Nobody Beats Revis in the Corner

Throughout the last couple of weeks there has been a lot of talk about there being a lack of shutdown corners in the league. Most people seem to think a change to contact rules has offered up a huge advantage in favour of wide receivers. Another reason I’ve heard is college systems mean that Cornerbacks aren’t coming in to the league ‘NFL ready’

The few corners that are being offered up as elite are what really get me scratching my head. Champ Bailey, Richard Sherman and Derrelle Revis are generally the only names mentioned. Whilst I would agree that these three players are elite, I find it hard to believe so many names have been missed. So I figure I would mention a few names that deserve some credit.

Nnamdi Asomugha

Yup him. He had two poor seasons with Philadelphia and he was a big part of Victor Cruz’s breakout game, but Champ Bailey has had some questionable games recently and with a considerably better defense. It’s also worth remembering how good he was for the Raiders. in the 2010 season he allowed 10 receptions out of 27 passes thrown his way and didn’t give up a single touchdown. So after a bad couple of years he finds himself in the incredible 49ers defense and I think he is set to shine. He has good size and great speed, if he can even become a shadow of his former self, we’re looking at a possible probowl.

Jason McCourty

Jason may have only been in the league a few years but he has certainly cemented himself as one of the top corners in the league. After Cortland Finnegan left to become a Ram, McCourty has stepped up to become the Titans No. 1 corner and looks set to continue to improve despite a below par Titans defense. Is he a shutdown corner? Probably not. Could he become one? Definitely.

Charles Tillman & Tim Jennings

It feels so wrong to lump them together when they are so good and so different, but they compliment each other perfectly. Tillman is a master of the forced fumble so you don’t want to throw in his direction…which explains Tim Jennings collecting 9 interceptions. These two fit the Bears system perfectly. They will dare you to throw on them and punish you if you make a mistake. Worth noting, Charles Tillman was a strong contender for the Defensive Player of the Year.

Patrick Peterson

I haven’t heard this mans name mentioned once, which is crazy. In my opinion he is the best young corner in the league and has the potential to be every bit as good as a Revis or Bailey. he recorded 7 interceptions last year and that was on a terrible defense that leaked a silly amount of points. What he really has going for him though is his age. He has been in the league for 2 seasons and has already earned the respect of his peers, shown by his entry into the top 100 players at no. 33. Expect big things from a man who has already taken great leaps in his NFL career.

So this is just a few of the players. There are plenty of other great corners and there will no doubt be a load more coming out of this years draft.

Photo: Patrick McDermott/Getty Images