The 2026 NFL season kicks off this Wednesday as the Seattle Seahawks host the New England Patriots in a rematch of Super Bowl LX.
These days, a team can’t seem to have help in the secondary—particularly at cornerback. As we saw this offseason, the Los Angeles Rams revamped their cornerback room via free agency and a huge trade.
Listed below are five performers, including one rookie, who have new homes in 2026. Could any of these corners enjoy a big year similar to Denver’s Patrick Surtain II, the 2024 NFL Defensive Player of the Year?
Ranking the 5 best offseason moves at cornerback
5. Chris Johnson (Miami Dolphins)
He was the second of two first-round picks in April by the new regime in South Florida. Johnson started Miami’s first two preseason games, logged a combined 26 defensive snaps and totaled three tackles. In 2025, the Dolphins allowed 47 offensive touchdowns—29 through the air—and picked off just nine passes. In his final season at San Diego State, Johnson returned two of his four interceptions for scores.
4. Benjamin St-Juste (Green Bay Packers)
The five-year veteran had a breakout year with the Los Angeles Chargers this past season, earning a career-best 76.4 grade from Pro Football Focus. A third-round pick by the Washington Commanders in 2021, his 70-game regular-season resume reads two interceptions, one fumble recovery, three sacks, and four forced fumbles. The 6’3”, 200-pound defender obviously brings some size to the Packers’ secondary.
3. Jaylen Watson (Los Angeles Rams)
The Los Angeles Rams traded for Trent McDuffie (more on him later) and then inked Watson to a three-year, $51 million contract, reuniting a duo that helped the Kansas City Chiefs win back-to-back Super Bowls. Watson was PFF’s No. 18 cornerback in 2025, and was the service’s sixth-ranked player at his position when it came to playing the run. That’s a huge plus for defensive coordinator Chris Shula.
2. Jamel Dean (Pittsburgh Steelers)
The seven-year pro comes off a strong year in Tampa, leading Todd Bowles’s club with a career-best three interceptions (1 TD) and finishing second on the club with nine passes defensed. Dean finished with 46 tackles, a pair of forced fumble and his first career sack in 2025. The Super Bowl LV champion has a combined 13 takeaways during his career, and also appeared in 10 postseason games with the Bucs.
1. Trent McDuffie (Los Angeles Rams)
Rams’ general manager Les Snead gave up a total of four draft choices to obtain the four-year veteran who earned First Team All-Pro honors in his second season with the Chiefs. The two-time Super Bowl champion comes off a season in which he played and started the first 13 games. He finished sixth on the team with 63 tackles, one sack, a forced fumble, one interception and a team-high seven passes defensed.
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