Position Ranking: The Defensive Backs
by Khaled Elsayed
18/8/2009
Each unit is broken down before a cumulative set of results are provided to determine who in my opinion are the best teams heading out of last season and into this. This involves looking at the starter, and then who will be backing them up as and when this looks like becoming a factor.
After analysing the offence and front seven of the defences, the Football Diner moves onto the final group positional ranking ... the defensive backs.
32. Miami Dolphins
 While Will Allen is a solid enough number one cornerback, expecting teams not to target Eric Green or rookie cornerbacks Vontae Davis (right) and Sean Smith is wishful thinking at best. Yeremiah Bell is used close to the line without much affect although there is hope that Gibril Wilson will be a better player then he was in Oakland.
31. San Francisco 49ers
It doesn’t help that Walt Harris has already gone down for the season, nor that Nate Clements has never been as good for the Niners as he was for Buffalo. Dre Bly may never get over how bad he was in Denver, while Brown and Spencer are not guys you would feel comfortable with giving this the look of a grouping that could quite easily be taken advantage of. Michael Lewis has been a nice pick up, but he’s not good enough alone to make this secondary look good.
30. Detroit Lions
Phillip Buchanon and Anthony Henry have had careers that would suggest they should be better than they are. That said they still offer an upgrade to what the Lions got last year, which makes you think just how bad were the Lions cornerbacks last year? Louise Delmas was a real nice pick up who should bring some leadership to an unfamiliar secondary and could anchor it for years to come. Who partners him is less sure, and we could see a few players get a shot as the season goes on.
29. Chicago Bears
Bears fan have every reason to worry with the seemingly recurring back injuries Charles Tillman is having. If he can’t make a full recovery than we may get a chance to see what Zach Bowman can do, and while he may show promise he remains largely untested. Remember when Nathan Vasher was thought of as one of the best cornerbacks in the league? My how times change. Finally giving up on the idea of Mike Brown staying healthy, we’ll get to see what Daniel Manning can do on defence alongside the solid Kevin Payne. Interesting to see what Corey Graham does and where he does it from.
28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It was a surprise to Ronde Barber make the Pro Bowl as age really begins to catch up with his effectiveness. On the plus side Aqib Talib looks like he is going to be a very good player based on his first year performance, although the character concerns remain a worry. With Phillips moving to linebacker we’re about to find out whether Sabby Piscitelli is NFL ready. Big question marks about depth and quality in this unit.
27. Atlanta Falcons
Chris Houston may divide the Atlanta fan base desperate for big plays from their corners, but he was solid in coverage last year and the strength of this unit. That said the support he receives after the loss of Foxworth has to be a concern. Brent Grimes struggled as a starter last year and could be victimised by bigger reasons once again, while Chevis Jackson lacks the physical attributes to be anything more than a nickel back in the eyes of the coaching staff. Eric Coleman is moving to the strong safety position to accommodate Thomas DeCoud in a move that could weaken two spots at once.
26. Cleveland Browns
Other than Eric Wright there isn’t much to like about the Bengals secondary. Brandon McDonald was a victim last year of people realising how below average a corner he is, and the odds on that changing remain low. There is hope in the form of the more impressive Roderick Hood replacing him which would then only leave them worried about their safety play. Abram Elam may be a favourite of Mangini but from past performance that doesn’t make him any good.
25. St Louis Rams
Getting Ronald Bartell resigned was excellent news for Rams fans, but it doesn’t solve the problems of Tye Hill who whether it be down to persistent injuries or just not being very good is proving to be a bust. Jonathan Wade doesn’t seem adequate cover and you wonder if the Rams could have done more to upgrade their cornerbacks. OJ Atogwe is still living off his 2006 form and James Butler is an unremarkable player. You wonder how much of their poor performance was down to underperforming as opposed to lacking talent.
24. Houston Texans
 The Texans will be better for having a fully fit Dunta Robinson completely removed from his horrible injury (presuming he makes his way to camp and ends his holdout). With Jacques Reeves going down until the early weeks of the season this could become more of a problem spot, especially if Fred Bennett plays like he did in 2008 and not 2007. Neither Eugene Wilson nor Domonique Barber are mentioned as the best safeties in the league, and with good reason. A lot of questions regarding this secondary.
23. Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs secondary should be better this year for the experience that Brandon’s Carr and Flower got last year. Even though neither really distinguished themselves last year, it’s pretty tough being a rookie cornerback in the NFL so with an improved pass rush they could be in line to improve significantly. The same can probably be said of Page and Pollard at safety who struggled in a defence that just didn’t do enough. There is an upside to this secondary though.
22. Dallas Cowboys
Terrence Newman says he feels better than he has in years which is a good sign that he won’t be as bad as he was last year. The battle between Scandrick and Jenkins is possibly the most interesting in the Boys training camp, with the impression they would rather have Jenkins start achieving but that Scandrick may be a more solid and secure option. Safety play has been an issue for the Cowboys for a while, and it’s hard to imagine Gerard Sensabaugh being the solution.
