Wide Receivers vs. Cornerbacks: Week 1 Matchups

This article will go game by game for the Week 1 slate looking at the top wide receivers from an offense and, based on the inside/outside and left/right splits of those receivers, identify the cornerbacks most likely to face them in man coverage. This post will have to be a little shorter and lean more on speculation/generalities than the entries to come, because teams haven't yet conclusively revealed their personnel tendencies.

Receivers rarely see the same corner every play, be it due to formation quirks or zone coverage calls by the defense, so a receiver's fortunes depend on much more than just the quality of the corner they're likely to see the most in a given game. Even against a bad corner, a good receiver can be denied the opportunity if the pass rush or something else outside his control complicates things. But it's part of the puzzle, and it's worth keeping track of.

Receivers are left with an Upgrade, Downgrade, or Even verdict based on their projected matchup. This shouldn't be read as 'good' or 'bad' but rather a measured tweak from the receiver's baseline projection.

ATL vs CAR

ATLANTA WIDE RECEIVERS

Drake London is an impending monster if not one already. The Panthers might want to shadow him with Jaycee Horn, yet doing so would give Kyle Pitts more favorable looks. It's not an easy dilemma for a defense to resolve, even one with means. Assuming you also want to defend the run properly against Atlanta, a defense is often faced with cutting one of London or Pitts loose. Someone like Donte Jackson doesn't really move the needle for London's projection if Horn is following around Pitts. Mack Hollins is much bigger than Jackson and can probably box him out occasionally, though never with separation.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Drake London (arguable downgrade if shadowed by Horn), Mack Hollins

CAROLINA WIDE RECEIVERS

DJ Chark is a candidate to see shadow coverage from AJ Terrell, which would probably be a difficult situation for Chark if so. It's not necessarily so much that Chark can't beat Terrell – maybe he can – it's more that the remaining targets would have such comparatively easier matchups that it might not be easy for Chark to draw targets. Adam Thielen figures to draw most of the easy targets in this offense, and if he's not against Terrell it makes it that much easier for Carolina to lean into that tendency. Jonathan Mingo and Terrace Marshall are vying for the remaining snaps, to uncertain effect.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: DJ Chark (raise to Even if not shadowed by Terrell)
Even: Adam Thielen, Jonathan Mingo, Terrace Marshall

BAL vs HOU

BALTIMORE WIDE RECEIVERS

Rashod Bateman (foot) appears mostly healthy, in which case he might make a better case for the Baltimore WR1 role than his recent ADP implied. Bateman often or usually went behind Zay Flowers and right around where veteran signing Odell Beckham tended to go in fantasy drafts, but it's not clear how Baltimore's target rotation might work.

With all of that said, Flowers is the best slot fit of this trio while Bateman and Beckham best fit outside. The Texans recently cut former slot corner Desmond King, so Tavierre Thomas is the likely slot starter. Thomas is athletic but not necessarily refined, so it should be a good setup for Flowers. Bateman and Beckham should trade off looks against Derek Stingley on some unclear basis. Whoever gets Steven Nelson is probably set up better.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Odell Beckham

HOUSTON WIDE RECEIVERS

Marlon Humphrey is out, so that's good news for Nico Collins and to a lesser extent Robert Woods. Collins should get the more high-difficulty downfield routes while Woods mostly works the intermediate and less. Those two and Tank Dell might be your Houston three-wide loadout in hurryup, with Noah Brown taking snaps at Dell's expense the more run-heavy the Texans go. It's difficult to see why the Texans should need to go run-heavy in this game, or any other really.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Robert Woods, Noah Brown

CLE vs CIN

CLEVELAND WIDE RECEIVERS

The Cincinnati defense is well coached and features a potent pass rush, which gives cover to its cornerback personnel. The Bengals might need that cover while Chidobe Awuzie works his way back from last year's ACL tear, though when healthy Awuzie did well as their CB1 previously. Cam Taylor-Britt is super toolsy at the very least and showed promise his rookie year, so it wouldn't be surprising if he soon emerged as a formidable counterpart or even an equal to Awuzie. Between the two of them and the scheming of Lou Anarumo, the Bengals should be able to make this challenging for Amari Cooper. As the presumed slot receiver Elijah Moore likely has the easiest matchup, running against Mike Hilton. Hilton is a standout all-purpose defender but isn't specifically a shutdown coverage guy, so he might need some assistance against Moore. Donovan Peoples-Jones is generally thwarted by size/speed corners like Awuzie and Taylor-Britt, though it's possible Awuzie is vulnerable deep while working back from the injury.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Donovan Peoples-Jones
Even: Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore

