The NFL's Top CB Duos
Posted: 27 Oct 2020 09:13
ESPN Insider or + or whatever I pay for has this write-up:
link to full list and write-upsJeremy Fowler, ESPN wrote:Ranking the NFL's top cornerback duos for 2020
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
2. Stephon Gilmore and J.C. Jackson, New England Patriots
3. Byron Jones and Xavien Howard, Miami Dolphins
4. Joe Haden and Steven Nelson, Pittsburgh Steelers
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.
