Each Wednesday from now till preseason I’ll be going by way of every place group within the NFC South. I’ll rank them from worst to first. Here’s a checklist of the positions already lined:
Quarterbacks
Working Backs
Vast Receivers
Tight Ends
Offensive Tackles
Offensive Guards
Facilities
Defensive Tackles
Edge
Linebackers
We now transfer on to cornerbacks. However first, two small notes.
First, right this moment is Thursday, not Wednesday. Because of some scheduling conflicts and Bucs coaching camp beginning on Wednesday we determined to push this again a number of days. Subsequent week I ought to be again on schedule. Second, I’ve determined to interrupt nickelbacks into their very own place preview because it has actually grow to be its personal place within the trendy NFL.
I additionally wish to be aware (and apologize for not having executed this sooner), that I get depth charts from Ourlads.com
1. Atlanta Falcons
Bucs WR Mike Evans and Falcons CB AJ Terrell – Photograph by: USA In the present day
The Falcons boast the very best nook within the division at this level in every participant’s respective profession. A.J. Terrell is a lock down No. 1 who has a professional case to reset the cornerback market quickly and probably grow to be the very best paid defensive again within the NFL. He’s massive and quick and might lock down an opposing group’s greatest receiver – though Bucs vast receiver Mike Evans has given him suits. Terrell is strong in each man and zone protection, and he has allowed lower than one yard per protection rep in every of the final three seasons.
Reverse Terrell is one among my draft crushes from final 12 months’s class in Clark Phillips III. Phillips had a few of the greatest cornerback tape in that 12 months’s draft class however fell to the fourth spherical for 2 causes. His 4.51 40-yard sprint was slower than most anticipated he would run and his peak (5-9) led to issues that he may be a slot-only possibility within the NFL the place receivers are often six ft or taller.
The Falcons believed in Phillips’ capacity to play outdoors as they lined him up on the perimeter 90% of the time final 12 months and he performed properly down the stretch after lacking the primary 9 weeks of the season as a consequence of harm. Phillips allowed simply 108 yards on 115 protection snaps over his final three video games of his rookie marketing campaign. He makes up for the athleticism issues with unimaginable instincts and quick-twitch actions in brief bursts. With simply 414 profession snaps he’s a projection, however an thrilling one.
Very similar to one other NFC South group, the Falcons determined to hedge their bets on a younger and largely unproven cornerback by signing a strong veteran to an affordable, one-year deal. Antonio Hamilton is coming off three strong years in Arizona. At 31, his greatest days are behind him, however the good nook remains to be succesful in man protection and offers a great security internet for the Falcons if their wager on Phillips doesn’t repay.
Kevin King was out of soccer the previous two years and struggled mightily throughout his 5 years with the Packers. He isn’t a lock to make the group, though I’m certain Bucs followers are rooting for it in an effort to recollect the great ole days of the 2020 NFC Championship Recreation.
The Falcons rank first within the NFC South for cornerback as a consequence of a great mixture of high-end expertise, projectable upside and strong depth.
2. New Orleans Saints
Bucs WR Mike Evans and Saints CB Marshon Lattimore – Photograph by: USA In the present day
The Saints nonetheless have a great defensive backfield, and it begins with Marshon Lattimore. He might not be the lockdown, top-tier nook that his rookie season promised, however Lattimore is likely one of the extra constant gamers at an extremely unstable place. But when there’s one factor that hurts him greater than something, it’s his penchant for lacking time. Lattimore has barely logged 1,000 snaps over the previous two seasons and has by no means hit the 1k mark in any season since coming into the league in 2017. However when he’s on the sector, he is likely one of the higher press-man corners within the NFL and offers a great ceiling for the Saints.
Enjoying reverse Lattimore is Paulson Adebo. The previous third-round decide has established himself as one of many higher cornerbacks within the NFL even when he might not be a family identify. He’s coming off of an elite protection season (Professional Soccer Focus protection grade of 80 or increased) and creates the very best one-two punch within the division. With one other sturdy season he could possibly be setting himself up for a giant payday in 2025.
