Ranking NFC East Starters: Cornerbacks
Ranking NFC East Starters: Cornerbacks
It’s important to compare the Philadelphia Eagles to their division rivals, as those teams will be their main competition for a playoff spot. This series will compare the starting rosters of the four NFC East teams, continuing with cornerbacks.
1. Byron Jones, Dallas Cowboys
In his fourth year as a professional, Jones finally found a permanent position in the Dallas defense. The uber-athletic defensive flip-flopped between cornerback and safety for the first few years of his career before breaking out this year as a full-time CB. He didn’t record an interception this season, but quarterbacks learned quickly to avoid his side of the field. He was voted to the Pro Bowl and named a second-team All-Pro.
2. Josh Norman, Washington Redskins
He may not be worth the $75 million that the Redskins threw at him in 2016, but Norman is still a solid corner capable of holding his own. His brash attitude and gargantuan contract have led to him receiving more scrutiny than he should be, and he is actually becoming underrated at this stage of his career. He played in and started all 16 games this year for the Redskins, recording three interceptions and 64 tackles.
3. Janoris Jenkins, New York Giants
Like Norman, Janoris Jenkins cashed in during 2016 free agency. Also like Norman, he isn’t worth that contract anymore. Once again like Norman, he remains a solid corner capable of holding his own. Thanks to his age and contract, he was suspected to be on the Giants chopping block, but he maintained his spot on the top of the depth chart through the early offseason. During his tenure with New York, Jenkins is seventh among ALL corners in passes defended, behind some top tier DBs like Jalen Ramsey, Kyle Fuller, and Darius Slay.
4. Ronald Darby, Philadelphia Eagles
The talent is there, but inconsistency and injuries have plagued Darby’s two years in Philadelphia. He dislocated his ankle in his first game as an Eagle and tore his ACL the next season. Even though he was the best corner available in free agency, he returned on a one-year deal, likely trying to raise his value for next year’s market. Even with the health issues, Darby has racked up four picks and 77 tackles in a season’s worth of games (17 games, 16 starts) as an Eagle.
5. Jalen Mills, Philadelphia Eagles
Mills has had some very low moments as a starter, but he’s a favorite of DC Jim Schwartz, which basically guarantees his job security. He’s been a sucker for the double move over the course of his career, leading to extreme frustration from the fanbase. One thing he does extremely well is his play in the red zone, raising his play to a different level inside the 20. His red-zone work saved the Eagles in the divisional round of their Super Bowl winning season. Whether you consider him a good corner or not, he’s come a long way since his rookie season where he was PFF’s lowest graded cornerback.
6. Chidobe Awuzie, Dallas Cowboys
Awuzie is part of the youth movement on the Cowboy’s defense. He earned a starting cornerback spot in his rookie year of 2017 and retained it this past season. Another athletic phenom at CB for Dallas, he won’t erase any receiver from the game, but fans won’t be clamoring to have him replaced either. With more development, he and Jones could form an outstanding duo on the outside for the Cowboys.
7. Fabian Moreau, Washington Redskins
The speedster from UCLA became the starter this past season and fared decently in his action. Pro Football Focus gave him a grade of 60.4, which will likely have to go up if he wants to fend off Quinton Dunbar for his job.
8. DeAndre Baker, New York Giants
Baker was the first corner off the board in this year’s draft, with the Giants trading back into the first round to pick him up. He won the Jim Thorpe award for the nation’s best defensive back in his last season with Georgia. The only reason he appears this low is because he’s a rookie and we don’t know what we are going to see yet.
-By: Micah Jimoh