NFL Playoffs Wild Card Round CB Power Rankings feat. Patrick Surtain II, Marlon Humphrey, Quinyon Mitchell

Modified Jan 10, 2025 00:13 GMT

CB power rankings entering Wild Card round

The wild-card round of the 2024 NFL playoffs will feature some of the top players in all positions. Teams that have punched their tickets into the postseason usually have some of the best rosters in the league, which is one of the reasons why they have been able to be successful.

While much of the general focus is often on the offensive side, playoff football puts more of an emphasis on solid defenses than in the regular season. The games become more intense, and more of them are played in tougher weather conditions, so defenses become more important to the outcomes of games.

It's no secret that dominant passing attacks have been one of the major focuses of NFL teams, so they also need to have solid cornerbacks to counter the elite wide receivers of their opponents. Many of the top players in this position will be featured in the wild card and will be tasked with matching up with some of the most talented wide receivers.

When ranking cornerbacks entering the wild-card round, Patrick Surtain II stands out as the best overall player in his position. He has been selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his past three seasons with the Denver Broncos and has also been named a first-team All-Pro. He gets a matchup against the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card round, where he will likely shadow Amari Cooper on most plays.

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Marlon Humphrey is another former first-team All-Pro cornerback for the Baltimore Ravens. Despite their defense having a down year, Humphrey has still been the stud that he usually is, including recording six interceptions and being selected for his fourth Pro Bowl. He will be matched up with George Pickens this week in an intriguing division rivalry game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

One of the players to keep an eye on during the playoffs is Quinyon Mitchell, who has been one of the outstanding rookies during the 2024 NFL season.

He has quickly elevated himself to one of the league's best coverage cornerbacks and forms a dynamic duo for the Philadelphia Eagles with another rookie in Cooper DeJean. Rookies can sometimes be a liability in the playoffs, but if Mitchell can continue his strong season, he could play a major factor in the Eagles' success.

Here's where all of them fall in the cornerback power rankings ahead of the wild-card round of the 2024 NFL playoffs.