Ranking top 20 cornerbacks for 2024 NFL season: Sauce Gardner retains his spot at No. 1

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It's that special time of the NFL offseason where we are caught in limbo between OTAs and training camp. For the most part, there's not all that much happening on a day-to-day basis. Teams are gearing up to start gearing up for the season, if that makes sense.

But given that we do have this nice break, it's a good time to take stock of what we expect to see during the 2024 season. That's why we've been running through each position, breaking down the top 20 players for 2024. We're continuing that effort here by working through the league's best cornerbacks.

Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order by last name): Brian Branch, Tyson Campbell, Carlton Davis, Martin Emerson, Stephon Gilmore, Jaycee Horn, Taron Johnson, Kenny Moore, Greg Newsome II, Joey Porter Jr., Asante Samuel Jr., Darius Slay, A.J. Terrell, Tariq Woolen

Without further ado...

20. Derek Stingley Jr., Texans

Stingley has missed time due to injury in each of his first two seasons, but when he was on the field last year, he was one of the most effective corners in the NFL. He allowed just 21 completions on 39 targets, via Pro Football Focus, with a 71.6 passer rating on throws in his direction. He had great ball production with six pass breakups and five interceptions in just 11 games as well. He could make this ranking look silly and vault way up the list if he puts together a full season in 2024.

19. Rasul Douglas, Bills

Douglas was a fairly innocuous contributor through the first few years of his career, but over the last three seasons has been dynamite in coverage. He has 22 pass breakups and 10 interceptions against 10 touchdowns allowed during that time, allowing passer ratings of 43.7, 84.0, and 70.5 in that span. He has shown the ability to play both outside and in the slot, which is a nice bonus.

18. Jamel Dean, Buccaneers

Dean had a bit of a down year in 2023, but he was so consistently good in his first four seasons that we're willing to overlook that and place him on this list anyway. Expect to see him locking down one side of the field for Tampa's defense again in 2024.

17. Daron Bland, Cowboys

Bland just set an NFL record for pick sixes, ranked third among all corners in PFF's coverage grades, and allowed a hilariously low 50.9 passer rating on throws in his direction, thanks to all those interceptions. He starred in the slot as a rookie and on the perimeter last season. The boom-busty nature of his game is the only thing keeping him from ranking much higher on this list.

16. Devon Witherspoon, Seahawks

Witherspoon already looked like a star as a rookie. Now, with a new coach in Mike Macdonald, he could take his game to another level by further tapping into his versatility. I'd expect Macdonald to weaponize Witherspoon's diverse skill set in much the same way he did Kyle Hamilton's in Baltimore. If that happens, look out.

15. D.J. Reed, Jets

Reed consistently gets overshadowed by his more famous (and, to be fair, more effective) teammate, but remains really damn good in his own right. You'd think he would get picked on playing across from Sauce, but that's not been the case. Over the last two years, opponents have gone 90 of 153 (58.5%) for 942 yards (6.2 per attempt), with four touchdowns and two interceptions when targeting Reed, yielding a mere 80.2 passer rating. And he's done a good job coming up and playing the run, which is a big plus for any corner -- let alone one as good in coverage as is Reed.

14. Kendall Fuller, Dolphins

Fuller remains highly underrated. He just keeps putting together very good seasons year after year, and for some reason isn't really considered a star by the football world at large. Maybe it's because he's played in Washington for six of his eight NFL seasons, and maybe people will pay more attention now that he's in Miami.

13. Darious Williams, Rams

It makes no sense that Williams wasn't more sought-after in free agency this offseason after being cut by the Jaguars. He signed a three-year, $22.5 million deal to head back to the Rams. That's less than he got to to go Jacksonville in the first place! And he played quite well there for two years, especially after moving out of the slot and back to the perimeter, where he is at his best despite his smaller stature. Back with the Rams, maybe people will remember how strong a player he is.

