The NFL's Next Crop of Shutdown Cornerbacks

In today's pass-wacky NFL, quarterback is the league's most important position. Elite signal-callers dominate the MVP conversation and regularly earn in excess of $20 million a season.

However, there's a flip side to that coin. The men tasked with preventing those quarterbacks from completing passes carry hefty contracts of their own. Per Spotrac, the league's 214 cornerbacks make nearly $475 million per season in combined annual salary.

The highest-paid cornerback in the land by average annual value, Josh Norman of the Washington Redskins, hauls in a clean $15 million a season. It's good work if you can get it.

Much like with quarterbacks, there are two types of NFL teams when it comes to cornerbacks. There are those that have proven options at the position and will do just about anything to keep them, and there are franchises that are desperately searching for dependable cover men of their own. It's why a handful of college football's best cornerbacks are first-round picks every spring.

As a season progresses, however, a third camp develops: teams moving from camp No. 2 to camp No. 1. Those are the fortunate squads that will soon break out their checkbooks to sign young cornerbacks to hefty contracts. Or the even more fortunate franchises watching players live up to the deals they just inked.

Those teams, you see, have managed to acquire a member of the NFL's new crop of lockdown corners. While signing them long term brings a hefty bill, it's a price teams are happy to pay.

A.J. Bouye, Houston Texans

There isn't a bigger surprise star on this list than A.J. Bouye. There probably also isn't a player who will see a bigger bump in his paycheck come the offseason.

Heading into 2016, Bouye was a part-time defensive back playing on a one-year restricted free-agent tender that will pay him about $1.7 million in 2016—a below-average salary for an NFL cornerback. In his most extensive playing time to date (2014), Bouye ranked outside the top 75 at his position at Pro Football Focus.

G	GS	TA	Comp.	Pct.	Yards	TD	Rating Vs.
12	8	61	33	54.1	281	1	65.0

This year, however, it's been a different story. Pressed into a prominent role by a season-ending foot injury to Kevin Johnson, Bouye hasn't just held his own—he's thrived, becoming arguably the best defensive back for a Houston Texans team battling for a second straight AFC South crown.

Through 12 games (including eight starts), Bouye has tallied 49 tackles, a sack and an interception. The 25-year-old ranks 11th at his position, per PFF, which is nine spots higher than Johnson and 36 spots higher than veteran batterymate Johnathan Joseph.

Even that ranking doesn't tell the story of how well Bouye has played in 2016. He ranks sixth in pass coverage among cornerbacks at PFF. He's allowed fewer than 55 percent of the passes thrown in his direction to be completed and surrendered only a single touchdown. In addition, his passer rating against is 65.0.

In fact, a Week 12 loss to the Chargers in which Bouye allowed that score was the only game he's given up even 50 receiving yards this year.

Bouye told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle that he's aware of the buzz his play has generated in 2016, but he's making every effort to justify it by helping lead Houston back to the playoffs: "I guess it's a compliment. I try not to pay attention to that because it's still a long season. My main thing is making sure I can make plays and help the team win and try to minimize the distractions."

Bouye started this year as just another guy at the back end of the Houston secondary—the sort of player who worries each week whether he'll have a roster spot the next.

If he maintains this level of play for the rest of the season, and possibly into the playoffs, he'll exit as potentially the best young cornerback at one of the most coveted positions in the NFL in free agency.

In other words, Bouye could be singing "Boo-Yay!" all the way to the bank next March.

Malcolm Butler, New England Patriots

When it comes to eventful beginnings to an NFL career, you'd be hard-pressed to find one that beats the New England Patriots' Malcolm Butler's start.

It began quietly enough. The 2014 NFL draft came and went without Butler's name being called. Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Patriots, Butler played sparingly as a sub-package corner. For all intents and purposes, a Week 15 start against the Miami Dolphins should have been the high point of his rookie season.

And then this happened:

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

Butler's game-sealing interception in Super Bowl XLIX thrust him into the national spotlight at warp speed. By the time the start of the 2015 campaign rolled around, the Patriots had parted ways with veterans like Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner and inserted Butler into the starting lineup.

He hasn't looked back since.

G	GS	TA	Comp.	Pct.	Yards	TDA	Rating Vs.
13	13	87	49	56.3	713	4	88.9

This isn't to say there haven't been bumps in the road, just as there almost always are with young cornerbacks. In 16 starts for the Patriots in 2015, Butler gave up the fifth-most touchdown passes in the NFL and allowed a passer rating of almost 100.

However, the 26-year-old got better as the year wore on, and by season's end, Butler ranked a respectable 16th among corners at PFF.

