PTF 2007 SECONDARY POWER RANKINGS
No-Fly Zones, Ballhawks & the Last Line of Defense
WHY THE SECONDARY IS ONE UNIT
Cornerbacks, free safeties and strong safeties have different jobs, but unlike the linebacker split, their value is tightly connected on almost every passing play.
The corners have to win outside and underneath coverage. The free safety protects the roof, covers space and limits explosive plays. The strong safety connects the secondary to the box, adds run support and still has to survive in coverage.
That makes the secondary a natural five-man unit for this ranking.
The third corner is included because nickel personnel is too important to ignore, but CB3 is still weighted below the four base starters.
THE SCORING FORMULA
CB1 — 22.5%
CB2 — 22.5%
CB3 — 10%
FS — 25%
SS — 20%
Secondary Score = 0.225×CB1 + 0.225×CB2 + 0.10×CB3 + 0.25×FS + 0.20×SS
The two starting corners remain equally important. CB3 gets a meaningful 10% because the nickel corner sees the field often, but he does not carry the same weight as a base starter.
Free safety gets the largest individual share at 25%. That is intentional. The FS is the secondary's deep coverage anchor and last line of defense, so elite range and coverage can affect the entire structure behind both corners.
Strong safety remains very important at 20%, but the model gives the FS a slight edge because deep coverage mistakes are harder for the rest of the secondary to cover up.
Until an actual depth-chart override is known, the three highest-NOVR CBs plus the highest-NOVR FS and SS on each roster are treated as the projected unit.
League-average Secondary Score: 87.33
League median Secondary Score: 87.69
THE FULL LEAGUE SECONDARY POWER RANKING
1. Broncos — 94.08 — CB1 Ken Hamlin 99 | CB2 David Macklin 92 | CB3 Ricky Manning 78 | FS Bob Sanders 98 | SS Hanik Milligan 94
2. Bills — 93.80 — CB1 Nate Clements 99 | CB2 Shawn Springs 93 | CB3 Fernando Bryant 91 | FS Derrick Gibson 94 | SS Deon Grant 90
3. Eagles — 92.88 — CB1 Lito Sheppard 93 | CB2 Deltha O'Neal 92 | CB3 Devin Hester 85 | FS Keion Carpenter 95 | SS Michael Lewis 95
4. Ravens — 92.70 — CB1 Chris McAlister 98 | CB2 Michael Waddell 88 | CB3 Travis Daniels 79 | FS Ed Reed 99 | SS Will Demps 91
5. Chargers — 91.30 — CB1 Quentin Jammer 97 | CB2 Nathan Vasher 89 | CB3 David Pittman 71 | FS Mike Brown 99 | SS Gary Baxter 88
6. Lions — 91.28 — CB1 Sean Taylor 96 | CB2 Phillip Buchanon 93 | CB3 Bruce Thornton 75 | FS Jon McGraw 89 | SS Donnie Nickey 95
7. Cowboys — 91.10 — CB1 Duane Starks 91 | CB2 Ron Bartell 87 | CB3 Julius Peppers 86 | FS Sammy Knight 93 | SS Shaun Williams 96
8. Jaguars — 90.10 — CB1 Terence Newman 97 | CB2 Adam Jones 91 | CB3 Demarcus Faggins 79 | FS Chris Hope 98 | SS Roman Harper 77
9. Giants — 89.65 — CB1 Charles Woodson 98 | CB2 Will Allen 94 | CB3 Will James 90 | FS Jim Leonhard 85 | SS Kerry Rhodes 81
10. Saints — 88.83 — CB1 Sam Madison 93 | CB2 Johnathan Joseph 88 | CB3 Antonio Perkins 85 | FS Josh Bullocks 88 | SS Pat Tillman 88
