The NFL’s best cornerbacks in zone coverage

Who are the NFL’s best zone coverage cornerbacks? When you match stats to tape, here are the 11 top players with that designation.

5. James Bradberry, New York Giants

(Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports)

The Panthers’ second-round pick out of Samford in the 2016 draft, Bradberry was a bit underrated as Josh Norman’s successor, and Carolina’s top cornerback. But the Giants had no trouble discerning his value, as they threw him a three-year, $45 million contract this offseason. The Giants played zone on 55% of their defensive snaps in 2019, and they didn’t do it very well — especially after cutting Janoris Jenkins in December following a social media flap. The wisdom of letting Jenkins go will be discussed in a moment, but there’s no question that Bradberry will fit Big Blue’s zone concepts like a hand in glove. In 2019, he allowed just 27 receptions on 52 targets for 387 yards, no touchdowns, three interceptions, and a Positive Play Rate of 44.2%.