1. Darrelle Revis- Revis is easily the best cornerback in the NFL right now, and he breaks up almost as many passes as receptions allowed.

2. Nnamdi Asomugha- Despite a poor 2011, I still believe in his ability as a pure cover guy. However, Nnamdi is awful in run support and can't tackle.

3. Champ Bailey- I bet this guy could still be a premier cover corner into his late 30's.

4. Tramon Williams- He was so beast last season that only a "decent" 2011 doesn't detract from how great he was in coverage in 2010.

5. Brandon Flowers- Flowers shows us that you don't need height to be an elite corner.

6. Charles Woodson- Has had a poor season this year against the run and as a pass rusher, but he's starting to come around. Woodson is still playing solid- as always- in coverage.

7. Ike Taylor- Only Darrelle Revis has been better in coverage statistically, but stats don't tell the whole story. However, this physical corner has still been very good in 2011.

8. Asante Samuel- Samuel can't play the run or tackle at all, but he is still a top corner in this league.

9. Antoine Winfield- He can do it all, and his top ten ranking is a result from some really good pass rushing- for a corner- and run stopping.

10. Jonathan Joseph- Joseph was one of the best free agent signings, and he is having a shutdown year and playing at the high level he did in 2009.

11. Carlos Rogers- Have you seen him this year? The best signing of 2011.

12. Leon Hall- I miss it when he and Joseph ruled the world in 2009.

13. Jabari Greer- When will he ever have an injury-free season?

14. Joe Haden- Haden is proving that he was the better rookie from last year's class.

15. Brent Grimes- You don't need to be tall to be an effective corner.

16. Charles Tillman- But this guy disagrees.

17. Chris Gamble- Has been one of the best corners this season.

18. Devin McCourty- I'm going to patiently wait for a bounce-back, but he won't move into the top 15 until he shows he can be consistently good beyond his rookie year.

19. Antonio Cromartie- He gets beat, but he's still a good corner.

20. Cortland Finnegan- He's starting to turn it up again this season.

21. Vontae Davis- He's having a down year, and this is the reason why he isn't in the top 20. But look for him to start climbing up in the future and possibly getting into the top ten one day.

22. Josh Wilson- Wilson was a terrific signing for the Washington Redskins, even though he has been a little bit disappointing this season after a really good year that went under the radar in 2010 with the Ravens.

23. Corey Webster- I miss his 2008 greatness, but he's still a solid player.

24. Aqib Talib- A great talent when he is at his best, but that's usually tough to come by.

25. Chris Houston- He's having a a breakout year and is one of the main reasons why the Lions are where they are at.

26. Ladarius Webb- Has taken the place of Wilson to become the Ravens best corner.

27. Alterraun Verner- Makes up one of the best trios in the NFL with Finnegan and Jason McCourty, and Verner is a 2010 rookie corner who is largely overshadowed by Haden and McCourty.

28. Captain Munnerlyn- Underrated speed demon who can definitely hold down the fort.

29. Chris Culliver- An extremely underrated rookie corner who combines with Rogers to make one of the better cornerback duos in the league.

30. Stanford Routt- Nnamdi's replacement is overpaid but is still decent.

31. Seth Smith- He is in the midst of an awful year, but Smith is still one of the better corners in the league.

32. Brandon Carr- Might be a little low, but it's because he doesn't really blow me away and is more of a solid player.

33. Chris Carr- Another solid corner who needs some more playing time.

34. Quentin Jammer- Physical corner who has been a little disappointing this year, but not as much as last year's breakout Antoine Cason.

35. Ron Bartell- Easily the best cornerback on the Rams roster.

36. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie- Loads of talent, but really nothing to show for it because he plays like he doesn't care.

37. Sheldon Brown- Doesn't give up many catches, but they end up being big plays when he does.

38. Leigh Bodden- I will never get why the Patriots released him, because he's an underrated player who is one of the best players in zone coverage; he was in the midst of a solid season amidst poor play from most of the other corners (McCourty).

39. Jason McCourty- Don't sleep on the "other" McCourty.

39. Terrence McGee- It's sad to see a perennially underrated corner going on the decline "thanks" to age and injury.

40. Sam Shields- He really impressed me last season and is one of the better slot corners in the league.

41. Patrick Robinson- Watch for him to shoot up the rankings soon, but I'm not totally sold on him yet.

42. Richard Marshall- He doesn't give up that many catches, but- despite his speed- gets a burned way too much.

43. Chris Cook- The off the field trouble mars some talent that isn't talked about quite enough.

44. Tracy Porter- Everybody remembers him for being a Super Bowl hero, but he has been struggling of late. However, Porter is still a decent corner who can make plays when needed.

45. Mike Jenkins- Jenkins is one of the most talented corners in the league, but he gets burned a lot.

46. Richard Sherman- I'm really starting to believe in this rookie, and he is an underrated player who is easily the Seahawks best corner.