11. Patriots — 88.78 — CB1 Sheldon Brown 95 | CB2 Andre Woolfolk 94 | CB3 Keiwan Ratliff 79 | FS Ryan Clark 91 | SS Colin Branch 78
T12. Bengals — 88.30 — CB1 Antoine Winfield 93 | CB2 DeAngelo Hall 89 | CB3 Brandon Browner 83 | FS Bryan Scott 77 | SS Adrian Wilson 99
T12. Packers — 88.30 — CB1 Sean Smith 93 | CB2 Mike McKenzie 91 | CB3 Patrick Willis 86 | FS Mike Adams 94 | SS Marviel Underwood 74
14. Falcons — 87.98 — CB1 Ty Law 94 | CB2 Derrick Strait 87 | CB3 Karl Paymah 82 | FS Stuart Schweigert 93 | SS Oshiomogho Atogwe 79
15. Steelers — 87.88 — CB1 Jerry Azumah 91 | CB2 Asante Samuel 90 | CB3 Stanford Routt 72 | FS Charles Drake 95 | SS Sean Jones 81
16. Jets — 87.85 — CB1 Derek Ross 91 | CB2 Tim Jennings 79 | CB3 Eric King 67 | FS Quintin Mikell 94 | SS Antrel Rolle 97
17. Texans — 87.53 — CB1 Dre' Bly 89 | CB2 R.W. McQuarters 84 | CB3 Jeremy LeSueur 78 | FS Gerald Sensabaugh 88 | SS Corey Chavous 94
18. Buccaneers — 87.30 — CB1 Brian Kelly 93 | CB2 Ronde Barber 93 | CB3 Josh Lay 68 | FS Dexter Jackson 97 | SS Jason Shivers 72
19. Dolphins — 87.10 — CB1 Brian Williams 93 | CB2 Ahmad Carroll 89 | CB3 Jamar Fletcher 84 | FS Michael Griffin 79 | SS Yeremiah Bell 90
20. Seahawks — 86.95 — CB1 Ken Lucas 95 | CB2 Travis Fisher 89 | CB3 Von Hutchins 74 | FS Gerome Sapp 95 | SS Dawan Landry 72
21. Colts — 86.18 — CB1 Marcus Trufant 94 | CB2 Julian Battle 85 | CB3 Pete Hunter 68 | FS Justin Beriault 86 | SS Jermaine Phillips 88
22. Titans — 85.98 — CB1 Samari Rolle 96 | CB2 Rashad Washington 77 | CB3 Adrian Ward 67 | FS Kurt Campbell 87 | SS Brian Dawkins 93
23. Bears — 85.73 — CB1 Champ Bailey 99 | CB2 Artrell Hawkins 84 | CB3 Will Poole 66 | FS Donte Whitner 95 | SS Marquand Manuel 71
24. Raiders — 85.15 — CB1 Jason Webster 89 | CB2 Darrelle Revis 85 | CB3 Dustin Fox 79 | FS Shane Walton 86 | SS Deandre' Eiland 83
25. Panthers — 85.08 — CB1 Dennis Weathersby 87 | CB2 Mike Hawkins 84 | CB3 Fakhir Brown 84 | FS Will Allen 80 | SS Michael Boulware 91
26. Redskins — 84.53 — CB1 Fred Smoot 89 | CB2 Nnamdi Asomugha 86 | CB3 Marlin Jackson 73 | FS Pat Watkins 81 | SS Ifeanyi Ohalete 88
27. Cardinals — 84.28 — CB1 Andre Dyson 95 | CB2 Antonio Cromartie 90 | CB3 Andre' Goodman 87 | FS Brandon Meriweather 83 | SS John Wendling 66
28. 49ers — 83.62 — CB1 Mike Rumph 93 | CB2 Waine Bacon 86 | CB3 Reynaldo Hill 81 | FS Eric Weddle 81 | SS Marques Anderson 75
29. Rams — 82.47 — CB1 Keith Smith 87 | CB2 Will Blackmon 78 | CB3 Ray Perryman 55 | FS Kim Herring 89 | SS Adam Archuleta 88
30. Browns — 81.45 — CB1 Shawntae Spencer 90 | CB2 Anthony Henry 86 | CB3 David Barrett 82 | FS Reggie Nelson 77 | SS Dwight Smith 72
31. Chiefs — 81.10 — CB1 Charles Tillman 91 | CB2 Corey Webster 75 | CB3 Jimmy Williams 72 | FS Etric Pruitt 87 | SS James Sanders 74
32. Vikings — 75.33 — CB1 Patrick Surtain 96 | CB2 Lewis Sanders 85 | CB3 Chris Houston 62 | FS Hamza Abdullah 56 | SS Erik Coleman 72
Denver takes the #1 spot at 94.08. Ken Hamlin gives the Broncos a 99 at CB1, Bob Sanders is a 98 at the heavily weighted FS spot, and Hanik Milligan adds a 94 at SS.
