10. Chris Harris Jr., Los Angeles Chargers
An undrafted free agent out of Kansas, Harris turned himself into the premier slot cornerback of his generation, though he has moved from the slot to outside depending on the season. Last year, in Vic Fangio’s defense, Harris played 937 snaps outside, and 40 in the slot. That’s a big switch from his 2018 season, when he played 440 snaps in the slot, and 264 outside.
Now with the Chargers after nine years in Denver, Harris has said that he will spend most of his time in the slot as part of one of the NFL’s most potentially dominant secondaries. What makes Harris the personification of the slot defender throughout his career? His short-area speed, change of direction ability, and toughness are all prototypical, but it’s his intelligence and awareness to discern what’s happening in the passing game before it happens that gives him a considerable advantage. The Chargers got a real bargain in Harris’ two-year, $20 million contract, but it’s interesting to see how Harris and Desmond King (who just missed this list) will co-exist in a defense that put more than five defensive backs on the field just 19% of the time in 2019.