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

Daryus
Dixson

CB
Penn State   Mascot
Penn State Mascot
65 65 90 86
87.1
2

Jayden
Sanders

CB
Michigan   Mascot
Michigan Mascot
55 72 88 87
85.9
3

Bryce
Fitzgerald

S
Miami   Mascot
Miami Mascot
70 80 86 89
86.1
4

DJ
Pickett

CB
LSU   Mascot
LSU Mascot
63 84 81 87
88.4
5

Shawn
Lee Jr.

CB
Pittsburgh   Mascot
Pittsburgh Mascot
55 69 80 78
82.1
6

Tae
Harris

S
Georgia Tech   Mascot
Georgia Tech Mascot
69 75 78 75
83.1
7

Tyren
Polley

S
SMU   Mascot
SMU Mascot
73 71 75 75
81.1
8

Kade
Phillips

CB
Texas   Mascot
Texas Mascot
78 74 75 68
87.3
9

Graceson
Littleton

CB
Texas   Mascot
Texas Mascot
65 69 75 70
85.8
10

Rylon
Dillard-Alle...

S
Washington   Mascot
Washington Mascot
63 70 75 73
85.0
11

Elijah
Green

CB
Tulsa   Mascot
Tulsa Mascot
73 73 73 73
75.0
12

Courtland
Guillory

CB
Oklahoma   Mascot
Oklahoma Mascot
59 67 70 74
83.0
13

Messiah
Delhomme

S
Maryland   Mascot
Maryland Mascot
79 68 69 75
80.2
14

Braden
Awls

S
Iowa State   Mascot
Iowa State Mascot
70 84 69 69
81.1
15

Dylan
Robinson

CB
Washington   Mascot
Washington Mascot
51 62 66 68
83.3
16

Edrees
Farooq

S
Tennessee   Mascot
Tennessee Mascot
48 56 65 66
74.0
17

Devin
Sanchez

CB
Ohio State   Mascot
Ohio State Mascot
79 75 65 65
84.8
18

Na'Eem
Offord

CB
Oregon   Mascot
Oregon Mascot
54 71 63 60
81.9
19

Xavier
Filsaime

S
Texas   Mascot
Texas Mascot
38 66 62 63
64.3
20

Jaydan
Hardy

S
Colorado   Mascot
Colorado Mascot
37 52 58 63
66.1