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NFL Week 18 cornerback rankings

2TDK0H5 San Francisco 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward (7) runs the ball against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Charvarius Ward breaks into the top five: Ward’s 91.7 coverage grade ranked first at the position in Week 17 and is highlighted by his interception in the red zone to nullify a potential scoring drive by the Washington Commanders.

Trent McDuffie continues to lock it down: Targeted just twice, McDuffie allowed two catches for 14 yards and made two pass stops last Sunday.

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Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes


If quarterback is the most important position on the football field, then limiting the effectiveness of that player is the most important thing a defense can do.

A team can do this in two ways: It can pressure the passer to disrupt his timing, rhythm and accuracy, or it can shut down the opposing receivers.

These rankings will combine PFF coverage grades with our Successful Coverage Over Expected (SCOE) data, which looks at how well each coverage defender performed on non-targeted coverage snaps, as we grade every coverage defender’s ability to prevent separation whether they are targeted on the play or not.

Here are the top 32 cornerbacks for the 2023 season through Week 17. For more grades and statistics on the league's best cornerbacks, check out PFF Premium Stats.

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