We start today with a correction. The Denver Broncos did not take the first left tackle in the draft, they took the second. Sorry Jake Long. Today we move on to the corners and safeties. The difficulty level of breaking these down was actually really high. Stats rarely tell the story at this position. Interceptions are affected by quarterback pressure and the ability to stop the run. Star corners interceptions are often lower than they could be because they’re avoided by quarterbacks. So we have to, for the most part, judge purely on talent. Here goes.
10. Tennessee Titans- This team had 22 interceptions last year, second most in the league. Much of this was assisted by a very good defensive line, much of which they’ve lost, which is why they’re down at 10. They should still be a very good unit this year though. Nick Harper and Cortland Finnegan are both fast cover corners who aren’t afraid to play press and run. Their safety tandem is good too, with veteran Chris Hope and young Michael Griffin who is quick enough to play corner on some teams.
9. Pittsburgh Steelers- The Steelers gave up less than 6 yards per pass last year because of their ability to keep the play in front of them. They also had a completion against percentage of less than 30 on first down. That’s putting your defense in a good position on second and third. The corners aren’t all word but they are good enough. Ike Taylor and Deshea Townsend are both veterans who play to their ability every week. Ryan Clark was a nice upgrade at safety last year and really played well as almost a nickelback on some plays. I think Troy Polamalu is overrated. He makes plays yes, but he is caught out of position far too often. That being said, he is superior against the run.
8. Indianapolis Colts- They gave up less than six yards per pass, only 16 passing touchdowns and had 22 interceptions. All of this, despite the fact that their defensive line had a down year. The reason is incredible speed. Hughes, Hayden and Jackson may be the fastest corner trio in the league and that makes them a perfect fit for the Tampa 2 defense. Same for Bob Sanders who is terrific against the run and adequate against the pass. Antoine Bethea at times looks like a weak link but started to come into his own late in the season.
7. Baltimore Ravens- In years past I would have definitely ranked this team in the top 3. Samari Rolle is a little long in the tooth at this point and they could certainly stand to upgrade at the nickelback position. The rest of the unit are ball hawks though. Chris McAllister can get beat but he will also get 6-8 picks per year. Dawan Landry really came on last year and is proving to be a top safety in the league. Ed Reed is a little older also but he may still be the best all-around safety in the NFL.
6. San Diego Chargers- They may have been the best secondary in the league last year, especially with the arrival of Antonio Cromartie at cornerback. A ballhawk with blazing quick return speed. The interceptions will likely go down this year though, as teams have more video of him and are less likely to go his way. Quentin Jammer is a solid number two cornerback but not as likely to scare anybody. They lost Marlon McCree at safety which will hurt them this year. They go with the young Eric Weddle as his replacement. Clinton Hart is decent on the otherside.
5. Philadelphia Eagles- If this team could work things out with Lito Shepperd I’d make them number 1 or 2. I don’t understand why they don’t just keep all three and use them in a rotation. Why would the corners mind either, they wouldn’t be stuck on an island as often. Oh well, as it is they are still top five. Asante Samuel was probably the number one free agent on the market. Sheldon Brown is another pro bowl caliber corner on the other side. Brian Dawkins is older and probably in the last couple years of his career. That being said, when healthy I’m not sure he’s not just as good as the much more hyped Bob Sanders. If Sean Considine becomes a better tackler and/or they work out a way to keep Lito, this should be a spectacular secondary.
4. New York Jets- May seem like a stretch to some given their record last year but make no mistake this is an excellent secondary. The Jets were not a terrible defense last year and these guys were the main reason. Darrelle Revis and Justin Miller are outstanding cornerbacks. If the front seven can create pressure this year they will set the league on fire. Kerry Rhodes is a very good safety who could easily be a cornerback with his skill set. Abram Elam and Artrell Hawkins are the options at free safety and either should be able to excel in this system.
3. Oakland Raiders- Even the raiderhater has to give this unit props. Nnamdi Asomugha is the best draft pick the Raiders have made in a decade and an excellent cornerback who with one more good year could even be considered lock-down. DeAngelo Hall is way overrated, but as a number two corner he is an excellent option. Michael Huff moves to strong safety this year and should fit in there very nicely. Free safety is a little more up in the air, but Gibril Wilson should get that job and he was good enough to win a Super Bowl last year.
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- A veteran group who are all pro-bowl worthy at their position. They only gave up 170 passing yards per game last year and that was in spite of the fact that they were very good against the run as well. Ronde Barber is great and has fantastic return skills. Philip Buchanon is as good a number two as their is. Jermaine Phillips and Tanard Jackson are as good a safety tandem as you’ll see playing both the pass and run.
1. Denver Broncos- There is no greater gap between number 1 and 2 at any position than there is between Champ Bailey and the number 2 corner in the league. Champ is a hall-of-famer and arguably the greatest corner in the history of the game. This is not bias. I do not proclaim every Bronco to be the best. I am an educated fan of the game and have watched the sport for 25 years…there was never a corner who could play the pass and run as well as Champ Bailey. Dre Bly had some trouble last year but most of that can be contributed to the lack of pass rush in Denver last year. Domonique Foxworth is a very good nickel. They have experience and depth at safety with John Lynch, Hamza Abdullah, Marlon McCree and Marquand Manuel. If Denver’s front seven can get at the passer no quarterback will succeed against this unit.
- raiderhater, Senior Contributer and Owner of raiderhater.wordpress.com
Editor’s Note: This is not raiderhater’s fault that it was posted as Ryan Clady being the number one left tackle. It’s my job to correct mistakes. It’s not his fault because I didn’t catch it.
