Best NFL Cornerbacks From Every Season

Cornerbacks are the NFL’s ultimate game-changers in pass defense — tasked with locking down elite receivers, flipping momentum with interceptions, and erasing entire sides of the field. From the physical dominance of “Night Train” Lane in the 1950s to the swagger of Deion Sanders in the ’90s, and the modern lockdown mastery of players like Sauce Gardner and Patrick Surtain, the league’s best corners have defined eras.

This list covers every season from 1950 to 2024, naming the best cornerback each year along with a worthy runner-up. Whether it was a record-setting interception total, blanket coverage that shut down passing attacks, or a complete blend of speed, instincts, and physicality, these players stood out as the top defensive backs of their time.

If you’ve ever wondered who ruled the secondary in a given year — or how today’s stars stack up against the greats of the past — this is the definitive, year-by-year breakdown. Not just the best cornerbacks in NFL history, but the best cornerback seasons ever! 

You can also check out the list of top 10 best cornerback seasons in NFL history here!

Best Cornerbacks From Every Season

A visual timeline of the NFL’s best cornerbacks each season from 1995 to 2024, highlighting legends and modern shutdown stars.

Breakdown of Every Top Cornerback Since 1990

1990 – Rod Woodson, Pittsburgh Steelers
Stats: 66 tackles, 5 INT, 1 FF, 3 FR
Rod Woodson was a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks, blending elite coverage with big-play ability. His ball skills and physicality set the tone for the Steelers’ secondary.

Runner-Up – Darrell Green, Washington Redskins
Stats: 78 tackles, 4 INT, 1 TD
Green’s speed and instincts allowed him to erase deep threats, keeping Washington’s defense among the league’s best.

1991 – Darrell Green, Washington Redskins
Stats: 79 tackles, 5 INT
Green’s blazing speed and disciplined technique anchored a defense that went on to win the Super Bowl.

Runner-Up – Deion Sanders, Atlanta Falcons
Stats: 49 tackles, 6 INT, 2 FF, 2 FR, 1 TD
Prime Time flashed his trademark flair, mixing lockdown coverage with game-changing turnovers.

1992 – Rod Woodson, Pittsburgh Steelers
Stats: 100 tackles, 5 INT, 4 FF, 6 sacks
Woodson dominated in all phases, bringing pressure as a blitzer while still excelling in coverage.

Runner-Up – Deion Sanders, Atlanta Falcons
Stats: 66 tackles, 3 INT, 2 FR
Quarterbacks continued to test Sanders sparingly, but he still found ways to make an impact.

1993 – Rod Woodson, Pittsburgh Steelers
Stats: 95 tackles, 8 INT, 2 FF, 2 FR
Woodson’s ability to read routes and jump passes made him the league’s most feared cornerback.

Runner-Up – Deion Sanders, Atlanta Falcons
Stats: 34 tackles, 7 INT, 1 FF
Even in a year where he played fewer games, Sanders still delivered highlight-reel takeaways.

1994 – Deion Sanders, San Francisco 49ers
Stats: 36 tackles, 6 INT, 3 TD
Sanders delivered one of the most iconic seasons ever by a corner, scoring three defensive touchdowns and locking down top receivers en route to a Super Bowl win.

Runner-Up – Rod Woodson, Pittsburgh Steelers
Stats: 83 tackles, 4 INT, 3 FF, 2 TD
Woodson brought a physical edge to his coverage, forcing turnovers and scoring himself.

1995 – Aeneas Williams, Phoenix Cardinals
Stats: 62 tackles, 6 INT, 2 TD
Williams was a ball hawk for Arizona, turning interceptions into points and shutting down star receivers.

Runner-Up – Deion Sanders, Dallas Cowboys
Stats: 26 tackles, 2 INT
Sanders didn’t see many targets, but his presence alone tilted the field for Dallas’ defense.

1996 – Deion Sanders, Dallas Cowboys
Stats: 33 tackles, 2 INT, 1 TD
Sanders’ coverage was so good that quarterbacks routinely avoided his side entirely.

Runner-Up – Aeneas Williams, Arizona Cardinals
Stats: 77 tackles, 6 INT, 1 TD
Williams combined physical tackling with excellent ball skills, keeping him among the league’s elite.

1997 – Deion Sanders, Dallas Cowboys
Stats: 33 tackles, 2 INT, 1 TD
Even late in the decade, Sanders remained the gold standard for pure coverage ability.