Buffalo is only 0.28 behind. The Bills have the best CB trio in the league for this model: Nate Clements 99, Shawn Springs 93 and Fernando Bryant 91, backed by Derrick Gibson 94 and Deon Grant 90.
Philadelphia is #3 with almost no weakness anywhere, while Baltimore reaches #4 behind Chris McAlister 98 and the league's co-best free safety, Ed Reed 99.
BEST STARTING CB DUOS
1. Bills — 96.0 — Nate Clements 99 / Shawn Springs 93
2. Giants — 96.0 — Charles Woodson 98 / Will Allen 94
3. Broncos — 95.5 — Ken Hamlin 99 / David Macklin 92
4. Lions — 94.5 — Sean Taylor 96 / Phillip Buchanon 93
5. Patriots — 94.5 — Sheldon Brown 95 / Andre Woolfolk 94
6. Jaguars — 94.0 — Terence Newman 97 / Adam Jones 91
7. Buccaneers — 93.0 — Brian Kelly 93 / Ronde Barber 93
8. Chargers — 93.0 — Quentin Jammer 97 / Nathan Vasher 89
9. Ravens — 93.0 — Chris McAlister 98 / Michael Waddell 88
10. Cardinals — 92.5 — Andre Dyson 95 / Antonio Cromartie 90
11. Eagles — 92.5 — Lito Sheppard 93 / Deltha O'Neal 92
12. Packers — 92.0 — Sean Smith 93 / Mike McKenzie 91
Buffalo and the Giants tie for the best starting CB duo at 96.0. Denver follows at 95.5, while Detroit and New England sit at 94.5.
BEST NICKEL CORNERS — CB3 DEPTH
1. Bills — Fernando Bryant — NOVR 91
2. Giants — Will James — NOVR 90
3. Cardinals — Andre' Goodman — NOVR 87
4. Cowboys — Julius Peppers — NOVR 86
5. Packers — Patrick Willis — NOVR 86
6. Eagles — Devin Hester — NOVR 85
7. Saints — Antonio Perkins — NOVR 85
8. Dolphins — Jamar Fletcher — NOVR 84
9. Panthers — Fakhir Brown — NOVR 84
10. Bengals — Brandon Browner — NOVR 83
11. Browns — David Barrett — NOVR 82
12. Falcons — Karl Paymah — NOVR 82
Fernando Bryant is the league's best projected CB3 at 91, which is a major reason Buffalo nearly takes the overall #1 spot.
Will James gives the Giants a 90 at CB3. That is starting-quality depth in a role weighted at only 10%, and it makes New York one of the deepest pure corner rooms in the league.
BEST SAFETY TANDEMS
1. Broncos — 96.0 — FS Bob Sanders 98 / SS Hanik Milligan 94
2. Jets — 95.5 — FS Quintin Mikell 94 / SS Antrel Rolle 97
3. Eagles — 95.0 — FS Keion Carpenter 95 / SS Michael Lewis 95
4. Ravens — 95.0 — FS Ed Reed 99 / SS Will Demps 91
5. Cowboys — 94.5 — FS Sammy Knight 93 / SS Shaun Williams 96
6. Chargers — 93.5 — FS Mike Brown 99 / SS Gary Baxter 88
7. Bills — 92.0 — FS Derrick Gibson 94 / SS Deon Grant 90
8. Lions — 92.0 — FS Jon McGraw 89 / SS Donnie Nickey 95
9. Texans — 91.0 — FS Gerald Sensabaugh 88 / SS Corey Chavous 94
10. Titans — 90.0 — FS Kurt Campbell 87 / SS Brian Dawkins 93
11. Rams — 88.5 — FS Kim Herring 89 / SS Adam Archuleta 88
12. Bengals — 88.0 — FS Bryan Scott 77 / SS Adrian Wilson 99
Denver also owns the best safety tandem: Bob Sanders 98 and Hanik Milligan 94 average 96.0.
The Jets are second at 95.5 behind Quintin Mikell 94 and Antrel Rolle 97. Philadelphia and Baltimore both average 95.0 at safety.
