So Who Is the NFL's Best Cornerback These Days?

Yes, we dare to ask the question.

Before the start of the 2014 NFL season, we heard the usual debate about who is the best cover cornerback in the NFL these days. The usual suspects were named.

Richard Sherman.

Darrelle Revis.

Patrick Peterson.

We heard a few other names mentioned as well in terms of standouts. Joe Haden. Aqib Talib. Brent Grimes. Alterraun Verner. Shall we go on?

Here, we are about to take it a step further. So it is now our turn to take a shot at trying to figure out this issue that has baffled many in recent years (not that anyone is losing sleep over the matter). And here, we are talking the best cornerback in all aspects.

The Candidates

How do we go about this? Well, we would be remiss if we didn’t include the outstanding analysis of Pro Football Focus (subscription required), who currently give Talib of the Denver Broncos its highest ranking. As for the basic numbers, the one-time first-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has totaled six tackles and knocked down four passes during his team’s 2-0 start.

Of course, we will be soliciting other opinions as well. This week at least, there were a few members of the San Diego Chargers who felt that Seattle Seahawks Pro Bowler Richard Sherman was not quite the shutdown defender most have perceived.

Denis Poroy/Associated Press

Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen said to Terry Blount of ESPN.com following San Diego’s 30-21 win over the defending Super Bowl champions on Sunday:

"

He’s just a normal guy. We can go at him. We took some shots at him. We are not going to shy away from him. He’s not really a shutdown corner. We definitely wanted to come out and show we could go any way we wanted to and that we were in control of the game.

"

Last season, Sherman was ranked fifth in the NFL by Pro Football Focus and led the league with eight interceptions. In a tad over three seasons, the former fifth-round selection from Stanford University has picked off 20 passes. Perhaps that’s one very good reason that the Green Bay Packers shied away from his side of the field on opening night at Seattle two weeks ago. After recording no statistics in Week 1, Sherman totaled six solo tackles in the team’s 30-21 loss to the San Diego Chargers on Sunday.

Obviously, Mike McCoy’s team was not impressed.

What about Revis? I mean other than Gilligan, who else is synonymous with his own island? One season ago, he was Pro Football Focus’ top-ranked cornerback while playing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And that was coming off a season (with the New York Jets) in which he played in only three games before injuring his knee at Miami. In two games with the New England Patriots, Revis’ third team in as many seasons, the Pro Bowl defender has totaled four stops, three passes defensed and a pair of takeaways.

Peterson? This is the season in which he has dedicated himself to focusing on his trait on defense. No more action on special teams or offense. But after two weeks of play, he’s close to the bottom of PFF’s cornerback ratings. In Sunday’s 25-14 win over the New York Giants, Peterson totaled four tackles but was twice flagged for pass interference and penalized once for defensive holding. And he’s still looking for his first interception of 2014.

USA TODAY Sports

What about Haden, Grimes or Verner? Two weeks into 2014, the last name listed has earned Pro Football Focus’ fourth-highest ranking to date and has graded out as the league’s best cornerback in terms of run defense. He is already proving to be a tremendous pickup by the Buccaneers, who lured the Pro Bowler away from the Tennessee Titans during fee agency this offseason. Verner has totaled 14 tackles and a pair of passes defensed during the club’s 0-2 start.

On the other hand, there are 139 cornerbacks on this list, and Haden is ranked at the very bottom.

So are we leaving anyone out? If you ask New York Jets second-year pro Dee Milliner (and we’re not sure if anyone did), he’s the best cornerback in the league, as he told Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News nearly two months ago.

Milliner told Mehta back in late July:

"

I’m not going to say somebody that plays the same position is better than me. Don’t care if they’ve been in the league 10 years and I’ve been here five months. That’s how it’s going to go. I’m the best. I’m not going to say that another man that plays the same position…and say he’s better than me? I can’t do that.

"

Of course, Millner may have gotten the vote of Jordy Nelson. This past Sunday, there’s no doubt that the Green Bay Packers wide receiver enjoyed his experience against the Jets’ second-year defender, as did quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

The Conclusion

So, have we answered the question?

Frankly, it’s a different strokes for different folks matter. So far, Talib has graded out as the best and Revis’ play is certainly worth noting, as is the overall performance by Verner and the specter of Sherman. Then again, being a cornerback in today’s NFL is much easier said than done with rules designed to make life easier for anyone trying to catch the football.

Of course, we would be remiss if we didn’t combine the numbers with the never-failing eye test. And that leads us to come up with this conclusion, at least in our opinion, even though it’s a mere two weeks into the season. But it seems that one of the league’s premier defensive players since 2007 may be primed for a very big year.

So just sit right back, and you’ll wind up hearing a tale…A tale of a fateful trip for any receiver traveling through the New England secondary these days.