- Devon Witherspoon’s 90.1 PFF overall grade led the position: Witherspoon's multifaceted game helped deliver a Super Bowl to Seattle. He finished as the only cornerback to produce a PFF overall grade above 90.0.
- Isaiah Rodgers' perfect game propelled him into the top 20: Rodgers possesses one of the highest ceilings of any player at the position. His performance against the Bengals in Week 3 was evidence of that, earning him a “perfect” 99.9 PFF overall grade — the highest game grade in the PFF era (dating back to 2006).
- 2026 NFL Draft season is here: Try the best-in-class PFF Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2026's top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.
With the 2025 NFL season wrapped up, it's time to take stock in the performances that highlighted this year.
Cornerback may be the easiest position to describe to those unfamiliar with the game — “don’t let the other team catch the ball” — but it’s widely considered the most difficult to execute at a high level. Throw in additional factors like defending the run and tracking the best athletes in the world through disguised calls and motion, and the task becomes monumentally difficult. Yet the best of the best rise to the occasion.
Here are the 20 highest-graded cornerbacks from the 2025 NFL season.
1. Devon Witherspoon, Seattle Seahawks (90.1)
Coverage play is the largest factor in a cornerback’s overall performance, but it’s the players who impact the game in multiple ways who rise to the top. That’s exactly what Witherspoon did for the Seahawks out of the slot.
He finished as the only cornerback to produce a PFF overall grade above 90.0, having earned 80.0-plus marks in coverage (83.6), run defense (90.1) and pass rushing (92.9).
Witherspoon’s mentality to never take a play off is evident when looking at his 36 total defensive stops, a mark that tied for the NFL lead among cornerbacks.
2. James Pierre, Pittsburgh Steelers (86.2)
Despite logging fewer than 1,000 snaps across his first five NFL seasons, Pierre was called upon to play an increased role in 2025, to which he answered with a career year.
Exceptional coverage instincts landed Pierre atop the NFL in numerous key categories, including yards allowed per coverage target (4.7, tied) and forced incompletion rate (28.6%). As a result, he produced the top PFF coverage grade at outside cornerback (88.7).
Yards Allowed per Coverage Target Leaders (min. 200 coverage snaps)
3. Mike Jackson, Carolina Panthers (83.5)
In his second season with the Panthers, Jackson produced a career year by generating the second-highest PFF coverage grade (85.8) among cornerbacks and ranking above the 90th percentile in nearly all of PFF’s stable cornerback metrics.
As one half of Carolina’s playmaking duo at cornerback, Jackson has a nose for the ball, notching five interceptions (tied for second most) and 18 forced incompletions (second most). As a result, he led all cornerbacks in PFF WAR (0.56).
4. Ja'Quan McMillian, Denver Broncos (80.8)
Although primary slot defenders tend to be discounted compared to their counterparts outside, numerous names proved that notion false in 2025. Chief among them was McMillian.
He led the NFL in slot coverage snaps while also earning the seventh-highest PFF coverage grade (80.5) from the alignment. McMillian's ability to mirror and match against slot receivers with the entire route tree at their disposal was remarkable, evidenced by his league-leading 76.2 PFF grade in man coverage.
5. Jamel Dean, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (80.6)
After a contract restructure last offseason that resulted in a significant decrease in his 2025 base salary, Dean answered with the best season of his career.
The longtime Buccaneers cornerback made life exceedingly difficult for quarterbacks who dared to look to his side of the field, allowing the lowest passer rating into his coverage (46.9) in the NFL.
Now scheduled to be a free agent, Dean is due to cash in on that performance.
Lowest Passer Rating Allowed | CBs
6. Quinyon Mitchell, Philadelphia Eagles (80.3)
Mitchell followed up a breakout rookie season in 2024 with a 2025 campaign that cemented him as one of the NFL’s elite cornerbacks. Mitchell locked down opposing offenses’ No. 1 receivers all season. He particularly rose to the occasion during the postseason, during which he generated the highest PFF overall grade (93.1) at the position and snagged a pair of interceptions.
7. Kamari Lassiter, Houston Texans (79.8)
Lassiter established himself as one of the best young cornerbacks in the game in year two, not just for his coverage ability, but also his toughness and aggressive play style in all facets of the position. The Texans cornerback ranked in the top five in lockdown percentage (59.8%) and led the position in total tackles (102) and tackles for loss or no gain (12).
Tackles for Loss or No Gain Leaders
8. Cooper DeJean, Philadelphia Eagles (78.0)
For the second consecutive year, the Eagles’ pair of talented young cornerbacks ranked among the eight highest-graded players at the position. Like his teammate, Quinyon Mitchell, DeJean continued to impress, building on his strong rookie campaign.
DeJean has become the prototype of what modern defenses look for in the slot. At his size, one might expect him to lack some of the movement skills of smaller-framed slot cornerbacks. But he is among the best in that regard, with his 80.3 PFF slot coverage grade ranking above the 87th percentile.
9. Charvarius Ward, Indianapolis Colts (77.1)
Ward was limited to just seven games this past season due to a series of concussions. However, when he was on the field, he played at a high level. He was on pace to produce a career year, generating the second-highest PFF overall grade (83.4) among cornerbacks through Week 5. The missed time to follow restricted his ability to return to that level, but he is a clear standout when healthy.
