2024 NFL Secondary Rankings, All 32 Teams

As a feature in the 2024 Sharp Football Preview Book, the Sharp Football Analysis team ranked positional units across the league for the 2024 season.

The ranking guidelines were up to the specific voter with the only requirement that the focus is on the upcoming season only, not the future outlook.

With a combination of numbers, film, and projections, the rankings were averaged for quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers/tight ends, offensive line, defensive front seven, defensive secondary, and head coach.

Next up: 2024 NFL secondary rankings.

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2024 NFL Secondary Rankings

Score based on average ranks of positional unit (on a 100-point scale) for all 32 teams, from Sharp Football staff voters. If all voters had a team at #1, that score would be 100. Ties are broken by the highest vote on any ballot. 

What team has the best secondary in the NFL?

32. New York Giants

The Giants have the worst-ranked secondary this year after Xavier McKinney left via free agency. Fellow starter Adoree’ Jackson remains unsigned.

31. Washington Commanders

The Commanders added three cornerbacks in free agency and used a second-round pick on Mike Sainristil, but they still tumbled from 14th to 31st in this year’s rankings. Last year’s first-round pick Emmanuel Forbes struggled in his first NFL action, allowing 636 yards in coverage.

30. Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders secondary ranked no higher than 24th on any ballot. The losses of Marcus Peters and Amik Robertson are going to hurt, especially with fourth-round pick Decamerion Richardson as the only meaningful offseason addition.

29. Indianapolis Colts

The Colts' secondary ranked no higher than 27th on any ballot. When the defense failed to generate pressure, they allowed a 58% completion rate on throws 10 or more yards downfield, ranked 26th. 2023 second-round pick JuJu Brents needs to take a big step forward after allowing 9.0 yards per target in coverage as a rookie, per Sports Info Solutions.

28. Denver Broncos

The Denver secondary ranked no higher than 24th on any ballot. Likely due to the lack of talent around him, even Patrick Surtain II failed to live up to expectations last year. When targeted 10 or more yards downfield, Surtain allowed a 44.7% completion rate, ranked 26th out of 52 cornerbacks per Sports Info Solutions.

27. Arizona Cardinals

The secondary moved up just two places in our rankings this year, occupying the No. 27 spot. Only safety Jalen Thompson had multiple interceptions for the Cardinals in 2023. Sean Murphy–Bunting was signed in free agency to start on the outside. Budda Baker made his fifth straight Pro Bowl in 2023 despite rampant trade speculation.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville is trying to put a band-aid on the secondary with the additions of veterans Ronald Darby and Darnell Savage, but there’s not a ton of upside to the talent in this unit unless Tyson Campbell takes a massive leap forward in his fourth year. When lined up on the outside, Campbell generated a pitiful 6.7% ball-hawk rate, ranked 67th out of 68 qualified cornerbacks, per Sports Info Solutions.

25. Cincinnati Bengals

There was no consensus for the Bengals’ secondary, with votes ranging from 14th to 29th. There’s plenty of talent, but young corners DJ Turner and Cam Taylor–Britt will need to elevate their play to live up to the higher end of those votes. Taylor-Britt allowed 11 receptions at 15 or more yards downfield last year, tied for the most in the AFC North.

24. Atlanta Falcons

No. 1 cornerback A.J. Terrell hasn’t picked off a pass since he was All-Pro in 2021, but safety Jessie Bates had a successful first season with the Falcons, intercepting six passes and forcing three fumbles on his way to a Second-Team All-Pro nod.

22. Los Angeles Rams

The Rams added two new starting cornerbacks in Darious Williams and Tre’Davious White. Safety Kamren Curl is also a new addition and should start next to Russ Yeast after spending four seasons with the Commanders.

22. Los Angeles Chargers

When the front seven failed to generate pressure, the Chargers secondary allowed 7.8 yards per attempt, ranked 25th. The most notable offseason addition was Kristian Fulton, who allowed a league-worst 14.2 yards per target when lined up on the outside last year, per Sports Info Solutions.

21. Carolina Panthers

The secondary fell 12 spots from a year ago. Jaycee Horn struggled to stay healthy again, playing just six games, but the Panthers added veteran Dane Jackson to start on the outside after he started 20 games for the Bills over the last two seasons.

20. Detroit Lions

The Lions revamped their secondary this offseason, adding Terrion Arnold in the first round and also signing Carlton Davis in free agency. The play of rookie safety Brian Branch last year was encouraging, but this is the Lions' lowest-ranked position group sitting at 20th.

19. Buffalo Bills

Buffalo’s secondary underwent a complete makeover in an attempt to get younger this offseason. The team is betting big on cornerback Christian Benford, who had a breakout performance in 2023.

18. Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh’s secondary was a mess when the front seven failed to create disruption. Without pressure, the Steelers allowed a league-worst 63.2% completion rate on throws 10 or more yards downfield. The unit could exceed expectations if Joey Porter Jr. takes a big step forward in year two.

17. Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia used its top two draft picks on cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Both guys should push for playing time immediately after James Bradberry’s struggles last year. C.J. Gardner-Johnson also returns after a one-year stint in Detroit.

16. Green Bay Packers

2023 was sort of a lost season for Jaire Alexander, who played just seven games while dealing with injuries. His health along with the addition of safety Xavier McKinney in free agency pushed the Packers’ secondary up three spots in our rankings to 16th this year.

15. Seattle Seahawks

Seattle’s secondary dropped seven spots in our rankings to finish 15th this season. Riq Woolen led the NFL in interceptions as a rookie but only picked off two passes last year. Devon Witherspoon had a productive 2023, earning a Pro Bowl nod and finishing fourth in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. The two young corners could turn this into an elite unit, but both starting safeties from last season are gone.

14. Houston Texans

The Texans’ secondary allowed 7.9 yards per attempt when the front seven failed to generate pressure, ranked 26th. Derek Stingley Jr. is living up to expectations, but someone else has to step up to take this unit to a higher level.

12. Tennessee Titans

Votes for the Tennessee secondary ranged from 10th to 21st. The uncertainty is due to the addition of two new starting corners in L'Jarius Sneed and Chidobe Awuzie. There’s plenty of experience in the secondary now, but Awuzie’s 9.7 yards per target allowed last year with Cincinnati is concerning.

12. Kansas City Cheifs

The loss of L’Jarius Sneed hurts the Chiefs’ secondary. Sneed allowed a 20% completion rate when targeted in coverage at 10 or more yards downfield last year, per Sports Info Solutions. His expected replacement Jaylen Watson allowed a 44% completion rate at that depth.

11 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Antoine Winfield Jr. took a big step in 2023, earning First-Team All-Pro for his efforts. Jordan Whitehead also returns to play safety this year after spending the past two seasons with the Jets. Coming in at 11, the secondary is the Bucs’ highest-rated position group.

10. San Fransisco 49ers

The 49ers return three starters and could count on Ji’Ayir Brown to start in his second year in the NFL. Safety Talanoa Hufanga was an All-Pro in 2022 but only played 10 games due to injury last year.

9. Minnesota Vikings

The biggest jump for Minnesota comes in the secondary, where they moved from 28th in 2023 up to ninth this season. The biggest addition is Shaquill Griffin, who comes over after splitting 2023 with Carolina and Houston.

8. New Orleans Saints

New Orleans’s best unit is their secondary, which was their only unit to finish inside the top 10 of any ranking. The Saints return all four starters from last year’s secondary and added cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry in the second round. They had the third-most interceptions behind the 49ers and Bears.

7. New England Patriots

The secondary was New England’s only unit to receive votes in the top 10. 2023 first-round pick Christian Gonzalez played in just four games before a season-ending injury last year. If he’s healthy for a full year, this unit could elevate from an already strong level of performance.

6. Baltimore Ravens

Building a strong secondary has always been a priority for the Ravens. With the addition of Nate Wiggins, Baltimore now has three first-round picks in the secondary (also Marlon Humphrey and Kyle Hamilton). Last year, Baltimore allowed just 6.3 yards per pass attempt when failing to generate pressure, the league’s second-lowest rate.

5. Dallas Cowboys

Second-year corner DaRon Bland had a breakout season, recording nine interceptions and returning five of them for touchdowns. Trevon Diggs will return from injury.

4. Chicago Bears

Chicago’s biggest jump in our rankings comes in the secondary, where they moved 19 spots up from 23rd a year ago to fourth this season. Cornerbacks Tyrique Stevenson and Jaylon Johnson each had four interceptions and the Bears led the NFL in picks with 21. Chicago also added former All-Pro safety Kevin Byard in free agency.

3. Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins’ secondary landed in the top five on every ballot. The additions of Jordan Poyer and Kendall Fuller could potentially elevate the play of the unit higher than its strong performance a year ago.

2. New York Jets

The Jets' secondary ranked in the top five on every ballot. According to Sports Info Solutions, Sauce Gardner allowed just six catches at 10 or more yards downfield in 303 coverage snaps as an outside corner last year. As long as he maintains that level of performance, this will remain among the league’s top secondary units.

1. Cleveland Browns

Cleveland’s secondary was a unanimous choice as the league’s top unit. The majority of the depth chart returns from a unit that allowed just 6.4 yards per attempt when the front seven failed to generate pressure, the league’s third-best rate.