21. Cincinnati Bengals
Leon Hall looks like he could be a star in the making but Jonathan Joseph needs to start producing relative to his draft status as so far he’s been more problematic than productive. There isn’t much backing them up as David Jones saw plenty of playing time without doing much. Marvin Lewis seems to have taken the quantity over quality approach at safety.
20. New Orleans Saints
The Saints continued their investment in their secondary with the underrated Jabar Greer and best defensive back in the draft Malcolm Jenkins. Eventually all those dollars and high picks is going to result in this secondary improving, so why not this year? The veteran leadership of Darren Sharper should prove a boost to this unit, as will the return from injury of Tracey Porter. Definitely a unit to watch out for.
19. San Diego Chargers
Chargers fans will be hoping Antonio Cromartie’s poor performance was more down to injury then a realisation that his 2007 hype was more of a result of big plays than consistent performances. Quentin Jammer has never become more than solid with a propensity to give up penalties but you wouldn’t think that Antoine Cason or Cletis Gordon are any threats to the starters just yet although as a former first round pick the Chargers will want to see what Cason can offer in more than just nickel situations eventually. Eric Weddle is the kind of players fan can get on board with despite so-so play, while it will be interesting to see who ends up partnering him at safety.
18. Jacksonville Jaguars
Rashean Mathis is one the Jaguars can count on, but other than that (and a failed experiment paying Drayton Florence like he was a solid starter) the Jags don’t have much. Brian Williams is constantly mentioned as moving to safety as he gets older and though the coaches seem high on Derek Cox, it’s asking a lot of a mid round draft pick who most saw as a reach being NFL ready. Reggie Nelson is a useful coverage safety and the pick up of Sean Considine could be a good move presuming the talent he showed was his own, and not down to the smoke and mirrors of the Eagles system.
17. Arizona Cardinals
Adrian Wilson remains one of the NFL’s most overrated players, managing to fool people into believing that he’s one of the best safeties in the game in part because of how well the Cards have used him. His partner Antrel Rolle is a better safety than cornerback although how much of that comes down to how bad a cornerback he was? DRC looked at times like being an elite cornerback in the making, but at others he showed the rookie naivety that was expected. How much progress he can make going from year one to two may define this unit.
16. Denver Broncos
Is Champ Bailey nearing the end? Much was made of LT’s injuries in this division but this is the second year that Bailey has missed significant time with injuries, and though his play is still at a high level he maybe isn’t the player he once was (as Chargers fans who saw both Vincent Jackson and Antonio Gates run right past him for big gains in week 17 will attest to). Andre Goodman should prove a solid stop gap until Alphonso Smith is deemed ready, while Smith himself looks like seeing plenty of time as Denver look for an immediate return on their investment. The weak spots could end up being the safeties if Brian Dawkins injury is worse than first thought, while Renaldo Hill is an upgrade on what they had, but not so good that he isn’t just playing a caretaker type role until McBath is ready.
15. Seattle Seahawks
It didn’t help the Seahawks that Marcus Trufant got injured early last year, but hopefully a fully healthy season from him will help no end. Ken Lucas may have been leftovers for the Panthers, but being able to return to where he played some of his best football looks like a win-win situation for team and player. Plenty of young players could contribute with their being obvious talent (even if it doesn’t always show) with Wilson, Hobbs and Jennings. Neither starting safety is particularly good, nor particularly bad.
14. Minnesota Vikings
In Antoine Winfield they have a very good corner who is excellent in run support, while Cedric Griffin looks like a capable compliment. Backing them and competing for a slot job neither Karl Paymah (who was terrible in Denver), Marcus McCauley (who has struggled since being drafted) or Asher Allen (a rookie coming off an injury history) fill you with confidence. Losing Darren Sharper wasn’t ideal, but the combination of Johnson and Williams should be serviceable.
13. New England Patriots
The Pats made significant moves to upgrade a lacklustre secondary in both free agency and the draft. Patrick Chung could join forces with Brandon Merriweather to create an impressive young secondary, although even if he can’t displace James Sanders the Pats will still be confident in their safeties. The real upgrades came by bringing in both Shawn Springs and Leigh Bodden. Springs played well last year and Bodden can put his struggles down to a woeful Lions team. Adding Darius Butler to last years draft picks and you like the chances of the Pats having more than enough talent in the secondary to cope this year.
12. Pittsburgh Steelers
Losing Bryant McFadden could be a bigger blow than the Steelers would admit, but they (as they always do) got good play out of their cornerbacks last year and you’d expect more of the same. William Gay is one to watch for the future and looks like he could be a real find so it will be interesting to see how he does if he starts. Troy Polamalu is one of the NFL’s most recognisable and talented safeties and presuming he stays healthy you can’t see that changing. Nice combination of playmaking and stability here for the Steelers.
11. Baltimore Ravens
Domonique Foxworth looked very good for the Falcons last year although whether he warranted such a big deal from the Ravens is questionable. The same can probably said for Fabian Washington so how these two go as a starting cornerback duo will be interesting. It’s certainly the weakest spot on the Ravens defence, although that may be down to the talent of other positions. Everyone knows about Ed Reed so not much is needed to be said there, while there is intrigue factor over how Dawan Landry recovers from his serious spinal injury and who could step up if his recovery doesn’t go to plan.
