24. Cincinnati Bengals: Cam Taylor-Britt & DJ Turner
The Cincinnati Bengals have invested plenty in their secondary in terms of NFL Draft capital, but things haven’t exactly been great on the field in terms of the results of those investments. They are hoping a change at defensive coordinator (Al Golden taking over for Lou Anarumo) can help, and he’s got some talent to work with. Cam Taylor-Britt is their best player in the secondary and DJ Turner could take a huge leap forward this season.
23. San Francisco 49ers: Deommodore Lenoir & Renardo Green
Deommodore Lenoir has been a really underrated player the last couple of years for the 49ers, allowing a QB rating into his coverage of 75.2 in 2023 and 71.4 last year. If Renardo Green can live up to his billing as a former second-round pick, the Niners could jump up this list higher than any other team at the bottom of the league. Green had 13 passes broken up last year as a rookie, and the 49ers bringing back Robert Saleh could take these guys to the next level.
22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Zyon McCollum & Jamel Dean
Over the course of his first three NFL seasons, Zyon McCollum has really shown tremendous improvement. He’s allowed a completion percentage of less than 60 into his coverage in each of the last two seasons and had a career-best 17 passes broken up (along with his first two interceptions) in 2024. Jamel Dean has been an effective CB2 for Todd Bowles and while he might only give you 13 or 14 total games, he’s going to be solid when he’s out there.
21. Atlanta Falcons: AJ Terrell & Mike Hughes/Dee Alford
There was a period of time where it felt like AJ Terrell was going to compete annually for the title of NFL’s best cornerback, and while he hasn’t been that good, he’s still one of the more reliable players in the league at an important position. Both Mike Hughes and Dee Alford played nearly the exact same number of snaps for Atlanta’s defense last year, and neither guy is spectacular. Alford had 11 passes broken up and has something to build on as a young player while Hughes kind of just is what he is at this point.