Comparing AFC West Defenses: Which team has best cornerbacks?

How do the Kansas City Chiefs cornerbacks compare to the rest of the AFC West?

We’ve reached the fourth installment of the AFC West defensive evaluations. We have already explored interior defensive linemen, pass rushers, and linebackers. Now it’s time to size up the division’s cornerbacks.

When it comes to offseason moves, there were some impactful changes at the cornerback position in the AFC West this spring. The Broncos largely kept their secondary the same. Meanwhile, the Chargers made the biggest cornerback move of the offseason by adding J.C. Jackson, formerly of the New England Patriots, in free agency. The Raiders also added a decent player in Rock Ya-Sin in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts for Yannick Ngakoue. The Kansas City Chiefs drafted Trent McDuffie in the first round of the draft and traded for Lonnie Jonson in a deal with the Houston Texans.

With the dust settled, let’s see how the cornerbacks compare.

DENVER BRONCOS

Ronald Darby – PFF CB RANK: 69/116

Darby is a relatively average cornerback. In 2021, he put up 47 solo tackles, 37 receptions allowed, and 64 targets (58% allowed). This was a regression compared to 2020 in which he recorded 51 solo tackles, and allowed 50 receptions on 92 targets for a 54% completion rate. He’s also beginning to get up in age, being 28 and having already played 7 seasons.

Patrick Surtain II – PFF CB RANK: 39/116

Surtain was an unsurprising success. Being picked 9th overall, we all expected him to be good. In his rookie year, he recorded 49 solo tackles, 49 receptions allowed, 85 targets (58% allowed), and 4 interceptions. I expect him to only get better with time.

Points: 3

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

J.C. Jackson — PFF CB RANK: 7/116

Jackson is easily the best cornerback in the AFC West, now that he’s here. In 2021, he put up solid numbers with 45 solo tackles, 50 receptions allowed, 98 targets (51% allowed), 8 interceptions, and 1 forced fumble. And this was his best year yet. In 2020, he recorded 38 solo tackles, allowed 45 receptions on 75 targets for a 55% completion rate, and had 9 interceptions. This talent on the Chargers will make them lethal back deep.

Asante Samuel Jr.  — PFF CB RANK: 90/116

Samuel was a bit of a disappointment. Being selected mid-second round, he should’ve done more than 36 solo tackles, 38 receptions allowed, 56 targets (50% allowed), 2 interceptions. He’s got a long way to go to live up to his father’s name, but I think he will get better with time.

Points: 4

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

Rock Ya-Sin — PFF CB RANK: 29/116

Honestly, I didn’t even know who Ya-Sin was until he was traded to the Raiders. I’d heard the name, but I didn’t think he was worth Yannick Ngakoue. But, looking at his stats, he surprised me. He’s not phenomenal, but he’s still slightly above average with 29 solo tackles, 26 receptions allowed, 46 targets (57% allowed), 1 forced fumble. And, because the Raiders also have Chandler Jones, Ya-Sin will make for a good addition.

Trayvon Mullen — PFF CB RANK: N/A

Mullen is the big question mark for the Raiders. He’s been very average since being drafted and played only 229 snaps last season. In that time, he only recorded 17 solo tackles, 15 receptions allowed, 22 targets (68% allowed), and 1 interception.

Points: 2

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Trent McDuffie — NCAA PFF CB RANK: 181/478

Like all rookies I’ve evaluated in this series, McDuffie is an unknown quantity. He recorded 25 solo tackles, 10 assists, and 1 sack in his final season with Washington, but college stats don’t always correlate to a player’s NFL performance. I sincerely hope he does well for the Chiefs.

L’Jarius Sneed — PFF CB RANK: 52/116

I love L’Jarius Sneed. I think he’s a great cornerback for his age. However, last season’s performance was wildly underwhelming with 61 solo tackles, 67 receptions allowed, 90 targets (74% allowed), 2 interceptions, 1 forced fumble, and 1 sack on 918 snaps. That 74% completion rate is what unnerves me the most. I hope on a completely revamped defense, he does better. But, for now, I can’t say that he’s worth the hype.

Points: 1

The Best: Chargers

While Asante Samuel Jr.’s rookie season wasn’t the most impressive, pair him with J.C. Jackson and he’ll have his breakout season. I have full faith that the Chargers’ defense will be one of the best in the league in 2022.

With only one position left to evaluate, the standings are as follows:

1. Chargers (12)
2. Chiefs (10)
3. Raiders (9) (tie)
4. Broncos (9) (tie)