TOP CORNERBACKS
1. Ken Hamlin, Broncos — NOVR 99 — Age 27
2. Nate Clements, Bills — NOVR 99 — Age 28
3. Champ Bailey, Bears — NOVR 99 — Age 29
4. Chris McAlister, Ravens — NOVR 98 — Age 30
5. Charles Woodson, Giants — NOVR 98 — Age 31
6. Terence Newman, Jaguars — NOVR 97 — Age 26
7. Quentin Jammer, Chargers — NOVR 97 — Age 28
8. Sean Taylor, Lions — NOVR 96 — Age 25
9. Patrick Surtain, Vikings — NOVR 96 — Age 31
10. Samari Rolle, Titans — NOVR 96 — Age 31
11. Andre Dyson, Cardinals — NOVR 95 — Age 28
12. Ken Lucas, Seahawks — NOVR 95 — Age 28
13. Sheldon Brown, Patriots — NOVR 95 — Age 28
14. Marcus Trufant, Colts — NOVR 94 — Age 25
15. Andre Woolfolk, Patriots — NOVR 94 — Age 27
16. Will Allen, Giants — NOVR 94 — Age 29
17. Ty Law, Falcons — NOVR 94 — Age 33
18. Lito Sheppard, Eagles — NOVR 93 — Age 26
19. Phillip Buchanon, Lions — NOVR 93 — Age 27
20. Brian Williams, Dolphins — NOVR 93 — Age 28
Ken Hamlin, Nate Clements and Champ Bailey form the 99 tier at corner.
TOP FREE SAFETIES
1. Ed Reed, Ravens — NOVR 99 — Age 29
2. Mike Brown, Chargers — NOVR 99 — Age 29
3. Bob Sanders, Broncos — NOVR 98 — Age 26
4. Chris Hope, Jaguars — NOVR 98 — Age 27
5. Greg Wesley, Unassigned — NOVR 97 — Age 29
6. Dexter Jackson, Buccaneers — NOVR 97 — Age 30
7. Donte Whitner, Bears — NOVR 95 — Age 22
8. Charles Drake, Steelers — NOVR 95 — Age 27
9. Gerome Sapp, Seahawks — NOVR 95 — Age 27
10. Keion Carpenter, Eagles — NOVR 95 — Age 30
11. Mike Adams, Packers — NOVR 94 — Age 27
12. Quintin Mikell, Jets — NOVR 94 — Age 27
13. Derrick Gibson, Bills — NOVR 94 — Age 28
14. Stuart Schweigert, Falcons — NOVR 93 — Age 27
15. Sammy Knight, Cowboys — NOVR 93 — Age 32
Ed Reed and Mike Brown are the two 99 free safeties. Bob Sanders and Chris Hope sit immediately behind them at 98.
Because FS carries 25% of the total secondary score, an elite player here can materially move an entire team's ranking.
TOP STRONG SAFETIES
1. Adrian Wilson, Bengals — NOVR 99 — Age 28
2. Antrel Rolle, Jets — NOVR 97 — Age 23
3. Darren Sharper, Unassigned — NOVR 97 — Age 32
4. Shaun Williams, Cowboys — NOVR 96 — Age 31
5. Donnie Nickey, Lions — NOVR 95 — Age 26
6. Michael Lewis, Eagles — NOVR 95 — Age 27
7. Hanik Milligan, Broncos — NOVR 94 — Age 27
8. Corey Chavous, Texans — NOVR 94 — Age 31
9. Brian Dawkins, Titans — NOVR 93 — Age 34
10. Kenoy Kennedy, Lions — NOVR 92 — Age 30
11. Michael Boulware, Panthers — NOVR 91 — Age 25
12. Will Demps, Ravens — NOVR 91 — Age 28
13. Yeremiah Bell, Dolphins — NOVR 90 — Age 26
14. Deon Grant, Bills — NOVR 90 — Age 28
15. Brian Russell, Cowboys — NOVR 90 — Age 29
Adrian Wilson is the lone 99 SS. Antrel Rolle and unassigned Darren Sharper are next at 97.