He built on that finish and then some in year three. After 14 weeks, only three corners in the NFL (Denver's Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr. and Janoris Jenkins of the New York Giants) have a higher grade than Butler. He's third in pass coverage behind the Denver duo. He's still giving up a lot of yardage (713 total), and he has surrendered four scores, but his passer rating against has improved compared to 2015.

As Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reported, Butler's improvement as a player hasn't escaped the ever-watchful eye of head coach Bill Belichick:

"

Malcolm is pretty humble overall; I think that's one of the things that is endearing to his teammates and all the people around him. He's confident, he works hard, he loves to compete, but at the same time he is humble about his success and the notoriety that he's received -- not for one play, but also as he's established himself as a solid NFL corner.

"

The rest of America has taken notice as well. If it hadn't, Butler wouldn't be making pizza commercials with superstar wide receiver Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Hey, being a Super Bowl hero and a Pro Bowl-caliber player for one of the most recognizable teams in sports has a couple of perks.

Casey Hayward, San Diego Chargers

Casey Hayward is the elder statesman of this bunch at the ripe old age of 27. He's also been one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL few people have heard of over the last few years.

That isn't the case any longer.

Hayward's interception of Jameis Winston in Week 13 was his seventh of the season, a number that leads the NFL. As quarterback Philip Rivers told ESPN.com's Eric D. Williams, there's little doubt that Hayward's acquisition was one of San Diego's biggest this year:

"

Casey's got such a knack for the football. He's such a smart player. And I say that with all the respect for his ability. He's a heck of a corner. And I thought that of him when he was in Green Bay. But he really gets it. I've been around him now for five or six months, and that part helps the physical skill he has. He knows what's going on and he's been a heck of an addition for us.

"

Hayward has been about more than just big plays in 2016. The fifth-year veteran has graded out fourth overall at the position so far this season at PFF and third in coverage. His passer rating against of 49.0 trails only Talib.

G	GS	TA	Comp.	Pct.	YA	TDA	Rating Vs.
13	11	81	47	58.0	592	1	49.0

This isn't new for Hayward, either. As a rookie in 2012, Hayward graded second overall at PFF and allowed a league-low passer rating of 31.1. Fewer than 45 percent of the passes thrown at Hayward were completed that year.

Two seasons later, Hayward made it back into the top 10 in 435 snaps for the Packers. But therein lied the rub with him. For much of his time in Titletown, injuries kept him from realizing what many saw as massive potential. By the time free agency rolled around last spring, the Packers weren't interested, and Hayward wound up signing a modest three-year, $15.3 million contract with the Chargers.

That deal looks like one of free agency's biggest bargains now that Hayward has put it all together. Week 13 was a perfect example. Playing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and one of the league's most targeted receivers in Mike Evans, Hayward allowed only four receptions for 36 yards with an interception.

Hayward insisted to Williams that the recognition finally coming his way doesn't change anything.

"I don't really care about that," Hayward said. "I just care about wins and losses. And if I can keep getting interceptions to help us win, that's major for us as well. I really don't worry about what other people say. I let everybody else rank players and things like that, and I just continue to try to help us win."

Hayward's play has changed things in San Diego. The Bolts came into this deal looking for experienced, affordable help in the secondary. Instead they found the makings of a shutdown duo or a phenomenal insurance policy for the immensely talented but injury-prone Jason Verrett.

Marcus Peters, Kansas City Chiefs

You can make the argument that the Kansas City Chiefs' Marcus Peters has already joined the ranks of the NFL's elite cornerbacks. Given how Peters played last year en route to winning Defensive Rookie of the Year, you can make the case that he was an elite cornerback before he ever set foot on a pro field.

Of course, you can also make the argument that Peters' level of play doesn't always meet his reputation—and that's what makes him such an exciting player.

It didn't take him long to make an impression as a pro. In his first game, Peters intercepted a pass against the Texans. In the second, he took one to the house against the Broncos. Fourteen games later, Peters was tied for the NFL lead in interceptions with eight.

He hasn't let up, either. In 2016, only Hayward has more interceptions. In fewer than two NFL seasons, Peters has become arguably the most feared ball hawk at his position.

Frankly, Peters' value to the Chiefs might be best demonstrated by when he isn't on the field. Back in Week 11, a sore hip kept him on the sidelines against the Buccaneers. Evans went over 100 yards for the game, and the Chiefs lost.

One week later, Peters was back at it in a showdown with the Broncos. He spent most of the evening locked up with Demaryius Thomas. Thomas had a quiet five-catch night, and the Chiefs prevailed in overtime.

Long story short, Peters is capable of making a game-changing play at any moment. His knack for turnovers and big plays is all but unparalleled at his position. But there's a catch.

