NFL Top 10 Series: Cornerbacks Honorable Mentions

With the 2012 NFL season steadfast approaching, it’s time to continue an original Garden State Sports Guy production: The NFL Top 10 Series. As the Top 10 countdown approaches for each position, we’ll be looking at honorable mentions for each position as those steadfastly approach. It seems that now more than ever before there is more focus on the cornerback position. Just look at recent free agent acquisitions. Cornerbacks have gone off the board at a higher rate than positions like the linebacker position considering the “shift” to a so-called passing league that the National Football League has gone under the last couple of seasons. With that said, it’s time to turn our attention toward the cornerbacks who do not fall under the category of elite, but are very good or, in the case of one of these cornerbacks, had a very good season and is finally, after seemingly forever, proving his worth.

Honorable Mentions for the Cornerback Position

Antonio Cromartie: He may not be able to keep himself together in the babymaking profession, but as a football player, Antonio Cromartie is nothing short of very good. For the better part of his career, Cromartie has been known as a “ballhawk,” in the sense that wherever the ball is, he’s there and he’s making a play on it to pick up an interception. This made him a bit of a gambler, because whenever he couldn’t pick up the ball, he wound up getting burned. However he has shored up his play and with that, had an excellent 2011 season, allowing just 46.4% of passes thrown at him to be completed. The Jets can only hope this play continues for the former Seminole, because then they could have the honor of having the best cornerback tandem in the league, with that one other guy on their team. You might have heard of him.

Ike Taylor: Ike Taylor picked the absolute worst time to have the worst game of his career in the 2012 Wild Card Playoff Game against the Denver Broncos, but Taylor’s 2011 season is worthy of a mention and he has been consistent through his time on the Pittsburgh Steelers too. Taylor wreaked havoc in 2011, allowing just 41.7% of passes that came his way out of 96 attempts to be completed. What makes this more impressive is that he faced the likes of Larry Fitzgerald and Wes Welkeras well as young stud A.J. Green. Quarterbacks did not do so well throwing at Taylor either, only having a 54.8 QB rating with balls thrown his way, which was fourth among cornerbacks. Taylor hopefully will put his disastrous game in the playoffs behind him and keep up the great cornerback play going forward.

Brandon Carr: Some say that Brandon Carr is better than Brandon Flowers. In 2011 that might have been true but I’m not personally in that camp. But even with that said Carr is a solid cornerback and there is no question in my mind that he will help out Dallas’ defense. Given that Morris Claiborne is coming in I expect Carr to be put on the #1 wide receivers while Claiborne is served up the #2’s as he warms up. I’m not sure how that will work though because Carr was given the #2’s primarily last season. He posted great numbers, four interceptions, allowing just under 50% (49.4%) of passes thrown his way out of 79 attempts and quarterbacks only had a 61.7 QB rating throwing against him, but as I said, 2012 may be a big season in determining just how good Carr is, if they decide to line him up against the best receivers they face. And with the money Dallas spent, it would most likely behoove them to do that.

Chris Gamble: Chris Gamble might not ever be a top cornerback in the league but his 2011 season was something to marvel at. Gamble put up a career season that was definitely worth mentioning in this post, even in my opinion worthy of Pro Bowl or All-Pro recognition. Receivers only caught 45% of passes that were thrown Gamble’s way which is worth mentioning since he faced the likes of Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, Aaron Rodgers, Jay Cutler and Matthew Stafford, and receivers like Marques Colston, Roddy White, Greg Jennings, and Calvin Johnson. Gamble locked down on those quarterbacks, and they only had a 53.3 QB rating throwing his way. Eight seasons later after being drafted Gamble seems to finally be putting in work, and one can only hope for the best going forward. (One being Panthers fans, of course)

Carlos Rogers: An integral part of the revived 49ers defense, Carlos Rogers is another player much like Gamble that finally put it all together in 2011. After years of frustrating Washington Redskins fans with his stone hands, Rogers finally greased them up a little to be able to catch the ball, collecting six interceptions on the season and even running one back for a touchdown. Rogers racked up 52 tackles along with three assists as well and quarterbacks throwing his way only had a 61.9 QB rating. He was always around the ball and defined the “playmaker” in 2011 and after re-signing with the 49ers, their fans can only hope for more out of Rogers and hope that he does not regress back to what he was in Washington.

Cortland Finnegan: The only player on this list to make a strong, strong case to be a top 10 cornerback is the last player on this list, and does not even play for the team he played for in 2011. Finnegan followed his former coach Jeff Fisher to St. Louis, and the Rams will love to have him. He’s a complete cornerback and not only can he just do well in coverage but he’s a great tackler, excellent at pass rushing (ranked 7th among cornerbacks in pass rushing productivity according to PFF) and had two incredible outings in 2011. The first was against the Baltimore Ravens, where he broke up four passes of seven that were thrown his way, with one of them leading to a pick, and only allowed two receptions on the day for a miniscule 24 yards. The second great performance was against the Cincinnati Bengals when he was as close to being lockdown as lockdown gets. He only allowed one reception for three yards, and came up with two pass breakups and two stops in the run game. Cortland Finnegan may have a bit of an attitude along with him but he is a complete cornerback and he is JUST on the outside looking in.