10. Oakland Raiders
This unit is given a huge boost by having Nnamdi Asomugha there. Firmly established as the NFL’s best shutdown corner, it must help the Ravens tremendously having a guy who teams rarely throw it. After getting rid of DeAngelo Hall, Chris Johnson looked to have some upside and will be better for the lumps he took last year, but he’s always going to have a tough job playing opposite Asomugha as teams are far more likely to target him. Nothing at the safety position inspires confidence, and huge reach Michael Mitchell looks like being a long way from being NFL ready.
9. Carolina Panthers
 The Panthers felt so comfortable with their corners they were able to let Ken Lucas go, and can you blame them? Chris Gamble and Richard Marshall are more than good enough to match up to most receivers, while Chris Harris’ ability to cause fumbles continues to amaze. Charles Godfrey remains the weak link on this unit and will need to be better than last year.
8. Buffalo Bills
The Bills always seem to get good play out of their secondary and I wouldn’t expect this year to be any different. While Terrence McGee continues to be a good player, entering his second year there is a feeling Leodis McKelvin could be something special. In nickel and dime situations they’ll feel pretty comfortable with the aptly named Reggie Corner and fantastically name Ashton Youboty, which makes you wonder what role Drayton Florence could play. Bryan Scott was better last year than he had been in years, while if Donte Whitner doesn’t allow off the field distractions to bring him down is a solid if unspectacular safety.
7. Washington Redskins
It was like watching two different players seeing DeAngelo Hall line up for the Redskins and Raiders. Displaying the kind of talent that doesn’t make him sound so ludicrous when he talks about how good he is, Hall went some way to rebuilding his reputation. Carlos Rogers was fantastic in coverage though he’s never going to be the playmaking type that gets him the praise of other corners. Chris Horton made a lot of plays last year but it’s hard to imagine him lucking into quite as many this year and some talk suggests Kareem Moore could see an increase in playing time. Nothing to complain about with Laron Landry who is one of the best coverage safeties around.
6. New York Giants
Other than Asomugha it’s a fair point to say Corey Webster was the best cornerback in the NFL last year. Previously thought of as an underachiever, he’s developed into a shutdown corner when it looked like he was moving more towards bust status. Aaron Ross as a result is always going to get targeted more but was serviceable as a number two cornerback and should withstand a challenge from the excellent nickel back Terrell Thomas. Kenny Phillips displayed the potential to be one of the best safeties in the game, and he’ll need to be if Michael Johnson starts and plays like he did last year.
5. New York Jets
The Jets have one of the best corners and one of the best safeties out there in the shapes of Darrelle Revis and Kerry Rhodes. Is Lito Sheppard an upgrade? There is a reason the Eagles not only didn’t want to pay him but moved him to a dime back role. Jim Leonhard worked well in the Ravens system close to the line, but do the Jets have the talent to allow him to perform as well?
4. Tennessee Titans
While it was Cortland Finnegan who received the lion’s share of the praise last year, the cornerback who may have been more impressive (and certainly more consistent) was Nick Harper. They make a very good partnership, but the nickel back and depth situation is more of a worry with the Titans currently hoping Cary Williams can make the jump from practice squad player to significant contributor in the nickel. The safeties are an excellent pairing with Michael Griffin and Chris Hope both playing to a high level, and complimenting each other extremely well.
3. Green Bay Packers
Charles Woodson may not tackle like an elite corner but he does cover like one. Al Harris remains as physical a corner as there is which is reflected in his excellent coverage skills and continuously high penalty count. A concern has to be that neither man is getting younger, so they’ll need Will Blackmon or Tramon Williams have to get better eventually. The safeties are a strength with Nick Collins being one of the better ones in the league, while the hope is Atari Bigby can rebound from an injury plagued 2008.
2. Indianapolis Colts
 The Colts paid out big to Kelvin Hayden to ensure he didn’t hit free agency and that move helps contribute to having a secondary nearly as good as their front seven is bad. The only problem seems to be keeping themselves healthy, with Bob Sanders being the prime example of the troubles they have here as both he and Marlin Jackson are currently struggling for fitness. In their absence Tim Jennings simply needs to play better, but Melvin Bullitt didn’t look out of place starting alongside the impressive Antoine Bethea. To reiterate, very good unit ... very suspect durability wise.
1. Philadelphia Eagles
Even after losing Brian Dawkins it’s hard to see a unit better than the Eagles. Asante Samuel may have gone to Pro Bowl but there’s a feeling that Sheldon Brown actually played better. Joselio Hansen was extremely useful in the nickel and bringing in Ellis Hobbs gives the Eagles 4 guys you would feel very comfortable with, and leaves most teams very envious. Quitin Mikell was fantastic last year but will need you feel to assume more leadership responsibilities to replace Dawkins. Either Demps or Sean Jones will be a downgrade on Dawkins, but there’s so much talent elsewhere they’ll cope.
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