Run-N-Shoot: Where Have All the Corners Gone?
by Dan Kadar
By Andrew Calara
The era of the shutdown cornerback is dead. Why has this happened, where have they gone, and how will teams slow down the pass these days?
Like the lone West cowboy, the shutdown cornerback is a dying breed. Where the cowboy used to rule the range and used to rule our television screens, the shutdown corner used to rule his half of the field and change the complexion of the passing game. Growing up, many of us cherish and remember the days when Hall of Fame greats such as Deion Sanders, Darrell Green and Rod Woodson changed the complexion of their defense and their opponent’s passing games. Those days are no more, and playoff rosters are filled with the like of Corey Webster and Cortland Finnegan.
With more and more teams moving toward West Coast or wide-open style passing games that send out four or five targets at a time, it’s becoming harder and harder for a single cornerback to have a huge impact on the game. Why would teams throw at a team’s No. 1 corner when they have such huge matchup advantages elsewhere, such as their tight end on a linebacker or simply targeting weaker No. 2 or No. 3 corners. One only has to look as to the fairly negligible effect that Champ Bailey has had with the Denver defense. While he is a fine player, a truly well-rounded player who excels at defending the run and the pass, he by himself was not able to raise the Denver defense beyond No. 19 in yardage and No. 28 in scoring in the NFL. His singular ability was not enough to make up for poor defensive line play or poor complimentary corner play. One should also not forget the effect of recent NFL rules changes to help the passing game. With the tighter enforcement of illegal contact and pass interference rules, it is very tough for defenders to cover for any long duration of time, particularly in man coverage down the field.
But one particular trend has affected NFL corner play far before they hit the NFL. With college teams also moving toward far more wide-open passing games, particularly with the uprising of spread offense, college teams are looking to get the ball in the hands of their best athletes. Often, these top athletes were recruited as cornerbacks, and when they get moved to offense, they are not being replaced by athletes of the same caliber. Recently, we’ve seen top high school cornerback prospects such as Ted Ginn, Leon Washington, Devin Hester and Ronald Johnson get moved to offense to provide big-play ability to their college teams. In Ginn’s, Washington’s and Johnson’s case, they weren’t even given the chance to play corner in a game, and Hester was never fully committed to the position. In their place, former two- and three-star prospects such as Antoine Cason and Mike Jenkins have risen to take their place on top of NFL draft rankings. While they are fine prospects and fine athletes, they have never really been projected as true shutdown corners.
Corner play is still important in NFL defenses. Of the final four teams remaining in the NFL playoffs, all have good defenses, and all but the Giants receive very solid corner play. Green Bay has one of the best corner tandems in all of football, and New England and San Diego both sport Pro Bowlers at corner. But far more important to their success as pass defenses is their ferocious pass rush. The Giants, New England, and San Diego rank No. 1, No. 2, and No. 5, respectively, in sacks. Teams No. 3 and No. 4 in sack rankings were Dallas and Seattle, both playoff teams, and Green Bay is no slacker at No. 13 in sacks in the league. These teams have used far more high draft picks on pass rushers and they’ve hit well on players such as Shawne Merriman and Osi Unmenyiora. As they say, even the best quarterback can’t complete a pass when they are flat on their back.
So what does this mean for the future? This year’s class of cornerbacks is not viewed as particularly strong. None of the top corners this year are viewed as consensus top-10 picks, and certainly none of them are viewed as being in the class of a Charles Woodson or Champ Bailey when they came out of college. But that isn’t to say teams with a pass defense need have to fear. Teams like the Patriots and Buccaneers have shown that you can build a strong defensive backfield on mid round picks and good coaching. What this draft does have in abundance though are quality pass rushers. From projected high draft picks such as Chris Long and Vernon Gholston, to guys who should be around later like Quentin Groves and Bruce Davis, teams should be able to find players to bring the heat. For a smart team that knows where to focus, it should be a bonanza.
For complaints, comments, and suggestions, feel free to email me at andrewc@newerascouting.com