Runner-Up – Aeneas Williams, Arizona Cardinals
Stats: 63 tackles, 6 INT, 2 TD
Williams’ ability to flip games with timely picks made him one of the most dangerous corners in the league.

1998 – Ty Law, New England Patriots
Stats: 70 tackles, 9 INT, 1 TD
Law broke out as a premier playmaker, leading the league in interceptions and punishing quarterbacks who dared test him.

Runner-Up – Deion Sanders, Dallas Cowboys
Stats: 25 tackles, 5 INT, 1 TD
Sanders still had the hands and closing speed to change a game in an instant.

1999 – Charles Woodson, Oakland Raiders
Stats: 61 tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD
In just his second season, Woodson’s size and instincts made him one of the toughest matchups in football.

Runner-Up – Deion Sanders, Dallas Cowboys
Stats: 42 tackles, 3 INT, 1 FF
Even as his career wound down, Sanders still had the savvy and burst to frustrate top receivers.

2000 – Sam Madison, Miami Dolphins
Stats: 43 tackles, 5 INT, 1 TD
Madison was a true shutdown corner, using physical press coverage to neutralize elite receivers and help Miami boast one of the NFL’s top defenses.

Runner-Up – Patrick Surtain, Miami Dolphins
Stats: 52 tackles, 5 INT, 1 TD
Surtain complemented Madison perfectly, making the Dolphins’ secondary a nightmare for opposing QBs.

2001 – Aeneas Williams, St. Louis Rams
Stats: 52 tackles, 4 INT, 3 TD, 2 FR
Williams thrived on the big stage, scoring three defensive touchdowns and helping lead the Rams’ opportunistic defense.

Runner-Up – Patrick Surtain, Miami Dolphins
Stats: 54 tackles, 6 INT, 1 TD
Surtain’s ball skills and physical coverage again kept him among the league’s elite.

2002 – Charles Woodson, Oakland Raiders
Stats: 72 tackles, 1 INT, 2 FF
While his interception total was low, Woodson’s versatility, run support, and man-to-man coverage were critical to the Raiders’ AFC Championship run.

Runner-Up – Sam Madison, Miami Dolphins
Stats: 46 tackles, 3 INT, 1 TD
Madison continued to frustrate top receivers with tight coverage and solid tackling.

2003 – Champ Bailey, Washington Redskins
Stats: 85 tackles, 2 INT, 1 FF
Bailey was a complete corner — elite in coverage and fearless in run support.

Runner-Up – Ty Law, New England Patriots
Stats: 63 tackles, 6 INT, 1 TD
Law’s knack for timely turnovers helped key the Patriots’ Super Bowl run.

2004 – Champ Bailey, Denver Broncos
Stats: 74 tackles, 3 INT, 2 FF
In his first year with Denver, Bailey remained the definition of a lockdown corner, rarely beaten in coverage.

Runner-Up – Ronde Barber, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Stats: 97 tackles, 3 INT, 3 FF
Barber’s versatility and physicality made him one of the most complete corners in football.

2005 – Champ Bailey, Denver Broncos
Stats: 66 tackles, 8 INT, 1 TD
Bailey had an incredible year, leading the NFL in interceptions and still shadowing the opponent’s top target.

Runner-Up – Ronde Barber, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Stats: 99 tackles, 5 INT, 2 FF, 1 TD
Barber’s physicality in the slot and timely playmaking were unmatched.

2006 – Champ Bailey, Denver Broncos
Stats: 85 tackles, 10 INT, 1 TD
Bailey’s 10 interceptions and unmatched coverage ability made this one of the greatest cornerback seasons of all time.

Runner-Up – Asante Samuel, New England Patriots
Stats: 64 tackles, 10 INT, 1 TD
Samuel tied Bailey for the league lead in interceptions and was a turnover machine.

2007 – Antonio Cromartie, San Diego Chargers
Stats: 44 tackles, 10 INT, 1 TD
Cromartie’s breakout season featured highlight-reel picks and elite athleticism that quarterbacks struggled to account for.

Runner-Up – Al Harris, Green Bay Packers
Stats: 53 tackles, 2 INT, 2 FF
Harris combined physical bump-and-run coverage with veteran savvy.

2008 – Nnamdi Asomugha, Oakland Raiders
Stats: 40 tackles, 1 INT
Stats don’t tell the full story — quarterbacks simply avoided Asomugha altogether, making his dominance more about erasure than box score impact.

