25. Jeff Okudah, Lions: Jeff is a raw talent that probably should not have gone #3 in the 2020 draft, but he did and Dan Campbell will have a chance to make him a dog on that defense. I hope he can be what he was drafted to be.
24. Joe Haden, Steelers: I do not think the Steelers will be anything spectacular this season, but their defense is stellar. Led by TJ Watt and Held up from behind from Haden this group has a chance to carry their bad offense to the playoffs.
23. Jacee Horn, Panthers: He was not my choice at pick 8 but the Panthers have proved me wrong all the time, so I have to go along with it. I put this pick and the DJ Moore on the same level because when they picked Moore I wanted Kirk and we see how that turned out.
22. Jason Verrett, 49ers: Verrett is the safety valve of this successful defensive unit. He is taking the #1 corner spot from Richard Sherman and should be highly successful at it.
21. Bradley Roby, Texans: A rare bright spot this year for Houston sports is this guy. Roby has a tough task this season after the Texans broke the team up this offseason but should be that bright spot Houston can look up to. Until he inevitably gets traded…
20. Patrick Surtain II, Broncos: The first of many Broncos on this list but the second rookie. Surtain has a chance to be great but will be thrown into the fire this season, like Horn in Carolina.
19. Kyle Fuller, Broncos: The lesser Fuller on the Broncos but only because he had a down year. Kyle has the leagues full support because of his surprising cut from the Bears, especially former teammate Eddie Jackson. He has tremendous ball skills but struggles in zone coverage.
18. Janoris Jenkins, Titans: He will be taking over for the next guy on this list in Tennessee but had lackluster tendencies at the position.
17. Malcom Butler, Cardinals: After a down season with Tennessee he looks to get back on track with the Cardinals. I hope he can because he shows a big upside in his game, but I guess we will see.
16.Ronald Darby, Broncos: Darby played many disappointing seasons with Philadelphia before breaking out in his one year in Washington and earning that big contract in Denver. He has a good starting foundation in that defense under Vic Fangio but has to perform to stay in the top half of this list.
15. Xavier Rhodes, Colts: After a huge bounce back season with Indy Rhodes looks to continue his success on the field. He will need to if he wants to get one of those big contracts like the others on this list.
14. JC Jackson, Patriots: He does not get the recognition because Gilmore plays opposite of him but plays balls to wall every play of every game.
13.Shaq Griffin, Jaguars: The Seahawks let him walk because they did not want to pay the premium for a corner like Griffin, but the Jags saw a perfect opportunity to try and replace Ramsey and try and get back to 2015 form.
12. Marshawn Lattimore, Saints: Highly overrated but simply good puts him up this high. The Saints shouldn’t break the bank for him but should do what they can o retain him at the end of the season.
11. Byron Jones, Dolphins: The higher paid corner on the Dolphins but deservingly so. An all-pro talent that does not get the credit he deserves and will move up into the top ten during the season.
10.Marcus Peters, Ravens: The definition of a ballhawk, over the last few years he has had the most interceptions. He does tend to let the deep ball get by him but makes up for it with his ball skills.
9. Darious Slay, Eagles: A perennial top 10 guy who has become overrated other the past few seasons. He is the anchor of this Eagles defense and will likely see a drop in targets because of the lack of talent around him.
8. Denzel Ward, Browns: An up-and-coming defensive group who will jump up the boards this season with their defensive additions, mostly at the safety position. Ward has the ability to be the best in the game with those additions helping behind him.
7. Tredavious white, Bills: A guy who has a place in the top five every year but benefits highly from how good the teams overall defense is.
6. Stephon Gilmore, Patriots: Coming off of a torn quad Gilmore looks to regain form as he returned to Patriots training camp on Thursday. Bill will always have a place for him and will make it work this season as all those opt outs from last year come back.
5. Xavian Howard, Dolphins?: He is looking to be traded, highly unlikely but very much in play. The Dolphins look to repeat their success from last season but hope to have the tiebreaker this year. Howard led the season in interceptions with eight and was a huge part of Miami’s success. He will regress but will still be a star this upcoming season, no matter where he plays.
4. Marlon Humphery, Ravens: One of the most underrated corners in the game and heavily overshadowed by the louder and more stat filler guy across the defense, Marcus Peters. Humphery plays super well in the Ravens defense and has for many years something he should keep up in 2021.
3. James Bradberry, Giants: As a Panthers fan I miss this guy, a lot. He is a quiet guy who gets the job done 95% of the time and for this position that’s huge. This is a make-or-break year for the Giants so I expect him to step up on this young defense and really be a contributor, that is if he gets targeted at all.
2. Jaire alexander, Packers: This guy is a dog! He has come around from being a young guy people pick on to being a household name opposing teams do not even try. He also plays on a team that does not necessarily get to the QB every play, which makes his job harder but does not affect him like some other guys on this list.
1. Jalen Ramsey, Rams: It’s hard to argue anyone is better than Jalen. The only criticism against him is that he runs his mouth to much, but I personally love it because he backs it up. And the fact that if he lets up one long pass a season the whole NFL fanbase will slew him for not being perfect because that is the standard he is held to.
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