The NFL's Top Man and Zone Corners
In the past five years, the usage of Cover 1 has plummeted as more teams shift to zone coverages. In 2019, there were just over 10,000 snaps of Cover 1; fast forward to the conclusion of the 2023 season, and that number sinks to 6,774 snaps. Outside of Dennis Allen (Saints), Dan Quinn (Commanders), and Jim Schwartz (Browns), you will be hard-pressed to find a team that wants to stay in man coverage at volume.
Offensive concepts, rule changes, and a shift in defensive philosophy have resulted in a transformation in the development of the CB position. Old school, on-ball (press) heavy techniques are moving to more off-ball vision-reliant techniques. The modern CB has to have a multi-tool base to be truly elite. Still, man technique is a premium and revered skill.
CBs who were primarily on-ball in college can sometimes struggle to transition to zone in the NFL. A great example is the Texans' Derek Stingley, who was a top-10 pick in the '22 draft but stumbled often in his first year in the league. Luckily for Houston, Stingley rebounded this year and seems headed in the right direction.
Technique and coverage diversity are rising trends across the NFL, especially in player personnel departments. The Cowboys, for example, have two of the best man coverage CBs in the NFL, but they both use different techniques.
Trevon Diggs is an on-ball CB who loves to press and will mix in off-looks as a change-up. DaRon Bland, who just set the NFL record for most interceptions returned for a TD, primarily plays off-ball. Having two outside CBs that have different skill sets is what modern NFL teams are looking for.
Most importantly, CBs now need to fit within the scheme. It is not surprising that the Browns, Cowboys, and Saints run Cover 1 at volume. Each of those three teams have developed secondaries that thrive in man coverage. Still, different player archetypes change as more teams shift to zone coverage. Separating the two styles helps us understand who is genuinely elite (excels at both man and zone) and better understand player personnel decisions.
Man coverage will always be a premium in a matchup league like the NFL, but using zone to compress modern offenses allows more players to grace the field. Man coverage produces fewer turnovers and leads to penalties. Players like Charvarius Ward, Sauce Gardner, or Patrick Surtain, who are diverse in technique, are considered the best overall because they can do and cover anything.
For argument's sake, let's break down the best man vs. zone CBs in the NFL heading into the 2024 season.
Man Coverage
Image: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Sauce Gardner (Jets): Quarters is man coverage with rules, so Sauce comes in at #1 in the man coverage list, which is unsurprising. The young CB has been among the best since entering the league in '22. He only presses around a third of the time and is mainly limited to the left side of the Jet's defense. Still, he is a prototypical lockdown CB who can take away one side of the field, regardless of who lines up against him.
'Riq Woolen (Seahawks): Woolen burst onto the scene last year as a true gem for Seattle. In '22, Riq was tied for the league lead in interceptions and was a Pro Bowl selection. The 5th-round draft pick is a physical freak, standing at 6-4 210 pounds. Woolen uses his length to stay on top of WRs and shut down smaller WRs. Though he sometimes struggles in zone coverage, there is no denying his ability when on the ball and in front of a WR. Woolen is a matchup nightmare; only a few WRs can handle his size regularly.
Marshon Lattimore (Saints): Lattimore has been doing this for what seems like forever. Though he has struggled to play in every game in the past two seasons, he is dominant in man coverage when he is on the field. The Saints run some of the highest amounts of Cover 1, and Lattimore mainly follows the opponent's best WR. When healthy, the veteran CB is an All-Pro candidate.
Patrick Surtain (Broncos): Outside of the 49ers Charvarius Ward, who we will discuss later, there might not be a more well-rounded CB in the NFL. Surtain is a rare breed that can follow an opponent's #1 WR, even being able to play in the slot. Surtain can also mix on and off-ball alignments to disguise intent or counter his opponent. Like Sauce, the Broncos' CB has been one of the best at his position since entering the league.
Denzel Ward (Browns): To play in Jim Schwartz's defense in Cleveland, you must be able to play man. The Browns have assembled the best collection of man CBs in the NFL. Greg Newsome II (Ni), Martin Emerson Jr, and Denzel Ward are all lockdown CBs in their own right. Of the three, Ward is the best (but don't sleep on Emerson!). Ward primarily plays the left side of the field and presses on around 30% of his snaps. Of all the man-coverage CBs on this list, Ward had the highest forced incompletion percentage in man coverage.
Honorable Mentions: Paulson Adebo (Saints), DJ Reed (Jets), L'Jarius Sneed (Chiefs), and Charvarius Ward (49ers)
Zone Coverage
Charvarius Ward (49ers): Ward is arguably the best CB in the NFL heading into the '24 season. Of all the CBs listed, Ward is the only one who finished in the top five in Field Vision's HAVOC rate for both man and zone coverage. The 49ers play a primarily zone coverage defense that features high volumes of Cover 3 with Quarters as a long yardage change-up. There is nothing sexy about Ward's game. He doesn't lead the league in ball disruption or even forced incompletions. Ward is consistent and can play all over the field. Like a true lockdown CB, he follows the opponent's best WR, even if the 49ers aren't in man coverage.
L'Jarius Sneed (Titans): Few CBs pressed more than Sneed did last year for the Chiefs. Now, if you are wondering why he isn't on the top-five-man coverage list, that's because the Chiefs run some of the highest rates of zone coverage in the NFL and the most middle-of-the-field open concepts (split-field) in the league. Sneed typically presses when there is a 'cap' Safety and has made a name for himself with his trademark 'hard' jam technique. One of the main reasons the Titans traded for Sneed was that he is coverage-diverse and loves to press. He excels at man and zone and has a plethora of techniques in his bag. Like Ward at #1, Sneed is an all-round CB who can match up with the opponent's best WR.
Jaylon Johnson (Bears): Johnson only had 100 total snaps in man coverage. That said, he led the league in forced incompletion percentage. But that isn't where Johnson truly excels. Playing in Chicago's defense requires Johnson to be well-versed in zone techniques. Head Coach Todd Eberflus stems from the Tampa 2 tree and runs primarily zone coverages (mainly Cover 3). If you aren't familiar with Johnson's game, that's because he had his breakout year in '23. Before that, he was a decent young CB. In 2023, he exploded into the upper echelon of his position, enough to garner a newly signed four-year $76 million contract. Now, he needs to reproduce that production, and next year, he might hold the top spot.
Rasul Douglas (Bills): In what might have been a steal-of-a-trade, the Buffalo Bills send a fifth-round pick to the Packers for Douglas. In just nine weeks with Buffalo, the CB racked up four interceptions and solidified the #1 CB spot for the Bills. When looking at Douglas' Heat Map, you'll notice he doesn't give up anything over 20 yards. As a zone CB, he keeps everything in front of him; that's his game. He only presses on about 20% of his snaps, which fits the zone-centric philosophy of the Bills.
Kendall Fuller (Dolphins): It made sense for Fuller to move on from his time with the Commanders and head to Miami, where newly appointed defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver will attempt to bring the Ravens' defense to South Beach. Last year, under Seattle's new head coach Mike Macdonald, the Ravens wanted to play mainly zone coverage, only running Cover 1 less than 20% of their snaps, compared to Dan Quinn, who took over in Washington and ran Cover 1 about a third of the time. Fuller is a zone CB who rarely presses and travels with the opponent's best WR. Like Jaylon Johnson, Fuller has been 'lost' in the shuffle on a fledgling team. The transition to Miami should be smooth, and he fits nicely into what the Dolphins want to do on defense.
Honorable Mentions: Sauce Gardner (Jets), Jalen Ramsey (Dolphins), DJ Reed, and Darious Williams (Rams)
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