THE NEXT GENERATION — BEST ROSTERED DBs AGE 25 OR YOUNGER
1. Antrel Rolle, Jets — SS — NOVR 97 — Age 23
2. Sean Taylor, Lions — CB — NOVR 96 — Age 25
3. Donte Whitner, Bears — FS — NOVR 95 — Age 22
4. Marcus Trufant, Colts — CB — NOVR 94 — Age 25
5. Adam Jones, Jaguars — CB — NOVR 91 — Age 23
6. Michael Boulware, Panthers — SS — NOVR 91 — Age 25
7. Antonio Cromartie, Cardinals — CB — NOVR 90 — Age 23
8. Shawntae Spencer, Browns — CB — NOVR 90 — Age 24
9. DeAngelo Hall, Bengals — CB — NOVR 89 — Age 24
10. Ahmad Carroll, Dolphins — CB — NOVR 89 — Age 25
11. Johnathan Joseph, Saints — CB — NOVR 88 — Age 23
12. Gerald Sensabaugh, Texans — FS — NOVR 88 — Age 24
13. Josh Bullocks, Saints — FS — NOVR 88 — Age 24
14. Carlos Rogers, Bills — CB — NOVR 87 — Age 23
15. Ron Bartell, Cowboys — CB — NOVR 87 — Age 23
16. Kurt Campbell, Titans — FS — NOVR 87 — Age 24
17. Keith Smith, Rams — CB — NOVR 87 — Age 25
18. Patrick Willis, Packers — CB — NOVR 86 — Age 22
19. Justin Beriault, Colts — FS — NOVR 86 — Age 24
20. Darrelle Revis, Raiders — CB — NOVR 85 — Age 22
21. Antonio Perkins, Saints — CB — NOVR 85 — Age 24
22. Jim Leonhard, Giants — FS — NOVR 85 — Age 24
23. Devin Hester, Eagles — CB — NOVR 85 — Age 25
24. Mike Hawkins, Panthers — CB — NOVR 84 — Age 25
25. Todd Johnson, Giants — FS — NOVR 84 — Age 25
Antrel Rolle is the best young DB in the league at age 23/97. Sean Taylor is 25/96, Donte Whitner is only 22/95, and Marcus Trufant is 25/94.
That gives the league several secondary cornerstones who are already elite before reaching their late twenties.
MOST BALANCED SECONDARIES
1. Saints — spread 8 — 93/88/85/88/88 — Secondary Score 88.83
2. Bills — spread 9 — 99/93/91/94/90 — Secondary Score 93.80
3. Eagles — spread 10 — 93/92/85/95/95 — Secondary Score 92.88
4. Cowboys — spread 10 — 91/87/86/93/96 — Secondary Score 91.10
5. Raiders — spread 10 — 89/85/79/86/83 — Secondary Score 85.15
6. Panthers — spread 11 — 87/84/84/80/91 — Secondary Score 85.08
7. Dolphins — spread 14 — 93/89/84/79/90 — Secondary Score 87.10
8. Falcons — spread 15 — 94/87/82/93/79 — Secondary Score 87.98
9. Texans — spread 16 — 89/84/78/88/94 — Secondary Score 87.53
10. Redskins — spread 16 — 89/86/73/81/88 — Secondary Score 84.53
New Orleans is the most balanced five-man secondary in PTF: 93/88/85 at corner with 88/88 at safety. There is no superstar 99, but there is almost nowhere obvious to attack.
Buffalo is the best combination of balance and elite talent. Its entire five-man unit sits between 90 and 99.
THE BIGGEST WEAK-LINK PROBLEMS
Vikings — 40-point spread — best 96, weakest FS 56 — score 75.33
Rams — 34-point spread — best 89, weakest CB3 55 — score 82.47
Bears — 33-point spread — best 99, weakest CB3 66 — score 85.73
Jets — 30-point spread — best 97, weakest CB3 67 — score 87.85
Buccaneers — 29-point spread — best 97, weakest CB3 68 — score 87.30
Cardinals — 29-point spread — best 95, weakest SS 66 — score 84.28
Titans — 29-point spread — best 96, weakest CB3 67 — score 85.98
Chargers — 28-point spread — best 99, weakest CB3 71 — score 91.30
Colts — 26-point spread — best 94, weakest CB3 68 — score 86.18
Seahawks — 23-point spread — best 95, weakest SS 72 — score 86.95
Minnesota is the most extreme example. Patrick Surtain is a 96 CB1, but Hamza Abdullah is only 56 at FS — the most heavily weighted position in the formula. That combination drives the Vikings to #32 despite having a true shutdown-level corner.