CINCINNATI WIDE RECEIVERS

If Denzel Ward (concussion) is out then it leaves the Browns vulnerable in three-wide sets, though Greg Newsome is very good and Martin Emerson showed promise as a rookie third-round pick last year. Newsome and Emerson are both legitimately toolsy with decent builds, making them surprisingly good trait counters to Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Chase and Higgins don't get by just on their athleticism, however, and Emerson in particular would be hard-pressed to mirror either receiver through the full process of a route. Even if Ward is active he's in danger of getting bullied as a smaller corner. Tyler Boyd figures to see the most of the slot corner, which in the past has been Newsome.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Ja'Marr Chase (arguable Upgrade if Ward is out), Tee Higgins (see Chase), Tyler Boyd

IND vs JAC

INDIANAPOLIS WIDE RECEIVERS

Tyson Campbell is on the short list of corner prospects who could jump into elite territory this year, and it would make sense for the Jaguars to have him shadow Michael Pittman. As much as Pittman should be able to hold his own in that scenario, (A) that's no guarantee and (B) the non-Campbell Jaguars corners are so much more easily targeted that it could encourage a bit of a target funnel away from Pittman. Darious Williams would be a much easier target for Pittman, as at 5-foot-9 Williams just wouldn't be able to defend the rim. Tre Herndon is also quite beatable, presumably from the slot. Josh Downs might be able to get the better of Herndon there, and Alec Pierce would be a dangerous jumpball threat if matched up with Williams.

Upgrade: Josh Downs
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Michael Pittman (arguable Downgrade if shadowed by Campbell, arguable Upgrade if not), Alec Pierce (arguable upgrade if Campbell shadows Pittman)

JACKSONVILLE WIDE RECEIVERS

The Colts' cornerback personnel isn't great, and Gus Bradley isn't a great defensive coordinator. The Colts run defense, meanwhile, will likely remain strong if only by the accident of having DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart bullying the interior. The Colts corners are vulnerable yet the defensive build encourages teams to throw against them. Might be an issue.

Calvin Ridley, Christian Kirk and Zay Jones all have big advantages over the Colts corners. Indianapolis has Kenny Moore as its one good corner, and even he is more of an all-purpose rover from the slot than he is a coverage standout. The Colts currently have Darrell Baker and Dallis Flowers as their first-team outside corners. That's negligent front office management.

Upgrade: Calvin Ridley, Christian Kirk, Zay Jones
Downgrade: N/A
Even: N/A
 

MIN vs TB

MINNESOTA WIDE RECEIVERS

There's a way to contain Justin Jefferson and the Giants showed how last year: you simply have to sell out your entire defense toward that one purpose. It's not clear whether the Buccaneers or their cornerbacks are inclined to accept that. Carlton Davis in particular has a shadow corner mindset and probably doesn't consider himself in need of accommodation. It would be hubris for the Buccaneers to test their luck on this point, but anything is possible. The more help the Buccaneers roll toward Jefferson the more they're asking for trouble from Jordan Addison, whose lateral movement and start/stop ability could be a problem for both Davis and Jamel Dean. Dean is a hulking, blazing-fast corner who owns the sideline vertically, but Addison (and Jefferson) can make him uncomfortable by going sideways. It's not clear who will defend the slot for Tampa Bay – Antoine Winfield did it most of last year – but the Buccaneers have less depth at safety than past years and might want to keep Winfield at safety as a result. K.J. Osborn should probably hope so, because he's not beating Winfield in man coverage.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Justin Jefferson (arguable Upgrade if shadowed by Davis), Jordan Addison (arguable Upgrade if Jefferson is shadowed by Davis), K.J. Osborn (downgrade if Winfield plays slot)

TAMPA BAY WIDE RECEIVERS

Byron Murphy is a good corner and should prove to be a valuable pickup for the Vikings. What's less obvious is how the Vikings will use him – Murphy tended to play the slot for the Cardinals, but is getting paid more like a proper CB1. Usually teams expect a so-called CB1 to shadow the WR1 of the opposing team. Mike Evans could meet their definition of that, but so could Chris Godwin. If Murphy plays the slot then he'd be on Godwin almost every play, which is at once a manageable but not ideal matchup for Godwin. There are much easier targets than Murphy. If Murphy is on Godwin it gives the greenlight to Evans, who would otherwise just need to beat Akayleb Evans or/and Andrew Booth.

