With the wide receiver market exploding throughout the NFL, teams urgently need an elite shutdown cornerback. Being able to take away an entire side of the field is crucial to defense, making life difficult for opposing quarterbacks, especially with so many great quarterback-wide receiver duos in the league.
Cornerback play remains at a high level in the NFL, even with the depth of great wide receivers.
With the regular season approaching, we’ve updated our 2024 cornerback rankings.
Offense: QB | RB | WR | TE
Defense: EDGE | DT | LB | S
Special Teams: K
2024 NFL CB Rankings
Note: None of the cornerbacks selected in the 2024 NFL Draft made this list, as there isn’t enough data. However, we’ve added a section highlighting some of the more notable rookies at the end.
1) Sauce Gardner, New York Jets
In terms of individual accolades, Sauce Gardner has had as good of a start to his career as possible, with two Pro Bowls and two first-team All-Pro nods. The No. 4 overall pick in 2022 has already dominated opposing wide receivers with 31 passes defended and 132 tackles.
Gardner has long arms and a height of 6’3″, which allows him to not let anything get by him. He’s the ultimate shutdown corner in the NFL, showing why he was so dominant in college at Cincinnati, where he didn’t allow a touchdown in three seasons.
2) Patrick Surtain II, Denver Broncos
The Broncos’ secondary is now Patrick Surtain II’s domain following the departure of Justin Simmons in free agency this month. If this wasn’t already obvious, Denver made it clear by making Surtain the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history just days before the start of the regular season.
Surtain has made a splash in his first three seasons in the NFL, earning two Pro Bowl berths and a first-team All-Pro honor in 2022.
Not only is Surtain a really good cornerback, but he’s also durable. He hasn’t missed a game over the last two seasons, and he’s made 49 starts in 50 games played over his first three seasons.
3) Jaylon Johnson, Chicago Bears
Jaylon Johnson may get overlooked with the Bears finishing below .500 each of the last three seasons, but he belongs in the same class as the top cornerbacks in the NFL. He’s not only good at shutting down opposing receivers, but he’s also a playmaker.
After recording four interceptions in 2023, Johnson signed a four-year, $76 million contract extension with the Bears this offseason.
4) Charvarius Ward, San Francisco 49ers
Charvarius Ward has spent the last two seasons with the 49ers and has become a stalwart on an insanely talented defense. He hasn’t missed a game over the last two seasons, either.
While DaRon Bland’s interception highlight reels took the NFL by storm, Ward quietly finished second in the NFL with five picks in 2023.
Quarterbacks should know that they are throwing into dangerous waters when throwing to Ward’s side of the field, for he is a playmaker who can make a play at any moment during the game.
5) Jalen Ramsey, Miami Dolphins
Despite missing the first seven games of the 2023 season with a knee injury, Jalen Ramsey still had a solid first season in Miami. The AFC East had some really good wide receivers in 2023, and Ramsey held his own against Stefon Diggs and Garrett Wilson.
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It’s hard to believe Ramsey is entering the ninth season of his career. He has made seven Pro Bowls and three first-team All-Pro teams. If he stays healthy in 2024, there’s no reason why Ramsey’s production should slow down as an elite cornerback and playmaker.
6) Trent McDuffie, Kansas City Chiefs
In just his second season, Trent McDuffie rose all the way to being a first-team All-Pro cornerback.
With L’Jarius Sneed now with the Tennessee Titans, the Chiefs’ secondary is now McDuffie’s to lead. His incredible versatility and playmaking should allow him to thrive in his third season, setting himself up for a massive contract extension next offseason.
The Chiefs have always been known for their offense in the Patrick Mahomes era, but they now have a shutdown corner in their secondary. That will be valuable when they play some of the NFL’s best teams and receivers as they go for a three-peat.
7) L’Jarius Sneed, Tennessee Titans
Speaking of Sneed, the two-time Super Bowl champion was traded to Tennessee and quickly signed a four-year, $76.4 million contract with the Titans.
Sneed is a cornerback who plays his best on the NFL’s biggest stages, highlighted by his punching out the ball on Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers at the goal line in the AFC Championship. That fourth-quarter fumble changed the flow of the game, enabling the Chiefs to hang on for a 17-10 win.
