Seahawks' Sherman says Tharold Simon will be better than him

Richard Sherman is arguably the best cornerback in the NFL, but he believes a young teammate may supplant him at the top.

Tharold Simon, who is fighting for the team's starting right cornerback slot against Brandon Browner, gained the best possible endorsement from Sherman.

"He's an incredible athlete," Sherman told the team's official website. "He's going to be a great ball player. I continue to stand by what I've always said: he's going to be better than me by the time it's all said and done."

Simon has battled through myriad injuries since being drafted in 2013, but Sherman thinks he's ready for the spotlight.

"The kid's a player," Sherman said. "He just needs to put it all together and hopefully he can stay healthy and it'll be a fantastic year for him."

Simon possesses the ideal speed and technique for the Seattle Seahawks' Cover 3 base defense, and Sherman said there's only one player who can match his range of movement.

"He can keep up with anybody, he can jump with anybody, he can stop with anybody, he can move with anybody," Sherman said. "At 6-3 and some change, 200 pounds, to move as fluid as he does, there are very few people in the league who can move as smooth as him. I’d say Patrick Peterson is the only person who kind of comes to mind with the fluidity with which he moves."

Finally healthy, Simon could emerge as a second lockdown cornerback in the terrifying "Legion of Boom" secondary.