3. Richard Sherman, San Francisco 49ers
Being a great cornerback is hard. Being a great cornerback for a long time? Well, that’s really hard, and very rare.
Lowest completion % allowed in primary coverage since 2010:
1. Richard Sherman – 47%
2. Antonio Cromartie – 48%
3. Darrelle Revis – 50%
3. Vontae Davis – 50% pic.twitter.com/TTia5hNueY— PFF (@PFF) July 12, 2020
Sherman was unquestionably the NFL’s most dominant cornerback in the Seahawks’ Super Bowl seasons of 2013 and 2014. In those two years combined, he gave up just two touchdowns to 14 interceptions, and quarterbacks were better off throwing the ball away than anywhere near him. In the years since, Sherman had a couple of relatively off-years due to injury, but he enjoyed a remarkable comeback season with the 49ers in 2019. At 31, an age when a lot of cornerbacks are preparing for broadcasting gigs, the nine-year veteran allowed 34 catches on 61 targets for 373 yards, 123 yards after the catch, one touchdown, five interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 45.3 — his lowest since he hit 40.3 in 2014. Sherman hasn’t lost much of a step, and he’s been able to offset whatever physical attrition he may have undergone in his career with as incisive a football mind as you’ll see on any field.
How long will he be able to play at this level? Unknown, but betting against Richard Sherman has proved to be a fool’s errand for a long time.