Next 5 NFL CBs to Get Paid After Sauce Gardner's Jets Extension

In case you haven't been paying attention, the NFL cornerback market has been exploding this offseason.

It started with Jaycee Horn and Derek Stingley Jr., as the Carolina Panthers gave Horn a four-year, $100 million contract extension and Stingley signed a three-year, $90 million extension with the Houston Texans. More recently, Sauce Gardner and the New York Jets agreed to a four-year, $120.4 million deal. 

According to Over The Cap, those three are now the league's highest-paid corners on a dollar-per-year basis. However, as we've come to know with NFL free agency, that only lasts for so long as the real "highest-paid player" at any position is the next guy whose contract is up or about to expire.

Here, we'll consider five cornerbacks who should be next in line to receive a lucrative payday. To qualify, a player must still be on his rookie contract and have been in the league for at least two seasons. Also, the focus is on big-money deals, so boundary corners will receive more consideration than nickelbacks.

The corners selected are based on a combination of production, grades from Pro Football Focus and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN's annual survey of NFL decision-makers, which ranks the top 10 players at every position.

Trent McDuffie

AP Photo/Ashley Landis

Years remaining on rookie contract: 2 (5th-year option for 2026 accepted)

Career stats: 2 INTs, 27 PDs, 7 FFs, 10 TFLs, 4.5 sacks, 183 tackles (3 seasons, 43 games)

Especially now that Gardner has signed a new contract, it wouldn't be surprising to see Trent McDuffie's extension make headlines next. He's eligible for a new contract, having just wrapped up his third NFL season, and is coming off an impressive campaign.

The 2022 first-round pick primarily lined up at nickelback two years ago, since the Kansas City Chiefs had L'Jarius Sneed on the boundary, and he played well enough to become a first-team All-Pro.

As a result, the Chiefs felt comfortable trading Sneed away instead of re-signing him, allowing McDuffie to prove himself on the outside. 

The 24-year-old rose to the challenge by earning the third-highest grade from Pro Football Focus (83.1) among cornerbacks and a second-team All-Pro bid. Additionally, he came in at No. 4 on Fowler's poll of the top 10 cornerbacks in the league. 

"Elite instincts to key/diagnose. Understands all the leverages you need to play within the playcall," an NFL coordinator told Fowler. "He has movement and strength to defend smaller players and enough speed and leaping ability to defend bigger players. Strong tackler. Complete player."

Given his age, production and ability to play two positions in the secondary, expect to see McDuffie's name up there with Gardner, Stingley and Horn as one of the highest-paid corners in the NFL sooner rather than later.

Christian Gonzalez

AP Photo/Rick Scuteri

Years remaining on rookie contract: 2 (5th-year option for 2027 available)

Career stats: 3 INTs, 14 PDs, 76 tackles, 1 FRTD (2 seasons, 20 games)

There were plenty of reasons to like Christian Gonzalez coming out of college. At 6'1⅜" with 32-inch arms and a 4.38-second 40-yard dash time, he had impressive physical tools with a great combination of size, length and speed. 

Additionally, the Oregon product had good production during his only season with the Ducks, racking up four interceptions and seven passes defended in 12 games.

Despite still being a top-20 pick, many were surprised he was on the board for the New England Patriots with the 17th overall selection, which is a testament to his skill set.

Unfortunately, a shoulder injury limited Gonzalez's rookie season to just four games. But he came back with a vengeance last fall, earning second-team All-Pro honors and ranking 11th (minimum 242 snaps) among cornerbacks with a 78.2 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus.

As a result, the 23-year-old came in at No. 6 on Fowler's list of the top NFL cornerbacks.

"I think Gonzo is the next great one," a veteran NFL assistant told Fowler. "Skills, patience, length. He's the closest thing to Pat [Surtain II]. Smooth, big athlete, travels a lot, can matchup against the best guy."

Surtain sits as the fifth-highest paid corner in the league at $24 million per year, via Over The Cap. So, being compared to the reigning Defensive Player of the Year is pretty good company for Gonzalez, as he's expected to cash in and will be eligible for an extension after this upcoming season.

Devon Witherspoon

AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson

Years remaining on rookie contract: 2 (5th-year option for 2027 available)

Career stats: 1 INT, 25 PDs, 2 FFs, 4 sacks, 14 TFLs, 177 tackles (2 seasons, 31 games)

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Devon Witherspoon has hit the ground running and quickly climbed the ladder as one of the better corners in the NFL.