The Titans are hoping for that same big-game playmaking from Sneed in Nashville over the next four seasons.
8) Derek Stingley Jr., Houston Texans
The first cornerback taken in the 2022 draft, Derek Stingley Jr. has become one of the Texans’ most valuable defensive players.
Houston’s secondary got better as the season wore on in 2023, and Stingley Jr. reaped the benefits of the unit’s overall improvement.
After struggling as a rookie, Stingley Jr. rebounded with a breakout sophomore campaign, cementing himself as a top-10 cornerback.
9) D.J. Reed, New York Jets
D.J. Reed has played for three teams in his six-year career, but he is finally prospering with the Jets.
Reed has a big responsibility playing opposite Gardner, which means he has the potential to see more targets his way on a weekly basis.
Reed has also been very reliable, missing only two games in two seasons with the Jets.
10) DaRon Bland, Dallas Cowboys
Bland absolutely exploded onto the scene in 2023, setting an NFL record with five interceptions returned for a touchdown.
But his numbers are incredible beyond that, which will make his absence felt even more during the first half of the season. Bland will miss 6-8 weeks with a stress fracture in his foot.
11) Denzel Ward, Cleveland Browns
A former No. 4 overall pick, Denzel Ward has been one of the faces of the Browns’ tenacious defense. Myles Garrett gets all the attention, but Ward is the heart-and-soul of a solid Browns secondary.
A three-time Pro Bowler, Ward has multiple interceptions in each of his first six seasons in the NFL.
12) Devon Witherspoon, Seattle Seahawks
The first cornerback off the board in the 2023 NFL Draft, Witherspoon is helping the Seahawks reestablish their secondary as one of the best in the league.
Witherspoon’s rookie season was highlighted by a 97-yard pick-six on Monday Night Football in Week 4.
Now, with Mike McDonald as the Seahawks’ head coach — he worked wonders with the Ravens defense the last two seasons — Witherspoon is primed to become one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks in 2024.
13) Jaire Alexander, Green Bay Packers
Jaire Alexander might have missed 10 games last season due to injury, but he is still one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.
In Alexander’s last two healthy seasons, he was second-team All-Pro both years. He’s only 27 years old and should be in for a bounce-back season.
14) A.J. Terrell, Atlanta Falcons
A former national champion in college at Clemson — he had a pick-six in the 2018 National Championship against Alabama — A.J. Terrell has flown under the radar as one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks through the first four seasons of his career.
MORE: Simulate the NFL Season With PFN’s Playoff Predictor
Terrell signed a contract extension with the Falcons this offseason, and he now gets to play alongside one of the NFL’s best safety duos, Justin Simmons and Jessie Bates III.
15) Marshon Lattimore, New Orleans Saints
A four-time Pro Bowler and former Defensive Rookie of the Year, Marshon Lattimore is one of the veteran leaders of a Saints defense that finished ninth in scoring in 2023.
Dennis Allen is facing increased pressure to return the Saints to the playoffs in 2024, and Lattimore will be a big part of Allen’s side of the ball.
16) Trevon Diggs, Dallas Cowboys
While Trevon Diggs is coming back this season from a torn ACL suffered after just two games in 2023, he is only two years removed from picking off 11 passes in 2021.
If Diggs stays healthy, he will reestablish himself as one of the NFL’s elite cornerbacks. In the three full seasons he has played, Diggs has at least 14 passes defended.
17) Riq Woolen, Seatle Seahawks
The Seahawks have remade their secondary over the last few seasons, and Riq Woolen is a big part of that.
This is a cornerback who had six interceptions as a rookie in 2022. If it wasn’t for Gardner’s dominant 2022, Woolen might have been the Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Witherspoon is Seattle’s No. 1 corner, but Woolen doesn’t make it easier for quarterbacks to push the ball down the field.
18) Martin Emerson, Cleveland Browns
If you look at the Browns’ drafts from 2017-23, they nailed a lot of their picks. Martin Emerson is one of those players.
The Browns secondary plays man coverage as well as any team in the NFL. Emerson is a big part of that.
If he continues to ascend at the rate he’s on, Emerson is going to be a Pro Bowler and All-Pro.