Upgrade: Mike Evans
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Chris Godwin (Upgrade if Murphy doesn't play the slot), Trey Palmer

NO vs TEN

NEW ORLEANS WIDE RECEIVERS

Though scrappy and well-coached, the Tennessee defense just doesn't have the firepower at corner to match a duo like Chris Olave and Michael Thomas. Thomas is of course the more easily defended of the two, and in theory the starting corners Kristian Fulton and Roger McCreary are well-suited to covering a receiver of Thomas' genre – all three of them get by on skills more than tools, and Fulton/McCreary are most easily beaten when you have a player bigger or/and faster than them. Thomas doesn't have an advantage as far as tools go, but Olave does. Fulton and McCreary cannot cover Olave – it's possible no corner can. Sean Murphy-Bunting is more toolsy than Fulton or McCreary but his skill set has lagged to this point, making him a potential victim of either Olave or Thomas. Rashid Shaheed might be the main slot receiver for the Saints but he poses a dangerous deep threat to Fulton and McCreary.

Upgrade: Chris Olave
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Michael Thomas, Rashid Shaheed

TENNESSEE WIDE RECEIVERS

DeAndre Hopkins no doubt gets a tough matchup against Marshon Lattimore, but Hopkins can probably take care of himself there. What Hopkins can't control is whether the Tennessee offensive line pass blocks well enough for Hopkins to run any of his routes fully. Treylon Burks faces the same problem, and even if Lattimore shadows Hopkins it's a tough draw for Burks against Alontae Taylor or Paulson Adebo. 

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: DeAndre Hopkins, Treylon Burks

PIT vs SF

PITTSBURGH WIDE RECEIVERS

Deommodore Lenoir is the weak spot in the 49ers defense and everyone knows it. The 49ers are likely planning to accommodate Lenoir, then, perhaps giving him more help than they do Charvarius Ward on the other side. Ward is a perfect counter to George Pickens – tall and vertically explosive – so it would make sense for the 49ers to match up those two while giving Lenoir extra help against Diontae Johnson. Ward's abilities might largely go to waste against a corner like Johnson, moreover, because as a taller and heavier corner Ward isn't really built to chase a gnat wideout like Johnson. Slot corner Isaiah Oliver should hold the advantage over Allen Robinson.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Allen Robinson
Even: George Pickens (arguable Downgrade if shadowed by Ward), Diontae Johnson

SAN FRANCISCO WIDE RECEIVERS

Deebo Samuel is matchup-proof when it comes to cornerback coverages, because the way he's deployed is so unlike traditional wide receiver usage that shadow logic just doesn't really work. Whether a defense contains Samuel has more to do with (A) whether they tackle him successfully and (B) whether the pass rush can derail the quarterback. Brandon Aiyuk has some of the same factors going for him, but as the more ambitious downfield route runner of the two he's the one most likely to require traditional coverage. The Steelers have never played a transparent man coverage scheme and are unlikely to start anytime soon, but Aiyuk (and Samuel) should hold a general route running advantage over Patrick Peterson and Levi Wallace. Rookie second-round pick Joey Porter is a major talent upgrade over those two but it's unclear whether the Steelers will play the rookie. Chandon Sullivan got beaten regularly before 2023 but might be a better fit in the Steelers' scheme. If he isn't he will soon get replaced by Desmond King, who has generally been one of the league's better slot corners in recent years.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk

WAS vs ARI

WASHINGTON WIDE RECEIVERS

Arizona watched Byron Murphy walk in free agency, and with that the Cardinals went from maybe the worst cornerback rotation in the league to likely the worst. The Cardinals starting corner duo of Marco Wilson and Kei'Trel Clark is fairly athletic, but Wilson's skills have always lagged behind his tools grade, and Clark is a rookie sixth-round pick. Terry McLaurin (toe) of course cannot be covered by these guys when healthy, though it's unclear what's a fair expectation with the toe. Jahan Dotson and Curtis Samuel can both dust these corners otherwise. Even Dyami Brown can probably beat these corners if McLaurin is limited.

