The NFL’s best cornerbacks in man coverage

The ability to play man coverage has always been highly important in the NFL. Who’s best at it coming into the 2020 NFL season?

4. Tre Flowers, Seattle Seahawks

(Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports)

The fifth round appears to be a good round for Seattle defensive backs. In 2011, the Seahawks took a fifth-round flyer on a former Stanford receiver names Richard Sherman, which worked out pretty well. Last season, there was a fifth-round pick trade with Detroit for safety Quandre Diggs, which probably saved Seattle’s defense. There are legal complications at this point, but the fifth-round trade with the Redskins this offseason for cornerback Quinton Dunbar could be another amazing deal under the right circumstances.

And then, there’s Tre Flowers, selected in the fifth round of the 2018 draft out of Oklahoma State. While he’s still getting the hang of a lot of the things (quick routes and quick receivers) that tend to bedevil cornerbacks of his size (6’3″, 203 pounds), Flowers has proven to be an outstanding man cornerback in that he uses his big body to landmark receivers and take them through the route. Last season in man coverage, Flowers allowed 14 catches on 25 targets for 138 yards, no touchdowns, one interception, and an opposing QBR of 38.4. Only the three cornerbacks who finished above him on this list allowed lower QBR totals. As we said in the Quinton Dunbar section, it might be time for the Seahawks to play more man coverage.

Kevin King | Marcus Peters | William Jackson III | Bradley Roby | Quinton Dunbar | Steven Nelson | Tre’Davious White | Tre Flowers | Stephon Gilmore | Jason McCourty | J.C. Jackson