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AFC West positional rankings: Which team has the best cornerbacks?

By Grant Tuttle

DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 30: Cornerback Casey Hayward #26 of the San Diego Chargers celebrates while running to the end zone after intercepting the ball in the fourth quarter of the game against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on October 30, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 30: Cornerback Casey Hayward #26 of the San Diego Chargers celebrates while running to the end zone after intercepting the ball in the fourth quarter of the game against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on October 30, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /
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FOXBORO, MA – OCTOBER 29: Desmond King #20 of the Los Angeles Chargers warms up before a game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on October 29, 2017 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
FOXBORO, MA – OCTOBER 29: Desmond King #20 of the Los Angeles Chargers warms up before a game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on October 29, 2017 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) /

No. 3 Cornerbacks

1. Desmond King, Los Angeles Chargers

Good Lord. The Chargers Cornerbacks are stacked, on paper at least. Desmond King is entering his second year coming off of a stellar rookie season. King played in the slot for the Chargers last season and did an admirable job. He is quick and strong and will improve over time. Next season should be a further improvement.

2016-2017:

76 tackles, 4 sacks, 0 forced fumbles, 5 passes defensed, 1 interception

Prediction:

45 tackles, 0.5 sacks, 0 forced fumbles, 7 passes defensed, 2 interceptions

OAKLAND, CA – OCTOBER 15: David Amerson #29 of the Oakland Raiders runs off the field with the ball after a fumble recovery against the Los Angeles Chargers during their NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on October 15, 2017 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Don Feria/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA – OCTOBER 15: David Amerson #29 of the Oakland Raiders runs off the field with the ball after a fumble recovery against the Los Angeles Chargers during their NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on October 15, 2017 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Don Feria/Getty Images) /

2. David Amerson, Kansas City Chiefs

Yes, David Amerson is the second best number three Cornerback in the AFC West. As negative and skeptical as Chiefs fans are, I don’t believe that Amerson will be nearly as bad as some fear. Amerson played very well in 2015 and was serviceable in 2016. After a bad season, I expect Amerson to bounce back and play well on a one-year “prove it” deal. I am most certainly more confident in Amerson than the average Chiefs fan.

2016-2017: (6 games)

18 tackles, 0 sacks, 0 forced fumbles, 4 passes defensed, 0 interceptions

Prediction:

34 tackles, 0 sacks, 0 forced fumbles, 8 passes defensed, 1 interception

LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 24: Tramaine Brock #26 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts during the game against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 24, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 24: Tramaine Brock #26 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts during the game against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 24, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

3. Tramaine Brock, Denver Broncos

Tramaine Brock is a step down from the rest of the Broncos defensive backfield. Brock struggled last season and is on his third team in three years. I believe one could make a fair argument that he deserves to be ranked above David Amerson. However, I don’t believe that he is going to be anything special. In fact, I think that he will struggle in the slot against the AFC West’s speed at Wide Receiver.

2016-2017: (11 games)

8 tackles, 0 sacks, 0 forced fumbles, 1 pass defensed, 0 interceptions

Prediction:

28 tackles, 0 sacks, 0 forced fumbles, 4 passes defensed, 0 interceptions

GLENDALE, AZ – NOVEMBER 22: Running back Chris Johnson
GLENDALE, AZ – NOVEMBER 22: Running back Chris Johnson /

4. Leon Hall, Oakland Raiders

If you are worried about the Cornerbacks in Kansas City, relax. It could always be worse. When Jon Gruden took over, he decided to make a team based on experience. The addition of Leon Hall was a part of this strategy. At age 33, Leon Hall has looked like a shell of his former self, racking up three starts in two years. I can’t imagine Hall being an effective player against such talented competition.

2016-2017: (9 games)

16 tackles, 0 sacks, 0 forced fumbles, 1 pass defensed, 0 interceptions

Prediction:

21 tackles, 0 sacks, 0 forced fumbles, 2 passes defensed, 0 interceptions

Check out the complete AFC West positional rankings series:

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