1. Stephon Gilmore, New England Patriots
I had Gilmore as the NFL’s best outside cornerback last year, and putting him back at No. 1 was an easy call. Why? Because although the Patriots play more man coverage than any other team (54% of their snaps last season), and Gilmore is an ideal man cornerback, there isn’t anything he doesn’t do well. In 2019, Gilmore allowed 28 catches on 62 targets for 424 yards, one touchdown, four interceptions, and an opposing QBR of 34.1 in man coverage. He allowed 11 receptions on 24 targets for 124 yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions, and a Positive Play Rate of 41.7% in zone coverage. And when he was asked to move inside to the slot, Gilmore allowed 10 catches on 20 targets for 161 yards, 77 yards after the catch, one touchdown, two interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 54.4.
Recently, ESPN revealed its list of the NFL’s top 10 receivers, and on that list, Cowboys star receiver Amari Cooper was debited for catching just two passes on 30 routes against the Patriots last season. Here’s the problem for Cooper: Gilmore was on him throughout the game, and when the Cowboys telegraphed their route concepts, Gilmore picked them up and used them against Dallas (and specifically Cooper) when the ball came Cooper’s way. So. maybe we should give Cooper a break on that one.
Mistake: Running the same route against Stephon Gilmore more than once. You're just giving him the answers to the test. pic.twitter.com/Oeg1zh4g1z
— Doug Farrar (@NFL_DougFarrar) July 13, 2020
Gilmore won the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year award, and there’s no way to argue the honor. At a position that has become more and more crucial to team success, he’s as good as it gets in every way possible.