The top Nickels in the NFL last season

When pundits and fans focus on NFL secondaries, the most common position highlighted is the cornerback. For decades, this position has been one of star power. Champ Bailey, Charles Woodson, Darrell Green, Deion, Revis, and Rod Woodson are some of the names that have topped most lists in the last 30 years.

But the game is evolving. The outside CB position is still dominant and where much of the money is allocated in the back end. Safeties are now calling the defense with the 'green dot.' We are seeing more teams give more resources to the position in free agency and the draft.

As sub-package defenses have become 'base' over the past decade, the Nickel position has become an integral part of modern defense. It is not just a third CB or Safety but an actual position that requires a particular skill set to be successful.

For most NFL defenses, the Nickel package is what they play most of their snaps in. Last season, only one team played less than 50% of its plays out of a Nickel defense: the Rams. Still, they played the second-highest rate of Dime (six DBs) in the NFL (25.5%), compared to their Base 3-4 on 36% of their downs.

Typically, the Nickel is a third CB, but that doesn't mean they are a coverage-only defender. These defensive backs must fit the box and even blitz the quarterback. In this study, only five Safeties qualified as Slot defenders (500+ plays and 40% in the Slot). The Texans' Jalen Pitre and the Buccaneers' Tykee Smith would have qualified for the top ten in Slot Havoc/100 (Havoc*100) at the CB position.

For Pitre and Smith, these hybrid Safety specialists truly are Nickel defenders. Neither one played much at their 'true' position. Smith played in the slot on almost 88% of his snaps, and Pitre played down on two-thirds of his.

So who were the best Slot defenders in the NFL last year?

#5 - Jourdan Lewis (Jaguars)

The Jaguars' new Nickel just signed a three-year $30-million contract with $20-million guaranteed. Jacksonville is counting on Lewis to solidify a secondary that was abysmal last season. Lewis is a coverage-first defender and doesn't add much in the run game. In Dallas, he smoothly transitioned from Dan Quinn's man-dominant scheme to Zimmer's zone-centric but multiple defense in '24. That diversity makes him one of the better Slot CBs in the NFL. Lewis holds the ninth-lowest yards/coverage (.99) for all qualifying Slots.

#4 - Garrett Williams (Cardinals)

If you haven't been paying attention to the Cardinals' defense, you have missed out on one of the better stories in '24. The back end in Arizona is one of the more underrated units in the NFL. Safety Budda Baker is one of the best Safeties in the NFL, and now he has some semblance of CB help. Williams had a breakout sophomore campaign in '24. Like Lewis, he is a coverage-first defender and doesn't add much in the run game. In Arizona, that is fine as Baker and tandem Safety Jalen Thompson do much of the work near the box. Last season, Williams finished top ten in Zone Havoc and held the #1 yards/coverage of any Slot (.70).

#3 - Kyler Gordon (Bears)

As he is known in the Windy City, Kyler-man is our first 'complete' modern Nickel. Gordon excels near the box, where he played two-thirds of his snaps. He finished last season fifth in Stops (negative EPA run plays) for Slots and had four total tackles for loss (TFLs). The Bears Slot can play outside when needed or when defending a particular receiver, but he does most of his damage near the box. Former Bears Head Coach Matt Eberflus (now Cowboys DC) used Gordon's blitzing ability to attack the edge of offensive opponents. Though Chicago was zone-dominant, Gordon showed a knack for man coverage.

#2 - Marlon Humphrey (Ravens)

Because of need, Safety Kyle Hamilton mostly played back in '24. With a massive void at Nickel, the Ravens shifted Humphreys to playing more in the Slot. It paid off in a big way. Humphrey's is a hybrid CB, meaning he can play both outside and in the Slot, something very few can do at a high level. Baltimore played him right under 50% in the Slot. Humphrey is a man-dominant CB who did not shy away from playing in the box. Again, something that is rare. He finished tenth in Run Havoc. He led all Slots with six interceptions. Ball skills and the ability to tackle.

#1 - Dru Phillips (Giants)

I knew the Giants had something with Phillips in the pre-season. On multiple occasions, DC Shane Bowen used him and rookie Safety Tyler Nubin to blitz the box and plug the run in his Nickel defense. Phillips' Slot Havoc/100 of 9.80 is over a point higher than Humphrey's. Though he struggled in man, Phillips made up for it in zone coverage and run defense, finishing in the top 15 and 25, respectively. Phillips finished with 31 Stops and had five tackles for loss. Though his coverage numbers are slightly worse than those of his coverage-dominant counterparts, Phillips played in the Slot over 80% of the time, more than anyone else on this list. Not bad for a debut.

Who are we missing?

The biggest name not in the top nine is the Bills' Taron Johnson. One of the reasons he was left out (he finished eleventh) is that he missed five games and only had 600 total snaps. He did, however, finish as the #2 CB against the run, thus proving why he is a perfect fit in Buffalo.

Deommodore Lenoir played outside CB, mainly in San Francisco, until this year. After the Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs, it became clear he wanted to move into more of a Slot role. Shanahan & Co. obliged. He finished eighth in Slot Havoc/100 this past year.

The Eagles not only got an outside CB of the future in first-round pick Quinyon Mitchell but also solidified their Slot position for the near future. Phillips was the best rookie Nickel in production last year, but Philly's Cooper DeJean was arguably the most valuable. Before he arrived in the lineup, the Eagles' secondary was mitigating their lack of a Nickel. That's not good in a Fangio system that thrives in sub-packages. Once DeJean entered the lineup, the defensive production took off. If he continues on this trajectory, no reason why he won't be on the list next year.

Ones to watch in '25: Marcus Jones (Patriots), Beanie Bishop (Steelers), Ja'Quan McMillian (Broncos), Kader Kohou (Dolphins), and Noah Igbinoghene (Commanders)

Meet the Hybrids

Nate Hobbs (Raiders) will most likely shift to outside CB in Green Bay. Like Humphrey, he is a hybrid who can play both positions.

Devon Whitherspoon is a perfect match with Riq Woolen in Seattle. Both are long and can play man coverage outside. Last year, Witherspoon played mostly Nickel last year, but he used his hybrid skill set to move him around under Mike Macdonald. Seattle wants to play more Big Nickel (three Safeties), so look for 'Spoon to get more playing time outside.

The Colts' Kenny Moore III is one of the best complete CBs in the NFL and seamlessly bounces from the Slot to outside. He finished the season as the eighth-best CB in Overall Havoc. Moore is a perfect fit in a zone-centric system and doesn't mind mixing it up near the box.

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