Chicago has a similar structural problem: Champ Bailey 99 and Donte Whitner 95 are elite, but CB3 Will Poole 66 and SS Marquand Manuel 71 prevent the Bears from becoming a top secondary.
DIVISION-BY-DIVISION BREAKDOWN
AFC EAST
1. Bills — 93.80 — League 2 — CB 99/93/91 | FS 94 | SS 90
2. Patriots — 88.78 — League 11 — CB 95/94/79 | FS 91 | SS 78
3. Jets — 87.85 — League 16 — CB 91/79/67 | FS 94 | SS 97
4. Dolphins — 87.10 — League 19 — CB 93/89/84 | FS 79 | SS 90
Buffalo's #2 overall secondary carries the division. New England is also strong at #11, while Miami and the Jets sit closer to the middle.
AFC NORTH
1. Ravens — 92.70 — League 4 — CB 98/88/79 | FS 99 | SS 91
2. Bengals — 88.30 — League T12 — CB 93/89/83 | FS 77 | SS 99
3. Steelers — 87.88 — League 15 — CB 91/90/72 | FS 95 | SS 81
4. Browns — 81.45 — League 30 — CB 90/86/82 | FS 77 | SS 72
Baltimore owns the division's best secondary at #4. Cincinnati and Pittsburgh are both competitive, while Cleveland's safety scores keep the Browns near the bottom.
AFC SOUTH
1. Jaguars — 90.10 — League 8 — CB 97/91/79 | FS 98 | SS 77
2. Texans — 87.53 — League 17 — CB 89/84/78 | FS 88 | SS 94
3. Colts — 86.18 — League 21 — CB 94/85/68 | FS 86 | SS 88
4. Titans — 85.98 — League 22 — CB 96/77/67 | FS 87 | SS 93
Jacksonville leads at #8 behind Terence Newman and Chris Hope. Houston is solid, while Indianapolis and Tennessee have more obvious depth weaknesses.
AFC WEST
1. Broncos — 94.08 — League 1 — CB 99/92/78 | FS 98 | SS 94
2. Chargers — 91.30 — League 5 — CB 97/89/71 | FS 99 | SS 88
3. Raiders — 85.15 — League 24 — CB 89/85/79 | FS 86 | SS 83
4. Chiefs — 81.10 — League 31 — CB 91/75/72 | FS 87 | SS 74
Denver is #1 overall and San Diego is #5, giving the division two elite secondaries. Kansas City ranks #31 and drags down an otherwise strong group.
NFC EAST
1. Eagles — 92.88 — League 3 — CB 93/92/85 | FS 95 | SS 95
2. Cowboys — 91.10 — League 7 — CB 91/87/86 | FS 93 | SS 96
3. Giants — 89.65 — League 9 — CB 98/94/90 | FS 85 | SS 81
4. Redskins — 84.53 — League 26 — CB 89/86/73 | FS 81 | SS 88
The NFC East is the strongest secondary division. Philadelphia is #3, Dallas #7 and the Giants #9, with Washington the only team outside the top half.
NFC NORTH
1. Lions — 91.28 — League 6 — CB 96/93/75 | FS 89 | SS 95
2. Packers — 88.30 — League T12 — CB 93/91/86 | FS 94 | SS 74
3. Bears — 85.73 — League 23 — CB 99/84/66 | FS 95 | SS 71
4. Vikings — 75.33 — League 32 — CB 96/85/62 | FS 56 | SS 72
Detroit is excellent at #6, but Minnesota's league-worst 75.33 score drops the division substantially. Green Bay and Chicago sit in the middle.
NFC SOUTH
1. Saints — 88.83 — League 10 — CB 93/88/85 | FS 88 | SS 88
2. Falcons — 87.98 — League 14 — CB 94/87/82 | FS 93 | SS 79
3. Buccaneers — 87.30 — League 18 — CB 93/93/68 | FS 97 | SS 72
4. Panthers — 85.08 — League 25 — CB 87/84/84 | FS 80 | SS 91
New Orleans leads with the league's most balanced secondary. Tampa Bay is solid, while Carolina and Atlanta sit slightly lower.
