1. Tre’Davious White, Buffalo Bills
Last December, I did a tape piece in which I tried to discern who was the NFL’s best cornerback — New England’s Stephon Gilmore, or Buffalo’s Tre’Davious White? The differences between the two as far as overall excellence were tough; these are the two best at their position in the NFL. But White’s attributes in zone coverage were made abundantly clear:
White is slightly less aggressive, and perhaps more of a technician. His backpedal is a thing of beauty, which allows him to play off coverage more effectively. Few if any cornerbacks play bail coverage better — White has a supernatural ability to track the backfield with his eyes while keeping up with the most difficult routes and most talented receivers. He showed this with his first interception against the Steelers, covering speed receiver James Washington downfield. If you want to draw up a zone cornerback and all that is required from the position, White is as close to the paradigm as you’ll find in the league today.
The stats match the tape. White allowed 25 receptions on 43 targets for 325 yards, no touchdowns, five interceptions, and a Positive Play Rate of 48.8. Given his ability to dominate against the league’s best receivers on a week-to-week basis, and his remarkable consistency, White made his claim as the league’s best zone cornerback obvious, and inarguable.