The NFL has a number of gunslinger quarterbacks, and it often falls on opposing secondaries to stop them. Not only is having a lockdown corner a must-have for most championship-caliber teams, but the depth and safeties need to be top notch as well. Even if you have one elite player, teams will simply attack the weakest link.
The line between safety and cornerback has become blurred due to the increase of hybrid roles—look no further than the Detroit Lions shifting around Will Harris and Ifeatu Melifonwu. As a result, we’ll clump together safeties and cornerbacks to rank the entire secondary units as groups.