According to PFF we have the worst collection of corners in the NFL.

[nctarheel0619]

32. Carolina Panthers
Top CBs: Robert McClain, James Bradberry, Bené Benwikere

Key stat: 68.4 percent of the Panthers’ CB snaps in 2015 will be replaced this season.

Returning only Bené Benwikere, Robert McClain, and Teddy Williams among corners who played for the team last season, the Panthers face a tall order to produce a secondary that can match up to last year’s group. The Panthers invested multiple picks in corners in the draft, and unless McClain and Benwikere can produce on the outside in a way they haven’t done to this point in their careers, the pressure will be on the Panthers’ young corners to produce immediately.
 

Top 10

1. Denver Broncos
Top CBs: Aqib Talib, Chris Harris Jr., Bradley Roby

Key stat: All three earned top-30 grades last season among NFL CBs.

Self-anointed as the “No-Fly Zone,” the Broncos’ secondary is led by this terrific trio of cornerbacks. The Broncos were the only team to place their top three corners in our 30-highest-graded in the NFL last season, with Harris leading the way once again. Harris surrendered less than 1 yard allowed per snap in coverage (0.88 during the regular season) for his fourth straight season, the only cornerback to do so since he became a full-time starter in 2012.

2. Arizona Cardinals
Top CBs: Patrick Peterson, Justin Bethel, Tyrann Mathieu

Key stat: Peterson averaged 19.5 coverage snaps per reception last season.

No cornerback went more snaps between allowing a reception last season than Peterson, who after a subpar 2014, was back to his imperious best in 2015. Paired with fellow LSU alum Tyrann Mathieu, the Cardinals have a devastating weapon at outside corner and in the slot to shut down a variety of opposing receivers. The sole weak spot in this trio last season was Bethel, who surrendered at least 75 yards in each of the Cardinals’ final four games.

3. Washington Redskins
Top CBs: Josh Norman, Bashaud Breeland, Quinton Dunbar

Key stat: Norman (with Carolina) allowed 50 yards in a game just once in 2015.

Even before the acquisition of Norman, this was a cornerback corps on the rise. Breeland had a breakout campaign in 2015, allowing 50 yards or more only three times after Washington’s Week 8 bye. Dunbar, an undrafted free agent and wide-receiver conversion, showed his potential in the wildcard defeat to Green Bay by breaking up two passes and allowing only 41 yards on seven receptions.

4. New England Patriots
Top CBs: Malcolm Butler, Logan Ryan, Justin Coleman

Key stat: Butler recorded 14 pass defenses last season, fourth-most in the NFL.

Following his Super Bowl XLIX heroics, the Patriots put a lot of pressure on Malcolm Butler to be their lead corner after Darrelle Revis’ departure. And, after a tough start to the year against Antonio Brown, Butler handsomely repaid the Patriots’ faith in him. Opposite him, Logan Ryan broke up 10 passes, allowing a passer rating of just 78.8 during the regular season.

5. Buffalo Bills
Top CBs: Ronald Darby, Stephon Gilmore, Sterling Moore

Key stat: Darby and Gilmore combined for a 5.1 coverage snaps per target mark in 2015.

Rex Ryan’s aggressive scheme puts a lot of pressure on his cornerbacks, and unsurprisingly, both Darby and Gilmore were among the league’s most-targeted corners last season (tied for fourth-most) on a per-snap basis. Both stood up to that examination well, and Sterling Moore should provide an upgrade—if he wins the job—over Nickell Robey at slot corner. Robey has allowed 1,041 receiving yards and a passer rating north of 100.0 over the past two seasons combined.

6. San Diego Chargers
Top CBs: Jason Verrett, Casey Hayward, Brandon Flowers

Key stat: Verrett has played 965 snaps over the past two seasons.

As one of the few strengths on this Chargers’ roster, a full season from Verrett would only push this unit higher; a combined 965 snaps over his first two seasons was bettered by 26 corners in 2015 alone. The addition of Hayward ensures that Brandon Flowers will see less action in the slot this season, which could push him back to his best form that we last saw in 2014 after his arrival from Kansas City.

7. Green Bay Packers
Top CBs: Sam Shields, Damarious Randall, Quinten Rollins

Key stat: Rollins posted a 58.4 passer rating allowed last season, fourth-best in the NFL.

Not many teams could lose their best cornerback and still boast a top-10 trio of CBs in the NFL. Such is the Packers’ outstanding turnover of cornerback talent that they should be able to sustain the loss of Casey Hayward to the Chargers and not miss a beat. All three of these corners went, on average, more than 10 snaps in coverage between receptions allowed; the Packers were one of only six teams to see their corners surrender completions so infrequently.