12. Trevon Diggs, Cowboys

Diggs of course is coming off a torn ACL, and might not be at the peak of his powers in 2024. When last we saw him, though, he had rebounding from being a Bland-esque boom-bust corner into someone who was much more solid in coverage, with his interception total declining but his seeming burnability also going by the wayside. He's always going to take chances to try to get his hands on the ball, but he had found the proper balance prior to his injury, and should be able to recapture it once back on the field.

11. Marshon Lattimore, Saints

Lattimore can be frustrating due to his bouts of inconsistency, but few corners have a higher ceiling. When he gets matched up with a premier receiving and really brings his A-game, you feel him on the field. Couple that with two of his better all-around coverage seasons over the last couple of years and you have a player who should be at least a fringe top-10 guy next season.

10. Marlon Humphrey, Ravens

Injuries have kept Humphrey from being at the top of his game in several recent seasons, and yet he has still allowed a passer rating over 80 in just two of his seven NFL seasons, and he's been below 72 in each of the last two years, with only one touchdown allowed against four interceptions. His role in Baltimore changes often, and he can just do absolutely whatever the defensive coordinator asks of him. A truly marvelous player.

9. Denzel Ward, Browns

Ward finally had some really strong cornerback play across from him last season, and he put together yet another excellent season. He hasn't yielded more than 44 catches in any of his six NFL seasons, and has only given up a completion rate above 60% once. Overall, opponents have a pathetic 75.1 passer rating thrown in his direction. His combination of size, length, and physicality allows him to play any type of coverage, and come up and play the run when asked.

8. L'Jarius Sneed, Titans

Sneed has of course been excellent in coverage over the last few years, as well as against the run and occasionally as a blitzer. We know what he is capable of. The question is whether he can maintain what he's shown outside of Kansas City and with someone other than Steve Spagnuolo deploying him. We're about to find out.

7. Jaire Alexander, Packers

Alexander is another corner whose bouts of inconsistency mask his outrageous ceiling. When he's really on, whoooo boy, it is TOUGH to get anything going when you try to throw on him. Injuries, spats with the defensive coaching staff, and the general malaise of the defense around him have dampened that effectiveness at times. Hopefully, finally, with a new defensive coordinator, we can see him at the peak of his powers all year.

6. Jaylon Johnson, Bears

Johnson was PFF's No. 1 graded cover corner in 2023 after allowing a hilarious 33.3 passer rating on throws in his direction, with 10 times as many interceptions and pass breakups as touchdowns allowed. He gave up just 195 yards on 50 targets! He deservingly got paid this offseason, and with the Bears adding more talent around him, he should be in position to shine again next season.

5. Trent McDuffie, Chiefs

McDuffie's shapeshifting ability to play both inside and out, to truly dominate from the slot as a run defender and blitzer, and to prevent big plays and yards after the catch while not taking penalties (just four in two NFL seasons) makes him one of the most valuable corners in the league. Spags knows exactly the best way to get the best out of him each and every week, and he should only continue to get better.

4. Charvarius Ward, 49ers

It's amazing that Ward was once traded at the end of training camp for a backup offensive lineman who never stepped on the field for the acquiring team. He blossomed into a top corner in Kansas City and has developed even further in San Francisco. He is truly a shutdown corner these days, and with 25 pass breakups over the last two years, one of the best in the league at getting his hands on the ball. He can get a bit handsy at times but it's worth putting up with that for everything else you get out of him as a physical shutdown perimeter corner.

3. Jalen Ramsey, Dolphins

Ramsey wasn't used the right way last season. Let's start there. Playing almost exclusively at left corner is not the best way to utilize his vast skill set. We've seen in the past that moving around, playing in the slot, shadowing No. 1s, and just generally being in position to blow things up is the way to go. And that will likely be the case under new coordinator Anthony Weaver, who comes to Miami by way of Baltimore. We should see Ramsey at the peak of his powers in 2024.

2. Patrick Surtain II, Broncos

Surtain was disappointed with his own play in 2024, and while it was indeed a down year by his standards, the by his standards part of that sentence is key. He remains a prototype modern corner with the size, speed, length, and agility to cover anyone, anywhere, at any time. He has a chance to challenge for the top spot in any given season.