Upgrade: Terry McLaurin (toe disclaimer), Jahan Dotson, Curtis Samuel
Downgrade: N/A
Even: N/A

ARIZONA WIDE RECEIVERS

Marquise Brown can probably beat corners like Emmanuel Forbes and Kendall Fuller, but neither is an easy matchup and with Josh Dobbs at quarterback it might be better understood as difficult. Rondale Moore probably has the easiest matchup, running against second-round pick Jartavius Martin in the slot, but that's not necessarily saying much. Michael Wilson similarly does not project especially well, and of himself, Moore and Brown it's Wilson who's least likely to separate from coverage.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Michael Wilson
Even: Marquise Brown, Rondale Moore

CHI vs GB

CHICAGO WIDE RECEIVERS

Jaire Alexander lobbied in the past for the chance to shadow opposing No. 1 wideouts, but generally the Packers didn't give in to the request. DJ Moore is much better than Chase Claypool or Darnell Mooney, so if the Packers don't want to serve up Rasul Douglas to Moore they might want to keep Alexander on Moore as often as possible. Even Alexander can lose to a wideout as good as Moore, and Douglas would probably tend to. Keisean Nixon might be a decent counter to Mooney in the slot, and Douglas could be a good counter to Claypool given Douglas' tall and heavy build.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: DJ Moore (arguable upgrade if not shadowed by Alexander), Darnell Mooney, Chase Claypool

GREEN BAY WIDE RECEIVERS

Christian Watson (hamstring) and Romeo Doubs (hamstring) are both shaky for this, destabilizing what would otherwise be a potentially favorable matchup. The Bears have one proven corner in Jaylon Johnson, yet even Johnson lacks the wheels to defend vertically against Doubs or especially Watson. If Watson or Doubs are less than 100 percent, though, Johnson might be in control. Kyler Gordon had a brutal rookie year in the slot and is likely still more easily beaten than Johnson, though sophomore-year improvement wouldn't be surprising with Gordon. In three-wide sets the Bears figure to again move Gordon into the slot, with one of the rookies Tyrique Stevenson or Terell Smith stepping in at that point. Rookie Jayden Reed would probably be a tough cover for taller, heavier corners like Stevenson and Smith, and if Gordon isn't improved from last year then Reed could hold an advantage there, too. Johnson might be fairly well-prepared to counter Reed, however.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed

DEN vs LV

DENVER WIDE RECEIVERS

It's not clear whether the Raiders will use Nate Hobbs as a shadow corner, but if they do then his assignment might be Courtland Sutton. Sutton is capable of holding his own in that matchup if so, but it's still probably not what he'd like to see from the Raiders defense. It would suit the interests of Marvin Mims just fine, however, as Marcus Peters is always a burn risk and an easier target than Hobbs.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Courtland Sutton (arguable Downgrade if shadowed by Hobbs), Marvin Mims (Upgrade if Hobbs shadows Sutton)

LAS VEGAS WIDE RECEIVERS

Patrick Surtain is about as tough as a matchup can get for a wide receiver, but Davante Adams hasn't lost many one-on-one matchups in recent years. Problematically for Denver, if Surtain follows Adams then that leaves Jakobi Meyers against either Damarri Mathis or maybe Kareem Jackson. 

When Meyers isn't against Jackson, it might be Hunter Renfrow who sees the veteran safety/slot corner. In two-wide looks, though, it's not clear how often Renfrow might be present. The more run-heavy the game plan the worse it seems to project for Renfrow. Jackson historically has been tough in coverage, including from the slot, though at 35 years old it seems decline might soon be a risk.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, Hunter Renfrow

LAC vs MIA

CHARGERS WIDE RECEIVERS

Xavien Howard was recently among the top cornerbacks in the league, and a feared ballhawk in particular, but those days might be gone. Granted, he managed a nagging groin injury at the time, but Howard's 2022 season was bad, to the point that he was a welcome sight for opposing quarterbacks. Now 30 years old, the odds generally don't suit the chances of a Howard resurgence.

If Howard does not revert to pre-2022 form, then it's tough to see how the Dolphins slow down the Chargers passing game. Mike Williams is a good candidate to see most of Howard, and if it's the 2022 version Williams might feast. Keenan Allen should see a lot of Kader Kohou in the slot. Kohou was promising as an undrafted rookie last year, but Allen is about as tough of a test as he will find. Eli Apple is the likely corner for the remainder receiver, which would seem to be either Quentin Johnston or Josh Palmer.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Quentin Johnston, Josh Palmer

MIAMI WIDE RECEIVERS

The Chargers defense largely sells out to stop the pass, which in theory should give it surplus resources to allocate toward defending the pass, but those results too have lagged behind what would be expected. If you're anywhere less than above expectation against Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle then the defense is likely in for a hurting. Asante Samuel and Michael Davis are both serviceable but with various limitations, and neither has much chance of covering Waddle or Hill.