Runner-Up – Charles Woodson, Green Bay Packers
Stats: 62 tackles, 7 INT, 1 TD
Woodson remained a threat to take the ball away on any throw in his direction.

2009 – Darrelle Revis, New York Jets
Stats: 54 tackles, 6 INT, 1 TD
“Revis Island” was born. Revis shut down an absurd list of All-Pro receivers week after week, putting together one of the most impressive coverage seasons in NFL history.

Runner-Up – Charles Woodson, Green Bay Packers
Stats: 74 tackles, 9 INT, 3 TD, 4 FF
Woodson’s 2009 was a defensive masterpiece, earning him Defensive Player of the Year honors.

2010 – Darrelle Revis, New York Jets
Stats: 32 tackles, 0 INT
Revis didn’t post gaudy numbers, but his lockdown work in man coverage was unreal. Quarterbacks just didn’t test him, and the Jets rode that to another AFC title game.

Runner-Up – Asante Samuel, Philadelphia Eagles
Stats: 26 tackles, 7 INT, 1 TD
Samuel continued to bait QBs into mistakes, turning risky throws into game-changing turnovers.

2011 – Darrelle Revis, New York Jets
Stats: 52 tackles, 4 INT, 1 TD
Revis remained the gold standard in shutdown coverage, dominating against the league’s best receivers week after week.

Runner-Up – Charles Woodson, Green Bay Packers
Stats: 74 tackles, 7 INT, 1 TD, 1 FF
Woodson’s veteran savvy and versatility made him a turnover machine even in his mid-30s.

2012 – Richard Sherman, Seattle Seahawks
Stats: 64 tackles, 8 INT, 1 TD, 3 FF
Sherman’s length, physicality, and trash talk defined the Legion of Boom’s rise to dominance.

Runner-Up – Champ Bailey, Denver Broncos
Stats: 66 tackles, 2 INT, 1 FF
Even late in his career, Bailey’s coverage instincts kept him among the elite.

2013 – Richard Sherman, Seattle Seahawks
Stats: 48 tackles, 8 INT, 1 TD
The heart of the NFL’s best defense, Sherman backed up his bravado with elite ball production en route to a Super Bowl win.

Runner-Up – Patrick Peterson, Arizona Cardinals
Stats: 42 tackles, 3 INT, 1 FF
Peterson’s athleticism and shadow coverage made him a nightmare matchup for opposing WR1s.

2014 – Richard Sherman, Seattle Seahawks
Stats: 57 tackles, 4 INT, 1 TD
Sherman didn’t see as many targets, but his reputation alone warped offensive game plans.

Runner-Up – Vontae Davis, Indianapolis Colts
Stats: 42 tackles, 4 INT
Davis locked up some of the league’s best without surrendering a single touchdown all season.

2015 – Josh Norman, Carolina Panthers
Stats: 56 tackles, 4 INT, 2 TD, 3 FF
Norman’s breakout season fueled a 15-1 Panthers run, with swagger and lockdown coverage in equal measure.

Runner-Up – Patrick Peterson, Arizona Cardinals
Stats: 35 tackles, 2 INT, 1 TD
Peterson remained a premier cover corner, taking on top assignments every week.

2016 – Aqib Talib, Denver Broncos
Stats: 43 tackles, 3 INT, 1 TD
Talib’s physicality and ability to turn defense into offense made him the star of Denver’s vaunted “No Fly Zone.”

Runner-Up – Marcus Peters, Kansas City Chiefs
Stats: 45 tackles, 6 INT, 1 FF
Peters was a turnover magnet with a knack for the big play.

2017 – Jalen Ramsey, Jacksonville Jaguars
Stats: 63 tackles, 4 INT, 17 PD
Ramsey’s confidence and skill set the tone for the NFL’s top secondary in the Jaguars’ run to the AFC Championship Game.

Runner-Up – Xavier Rhodes, Minnesota Vikings
Stats: 56 tackles, 2 INT, 10 PD
Rhodes’ sticky coverage helped lead Minnesota’s elite pass defense.

2018 – Stephon Gilmore, New England Patriots
Stats: 45 tackles, 2 INT, 20 PD
Gilmore blanketed receivers all season and elevated his play in the playoffs, helping the Patriots win Super Bowl LIII.

Runner-Up – Kyle Fuller, Chicago Bears
Stats: 55 tackles, 7 INT, 21 PD
Fuller emerged as a ball-hawking star in Chicago’s resurgent defense.

