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2021 Super Bowl Champions Rams
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TOP 10 NFL SECONDARIES THIS SEASON
BRENT ROLLINS22 HOURS AGO
Earlier this season, we looked at the top 10 secondary groups at the time, and recently, Cris Collinsworth, Neil Hornsby and Steve Palazzolo ranked the top five secondaries in coverage. Now that the final week of the NFL’s regular season is here, let’s run through our player grades see which secondary unit is at the top with one game remaining.
While being at the top of any positively-focused list is a good thing, probably the most interesting stat is the collective W-L of the 10 teams listed below—102-48—with only two having a losing record and eight soon to be postseason participants.
Editor’s note: For this ranking, the top five DBs (two CBs, two safeties, and a fifth DB) from each team were considered, given the primary formation used by NFL teams is a three-WR set, and the fifth DB is essentially a starter. In the case of a true rotation or variability, snap count numbers and/or more recent playing time were used to determine the five players. Remember, the ranking is reflective of the entire group’s season (including currently-injured players, in some cases). Thus, a group that has two elite players might be brought down by three players with much lower grades.
1. New England Patriots
Average PFF grade: 82.7
Cornerbacks: Logan Ryan (85.3); Malcolm Butler (81.2)
Safeties: Devin McCourty (84.9); Patrick Chung (84.4); Duron Harmon (77.7)
New England is only one of two teams in the league who has four defensive backs with a rating above 80. This group has been very consistent and continues to get better. Ryan is PFF’s 11th-ranked cornerback, and is first in combined tackling efficiency (includes both run and pass game). Butler’s growth from unsung Super Bowl hero to current 24th-ranked cornerback has offset the loss of Darrelle Revis to the rival Jets. Ryan and Butler have even combined to log over 1,900 snaps this season. If this unit can reach full health by the postseason, it will play a major factor in New England’s playoff success.
Standout stat: Fifth defensive back Duron Harmon has only been targeted seven times in 417 coverage snaps.
2. Denver Broncos
Average grade: 81.1
Cornerbacks: Chris Harris, Jr. (86.2); Aqib Talib (78.2); Bradley Roby (76.3)
Safeties: Darian Stewart (85.1); T.J. Ward (79.8)
While much of the discussion of Denver’s No.1 rated PFF defense has focused on the pressure they generate up front, the secondary has continually shown itself to be elite and keeps its the second spot on this list. Stewart, our eighth-ranked safety, has been a fantastic free agent signing, while Harris Jr. is allowing an NFL-low 44.6 QB rating in slot coverage.
Standout stat: T.J. Ward gets after the QB, as well, with two sacks and eight total QB pressures, fifth-best among safeties.
3. Green Bay Packers
Average PFF grade: 80.9
Cornerbacks: Casey Hayward (80.5); Sam Shields (78.5); Damarious Randall (75.5)
Safeties: Morgan Burnett (88.8); Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (81.1)
Since returning for good in Week 8, Burnett has played all but eight snaps for the Packers, and now grades as our fourth overall safety. The youth of this unit has also improved throughout the season. A first-round pick, Randall has played competently, with an 11th-best 10 pass deflections this year. Rollins, a second-round pick, (80.0), who has surged late in the season and isn’t even listed above, has only allowed an NFL QB rating of 59.9 in his coverage. Clinton-Dix is still the roaming constant for Green Bay, coming off the field for only three snaps all season.
Standout stat: Rollins’ 59.9 QB rating allowed is good for sixth in the league.
4. Kansas City Chiefs
Average PFF grade: 80.8
Cornerbacks: Sean Smith (84.8); Marcus Peters (74.4)
Safeties: Eric Berry (89.0); Husain Abdullah (83.3); Ron Parker (72.5)
Berry has beaten both Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and opponents to a pulp in 2015, grading out as our third-best safety overall. A first-round pick, Peters has been up and down in his rookie campaign, but has spurred enough ups to lead all cornerbacks with 17 passes defensed, and is tied for the NFL lead in interceptions, with eight. It took awhile, but Smith has finally returned to his 2014 form, as is now our 13th-rated CB.
Standout stat: Marcus Peters is still by far the most-targeted cornerback in the NFL, with 131 targets—26 more than the next CB.
5. St. Louis Rams
Average PFF grade: 76.8
Cornerbacks: Trumaine Johnson (87.0); Janoris Jenkins (81.3); Lamarcus Joyner (66.1)
Safeties: Rodney McLeod (85.0); T.J. McDonald (64.8)
All five Rams’ players listed are fourth-year players or younger, and keep progressively getting better. Johnson is now the fifth-ranked cornerback, ranking No.1 in NFL QB rating allowed in his coverage (47.4) to go along with seven interceptions. McLeod is currently the ninth-ranked safety, and has played the second-most snaps among all secondary players, with 1,096, behind only Philadelphia’s Malcolm Jenkins. McDonald had also improved prior to his season-ending shoulder injury.
