The cornerback position might be the most volatile in the NFL, and the NFC East is no exception. Not long ago, the Dallas Cowboys had two All-Pro starting cornerbacks in Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland. Now Diggs isn’t even signed to a team as training camp approaches, and Bland is another bad season away from being on the chopping block. The Philadelphia Eagles had an aged, poor secondary two years ago. They then drafted corners in the first two rounds of the 2024 draft, and it became one of the best units in the league.
The New York Giants signed a handful of free agents and drafted Colton Hood at pick No. 37 of the draft. They are in the process of a complete rebuild of their unit. The Washington Commanders signed two solid, starting-level corners, Amik Robertson and Ahkello Witherspoon, to pair with two young, developing starters. Ranking the cornerback position isn’t the same as ranking the defensive line or pass rush.
4: New York Giants
It’s a struggle to find a starting-level corner for the Giants. Paulson Adebo’s highest Pro Football Focus grade is 60, and it was for his pass rush prowess. New York signed Greg Newsome II, who has played on quality defenses but individually isn’t a high-end cover guy. Andru Phillips could be their best individual corner in the nickel. He has a PFF coverage grade of 65.4 with 12 pass deflections and two interceptions in eight starts.
Deonte Banks lost his starting job in his third season and is now a backup with solid experience. The difference maker could be Colton Hood, the rookie out of Tennessee. He had a breakout season in 2025 at the college level, and if he develops into a true No. 1 corner to pair with Phillips, they could be building a good unit.
3: Washington Commanders
The Commanders did the least to improve their unit, but Troy Amos was solid over 500 defensive snaps as a rookie and has a promising future. Mike Sainristil has been very productive in his first two years. He averaged nearly 90 tackles, three interceptions, and 13 pass deflections and has made
30 starts. Robertson is the nickel corner; solid, but not a playmaker. He has never had more than two interceptions and only one season with double-digit pass deflections. Witherspoon is the first bench guy and will contribute heavily on special teams. Sainristil is the player who moves Washington ahead of New York, but the Giants’ development of Hood could flip them by the end of the year.
2: Dallas Cowboys
Diggs, Bland, Shavon Revel Jr., Caelen Carson, and Josh Butler all had moments where they looked like they could be the future of the position for Dallas, only for injuries to set them way back. Bland is the Pick-6 king, but will he reach that level again after multiple foot injuries? Revel Jr. was seen as a steal in 2025’s Round 3, but a training camp aggravation set back his recovery from an ACL injury. The Cowboys made a great low-cost move in signing Cobie Durant away from the Los Angeles Rams, who upgraded with All-Pro Trent McDuffie. Durant likely slots as one of the starters on the boundary.
Can Butler (ACL) or Carson (shoulder) bounce back? Could another injured prospect who fell in the draft, Devin Moore, develop his immense talent as a 6-foot-3, 200-pound prospect who moves like a slot corner? The team has the most talented cornerback room in the NFC East, but the unknowns are too much compared to the top starters in Philadelphia.
1: Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles could end up with the top three cornerbacks in the division if newly signed Riq Woolen can fit in the Eagles’ system. He is a Cover 3 outside corner, who isn’t the same caliber in other types of coverage. He joins All-Pro slot corner Cooper DeJean and All-Pro boundary corner Quinyon Mitchell. They combined for two interceptions, 33 pass deflections, and 138 tackles in 2025, but the stats don’t do their impact justice.
They helped turn around the Philadelphia defense as rookies and maintained the high level of play in their second seasons. The depth behind those three is limited. Kelly Ringo, Ambry Thomas, and Jakorian Bennett have some spot starts, but nothing impactful. Mac McWilliams and Tariq Castro-Fields have combined for 55 defensive snaps combined.
You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or on YouTube at Across the Cowboys podcast
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Can Cowboys depth overcome Eagles top talent in NFC East CB rankings?
Reporting by Mike Crum, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
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By Mike Crum, Cowboys Wire | USA TODAY Network