2019 – Stephon Gilmore, New England Patriots
Stats: 53 tackles, 6 INT, 2 TD, 20 PD
Gilmore’s Defensive Player of the Year campaign was a masterclass in man coverage and playmaking.

Runner-Up – Tre’Davious White, Buffalo Bills
Stats: 58 tackles, 6 INT, 17 PD
White’s breakout year cemented him as one of the game’s rising shutdown corners.

2020 – Jalen Ramsey, Los Angeles Rams
Stats: 44 tackles, 1 INT, 9 PD
Ramsey’s versatility let him lock up receivers outside and handle matchups in the slot, anchoring one of the NFL’s best pass defenses.

Runner-Up – Xavien Howard, Miami Dolphins
Stats: 51 tackles, 10 INT, 20 PD
Howard’s league-leading interception total made him one of the biggest game-changers of the season.

2021 – Jalen Ramsey, Los Angeles Rams
Stats: 77 tackles, 4 INT, 16 PD, 1 FF
Ramsey was the centerpiece of the Rams’ Super Bowl-winning defense, shadowing WR1s and delivering physical play at the catch point.

Runner-Up – Trevon Diggs, Dallas Cowboys
Stats: 52 tackles, 11 INT, 21 PD, 2 TD
Diggs’ boom-or-bust style paid off with a massive interception total, flipping games in Dallas’ favor.

2022 – Sauce Gardner, New York Jets
Stats: 75 tackles, 2 INT, 20 PD
Gardner’s rookie season was elite from the jump — sticky coverage, physicality, and a First-Team All-Pro nod right away.

Runner-Up – Patrick Surtain II, Denver Broncos
Stats: 60 tackles, 2 INT, 10 PD
Surtain’s smooth coverage and disciplined play made him one of the hardest corners to beat in the league.

2023 – Sauce Gardner, New York Jets
Stats: 57 tackles, 0 INT, 11 PD
Despite the lack of interceptions, Gardner erased top receivers weekly and was still graded among the league’s best by most analysts.

Runner-Up – Jaylon Johnson, Chicago Bears
Stats: 36 tackles, 4 INT, 10 PD
Johnson emerged as a shutdown corner, finally putting up the takeaway numbers to match his coverage ability.

2024 – Patrick Surtain II, Denver Broncos
Stats: 45 tackles, 4 INT, 11 PD
Surtain’s discipline, footwork, and ability to shadow any WR kept him firmly in the CB1 conversation. DPOY winner.

Runner-Up – Derek Stingley, Houston Texans
Stats: 54 tackles, 5 INT, 18 PD
Derek Stingley broke out into the elite cornerback conversation and earned his record breaking contract.

FAQ – Best NFL Cornerback Seasons

Who was the best NFL cornerback in the 1990s?
Rod Woodson and Deion Sanders dominated the decade, with Woodson’s all-around game and Sanders’ unmatched coverage skills defining the era.

Which cornerback had the best single season in NFL history?
Darrelle Revis’s 2009 campaign, known as “Revis Island,” is widely regarded as the greatest season ever by a cornerback, shutting down elite receivers week after week.

Who was the best NFL cornerback in 2024?
Patrick Surtain of the Denver Broncos earned the top spot in 2024 for his shutdown coverage and consistent production. He also won the Defensive Player of the Year.

Has any cornerback led the NFL in interceptions multiple times?
Yes, players like Antonio Cromartie, Asante Samuel, and Xavien Howard have had seasons where they topped interception leaderboards more than once.

Which cornerback has been named best in back-to-back NFL seasons?
Several have, including Rod Woodson, Deion Sanders, Champ Bailey, Darrelle Revis, Richard Sherman, Jalen Ramsey, Stephon Gilmore, and Sauce Gardner.

Conclusion

From shutdown artists in the 1950s to today’s lockdown specialists, the NFL’s top cornerbacks have defined eras, changed defensive schemes, and rewritten the rules of pass coverage. Looking back season by season reveals just how many different styles of greatness have thrived — from the physical press coverage of Mel Blount to the route-jumping instincts of Richard Sherman and the all-around dominance of Darrelle Revis.

Whether it was a record-setting interception total, the ability to erase an opposing WR1 for four straight quarters, or the leadership that anchored an elite secondary, each season’s best cornerback left their mark on football history. This year-by-year breakdown isn’t just a trip down memory lane — it’s a reminder that while offenses evolve, elite cornerback play will always be one of the most valuable weapons in the NFL.

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