drewskie
Third String But Playing on Special Teams
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Ranking all 32 NFL teams' secondaries heading into the 2017 season | NFL Analysis | Pro Football Focus
1. Landon Collins was PFF’s number one breakout player of 2016, as well as making the PFF All-Pro first team and contending for Defensive Player of the Year. Both Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Janoris Jenkins finished in the top 10 among cornerbacks in passer rating against in 2016 as DRC saw just a 56.0 passer rating when targeted, fourth best and Jenkins saw a 64.8, T-10th best. They combine to make up one of the best cornerback tandems in the league, while last year’s No. 10 overall draft pick Eli Apple has his best football ahead of him. In his debut season, Apple averaged 11.4 snaps in coverage per reception allowed, which was fifth best among all rookie cornerbacks last season.
2. Devin McCourty finished the 2016 tied with Denver’s Chris Harris Jr. for top coverage grade out of all cornerbacks and safeties at a 91.5. Malcolm Butler fielded an 88.5 coverage grade making the duo of McCourty and Butler the only pair of teammates to finish in the top eight in terms of coverage grade representing why both both PFF All-Pro selections. This season, the Patriots have also added Stephon Gilmore, who despite a down year last season, still saw just the 15th lowest passer rating when targeted at 70.6. CB Eric Rowe figures into the cornerback rotation as well, who finished last season with the sixth lowest passer rating when targeted (63.0). Solidifying the safety spot opposite McCourty, they re-signed safety Duron Harmon, who led all safeties in 2016 in both cover snaps per target (69.2) and cover snaps per reception allowed (86.5).
3. The core of the Legion of Boom has been around for a while, but are still one of the best units in the NFL. Despite missing some time, Kam Chancellor had the most productive season of his career, finishing with a career-high grade of 91.2, third best among safeties. His counterpart, Earl Thomas is still one of the best safeties when healthy, finishing last year with his fourth consecutive season with a grade at 84.6 or above. Richard Sherman led all cornerbacks in cover snaps per reception allowed last season, averaging 14.9 snaps in coverage per reception. Jeremy Lane, who is the favorite to open the season opposite Sherman, had the third best slot coverage snaps per target at 7.8 (min. 250 slot coverage snaps). This unit also plays the run extremely well as four players ranked among the top 10 at their position in run-stop percentage in 2016. The young rookie duo of Shaquill Griffin from UCF and Cedric Thompson from Colorado could see real benefits under the Legion of Boom’s tutelage and could excite the 12s in Seattle for years to come.
4. Chris Harris Jr. was the top graded cornerback (91.6) in 2016 and tied with New England’s Devin McCourty for top coverage grade at 91.5 while Aqib Talib was right behind him at No. 3 overall, finishing with a 90.6 overall grade. Harris Jr. continues to set the standard for slot coverage, leading the league in yards per cover snap allowed while in the slot at just 0.59. As a rookie in 2016, Justin Simmons was the only safety in the NFL without a single missed tackle and at least 200 snaps played.
EDIT: The analysis is very fair, I think you can make a case for every secondary to be number 1. PFF also recognizes that perhaps the weakest saftey tandem of these 4 is with Denver's. McCourty's PFF ranking also goes to show you that he deserves more respect amongst his peers if the NFL Top 100 rankings are of any indication, especially considering Landon Collins (deservedly so) was ranked 28th while DMac didn't even make the top 100.
1. Landon Collins was PFF’s number one breakout player of 2016, as well as making the PFF All-Pro first team and contending for Defensive Player of the Year. Both Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Janoris Jenkins finished in the top 10 among cornerbacks in passer rating against in 2016 as DRC saw just a 56.0 passer rating when targeted, fourth best and Jenkins saw a 64.8, T-10th best. They combine to make up one of the best cornerback tandems in the league, while last year’s No. 10 overall draft pick Eli Apple has his best football ahead of him. In his debut season, Apple averaged 11.4 snaps in coverage per reception allowed, which was fifth best among all rookie cornerbacks last season.
2. Devin McCourty finished the 2016 tied with Denver’s Chris Harris Jr. for top coverage grade out of all cornerbacks and safeties at a 91.5. Malcolm Butler fielded an 88.5 coverage grade making the duo of McCourty and Butler the only pair of teammates to finish in the top eight in terms of coverage grade representing why both both PFF All-Pro selections. This season, the Patriots have also added Stephon Gilmore, who despite a down year last season, still saw just the 15th lowest passer rating when targeted at 70.6. CB Eric Rowe figures into the cornerback rotation as well, who finished last season with the sixth lowest passer rating when targeted (63.0). Solidifying the safety spot opposite McCourty, they re-signed safety Duron Harmon, who led all safeties in 2016 in both cover snaps per target (69.2) and cover snaps per reception allowed (86.5).
3. The core of the Legion of Boom has been around for a while, but are still one of the best units in the NFL. Despite missing some time, Kam Chancellor had the most productive season of his career, finishing with a career-high grade of 91.2, third best among safeties. His counterpart, Earl Thomas is still one of the best safeties when healthy, finishing last year with his fourth consecutive season with a grade at 84.6 or above. Richard Sherman led all cornerbacks in cover snaps per reception allowed last season, averaging 14.9 snaps in coverage per reception. Jeremy Lane, who is the favorite to open the season opposite Sherman, had the third best slot coverage snaps per target at 7.8 (min. 250 slot coverage snaps). This unit also plays the run extremely well as four players ranked among the top 10 at their position in run-stop percentage in 2016. The young rookie duo of Shaquill Griffin from UCF and Cedric Thompson from Colorado could see real benefits under the Legion of Boom’s tutelage and could excite the 12s in Seattle for years to come.
4. Chris Harris Jr. was the top graded cornerback (91.6) in 2016 and tied with New England’s Devin McCourty for top coverage grade at 91.5 while Aqib Talib was right behind him at No. 3 overall, finishing with a 90.6 overall grade. Harris Jr. continues to set the standard for slot coverage, leading the league in yards per cover snap allowed while in the slot at just 0.59. As a rookie in 2016, Justin Simmons was the only safety in the NFL without a single missed tackle and at least 200 snaps played.
EDIT: The analysis is very fair, I think you can make a case for every secondary to be number 1. PFF also recognizes that perhaps the weakest saftey tandem of these 4 is with Denver's. McCourty's PFF ranking also goes to show you that he deserves more respect amongst his peers if the NFL Top 100 rankings are of any indication, especially considering Landon Collins (deservedly so) was ranked 28th while DMac didn't even make the top 100.
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