The AFC North is loaded with talent from top to bottom it could be the best position in football strictly from an on-paper standpoint. The division is especially talented from the wide receiver standpoint, making corner talent and depth very important to try and combat that. The Cleveland Browns have the best overall corner room with three high-quality starters in Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome II, and Martin Emerson.
The Steelers have Patrick Peterson who has had a great career and still played at a high level in 2022.
So when compared to each other how do the top corners rank in the AFC North going into training camp for the 2023 NFL season?
Marlon Humphrey of the Baltimore Ravens has been the division’s best corner for several years now and he had another good season in 2022. According to PFF, Humphrey did not allow a touchdown in coverage last season. He has only allowed 15 since the start of his career in 2017. He has a great blend of strength and physicality to go with impressive athleticism as well.
It wasn’t a good season for Denzel Ward in 2022 as the defense as a whole had a ton of blown coverages and mental errors. However, so far Ward has proven that he is a high-quality player and the Browns will need him to bounce back in a big way in 2023. Ward has 38 career pass breakups and has a knack for making big plays with 13 career interceptions.
Mike Hilton is arguably the best nickel corner in the NFL and his ability to play both the run and the pass is top-notch. He isn’t afraid of contact and making a play in the run game and he has no issues covering bigger and more physical wide receivers. Last season for the Bengals, Hilton allowed just one touchdown in coverage.
Chidobe Awuzie only played in eight games for the Bengals last year before a season-ending injury. But just like the season before with the team, he was playing at an impressive level before the injury. During his eight games, he allowed only a 41.9 percent completion percentage when targeted and did not allow a touchdown in coverage either.
5. Greg Newsome II, Cleveland Browns
There were some ups for Greg Newsome II in his second season when he played a ton of snaps in the slot. Newsome has been vocal about not wanting to continue playing as much inside and I can understand why. He is much more suited to be a man corner on the outside although he will likely still see some snaps inside.
He has the talent to be a top-flight player but just like Denzel Ward, he needs a big bounce back under new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.
The grizzled veteran had one of his best seasons in several years last year with the Vikings before joining the Steelers this offseason. Peterson totaled five interceptions last year while only allowing a 58.9 percent completion percentage when targeted. The question will be can Peterson replicate that or fall back to how he has been the previous few seasons as his play started to fall off?
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Story originally appeared on Browns Wire