8. Houston Texans
Top CBs: Jonathan Joseph, Kareem Jackson, Kevin Johnson

Key stat: Joseph recorded 16 pass defenses in 2015, second-most in the league.

After a torrid display against the Panthers in Week 2, Joseph rebounded with three pass defenses and only 24 yards allowed to the Bucs a week later, and he didn’t look back. Over the final 14 weeks of the season Joseph was the highest-graded corner in the league in coverage. While Kareem Jackson took a step back from his 2014 form, Kevin Johnson put in a solid rookie display to add to the overall strength of this trio.

9. New York Giants
Top CBs: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Janoris Jenkins, Eli Apple

Key stat: At Ohio State, Apple allowed just 44.6 percent of passes into his coverage to be completed (2015 season).

The Giants have invested heavily to upgrade at cornerback this season, spending big on Janoris Jenkins’ breakout campaign in St. Louis and using a top-10 pick to nab Eli Apple during the draft. As second and third corners, Jenkins and Apple will sit behind Rodgers-Cromartie, who finished among the top-20-graded CBs in coverage for the third straight season.

10. Seattle Seahawks
Top CBs: Richard Sherman, Jeremy Lane, DeShawn Shead

Key stat: Sherman allowed just 48.4 percent of passes into his coverage to be completed, fourth-best in the NFL in 2015.

For the fifth straight season, Richard Sherman didn’t allow even half of the passes targeted into his coverage to be completed; even a career-high of 48.4 percent was still among the top five in the NFL. Sherman’s presence alone elevates this group of corners, but questions persist behind him, which could drag this trio down. Jeremy Lane has shown his quality, but has struggled to stay healthy, while Shead led all Seahawks’ corners in yards allowed (465), despite playing only 520 regular season snaps in 2015.

Man, I seriously hope the pass rush is ready.  Yeesh.  

[countryboi]

its really hard to argue against it because of how heavily we are relying on rookies...no one really knows what we have. 

[nctarheel0619]

Two weeks before the Draft we had a weakness at DE.  Two weeks after the Draft, we have a weakness at CB and DE.  I'm dead.  

[electro's horse]

The Panthers still have a weakness at DE.

[nctarheel0619]

1 minute ago, electro's horse said:

The Panthers still have a weakness at DE.

I know, hence the reason I said that in my post above yours.  

[uncfan888]

zzzzzzz let's wait and see what we have before freaking out

[RumHam]

Pff, yeah now, duh. They are unproven. Would I say they are the worst? On paper probably yes. We gotta have guys step up.

[RumHam]

lol seachickens at 10.

[Zaximus]

It's true though.  You can't really fault it.  Take off homer shades and look at it from the outside in.  We have a bunch of rookies (general opinion is most were taken too high) and a journeyman in McClain.   Benewickeree is not as good as Panthers fans think and was in fact pretty "meh" when playing last season.   Of course it looks terrible, it really does.

But that doesn't mean they can't be the #1 by seasons end, so who knows, but if you're making a list, it's probably pretty accurate, from what data they have right NOW.

[Saca312]

Just like the doubt against our WR's last year. Except this time it's hard to argue against these PFF comments. I mean look at the who got the majority of snaps at nickel in OTAs (Colin Jones). We've got a huge problem in that area.

 

However, I believe the rookies we have will produce. I'm sure they'll learn our system enough to get used to how everything flows. Bradberry and Worley have a huge upside with their athletic ability. I know we'll be solid back there in a few years.

[pantherfan49]

They'll need to knock Denver down a few pegs after Talib does time.

[pantherclaw]

Yes, they are rookies. Doesn't make them the worst in the league. Not even close. 

 

[caatfan]

I feel better about the secondary minus Norman than I did about the WR's minus Smith. I think we've got talent. It's just unproven, other than Bene. 

I'm no longer buying into the Panthers suck at this or that position. Whether it's upgrade or band aid, the staff gets it done. 

[shaqattaq]

24 minutes ago, pantherclaw said:

Yes, they are rookies. Doesn't make them the worst in the league. Not even close. 

 

While I obviously agree with you, PFF is all about the stats (the reason I generally believe they're full of crap 90% of the time). At this point, McClain, Bene, and (good Lord) Williams' stats aren't that great, and none of the rookies have stats at all! It's like trying to get a loan, bad credit is often better than no credit.

The real story will be how they rank come February!