BEST RATED TACKLING DEFENSIVE BACKS 2028 NFL Draft

2028 BEST RATED TACKLING DEFENSIVE BACKS

For a defensive back the tackling grade is about what happens after the catch and in run support: open-field tackles made against tackles missed, and yards given up after contact. A corner who misses in space turns a five-yard completion into a touchdown. Eric Berry (Tennessee) and Tyrann Mathieu (LSU) tackled like linebackers.

The table ranks this year’s draft-eligible defensive backs by tackling grade, alongside run defense, zone coverage, man and press coverage, and overall rating.

2028 Defensive Backs ranked by TACKLING

RANK Player Pos Team TACKLING RUN DEFENSE ZONE MAN/PRESS Rating
1

Messiah
Delhomme

S
Maryland   Mascot
Maryland Mascot
94 71 71 54
80.2
2

Na'Eem
Offord

CB
Oregon   Mascot
Oregon Mascot
82 69 60 64
81.9
3

Bryce
Fitzgerald

S
Miami   Mascot
Miami Mascot
82 78 85 76
86.1
4

Rylon
Dillard-Alle...

S
Washington   Mascot
Washington Mascot
80 59 76 78
85.0
5

DJ
Pickett

CB
LSU   Mascot
LSU Mascot
76 87 76 82
88.4
6

Kade
Phillips

CB
Texas   Mascot
Texas Mascot
73 68 85 76
87.3
7

Daryus
Dixson

CB
Penn State   Mascot
Penn State Mascot
71 66 81 77
87.1
8

Jayden
Sanders

CB
Michigan   Mascot
Michigan Mascot
68 70 78 74
85.9
9

Shawn
Lee Jr.

CB
Pittsburgh   Mascot
Pittsburgh Mascot
68 68 84 74
82.1
10

Tyren
Polley

S
SMU   Mascot
SMU Mascot
67 71 86 90
81.1
11

Graceson
Littleton

CB
Texas   Mascot
Texas Mascot
66 85 71 69
85.8
12

Dylan
Robinson

CB
Washington   Mascot
Washington Mascot
63 85 70 62
83.3
13

Tae
Harris

S
Georgia Tech   Mascot
Georgia Tech Mascot
63 69 69 83
83.1
14

Courtland
Guillory

CB
Oklahoma   Mascot
Oklahoma Mascot
62 67 77 70
83.0
15

Devin
Sanchez

CB
Ohio State   Mascot
Ohio State Mascot
50 67 64 66
84.8
16

Jamari
Johnson

CB
Cincinnati   Mascot
Cincinnati Mascot
20 41 26 0
52.8