to the tools he possesses -- good size, speed and improving man coverage. The 2021 free agent will get paid.
Dunbar was a PFF favorite last year with an 87.6 rating, second-best among cornerbacks. His ranking has dipped to 58.1 this year, but he missed two games due to injury, is acclimating to a new system after a trade from Washington, and the Seahawks have one of the league's least productive pass rushes. Dunbar still managed to get four pass deflections and an interception through his first four games this season.
Once the Seahawks find their identity on defense by midseason -- preferably with more of a pass rush -- this duo can thrive.
T-10. Tre'Davious White and Levi Wallace/Josh Norman, Buffalo Bills
Norman is a key component for the Bills, but they like Wallace's coverage ability, and Buffalo gave up three passing touchdowns to Tennessee's Ryan Tannehill in Week 5 while White and Wallace were out of the lineup.
Norman brings energy and toughness, and he should be able to carve out a role while Wallace is on injured reserve with an ankle sprain. He'll return soon.
Wallace went undrafted out of Alabama three years ago but has grown into a viable option, shrugging off a slow start to the year to earn a 68.9 overall PFF grade with one interception and 20 tackles. He's allowed 12 receptions and 140 yards on 21 targets near him, per Next Gen Stats.
Most evaluators consider White one of the game's three best cornerbacks -- White's ballhawk rate of 23.5% is one of the highest on this top-10 list -- so capable No. 2 play gets Buffalo into the top-10 duo discussion. For now, at least, the Bills have that.
T-10. Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sean Murphy-Bunting was supposed to be the catalyst for Bucs cornerbacks, but he's allowing a 131.4 passer rating as the nearest defender this season.
Maybe his game will perk up -- he's got the athleticism to do it -- but Davis and Dean have picked up the slack in a big way. Davis has been among the league's most opportunistic corners with 11 pass deflections, three interceptions and a 52.0 passer rating allowed as the nearest defender, via Next Gen Stats. He's allowed 23 completions and 207 yards on 44 targets.
Dean has one of the league's best Pro Football Focus ratings, at 88.8.
Tampa Bay's stellar front seven helps corners tremendously, but the play of Dean and Davis should be saluted.