Top 20 NFL Players: #16
Top 20 NFL Players: #16
Previous: 20. Jalen Ramsey, 19. Quenton Nelson, 18. Julio Jones, 17. Ezekiel Elliott
16. Stephon Gilmore
Height and Weight: 6’1”, 202 lbs
Position: CB
Team: New England Patriots
College: South Carolina
Number 16 on the list is veteran cornerback Stephon Gilmore from the New England Patriots. When it comes to making the big play or coming up in the clutch, nobody gets it done better than Stephon Gilmore. Throughout all of this, Gilmore has flown under the radar from the perspective of the fans. When people answer the question, “Who is the best corner in the NFL?”, you hear guys like Patrick Peterson and Jalen Ramsey, but very rarely does the name Stephon Gilmore come up yet his numbers say otherwise. In 7 years in the NFL, the Patriot has played 97 games and has totaled 18 picks, 5 being his most in 2016, 91 passes defended, and a total of 320 tackles. If you ask any common fan in the NFL, these numbers are top tier and should be considered top corner stats. What has made Gilmore’s career that much more special is his success in the playoffs. Playing the first five years of his career with Buffalo, Gilmore never reached the playoffs. Since joining New England, Gilmore has been in the playoffs for the past two seasons, where he has been nearly perfect. In 2 seasons, with New England, Gilmore has won two AFC Championship titles, two Division titles and one Super Bowl title. In six playoff games, he has 11 passes defended and two interceptions, one being a crucial one to help seal the 2018 Patriots yet another championship.
In two seasons, the two-time Pro Bowl and one-time All-pro recipient have quickly become a leader on the New England Patriot defense. In 2019, Brady and Gilmore will look to rally the troops to yet another Super Bowl title, and it starts with the defense. In 2018, New England’s defense got better as the season went along, as did Gilmore. The key to this defense is consistency and will look to achieve that in this upcoming season. He may not have a cool nickname or fancy dances or the words of a wizard when it comes to trash-talking, but in the big moment, there is not a corner in the league that I would rather throw out there to make a big play than Stephon Gilmore. If Gilmore can continue his All-Pro success and lead the defense along with Devin McCourty, we may see New England hoisting up their record-setting 7th Super Bowl title.
-By: Richie Dordas