The AFC South doesn’t have an elite cornerback entering 2023, but it does feature proven veterans and a mixture of young players that have the skill set to develop into one of the top players at the position.
For this list, I took the two best corners from each team. Let’s take a look at how they rank across the division:
8
JuJu Brents, Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts selected JuJu Brents in the second round of this year’s NFL draft and they have hopes that the rookie will eventually earn one of the starting boundary cornerback spots. In his final season at Kansas State, he had 45 tackles (28 solo), three-and-a-half TFLs, four pass deflections, four interceptions, and a forced fumble.
7
Sean Murphy-Bunting, Tennessee Titans
Sean Murphy-Bunting has only appeared in 21 games since his best season in his NFL career back in 2020. In 12 games in 2022, he finished with 31 tackles (19 solo), one TFL, seven pass deflections, two interceptions, and a forced fumble. He signed with the Tennessee Titans after spending his first four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
6
Steven Nelson, Houston Texans
Steven Nelson is entering his ninth season in the NFL and his second year with the Houston Texans. In 2022 he finished with 52 tackles (39 solo), one TFL, one sack, one QB hit, seven pass deflections, an interception, and a forced fumble.
5
Kristian Fulton, Tennessee Titans
Kristian Fulton has the ability to be a quality starting cornerback in the NFL but his issue has been staying healthy. He’s only appeared in 30 games since getting drafted in 2020. In that time, he has 104 tackles (79 solo), four TFLs, one sack, one QB hit, 20 pass deflections, four interceptions, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
4
Darious Williams, Jacksonville Jagaurs
Darious Williams joined the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2022 and after initially struggling in the slot, he found his role as one of the starting boundary corners. Since 2020 he is tied for the sixth-best defender completion percentage (55.7% on a min. 100 targets) and tied for the seventh-most pass deflections (39).
3
Tyson Campbell, Jacksonville Jaguars
The 2021 second-round pick for the Jacksonville Jaguars is entering a potential breakout season. In his first two years in the league, he has collected 143 tackles (104 solo), four TFLs, 25 pass deflections, five interceptions, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries.
2
Derek Stingley Jr., Houston Texans
The No. 3 overall pick off the 2022 NFL draft played in nine games in his first year in the league. He finished with 43 tackles (35 solo), five pass deflections, an interception, and a sack.
1
Kenny Moore II, Indianapolis Colts
Kenny Moore II is coming off a down year in comparison to his previous four seasons before 2022 but is still a crafty veteran that plays the nickel role for the Colts. Since 2020, he is one of four players that have had multiple regular season games (two) that he forced a fumble and an interception.