10. Sauce Gardner, Indianapolis Colts (76.9)
The deadline trade that sent Gardner from New York to Indianapolis in exchange for a pair of first-round picks and receiver Adonai Mitchell has been criticized by some after the talented cornerback was limited to just four appearances with the Colts.
While some skepticism is warranted, Gardner still flashed elite play when on the field. His most impressive feat is his high lockdown percentage, a metric that measures how well a defender prevents a receiver from gaining separation. Gardner led the NFL in that facet.
Lockdown Rate Leaders
11. Benjamin St-Juste, Los Angeles Chargers (76.3)
Thanks to a change of scenery from Washington to Los Angeles, St-Juste enjoyed a career revival in 2025. Despite not playing a full-time role in the Chargers' secondary, the fifth-year cornerback showcased how high his ceiling can be in the right system. St-Juste displayed quality zone instincts that allowed him to earn a league-leading 90.1 PFF zone coverage grade.
12. Trent McDuffie, Kansas City Chiefs (75.6)
As a key chess piece in Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s unit, McDuffie is one of the most well-rounded cornerbacks in the NFL. Although he was unable to play in the final four games of the season after suffering a knee injury, he managed to finish in the top 18 in PFF coverage (74.7, 17th), run-defense (78.5, 14th) and tackling (83.1, third) grades.
13. Christian Gonzalez, New England Patriots (75.0)
Although some inconsistency through the middle portion of the year limited Gonzalez’s overall placement on the list, when everything is clicking, he’s undoubtedly among the NFL’s elite in coverage.
Among cornerbacks with at least 200 coverage snaps, Gonzalez posted the lowest completion percentage allowed as the primary coverage defender (43.4%), which in turn contributed to his impressive 4.7 yards allowed per coverage target, tying for the league lead.
14. Jarrian Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars (74.7)
Not yet a household name, Jones is starting to build a strong profile and find recognition for his ability to lock down the slot. Although he played sparingly through the first half of the season, he was lights-out from Week 9 onward, earning the seventh-highest PFF overall grade among cornerbacks (80.2). Much of that stems from his coverage metrics out of the slot, where he earned an 87.5 PFF coverage grade, making him one of just three players to exceed 83.0.
15. Chidobe Awuzie, Baltimore Ravens (74.7)
Defensive deficiencies hindered the Ravens deep into the year. Awuzie still started the year near the top of the league, producing the fourth-highest PFF overall grade through Week 11 (79.1). While the Ravens struggled to generate pressure down the stretch, when they were able to, Awuzie was fantastic, producing the highest PFF coverage grade when the defense recorded pressure (80.6).
16. Nohl Williams, Kansas City Chiefs (74.5)
The first-year cornerback saw limited run through much of the year, until Trent McDuffie's injury thrust him into a prominent role. While Williams struggled at times, he showed flashes of what made him a strong pick out of Cal. He finished the year with a top-15 PFF coverage grade (75.6) among qualifying cornerbacks while also ranking in the 93rd percentile in single coverage (71.1).
17. Jaylen Watson, Kansas City Chiefs (74.1)
Watson earned himself a lucrative contract this offseason after producing a career year with the Chiefs. He generated a top-10 mark in passer rating allowed (69.0) into his coverage while recording a pair of interceptions. His biggest leap came as a run defender, where his 83.5 PFF run-defense grade ranked sixth among qualifying cornerbacks.
18. Carlton Davis III, New England Patriots (74.0)
After signing a three-year, $54 million contract in free agency last offseason, Davis wasted no time proving it to be money well spent. He showcased his zone coverage instincts in his first season in New England, earning the fourth-highest PFF zone coverage grade (86.1).
Davis was particularly strong in quarters coverage — which the Patriots ran at the 11th-highest rate in the NFL — charting as one of just two players to surpass an 80.0 PFF grade in those looks.
19. Isaiah Rodgers, Minnesota Vikings (73.8)
Although inconsistency plagued Rodgers in his first season with the Vikings, he provided one of the highest ceilings among cornerbacks. His performance against the Bengals in Week 3 was evidence of that: His 99.9 PFF overall grade stands as the highest game grade in the PFF era (dating back to 2006). During the contest, Rodgers recorded three first-half takeaways, two of which he took the other way for touchdowns.
THE HIGHEST-GRADED GAME IN PFF HISTORY pic.twitter.com/taPuZCggkd
— PFF (@PFF) September 22, 2025
20. Eric Stokes, Las Vegas Raiders (73.6)
Stokes struggled to live up to his first-round billing through much of his career with the Packers. While the Raiders weren’t a terribly strong defensive unit, Stokes excelled in a starting role for the first time in his NFL career.
The 26-year-old cornerback played solid coverage on the outside, showing poise and control to not bite on double moves and limit chunk yardage. He was one of just two players to surrender 15 or more yards on less than 1% of his receptions allowed, a mark that helped him limit opposing receivers to just 0.47 yards allowed per coverage snap against him — the lowest rate in the NFL.
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