There is quite a bit of star power on the offensive side of the football within the AFC North, particularly at the quarterback and receiver positions. However, entering the 2024 season in the rugged division, the cornerback position is rather tough and should make things difficult on opposing quarterbacks and receivers.
Some big-name cornerbacks reside in the AFC North, featuring the likes of Denzel Ward in Cleveland, Marlon Humphrey in Baltimore, and Joey Porter Jr. in Pittsburgh, all of whom are relatively young. Each team in the division has invested heavily in the cornerback position in recent years, too, which should set the AFC North up for some great cornerback play for the foreseeable future.
It will be quite interesting to follow how it shakes out from a pecking-order perspective. Entering the 2024 season, here’s how I have the AFC North ranked at CB, adding another edition to my Ranking the Rooms series at Steelers Depot.
Ranking The Rooms: AFC North QBs
Ranking The Rooms: AFC North RBs
Ranking The Rooms: AFC North WRs
Ranking The Rooms: AFC North TEs
Ranking The Rooms: AFC North OTs
Ranking The Rooms: AFC North iOL
Ranking The Rooms: AFC North iDL
Ranking The Rooms: AFC North EDGE
Ranking The Rooms: AFC North Off-ball LBs
1. Cleveland Browns
Having a tandem with Denzel Ward and Martin Emerson is an outstanding foundation for the Browns.
Ward is a true No. 1 cornerback that can be placed on the opponent’s top weapon each week and have a strong showing. He had two interceptions last season and was the second-highest graded corner in the division from Pro Football Focus at 69.4, behind only Cincinnati’s Mike Hilton.
He’s a physical corner with great length and speed and has impressive ball skills. He’s had at least ten passes defensed every year of his career, too, making him a consistent force on the perimeter.
Opposite Ward, Emerson continues to emerge. He’s the big, physical cornerback that fits the new-age mold, one that Cleveland smartly pounced on in the 2022 NFL Draft. Emerson emerged as a full-time starter in 2023 and turned in four interceptions. He matches up very well with bigger receivers.
Cleveland is incredibly deep behind Ward and Emerson. Greg Newsome II is an outstanding No. 3 cornerback on the roster, one that would be a starter on every other roster in the AFC North division. Newsome can move all around and play several roles for the Browns, brings physicality to the position, and showed good ball skills last season with two interceptions and a pick-6.
Cameron Mitchell and Kahlef Hailassie showed flashes last season for the Browns in a limited role, giving the Browns good depth. Cleveland also spent a draft pick on Myles Harden, a small-school standout out of South Dakota, giving Cleveland an elite athlete to try and develop.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh would have been further down the list if I had done this ranking a couple of weeks ago. However, Cameron Sutton was signed to fill the slot role and provide the Steelers with another experienced veteran in the cornerback position.
Sutton’s presence will be huge when he’s on the field. It just depends on how long he’ll be suspended for due to his arrest in Florida back in March on domestic violence charges that were later reduced. After one season in Detroit, Sutton is back in Pittsburgh, where he had a great deal of success in 2021 and 2022.
He’ll pair with emerging second-year standout Joey Porter Jr. and veteran Donte Jackson, acquired via trade this offseason.
Porter is the new-age, physical press cornerback who gets his hands on receivers, disrupts timing, and really suffocates. He’s a true No. 1. Jackson is a proven commodity with great speed and ball skills. If he can get back to his high level of play from the early 2020s, look out.
Depth is slightly concerning behind the top three, but the Steelers are banking on some young cornerbacks to develop.
Cory Trice Jr. and Darius Rush are two second-year cornerbacks with intriguing upside. Trice tore his ACL last August in training camp on the first day of pads, so he’s a big unknown, but he has great traits. Rush showed flashes in limited reps last season with the Steelers, but he’s a high-pedigree guy who was highly sought after in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Steelers also have veteran cornerback Anthony Averett aiming to push for a roster spot after being signed as a tryout player during rookie minicamp. Pittsburgh also has veterans Josiah Scott and Grayland Arnold fighting for a role in the slot, as is undrafted rookie free agent Beanie Bishop.
Thomas Graham Jr. and Kalon Barnes are fighting for a potential practice squad role at this point, but if they can push for a 53-man roster spot, that would be a tremendous development for the Steelers at the cornerback position.
3. Baltimore Ravens
Marlon Humphrey is an outstanding talent. There is no denying that. He can do it all in the NFL at the cornerback position. He’s truly one of the best players at the position in the NFL and continues to show it every season, as long as he stays healthy.
Brandon Stephens is emerging as a cornerback who is tough to deal with, too, due to his size and length. He can play all over for the Ravens and is a real chess piece for a defensive playcaller. Slot cornerback Arthur Maulet was solid in his role in Baltimore, too, giving the Ravens a sure tackler in the slot that took a step forward in coverage last season while still being a good player around the line of scrimmage.
Behind those three, though, there are a ton of questions for the Ravens at the cornerback position.
Yes, the Ravens drafted Nate Wiggins in the first round out of Clemson, but he’s rail thin, and I have major questions about how he’ll hold up in the AFC North. Speed kills, and Wiggins is among the fastest players in the NFL, so recovering in coverage shouldn’t be an issue. He needs to add weight and strength, though, period.
The Ravens also landed cornerback T.J. Tampa in the NFL Draft, giving Baltimore that ideal long, physical cornerback with the high-end size that fits the new-age mold. If Baltimore develops him, look out.
Trayvon Mullen, Tre Swilling, and Jaylen Armour-Davis will battle it out for the final spot on the roster at the position. Armour-Davis has the highest ceiling and the most talent, but he hasn’t put it together yet, and Mullen brings the most experience.
4. Cincinnati Bengals
Though Mike Hilton was the highest-graded cornerback in the AFC North last season, the Bengals have some questions at the cornerback position.
Hilton is an ace in the slot. He is an outstanding run defender and a sound tackler and has continued to make strides in the ball skills department. He’s a strong leader for the Bengals. Hilton is largely the perfect slot cornerback for the AFC North, especially coming downhill against the run and as a blitzer.
Outside, Cam Taylor-Britt emerged as a top-tier cornerback for the Bengals in 2023, recording four interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown, and 11 passes defensed. He bounced between corner and safety in college at Nebraska but has developed well at corner in the NFL, with the Bengals hitting on him in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Bengals are counting on second-year cornerback DJ Turner II to improve in Year 2 in the NFL after struggling as a rookie. He has elite-level speed, but he struggled as a rookie, allowing quarterbacks to complete nearly 60% of passes against him while allowing 664 yards receiving and four touchdowns.
Turner’s transition to the NFL was tough, but he was one of the best talents at the position coming out of Michigan in the 2023 NFL Draft and should bounce back.
Cincinnati has Dax Hill at cornerback for the 2024 season, too, which will be quite interesting to watch as he could be the next Mike Hilton for the Bengals. He’s a fast, physical defensive back with good ball skills, but he had some issues as a safety in the NFL. Maybe a move to the slot will better suit him.
The Bengals invested in the position in the 2024 NFL Draft, too, landing big, physical Josh Newton out of TCU and adding UDFA Lance Robinson out of Tulsa, giving Cincinnati two long cornerbacks to develop.
2023 AFC North CB rankings:
No. 1 – Cleveland Browns
No. 2 – Baltimore Ravens
No. 3 – Cincinnati Bengals
No. 4 – Pittsburgh Steelers
