With all of the star power on the offensive side of the football in the AFC North, particularly in the passing game, somebody has to cover those guys and try to negate the high-flying attacks. Fortunately for the AFC North as a whole, there are quite a few big-name cornerbacks with high-end talent.
There’s Denzel Ward in Cleveland, Marlon Humphrey in Baltimore, Cam Taylor-Britt in Cincinnati and Joey Porter Jr. in Pittsburgh. Those are just the homegrown big-name cornerbacks within the division.
The AFC North also added some big-name free agents at corner this offseason, including Darius Slay with Pittsburgh and most recently Jaire Alexander in Baltimore. So, the position looks pretty good overall in the division.
How does it all shake out top to bottom though? Let’s take a look in this edition of Ranking The Rooms: AFC North.
1. BALTIMORE RAVENS
Having Marlon Humphrey as their No. 1 corner puts the Ravens at the top of the pecking order within the division. He can do it all and is a great player year after year for Baltimore. He is still just 28 years old, too, and continues to play at an elite level, coming off a first-team All-Pro last season.
The Ravens added around him, too, and should be even better this season in the secondary, assuming health. Baltimore brought in veteran Chidobe Awuzie in free agency, bringing him back to the AFC North after one season in Dallas. He’s struggled with health in recent years, but he provides experienced depth on the back end.
Nate Wiggins is set for a Year 2 leap in Baltimore. He had some flashes last year in 679 snaps, grading out at a 70.7 overall from Pro Football Focus, and then played another 90 snaps in the playoffs. Having him opposite Humphrey forms a potentially great tandem.
Alexander signed with the Ravens on Wednesday, giving them even more depth and experience. Alexander is only 28 years old, but he’s played just 14 games in the last two seasons combined due to injuries. When he’s healthy, he’s one of the best in the game. The Ravens are banking on their medical team keeping him healthy.
Baltimore also drafted Robert Longerbeam, who is a very intriguing slot cornerback with great toughness and tackling abilities. The Rutgers product impressed at the East-West Shrine Bowl. They also drafted Bilhal Kone out of Western Michigan, throwing more bodies at the position of need. Players like T.J. Tampa and Jayln Armour-Davis are back to battle for depth roles, too, and the Ravens brought in a host of undrafted free agents to compete, including Marquise Robinson, Reuben Lowery, and Keyon Martin.
2. CLEVELAND BROWNS
Denzel Ward remains, year after year, one of the best cornerbacks in football. He doesn’t have the All-Pro accolades just yet, but he’s been a Pro Bowler in back-to-back years and has four in his career.
As the No. 1 corner in Cleveland, Ward allows the Browns to do a number of things defensively under Jim Schwartz, knowing that Ward can handle the top matchups weekly and excel. Last season, Ward had two interceptions and led the NFL with 19 passes defensed.
Opposite him, Martin Emerson took a bit of a step back last season for the Browns. He didn’t have any interceptions and recorded just five pass breakups one year after recording four interceptions and 14 passes defensed. He didn’t see a decline in playing time either. He just wasn’t effective.
Still, he has great size and length and should be better in Year 4.
Greg Newsome II returns, too, providing the Browns with a physical, feisty cornerback. He tends to do more talking than producing, but he fits into Cleveland’s culture and is a solid player overall, handling his role at a high level.
Depth pieces Tony Brown II and Myles Harden are back for another year and give the Browns some solid play in limited roles, though as key pieces on special teams, especially Brown. Second-year pro Chigozie Anusiem appears poised for a step forward this season and would be a welcome depth addition for Cleveland if he can start to fulfill some of the promise he has.
Anthony Kendall, Cameron Mitchell, and undrafted free agents Dom Jones and LaMareon James will battle for practice squad roles.
3. PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Joey Porter Jr. has all the promise in the world with his size and length. He’s had a decent start to his career, but Year 3 will be huge for him. If he can clean up the penalties that have plagued him, he could really become a great cornerback. Right now, that’s holding him back as he’s had 19 penalties called against him in two years.
With new defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander in the fold, the Steelers are banking on the former NFL safety helping Porter unlock his potential and clean up his game. They’re also counting on 34-year-old corner Darius Slay to still have something left in the tank while also serving as a great mentor for Porter and the other young corners on the roster.
Slay played well in Philadelphia last season and was quite good in the playoffs, helping the Eagles win a Super Bowl. Now he comes across the state and looks to slot into a similar mentorship role in Pittsburgh.
Cory Trice Jr. is another young player who aims to learn from Slay. He was injured early in the year with a hamstring injury, but once he returned Trice showed some flashes. He had some struggles, especially late in the year, but he put enough on tape to be quite intriguing entering Year 3.
Veteran Brandin Echols was brought in during free agency and brings a great deal of experience to the table. He’s not a big, flashy name, but he’s productive and should have a key role this season.
James Pierre returns in his special teams role while also providing some experience at cornerback over the last few years in Pittsburgh. He’s not a guy you want starting, but he can handle some snaps defensively in a pinch.
Second-year pro Beanie Bishop Jr. and rookie seventh-round pick Donte Kent will battle for the slot cornerback job in training camp and the preseason. Bishop had some moments as a rookie with four interceptions, including two off Aaron Rodgers, but he also had plenty of struggles. Kent was more of a feast-or-famine corner in college, and while he is an explosive athlete with some special teams abilities, he’s going to need to show he can cover in the NFL quickly.
Others like Cameron McCutcheon, Kyler McMichael and D’Shawn Jamison will battle for practice squad spots this summer, though it wouldn’t be surprising to see one of them creating some buzz as a bottom-of-the-roster guy at a Steelers position of need.
4. CINCINNATI BENGALS
Once again, the Bengals find themselves last in the division at cornerback. While Cam Taylor-Britt is a really nice player to have on the boundary, one who is productive and can take the football away, there’s not much else to be excited about with the Bengals currently.
Daxton Hill has been a bit of a disappointment. He has just two career interceptions and isn’t all that productive overall. He played in just five games last season, and 2025 is shaping up to be a huge year for him.
Josh Newton had some good moments last season for the Bengals and looks like a player to keep developing at the position, while DJ Turner played in 11 game last season and flashed at times. DJ Ivey is another young piece the Bengals are trying to develop at the position and will lean on under first-year defensive coordinator Al Golden in 2025.
Despite having some intriguing young pieces, there’s not much to count on for Cincinnati. Depth is a concern, too. Nate Brooks, Marco Wilson, Lance Robinson and Jalen Davis are returning veterans vying for depth roles. Bralyn Lux was a UDFA out of Texas Tech who is competing for a roster spot, too.
Things aren’t looking great for Cincinnati at corner, at least on paper. That could all change during the season, though.
2024 AFC North CB rankings:
No. 1 – Cleveland Browns
No. 2 – Pittsburgh Steelers
No. 3 – Baltimore Ravens
No. 4 – Cincinnati Bengals
