Ranking the NFL's Top 10 secondaries
In a three-part series, theScore's Dan Wilkins breaks down the NFL's top 10 position groups at each of the main areas on the defensive side of the ball.
- Defensive Lines
- Linebackers
- Secondaries
With modern-day NFL offenses relying heavily on the passing game, and doing so at a more productive rate than at any other point in league history, the ability for defenses to counter with a strong secondary has become a key component of putting together a successful team.
The best of the bunch have plenty of talent at both cornerback and safety, allowing their respective units the ability to match up with wide receivers and tight ends alike.
Here's a look at the NFL's top 10 secondaries heading into 2015:
10. New Orleans Saints
Projected Starters: Keenan Lewis, Brandon Browner, Jairus Byrd, Kenny Vaccaro
Depth: Kyle Wilson, Delvin Breaux, P.J. Williams, Stanley Jean-Baptiste, Rafael Bush, Jamarca Sanford
The Saints fielded one of the NFL's most disappointing defenses in 2014, due in large part to a secondary that simply couldn't match up in the passing game, but this season has the potential to yield a far different result. Byrd's healthy return again sees the unit feature one of the NFL's few elite-level centerfield safeties, and Browner joining Lewis at cornerback finally gives the Saints a capable tandem in coverage on the outside. The continued development of Vacarro will be the key for this group, but the talent around him should put him in position to make the most of his abilities in his third season after joining the club as a first-round pick.
9. Cincinnati Bengals
Projected Starters: Leon Hall, Dre Kirkpatrick, Reggie Nelson, George Iloka
Depth: Adam Jones, Darqueze Dennard, Josh Shaw, Shawn Williams
The Bengals' secondary has helped the defense to excel against the pass for each of the past four seasons, and the 2015 campaign will be no different. Having returned the same starting unit across the board, as well as the nickel contributions of a still-productive Jones, the Bengals should continue to thrive in these key spots. With Dennard likely having an opportunity to earn a more substantial role heading into his second season and the addition of a position-versatile rookie in Shaw, Cincinnati's depth on the back end is becoming increasingly impressive.
8. Green Bay Packers
Projected Starters: Sam Shields, Casey Hayward, Morgan Burnett, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
Depth: Micah Hyde, Damarious Randall, Quinten Rollins, Sean Richardson
For the NFL's best example of player development, look no further. This is an extremely young group of defensive backs both in the starting lineup and further down the depth chart, but the talent to be among the league's best secondaries is certainly there. Look for Hayward's coverage ability to see him earn a starting role opposite Shields in addition to his nickel slot duties, while Burnett and Clinton-Dix should only continue to progress at safety. Though the Packers confused many with the selections of Randall and Rollins early on in this year's draft, the options in the secondary are endless with the many pieces now in place.
7. San Diego Chargers
Projected Starters: Brandon Flowers, Jason Verrett, Eric Weddle, Jahleel Addae
Depth: Patrick Robinson, Jimmy Wilson, Craig Mager, Darrell Stuckey
A lack of depth keeps this group from earning a spot higher on the list, but the starting lineup is certainly something for Chargers fans to be excited about going forward. Flowers re-established himself as a bona fide No. 1 corner last season and the ability Verrett demonstrated as a rookie could quite easily set him up to reach that same level before long. On the back end, Weddle should continue to perform as one of the NFL's best safeties despite his future with the team surprisingly still in doubt. Health is key for this group, as it will be for the many others that make up the top 10 around the league, but the Chargers are certainly in good shape to start the year.
6. Denver Broncos
Projected Starters: Chris Harris, Aqib Talib, T.J. Ward, Darian Stewart
Depth: Bradley Roby, Tony Carter, Kayvon Webster, David Bruton
A dominant pass rush can often make a secondary look far more capable than it actually is, but that's not the case with the Broncos defensive backfield. As dominant as the Von Miller-led defensive front has long proven to be, the two units play off one another quite well. Led by a strong cornerback tandem of Talib and Harris – the latter of whom representing one of the game's most underrated defensive players – as well as a safety in T.J. Ward who lived up to the lucrative contract he signed as a free agent last season, the starting lineup should be strong in coverage for a fourth straight year. Denver will be looking for Roby to contribute as a full-time nickel corner in his second year, as doing so would eliminate one of the team's few concerns remaining on the defensive side of the ball.