Standout stat: The average age of these five is exactly 25 years old.
BRENT ROLLINS22 HOURS AGO
Earlier this season, we looked at the top 10 secondary groups at the time, and recently, Cris Collinsworth, Neil Hornsby and Steve Palazzolo ranked the top five secondaries in coverage. Now that the final week of the NFL’s regular season is here, let’s run through our player grades see which secondary unit is at the top with one game remaining.
While being at the top of any positively-focused list is a good thing, probably the most interesting stat is the collective W-L of the 10 teams listed below—102-48—with only two having a losing record and eight soon to be postseason participants.
Editor’s note: For this ranking, the top five DBs (two CBs, two safeties, and a fifth DB) from each team were considered, given the primary formation used by NFL teams is a three-WR set, and the fifth DB is essentially a starter. In the case of a true rotation or variability, snap count numbers and/or more recent playing time were used to determine the five players. Remember, the ranking is reflective of the entire group’s season (including currently-injured players, in some cases). Thus, a group that has two elite players might be brought down by three players with much lower grades.
1. New England Patriots
Average PFF grade: 82.7
Cornerbacks: Logan Ryan (85.3); Malcolm Butler (81.2)
Safeties: Devin McCourty (84.9); Patrick Chung (84.4); Duron Harmon (77.7)
New England is only one of two teams in the league who has four defensive backs with a rating above 80. This group has been very consistent and continues to get better. Ryan is PFF’s 11th-ranked cornerback, and is first in combined tackling efficiency (includes both run and pass game). Butler’s growth from unsung Super Bowl hero to current 24th-ranked cornerback has offset the loss of Darrelle Revis to the rival Jets. Ryan and Butler have even combined to log over 1,900 snaps this season. If this unit can reach full health by the postseason, it will play a major factor in New England’s playoff success.
Standout stat: Fifth defensive back Duron Harmon has only been targeted seven times in 417 coverage snaps.
2. Denver Broncos
Average grade: 81.1
Cornerbacks: Chris Harris, Jr. (86.2); Aqib Talib (78.2); Bradley Roby (76.3)
Safeties: Darian Stewart (85.1); T.J. Ward (79.8)
While much of the discussion of Denver’s No.1 rated PFF defense has focused on the pressure they generate up front, the secondary has continually shown itself to be elite and keeps its the second spot on this list. Stewart, our eighth-ranked safety, has been a fantastic free agent signing, while Harris Jr. is allowing an NFL-low 44.6 QB rating in slot coverage.
Standout stat: T.J. Ward gets after the QB, as well, with two sacks and eight total QB pressures, fifth-best among safeties.
3. Green Bay Packers
Average PFF grade: 80.9
Cornerbacks: Casey Hayward (80.5); Sam Shields (78.5); Damarious Randall (75.5)
Safeties: Morgan Burnett (88.8); Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (81.1)
Since returning for good in Week 8, Burnett has played all but eight snaps for the Packers, and now grades as our fourth overall safety. The youth of this unit has also improved throughout the season. A first-round pick, Randall has played competently, with an 11th-best 10 pass deflections this year. Rollins, a second-round pick, (80.0), who has surged late in the season and isn’t even listed above, has only allowed an NFL QB rating of 59.9 in his coverage. Clinton-Dix is still the roaming constant for Green Bay, coming off the field for only three snaps all season.
Standout stat: Rollins’ 59.9 QB rating allowed is good for sixth in the league.
4. Kansas City Chiefs
Average PFF grade: 80.8
Cornerbacks: Sean Smith (84.8); Marcus Peters (74.4)
Safeties: Eric Berry (89.0); Husain Abdullah (83.3); Ron Parker (72.5)
Berry has beaten both Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and opponents to a pulp in 2015, grading out as our third-best safety overall. A first-round pick, Peters has been up and down in his rookie campaign, but has spurred enough ups to lead all cornerbacks with 17 passes defensed, and is tied for the NFL lead in interceptions, with eight. It took awhile, but Smith has finally returned to his 2014 form, as is now our 13th-rated CB.
Standout stat: Marcus Peters is still by far the most-targeted cornerback in the NFL, with 131 targets—26 more than the next CB.
5. St. Louis Rams
Average PFF grade: 76.8
Cornerbacks: Trumaine Johnson (87.0); Janoris Jenkins (81.3); Lamarcus Joyner (66.1)
Safeties: Rodney McLeod (85.0); T.J. McDonald (64.8)
All five Rams’ players listed are fourth-year players or younger, and keep progressively getting better. Johnson is now the fifth-ranked cornerback, ranking No.1 in NFL QB rating allowed in his coverage (47.4) to go along with seven interceptions. McLeod is currently the ninth-ranked safety, and has played the second-most snaps among all secondary players, with 1,096, behind only Philadelphia’s Malcolm Jenkins. McDonald had also improved prior to his season-ending shoulder injury.
Standout stat: The average age of these five is exactly 25 years old.