19) Marlon Humphrey, Baltimore Ravens
Marlon Humphrey at No. 19 shows the depth of great cornerbacks in the NFL.
Humphrey has dealt with injuries in recent seasons, but imagine him staying healthy to team up with Kyle Hamilton in the Ravens’ secondary. That’s not a secondary opposing quarterbacks will like going up against.
20) Christian Gonzalez, New England Patriots
While the outlook for the first year of the Jerod Mayo era in New England is gloomy, Christian Gonzalez represents hope for the future.
The Patriots could still be really good defensively, and Gonzalez flashed big potential before a season-ending injury ended his rookie season after just four games.
21) Taron Johnson, Buffalo Bills
Taron Johnson’s role will increase and become more crucial after the Bills lost three key pieces of their secondary this offseason.
The good news: Johnson has the experience and has proven himself as a playmaker, highlighted by a 100-yard pick-six against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens in the 2020 playoffs.
Johnson was a second-team All-Pro in 2023.
22) Tyson Campbell, Jacksonville Jaguars
A second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Tyson Campbell signed a four-year $76.5 million extension this summer with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Campbell is one of the stars on a Jaguars defense that will be looking for a resurgence under new defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen.
23) Jamel Dean, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jamel Dean has seen the Buccaneers’ secondary change a lot in his first five NFL seasons.
Tampa Bay’s secondary was stacked on their Super Bowl LV-winning team with Dean, Carlton Davis, Mike Edwards, and Antoine Winfield Jr.
Winfield still remains, but Edwards and Davis do not. That makes Dean one of the faces of a Buccaneers secondary that looks to remain among the NFL’s best.
24) Darius Slay, Philadelphia Eagles
He’s called “Big Play Slay” for a reason. Over 11 seasons in the NFL, Darius Slay has been to six Pro Bowls with 28 interceptions in 163 games.
Even as he enters his 12th season, Slay is still a very good playmaker. His role this season will also include mentoring a young Eagles secondary.
25) Darious Williams, Los Angeles Rams
Darious Wiliams is back for his second stint with the Rams, having previously played for them from 2018-21. He’s coming off a stellar season with the Jaguars, and the Rams need experience on a defense that has undergone a transition with Aaron Donald retiring.
26) Stephon Gilmore, Minnesota Vikings
A former Defensive Player of the Year, Stephon Gilmore signed a one-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings this summer. He’s coming off his 12th season, and he played and started all 17 games with the Cowboys, proving he can still play at a high level.
27) Joey Porter Jr., Pittsburgh Steelers
Joey Porter Jr. got better as his rookie season progressed, and he looks to have a very bright future ahead of him in Pittsburgh like his father, former Steelers linebacker Joey Porter Sr.
MORE: 2024 NFL Defense Rankings
Porter had a crucial pick of Lamar Jackson in the fourth quarter against the Ravens last year, which set up a game-winning touchdown in a Steelers win.
28) Cam Tayor-Britt, Cincinnati Bengals
Cam Taylor-Britt exploded onto the scene with four interceptions in five games in 2023. His ability to cover some of the NFL’s best receivers has him set up to continue his ascension with the Bengals in 2024.
29) Asante Samuel Jr., Los Angeles Chargers
The son of Asante Samuel Sr., who was a mainstay in the Patriots’ secondary during their initial dynasty, the younger Samuel has had a really good start to his career with the Chargers.
Samuel has double-digit passes defensed and multiple interceptions in each of his first three NFL seasons.
30) Kenny Moore II, Indianapolis Colts
Kenny Moore II has been with the Colts for seven seasons and has become a mainstay in their secondary.
Moore’s role just got more important in the AFC South, with the Texans and Titans upgrading their receiver rooms this offseason.
31) Carlton Davis, Detroit Lions
Davis was a stalwart for the Buccaneers when they won the 2020 Super Bowl and went to the playoffs four years in a row.
Now with the Lions, Davis looks to help fill the void C.J. Gardner-Johnson left behind while also helping to mentor first-round rookie Terrion Arnold.
32) Greg Newsome, Cleveland Browns
Greg Newsome is the third member of the Browns’ secondary in PFN’s cornerback rankings. He’s coming off his best season, and his accession should keep the Browns secondary among the NFL’s best.