Philadelphia had a top-five defense in 2022, and one big reason was the dominant play of their All-Pro cornerback duo.
The NFL.com’s Nick Shook ranked the top 10 coverage players of 2022 using Next Gen Stats, and Eagles’ All-Pro cornerback James Bradberry landed at No. 1 on the list.
Rank
1
James Bradberry
Philadelphia Eagles · CB
Passer rating allowed: 54.7
Catch rate allowed below expectation: -12.5%
Tight-window percentage: 29.4%
Target rate: 16.1%
Average separation: 2.3 yards
TARGETED EXPECTED POINTS ADDED: -32.8A lot of these players were remarkably close in final numbers. Bradberry, on the other hand, stood apart from the rest. His overall totals didn’t quite reach the level of Atlanta’s A.J. Terrell in 2021 (although he surpassed Terrell in targeted EPA), but he was clearly the NFL’s best coverage defender as the nearest targeted in 2022.
Playing alongside Darius Slay is a big bonus, and opposing quarterbacks struggled against Bradberry, posting a combined passer rating of 54.7, easily the lowest among all qualifying defenders.
Bradberry’s 54.7 passer rating was the only one below 60% and a huge reason why he’s returning on a three-year, $38 million deal.