47. Rashean Mathis- The veteran has really improved from an awful 2010 season.

48. Antoine Cason- I really can't take him seriously after what has happened this season, but he is another guy who is primed to move on up.

49. Nate Clements- Plays the run as well as any corner in the league, and he isn't terrible in coverage either.

50. Derek Cox- He has the potential to really shoot up this list with some more improved play.

His 2008 season was a wonder to behold

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: NFL, NFL Rankings, CBs, Devin McCourty, Antonio Cromartie, Darrelle Revis, Seth Smith, Vontae Davis, Terrence McGee, Jonathan Joseph, Alterraun Verner, Cortland Finnegan, Jason McCourty, Ike Taylor, Leon Hall, Nate Clements, Joe Haden, Sheldon Brown, Chris Carr, Ladarius Webb, Antoine Cason, Quentin Jammer, Brandon Carr, Brandon Flowers, Champ Bailey, Stanford Routt, Asante Samuel, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Nnamdi Asomugha, Corey Webster, Mike Jenkins, Josh Wilson, Captain Munnerlyn, Chris Gamble, Jabari Greer, Patrick Robinson, Tracy Porter, Aqib Talib, Brent Grimes, Charles Woodson, Sam Shields, Tramon Williams, Chris Houston, Charles Tillman, Antoine Winfield, Chris Cook, Carlos Rogers, Chris Culliver, Richard Marshall, Ron Bartell, Richard Sherman, Leigh Bodden FA

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2011 Week 2 Preview: Falcons and Eagles

September 16th 2011 16:54

Before I take a look at this game, I want to recall the 2004 season's NFC Championship game between these two teams. This was back when Michael Vick was the Falcons beloved franchise quarterback, and it was also the year in which Donovan McNabb roasted everybody and took the Eagles to the Super Bowl. They lost, but Andy Reid may finally be able to lay claim to a title of his own this season. The Eagles first legitimate test is an away game against Atlanta.

The reason why I mention the home and away dynamic is the fact that Matty Ice and the Atlanta offense are even better in the Georgia Dome. However, they are coming off of an embarrassing and unexpected drubbing against the Chicago Bears in the season's first week. The thing is, they really didn't play as poorly as the scoreline (30-12) would suggest. They are too talented to not bounce back, but that lackluster performance certainly hurts their stock going into this game. I mean, it's pretty difficult to be a legit Super Bowl candidate when you lose 30-12 to a team who will most likely struggle to go 8-8.

What hurt the Falcons most in that game was their offensive line, and the veteran presence of Todd McClure was sorely missed. He will most likely miss this game, and Joe Hawley is one of the last guys you want starting at center against the defensive line that they will be facing. Left guard Justin Blalock is one of the best guards out there, but interior of the line looks weak otherwise.

Speaking of which, the Eagles defensive line was absolutely dominant against the Rams. Jason Smith was consistently beaten, and backup ends Darryl Tapp and Juqua Parker showed that they are more talented than "just backups". Cullen Jenkins was a huge presence, and Trent Cole turned in yet another solid performance. Yeah, the Eagles defensive line has been as-advertised.

Unfortunately, the same can't be said about their linebackers. All of them were horrible, and Casey Matthews really needs to get some tips from his brother. The secondary has looked solid and should be able to keep the Falcons offense somewhat at bay, but I could see Tony Gonzalez and Michael Turner having big days.

What I really like about the Eagles secondary is the fact that they have four good corners on their roster. We all know about Nnamdi, Samuel, and DRC; but Joselio Hanson is a good player in his own right. He is vastly underrated and is one of the better nickel backs in the league.

The Falcons were dealt a huge blow when it was announced that standout- and underrated- defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux would be out for three to five weeks with a partially torn MCL. He is a very good run-stuffer and one of the best interior pass rushers in the game. His replacement, Corey Peters, is very average and won't be capable of replacing him. This matchup looks a whole lot better from LeSean McCoy's viewpoint.

Jason Peters should be able to hold his own, but I really worry about Todd Herremans in this matchup. It's not everyday that you're asked to block two top pass rushers in Kroy Biermann and Ray Edwards, but Sunday is just one of those days where he won't want to wake up (thank you Fred Durst). I think this line should be able to get some pressure on Michael Vick, and I could see Ray Edwards ending up with a lot of pressure and multiple sacks.

Brent Grimes, Dunta Robinson, and Thomas DeCoud make up a solid secondary, but I don't see how these guys contain the Eagles offense. I can see this game being a really high scoring affair, albeit with a lot of sacks.

For the reasons listed above, I think that the Eagles have the advantage in this one. They have the better secondary and passing matchup overall, and their running game should only be slightly less productive than the Falcons' ground game.

MVP: Trent Cole

Prediction: 34 Eagles 30 Falcons