• A.J. Terrell was the lone CB to top a 40% physicality rate: Terrell forced an incompletion on 20.6% of targets when getting physical with the receiver while allowing just a 32.4% completion percentage.
• The Jets' CB room prides itself on pushing receivers around: Sauce Gardner and Michael Carter II each made contact with receivers on more than 29% of their coverage snaps in 2023.
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Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes
PFF charts hundreds of different on-field actions. One newer data point is when coverage defenders make contact with a receiver in a route. We’ll use that as the basis for determining the most physical coverage defenders in the NFL. As it turns out, they are all cornerbacks.
All that said, here’s a look at the most physical coverage defenders based on their rate of making contact with a route-running receiver in 2023.
1. A.J. Terrell, Atlanta Falcons, 40.9%
One of the more talented cornerbacks in the NFL, Terrell tops the list with a whopping 40.9% of plays where he made contact with a receiver in 2023.
Trusting his abilities, Terrell forced an incompletion on 20.6% of targets when getting physical with the receiver while allowing just a 32.4% completion percentage.
![](https://media.pff.com/2024/06/Terrell-AJ_Profile.png)
2. Michael Davis, Washington Commanders, 38.2%
After spending his entire career with the Los Angeles (and San Diego) Chargers, Davis heads to D.C. and brings a physical playstyle with him. On plays when he made contact with the receiver, David forced an incompletion on 20.5% of targets. However, he did allow six touchdowns on 20 completions on such plays, resulting in a 119.3 passer rating.
3. Joey Porter Jr., Pittsburgh Steelers, 34.2%
Porter brings physicality to the Steelers' secondary and has proven to be one of the best young cornerbacks in the NFL. When he made contact with a receiver in 2023, he allowed just a 45.3 passer rating and a 38.2% completion percentage.
4. L'Jarius Sneed, Kansas City Chiefs, 33.0%
Sneed’s reputation as a physical cornerback is confirmed. He used his physicality to great success, as he allowed a low 30.3% completion percentage, forced an incompletion 21.1% of the time, surrendered a 46.0 passer rating and gave up a first down or touchdown on just 18.2% of his targets when making contact with a receiver.
5. Benjamin St-Juste, Washington Commanders, 32.9%
Being physical with a receiver can result in lockdown coverage but can also be a detriment. St-Juste produced mixed results when he made contact with a receiver, forcing an incompletion on 26.3% of targets but also allowing a first down or touchdown 34.2% of the time. He also let up 1.32 yards per cover snap on such plays.
![](https://media.pff.com/2024/06/Commanders_Lineup.png)
6. Sauce Gardner, New York Jets, 30.4%
A household name on top cornerback lists, Gardner is one of the best when making contact with receivers. He forced an incompletion on 27.3% of his targets, a first down or touchdown just 18.2% of the time, a paltry 0.41 yards per cover snap and a 42.4 passer rating, all while earning an 81.6 coverage grade. On his 22 physical targets, his receiver was deemed open just once.
7. Ja'Quan McMillian, Denver Broncos, 29.6%
McMillian is another on this list who produced mixed results when getting physical with receivers. He forced just one incompletion (4.6% of targets) and a first down or touchdown 27.3% of the time, but he allowed a low 70.1 passer rating and 0.69 yards per cover snap.
8. Jourdan Lewis, Dallas Cowboys, 29.5%
Lewis' physicality didn’t result in much success for the Cowboys' defense, as he allowed a 63.2% completion rate, a 115.9 passer rating, and a first down or touchdown on 36.8% of targets.
9. Michael Carter II, New York Jets, 29.5%
The Jets' cornerbacks tend to thrive via physicality, with Carter earning a 78.3 grade when making contact with a receiver. He allowed a 25% completion rate, a 25% forced incompletion rate and a touchdown-plus-first-down rate of 25% while allowing just 0.41 yards per cover snap. He was in tight coverage on every target where he made contact with the receiver in 2023.
![](https://media.pff.com/2024/06/Carter-Michael_Profile.png)
10. Paulson Adebo, New Orleans Saints, 28.9%
The Saints have a talented secondary, in which Adebo is often overlooked. But his physical playstyle led to positive results in 2023. He allowed just a 39.4% completion rate while forcing an incompletion on a whopping 33.3% of targets. That resulted in a strong 55.9 passer rating and no touchdowns into his physical coverage.