2022 NFL season: Ranking top duos at 11 key position groups
Does any pair of teammates top the Chargers' Keenan Allen and Mike Williams among the NFL's best receiver duos? In the latest edition of his Scout's Notebook, Bucky Brooks ranks the top duos at 11 key position groups heading into the 2022 season.
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Rank 1
Xavien Howard
Miami Dolphins · Year 7
Byron Jones
Miami Dolphins · Year 8
The Dolphins have invested heavily in the cornerback position, and it has paid off with an outstanding performance on the perimeters. Howard and Jones excel in man-to-man coverage schemes, and the defense's success is predicated on their ability to put wideouts in straitjackets. Although the 28-year-old Howard is more of a ballhawk than shutdown corner, the perennial Pro Bowler has mastered the art of taking the ball away. Whether he snags the ball on a tip or overthrown pass or makes an aggressive break after reading the route, the veteran has a knack for coming down with picks. Jones, 29, does not possess the ball skills and instincts to register huge turnover numbers, but he is a sticky defender in coverage. As a decathlete with outstanding speed and leaping ability, the veteran provides blanket coverage against WR2s on the other side of the field. With a pair of high-end corners at his disposal, third-year defensive coordinator Josh Boyer can unleash the hounds on opponents with his aggressive blitz schemes.
THE NEXT TWO: 2) Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters, Baltimore Ravens; 3) Jaire Alexander and Rasul Douglas, Green Bay Packers.