5. Baltimore Ravens
Projected Starters: Lardarius Webb, Jimmy Smith, Will Hill, Kendrick Lewis
Depth: Kyle Arrington, Tray Walker, Cassius Vaughn, Matt Elam, Terrence Brooks
Rounding out what should be one of the NFL's most talented defenses across the board, the Ravens' secondary is in position to bounce back after a disappointing 2014 campaign. With Webb healthy for the first time in several years, Smith returning from a season-ending injury of his own, and Hill slated for a starting role after missing the first six games of last year due to suspension, the unit finally appears to be at full strength. Though health can never be assumed in the NFL, this should be a top secondary if the starting group is indeed able to stay on the field.
4. Minnesota Vikings
Projected Starters: Xavier Rhodes, Terence Newman, Harrison Smith, Robert Blanton
Depth: Captain Munnerlyn, Josh Robinson, Trae Waynes, Marcus Sherels, Andrew Sendejo
Featuring an ideal combination of young talent and still-productive veterans, the Vikings will be relying on the secondary as the strength of their defense in 2015. Smith has established himself as a Pro Bowl-caliber safety now three seasons into his pro career, and Rhodes, a budding star himself, is accompanied by plenty of depth and competition at cornerback. Should Waynes live up to his first-round status as a rookie, effectively giving the Vikings a five-deep group of corners to work with, Minnesota suddenly has the potential to match up with the high-powered passing attacks that continue to have a stranglehold on the NFC North.
3. New York Jets
Projected Starters: Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, Calvin Pryor, Marcus Gilchrist
Depth: Buster Skrine, Dee Milliner, Antonio Allen, Jaiquawn Jarrett
Just like that, the Jets are back to their old ways and in line to field a dominant secondary. Coming off a year in which an extremely thin group held the defense back from reaching its potential, New York managed to land Revis, Cromartie, Skrine, and Gilchrist in free agency. If that incredible haul doesn't qualify as a successful offseason, not much will. Revis is likely the only player that still challenges Richard Sherman as the league's No. 1 corner. His presence changes this defense entirely. Teaming this group with an elite-level defensive front could put the Jets in position for a bounce-back season.
2. Cleveland Browns
Projected Starters: Joe Haden, Tramon Williams, Donte Whitner, Tashaun Gipson
Depth: K'Waun Williams, Justin Gilbert, Pierre Desir, Ibraheim Campbell, Johnson Bademosi
Things could finally be headed in the right direction in Cleveland and a supremely talented secondary is a key reason for that apparent progression. Combining Whitner's in-the-box presence with the playmaking ability of Gipson, the Browns boast arguably the top safety duo outside of the perennial All-Pros in Seattle. With Tramon Williams now joining Haden after signing as a free agent from Green Bay, the cornerbacks could be just as productive. K'Waun Williams tentatively rounds out the nickel sets as a capable third corner, but the potential for development from Gilbert and Desir could make the position group quite deep overall.
1. Seattle Seahawks
Projected Starters: Richard Sherman, Cary Williams, Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor
Depth: Will Blackmon, Jeremy Lane, Tharold Simon, Tye Smith, DeShawn Shead, Ryan Murphy
The Seahawks' secondary has maintained its spot atop the NFL's elite for several seasons running, and there's once again little argument to be made against it heading into 2015. Sherman has done more than enough to prove himself as the most dominant cornerback in the game today and there isn't a safety tandem that rivals the impact Thomas and Chancellor provide on the back end. The supporting cast took a hit with the offseason departure of Byron Maxwell and the signing of Williams to take his place, but there's just too much top-level talent leading the way for this unit to take a step back. If it weren't for the group dealing with injuries leading up to last year's Super Bowl, we could very well be talking about a Seahawks team in search of a third straight title.