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Jeremy Fowler, senior NFL national reporter
With 2024 NFL training camps on the horizon, the league’s true insiders made their voices heard. ESPN surveyed league executives, coaches and scouts to help us rank the top 10 players at 11 different positions, from quarterback to cornerback and all positions in between. This was the fifth edition of these rankings, and as usual, several players moved up or fell off last year’s lists.
A reminder of the rankings process: Voters gave us their best 10 players at a position, then we compiled the results and ranked candidates based on number of top-10 votes, composite average and dozens of interviews, with research and film study help from ESPN NFL analyst Matt Bowen. In total, nearly 80 voters submitted a ballot on at least one position, and in many cases all positions. Additional voting and follow-up calls with those surveyed helped us break any ties.
Each section included quotes and nuggets from the voters on every ranked player — even the honorable mentions. The objective was to identify the best players for 2024. This was not a five-year projection or a career achievement award. Who are the best players today?
We rolled out a position per day over 11 days. The schedule: running backs (7/8), defensive tackles (7/9), edge rushers (7/10), safeties (7/11), tight ends (7/12), interior offensive linemen (7/13), offensive tackles (7/14), quarterbacks (7/15), off-ball linebackers (7/16), wide receivers (7/17), cornerbacks (7/18).
No position saw more turbulence year-over-year than cornerback.
Five corners entered the top 10 for the first time, with the 2022 and 2023 draft classes showing up big.
The honorable mention list reads like an All-Pro list, several former top-five corners were left out, and a veteran out of the AFC North makes a surprise jump into the top two.
No player truly dominated the voting, with one star in particular taking a surprise hit among some reputable voters.
“For a few years now, I don’t think there’s [been] an elite shutdown corner,” an NFC executive said. “Obviously everything favors the passing game so it’s probably a tougher task than ever before, so it’s about placing a strong value on the guys that can add to the game as a blitzer, in run support or have knacks to make plays vs. perimeter screens.”
Let’s look at some of the game’s top corners as ranked by execs, coaches and scouts around the NFL.