The technical depth behind the highest two guys is suspect at greatest. Rejzohn Wright is a 2023 undrafted free agent who hasn’t performed a defensive snap but and Shemar Jean-Charles has allowed over two yards per protection snap in his very restricted expertise. Nevertheless, if both Adebo, Lattimore or each had been to overlook time, it’s seemingly that the Saints would flip to a pair of men who’re at the moment competing for the beginning nickel again job to maneuver outdoors.
Kool-Assist McKinstry, the group’s 2024 first-round decide, could be the primary man to maneuver to the skin if wanted. And I feel New Orleans would go along with Alontae Taylor on the market earlier than both of the inexperienced gamers which are talked about within the paragraph above.
McKinstry offers upside and is the seemingly heir-apparent to Adebo if the group decides to not re-sign him. He was hardly ever focused at Alabama.
3. Tampa Bay Bucs
Bucs CB Zyon McCollum Photograph By: USA In the present day
Full disclosure. I’d not be in the slightest degree shocked if the Bucs ended 2024 with the very best outdoors nook room within the division. I personally imagine Zyon McCollum is on the verge of a breakout season. And if he hits his ceiling, paired with a bounce-back 12 months from Jamel Dean, they may simply take the highest spot. Nevertheless, that’s projection on my half and the fiftieth percentile end result is extra centered round a strong and succesful pairing.
Dean has peaks of being an elite nook, however accidents and inconsistency have borne out that he’s extra of a second-tier man and the Bucs paid him like he was final 12 months. He’s massive and bodily however is usually requested to play extra zone than man protection when his strengths lie in press-man. This would be the first 12 months he’s requested to be the Bucs’ prime nook and will probably be fascinating to see if he’s as much as the problem.
McCollum has all the bodily instruments to be elite. Final 12 months you noticed a giant soar in his efficiency as he performed throughout the protection and understood his assignments higher. The Bucs have proven quite a lot of religion in him by buying and selling away Carlton Davis III.
Equally to the Falcons, Tampa Bay did hedge its McCollum wager a bit by signing former Jet Bryce Corridor. He performed properly as a starter in 2021 however was relegated to again up after the Jets drafted All-World cornerback Sauce Gardner in 2022. Corridor has been suffering from lack of enjoying time and accidents ever since however has nonetheless performed properly when he has had an opportunity to play. He offers strong insurance coverage for McCollum uncertainty and Dean’s harm certainty.
Josh Hayes is seeking to be CB4 if he can maintain off Keenan Isaac and Tyler Funderburk. Hayes noticed restricted enjoying time final 12 months as he a backup nickel. The Bucs have switched him absolutely to outdoors nook this 12 months.
4. Carolina Panthers
Panthers CB Jaycee Horn Photograph By: USA In the present day
The Panthers could possibly be a lot increased on this checklist if I had any religion that Jaycee Horn might make it by way of a complete season. The Panthers took him eight general within the 2021 NFL Draft and when he has been on the sector, he has been stellar.
For his profession he has allowed simply 0.68 yards per protection snap. That’s elite effectivity. Sadly, Horn has performed lower than 300 snaps in two of his three seasons, has by no means topped 850 snaps in any season, and performed simply six video games final 12 months. Something he offers this 12 months ought to be thought of a bonus moderately than an expectation.
However to provide the greatest understanding of what Horn will be, regardless of all of his missed time the Panthers nonetheless picked up his 2025 fifth-year possibility.
Dane Jackson has been a fill-in starter for 3 years now. He’s a low-ceiling possibility who the Panthers are hoping is usually a stop-gap starter for them. Dicaprio Bootle is a former undrafted free agent who has discovered his means onto the sector in every season since coming into the league. He graded out strong over three video games in his most prolonged motion final 12 months with the Panthers. D’Shawn Jamison noticed the sector for much less snaps over extra video games and didn’t honest as properly.
Depth is an actual concern for the Panthers at cornerback this 12 months.