NFC WEST
1. Seahawks — 86.95 — League 20 — CB 95/89/74 | FS 95 | SS 72
2. Cardinals — 84.28 — League 27 — CB 95/90/87 | FS 83 | SS 66
3. 49ers — 83.62 — League 28 — CB 93/86/81 | FS 81 | SS 75
4. Rams — 82.47 — League 29 — CB 87/78/55 | FS 89 | SS 88
Seattle is the division leader at #20. Arizona has good corner depth but a weak SS, St. Louis has a severe CB3 problem, and San Francisco lacks an elite safety anchor.
DIVISION STRENGTH RANKING
1. NFC EAST — 89.54
2. AFC EAST — 89.38
3. AFC WEST — 87.91
4. AFC NORTH — 87.58
5. AFC SOUTH — 87.44
6. NFC SOUTH — 87.29
7. NFC NORTH — 85.16
8. NFC WEST — 84.33
The NFC East takes the top spot, narrowly ahead of the AFC East. The NFC West is the weakest secondary division in the league.
UNASSIGNED SECONDARY HELP
1. Greg Wesley — FS — NOVR 97 — Age 29
2. Darren Sharper — SS — NOVR 97 — Age 32
3. Lamont Thompson — FS — NOVR 88 — Age 29
4. Antuan Edwards — SS — NOVR 88 — Age 30
5. Tony Parrish — SS — NOVR 88 — Age 32
6. Coy Wire — SS — NOVR 87 — Age 29
7. Renaldo Hill — CB — NOVR 87 — Age 29
8. Ahmed Plummer — CB — NOVR 87 — Age 31
9. Mark Roman — FS — NOVR 83 — Age 30
10. Walt Harris — CB — NOVR 83 — Age 33
11. Cory Hall — FS — NOVR 81 — Age 31
12. Donovin Darius — SS — NOVR 79 — Age 32
13. Lance Schulters — SS — NOVR 79 — Age 32
14. Daylon McCutcheon — CB — NOVR 78 — Age 31
15. Michael Green — SS — NOVR 78 — Age 31
16. Marcus Coleman — CB — NOVR 78 — Age 33
17. Fabian Washington — CB — NOVR 76 — Age 25
18. Terrence McGee — CB — NOVR 76 — Age 26
19. Rogers Beckett — FS — NOVR 76 — Age 30
20. William Bartee — CB — NOVR 76 — Age 30
The free-agent safety market is surprisingly strong.
Greg Wesley is a 97 FS and Darren Sharper is a 97 SS. Because free safety carries 25% in this model, Wesley could dramatically change the ranking of any team with a weak starter there.
Renaldo Hill and Ahmed Plummer are the best unassigned corners at 87.
GM TAKEAWAYS
1. Denver is the league's best secondary. The Broncos combine a 99 CB1 with a 98 FS, a 94 SS and enough corner depth to avoid a true weak point.
2. Buffalo may have the deepest corner room. Clements 99 / Springs 93 / Bryant 91 is the best three-corner combination in the league.
3. Free safety can swing the entire ranking. Baltimore, San Diego and Denver all receive major value from 98-99 level FS play because that position carries the highest individual weight.
4. CB3 matters, but it cannot rescue a broken starting secondary. The 10% weight rewards nickel depth without allowing a strong third corner to outweigh a poor FS or SS.
5. Balance matters. New Orleans has no 99, but every member of its five-man unit is between 85 and 93, producing a top-ten secondary.
6. Minnesota is the clearest example of why this is a unit ranking. Patrick Surtain is a 96, but the secondary falls to #32 because the rest of the structure — especially FS — cannot match him.
FINAL THOUGHTS
A secondary cannot be judged by its best corner alone.
Two outside corners establish the coverage floor. The nickel corner determines how comfortably a defense can expand into sub-packages. The strong safety adds physicality and underneath support. And the free safety protects everything behind them.
That is why the final weighting deliberately gives the five roles different influence:
22.5% CB1 + 22.5% CB2 + 10% CB3 + 25% FS + 20% SS.
The result rewards elite stars, but it also punishes holes that an offense can repeatedly target.
Denver and Buffalo rise because they are both talented and complete. Teams like Chicago and Minnesota show the opposite lesson: one or two elite defensive backs do not automatically create an elite secondary.
Projected starters are selected by current NOVR until an actual depth-chart override is confirmed.
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