Peters takes away a lot, but he's also prone to giving with some regularity. His zeal for making splash plays sometimes results in lapses in coverage. His lust for picking off passes can leave him out of position, and his aggressiveness makes him susceptible to play fakes and double moves.

Year	G	GS	TA	Comp.	Pct.	YA	TDA	Rating Vs.
2015	16	16	137	69	50.4	939	8	67.7
2016	12	12	76	46	60.5	608	3	71.6

For all his talent, Peters ranks just 25th among cornerbacks this year at PFF. He isn't being thrown at as much this season, but his completion percentage allowed and quarterback rating against are up this year relative to 2015.

Still, as Danny Kelly of The Ringer wrote, Peters' flaws are the sort that should work themselves out:

"

Whether it's because of his footwork, ball skills, or ability to read and recognize route combinations, Peters is as close to 'a natural' as it comes at cornerback. The pick and pass-breakup numbers he's accumulated through two seasons are not an accident, nor is the fact he picked off 11 passes in 34 college games. As he becomes more disciplined and even more knowledgeable about route combinations and quarterback tendencies (the same way hitters in baseball learn to hit certain pitchers) he's only going to get better and transition into another popular movie trope: the superstar who just needed some institutional structure and the guidance of a players' coach to fully blossom.

"

Peters has all the talent in the world, and no one is calling Kansas City's decision to take him at No. 18 overall last year anything but a great move. The youngster just needs to hone his skills—to develop the mental side of his game until it matches his physical prowess.

As veteran safety Eric Berry told Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star, "I just want to get him to think a little bit further than in the moment. I want him to think about the consequences, or what happens after that."

If Peters can do that, he'll be the best in the NFL at what he does.

Heck, he's close now.

Darius Slay, Detroit Lions

Darius Slay has already hit the proverbial jackpot. Back in July, the Detroit Lions signed the fourth-year pro to a four-year extension that bumped his average annual salary to a robust $12 million a season.

The contract that raised a few eyebrows across the NFL, but it shouldn't have—not after a 2015 campaign in which only Tyrann Mathieu of the Arizona Cardinals received a higher overall grade from PFF among cornerbacks.

Leon Halip/Getty Images

Slay's 59 tackles and two interceptions a year ago aren't eye-popping numbers, but they also don't tell the whole story. He ranked eighth at his position in pass coverage, and by season's end, opponents were throwing away from him.

Slay is backing up those numbers in 2016 for the first-place Lions. For the second straight season, he ranks among the top six players at his position, per PFF. Despite regularly being asked to shadow the opposing team's top receiver, Slay's completion percentage against and passer rating against are both significantly better than they were in 2015.

Year	G	TA	Comp.	Pct.	YA	TDA	Rating Vs.
2015	16	73	47	64.4	620	3	93.4
2016	11	56	30	53.6	345	5	87.3

Slay has also bumped up his big-play production a bit, adding a sack and forced fumble to the two interceptions that appear to be his annual benchmark.

Teammate DeAndre Levy wrote in the Detroit Free Press that Slay has developed into a defensive leader for the Lions:

"

I watch him work, from his technique on the sideline in between series during practice to working his footwork before and after. I watch how eager and fired up he gets from competing. I see the energy and focus that he uses to approach his match up each week. His unwavering confidence and joyful nature have helped him become the player he is today.

There's no denying that Slay loves what he does and it's important to him.

Winning makes it easier to laugh and have fun. Being on the losing end can make it easy to lose that joy. I'm glad we have a teammate like Slay, a player that always reminds you to stay loose and stay confident, win or lose.

"

I'll go one further. With Levy on the shelf for the majority of the season and Ziggy Ansah's numbers down in an injury-plagued 2016 campaign, Slay isn't just a defensive leader for the Lions.

He's the defensive leader for a Detroit team that's exceeded expectations in a big way in 2016, and an extension some questioned a year ago now looks like a bargain.

This list isn't all-inclusive. There are other cover men across the NFL who are flirting with shutdown status. Xavier Rhodes of the Minnesota Vikings has a passer rating against of 46.9. Jenkins and Miami's Byron Maxwell are both living up to their hefty salaries this year with top-10 seasons in pass coverage.

But Jenkins has a reputation as a ball hawk dating back to his rookie season in 2012. Maxwell signed that monstrosity of a contract in Philadelphia, and Rhodes has had trouble staying on the field in 2016.

So it's this handful of young cover men I've settled on as the leading contenders to be the new kids on the block on Shutdown Avenue.

You'd better steer clear of them, or they will absolutely take your lunch money.

Statistics are accurate as of Week 14. Gary Davenport is an NFL analyst at Bleacher Report and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and Pro Football Writers of America. You can follow Gary on Twitter: @IDPSharks.