The 24-year-old was widely considered the top cornerback prospect in the 2023 NFL draft class, and the Seattle Seahawks made him the fifth player off the board in Round 1.

The Illinois product had an excellent rookie year, highlighted by 16 passes defended, the fifth-best grade from Pro Football Focus (84.1) among cornerbacks and a Pro Bowl appearance. While his numbers took a slight dip last year with nine PDs and a 75.3 grade, he still earned his second All-Star bid in as many seasons.

Additionally, versatility is a big part of what makes Witherspoon an ascending player in the league. He can contribute as a run defender, earning marks of 80.0 and 90.0 from PFF in that department, and splits his time between lining up on the boundary and over the slot. 

That's a big reason the Seahawk was able to edge out Jalen Ramsey for the 10th spot on Fowler's list of the top cornerbacks in the league.

"Extremely urgent, aggressive, excellent top-down speed from the perimeter or out of the slot," an NFL personnel evaluator told Fowler. "Violent tackler, lower body twitch, good blitzer, disruptive."

Another NFL coordinator added: "Better nickel than outside corner in my opinion, but he makes splash plays. You need to account for him."

With another quality campaign in Seattle this fall, expect to hear a lot of chatter about Witherspoon receiving a lucrative second contract in the future. He will be eligible for an extension after this upcoming season.

DaRon Bland

AP Photo/Brandon Wade

Years remaining on rookie contract: 1

Career stats: 14 INTs (5 TDs), 27 PDs, 1 FF, 164 tackles (3 seasons, 41 games)

Unlike the majority of cornerbacks featured here, DaRon Bland wasn't a hot commodity coming out of college. His first four years were spent at the FCS level (Sacramento State) before transferring to Fresno State for the 2021 campaign.

As a result, he was a lesser-known draft prospect and wasn't taken by the Dallas Cowboys until the fifth round.

However, the former Bulldog's ball skills were apparent right out of the gates, logging five interceptions in 17 games with eight starts as a rookie. 

He kept that momentum going the following year, leading the league with nine picks and setting an NFL record by returning five of them for touchdowns. That resulted in a first-team All-Pro selection and an invite to the Pro Bowl. Not bad for a guy who only spent one year at the FBS level in college.

Unfortunately, an injury during training camp forced Bland to miss the first 10 games of 2024 and prevented him from continuing to build on the momentum from the two previous seasons. 

However, he still turned in a decent performance overall, earning a 71.4 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus. That was enough to receive votes from the league's decision-makers in Fowler's list of the top cornerbacks in the league. Granted, he didn't receive a spot in the top 10.

Bland enters a contract year this fall, helping make him a strong candidate to get paid soon. What might help his cause is that the Cowboys are currently expected to rely on him at nickel in 2025, potentially expanding the defensive back's repertoire. 

If the 2022 Day 3 pick can showcase some position versatility and become stickier in coverage this season, he should have no problem cashing in during the offseason.

Riq Woolen

AP Photo/Adam Hunger

Years remaining on rookie contract: 1

Career stats: 11 INTs (1 TD), 41 PDs, 1 FF, 162 tackles (3 seasons, 48 games)

As a converted wide receiver who only played cornerback for two years in college, Riq Woolen was far from a complete draft prospect. 

But he showed plenty of physical tools to work with, standing at 6'4" and 205 pounds with 33⅝" arms, a 4.26-second 40-yard dash time and a 42" vertical jump. According to MockDraftable, all of those figures are in the 90th percentile for the position. 

Still, the UTSA product fell to the fifth round of the draft since he was viewed as a project whose technique needed work, stemming from his lack of experience in the secondary.

However, he managed to hit the ground running by leading the league with six interceptions and recording 16 passes defended to make the Pro Bowl as a rookie.

In year two, Woolen's ball production dipped with two picks and 11 PDs. But he became a lot more stingy in coverage, going from allowing 549 yards in coverage to 391, according to Pro Football Focus. That helped him earn a 75.0 coverage grade from PFF. 

The 26-year-old did receive votes from the league's decision-makers in Fowler's poll of the best cornerbacks, but he didn't land a spot in the top 10. That's likely because he regressed a bit last year, allowing six touchdowns and posting his lowest coverage grade to date (65.7), per PFF. 

However, Woolen has a great chance to bounce back in 2025, and that would be perfect timing in a contract year.