BEST ZONE COVERAGE DEFENSIVE BACKS 2028 NFL Draft

2028 BEST ZONE COVERAGE DEFENSIVE BACKS

Zone coverage grade scores snaps where the defender is responsible for an area: reading the quarterback, passing off routes, breaking on the ball. It rewards instincts more than speed, and it is where safeties and off-coverage corners build their value. Richard Sherman (Stanford) and Earl Thomas (Texas) both graded near the top here.

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

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

Tyren
Polley

S
SMU   Mascot
SMU Mascot
67 71 86 90
81.1
2

Kade
Phillips

CB
Texas   Mascot
Texas Mascot
73 68 85 76
87.3
3

Bryce
Fitzgerald

S
Miami   Mascot
Miami Mascot
82 78 85 76
86.1
4

Shawn
Lee Jr.

CB
Pittsburgh   Mascot
Pittsburgh Mascot
68 68 84 74
82.1
5

Daryus
Dixson

CB
Penn State   Mascot
Penn State Mascot
71 66 81 77
87.1
6

Jayden
Sanders

CB
Michigan   Mascot
Michigan Mascot
68 70 78 74
85.9
7

Courtland
Guillory

CB
Oklahoma   Mascot
Oklahoma Mascot
62 67 77 70
83.0
8

Rylon
Dillard-Alle...

S
Washington   Mascot
Washington Mascot
80 59 76 78
85.0
9

DJ
Pickett

CB
LSU   Mascot
LSU Mascot
76 87 76 82
88.4
10

Messiah
Delhomme

S
Maryland   Mascot
Maryland Mascot
94 71 71 54
80.2
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

Devin
Sanchez

CB
Ohio State   Mascot
Ohio State Mascot
50 67 64 66
84.8
15

Na'Eem
Offord

CB
Oregon   Mascot
Oregon Mascot
82 69 60 64
81.9
16

Jamari
Johnson

CB
Cincinnati   Mascot
Cincinnati Mascot
20 41 26 0
52.8