2024 Pre-Season Rank #97, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #98, 2022 Pre-Season Rank: #106, 2021 Pre-Season Rank: #125, 2020 Pre-Season Rank #138.  Peak Period 2017-21

The 2017 Defensive Rookie of the Year was a Pro Bowl Selection four times in his first five seasons, but his last three years have been riddled with injury, and Lattimore’s momentum has been derailed.  He has a lot more work to do in the next few seasons to get back on track, but he will now do so as a Washington Commander.  Lattimore could very well be at the crossroads.

2025 Pre-Season Rank #20, 2024 Pre-Season Rank #20, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #23, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #35, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #54, 2020 Pre-Season Rank #73.

The Rams believed that Jalen Ramsey was the best Cornerback in the NFL, and they went all in to get him during the 2019 season when he was disgruntled in Jacksonville.  Ramsey was the top CB in 2020, adding a second First Team All-Pro, a fourth Pro Bowl, and posting a career-high in Approximate Value (15).  Currently, over the AV/G, Ramsey added another Pro Bowl, First Team All-Pro, and, more importantly, a Super Bowl in 2021, proving the Rams right.  Ramsey claimed a sixth Pro Bowl in 2022 and a seventh with his third team in Miami, which was impressive considering he only played ten games in 2023.

One knock on Ramsey is that he is now on his fourth team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he is still a good player, albeit in decline, and another Pro Bowl-caliber season is in doubt.  Nevertheless, we have him as the highest-ranked cornerback for this study, though is he on the level of some of the Corners we use as a baseline?  His peak was excellent, but when you look at our baseline CBs, it is a hard level to break.   

Ramsey might still need a lot more.

2024 Pre-Season Rank #63, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #52, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #60, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #56, 2020 Pre-Season Rank #57.  Peak Period: 2015-19.

Missing the entire 2021 Season with a torn ACL, Marcus Peters had a decent 2022 in Baltimore, but it was in the shadow of his past glory.  A three-time leader in Interception Return Yards and former Defensive Rookie of the Year, Peters flamed out badly in Las Vegas and is not the player he used to be, and for the second autumn in a row, is looking for work.  It was a quick fall for a player who was once in the Top Cornerback in the NFL conversation.

2025 Pre-Season Rank #7, 2024 Pre-Season Rank #11: 2023 Pre-Season Rank #15, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #24, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #68, 2020 Pre-Season Rank #102.  Peak Period: 2019-23.

Watching T.J. Watt rocket through this rank reminds us of how his older brother, J.J., did the same thing.

A Pittsburgh Steeler for all of his nine seasons, Watt has been among the game’s top pass-rushers through most of it, winning three Sack Titles (2020, 2021 & 2023), two Tackles For Loss Titles (2020 & 2021), and was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2021.  Watt has been so dominant that he was the runner-up for the DPOY twice (in 2020 & 2023), third in 2019, and fourth in 2024.  He also led the NFL in Forced Fumbles twice (2019 & 2024) and is a member of the 100-sack club.

Watt’s peak may be over, but he is Canton-bound.  The only sad thing is that his bust can’t be beside J.J’s.