The main threat to the Miami passing game is likely the pass rush threat of Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack. It's easier said than done to manage those two, but if they don't wreck the game it's difficult to see why this wouldn't be a favorable spot for Hill and Waddle.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle

NE vs PHI

NEW ENGLAND WIDE RECEIVERS

JuJu Smith-Schuster and DeVante Parker seem like your main receivers in two-WR sets, with Kendrick Bourne likely the third receiver in the rotation. Smith-Schuster seems like the best bet to play the slot in three-wide sets.

The slot is probably an easier spot to attack than the boundaries of the Eagles defense, which is anchored by Darius Slay and James Bradberry. It's difficult to see any of the Patriots receivers regularly beating Slay or Bradberry, but in the slot Smith-Schuster might be able to beat the smallish Avonte Maddox.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne
Even: JuJu Smith-Schuster

PHILADELPHIA WIDE RECEIVERS

The Patriots have a lot of good corners – all of Jonathan Jones, Marcus Jones, Jack Jones and Christian Gonzalez stand out – but of them only Gonzalez is taller than 5-foot-11. Jonathan and Marcus are 5-foot-8. A.J. Brown faces a tough assignment against corners like this, but with his hulking build he might be able to bully these corners. DeVonta Smith would have to actually get open, but there's at least a decent chance he takes care of that.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith

SEA vs LAR

SEATTLE WIDE RECEIVERS

The Rams defense isn't what it used to be. Cobie Durant looks promising at one corner spot, but beyond him it's difficult to see anything encouraging. Ahkello Witherspoon generally doesn't do well in man coverage and isn't built to move laterally. Derion Kendrick, meanwhile, is likely one of the least athletic corners in the league.

D.K. Metcalf should be able to beat any of these corners. Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba might find a challenge in Durant, but not the other two.

Upgrade: D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Downgrade: N/A
Even: N/A

RAMS WIDE RECEIVERS

With Cooper Kupp out the Rams will likely rely on Van Jefferson, Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell as their top three receivers. Given how bad the Rams defense looks, all three receivers could be busy in this game.

Tariq Woolen isn't really built to track receivers laterally, but on the sideline his vertical range is unmatched. To beat him vertically the Rams would probably need to get Atwell lined up for a double move. Nacua is less of a vertical threat than Atwell, but Nacua might be the more imposing horizontal threat of the two underneath. All three Rams receivers can probably beat Mike Jackson from time to time, but rookie fifth overall pick Devon Witherspoon figures to make things tough for whoever lines up in the slot.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Van Jefferson, Tutu Atwell, Puka Nacua

NYG vs DAL

GIANTS WIDE RECEIVERS

Darius Slayton, Isaiah Hodgins and Wan'Dale Robinson (knee) are the incumbent starters for the Giants, but it's unclear how their playing time will split with additions like Parris Campbell or rookie third-round pick Jalin Hyatt.

Slayton and Hyatt stand out as the deep threats, but especially Slayton as the bigger/faster veteran. The Cowboys corners take chances and sometimes leave open big plays deep, so Slayton or/and Hyatt could be used deep to take advantage of that. If plays are needed underneath then Hodgins, Campbell and Robinson look better. With Robinson still working back from a torn ACL, Hodgins and Campbell might therefore be the best options underneath. When from the slot Campbell could be a bit of a threat to Jourdan Lewis, who's returning from a season-ending Lisfranc injury. If Lewis is out then it would presumably be DaRon Bland to replace him. Bland might not be as good as Lewis, but he might be better than Lewis in his current state.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Darius Slayton, Isaiah Hodgins, Parris Campell, Jalin Hyatt

DALLAS WIDE RECEIVERS

The Giants are evidently planning to use Adoree' Jackson in the slot on applicable snaps, with rookie sixth-round pick Tre Hawkins as one outside corner and rookie first-round pick Deonte Banks as the other outside corner. Banks has much better pedigree of the rookies, but Hawkins is a plus athlete in his own right.

CeeDee Lamb already proved too much for Jackson. It's unlikely that Banks or especially Hawkins are candidates to stop Lamb, either, at least not as rookies. Brandin Cooks is also an immense danger to the rookies, especially Hawkins. Michael Gallup is a much lesser threat than Lamb or Cooks but still one the Giants need to take seriously, and one who can hurt them if they don't.

Upgrade: CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Michael Gallup

NYJ vs BUF

JETS WIDE RECEIVERS

Each of Garrett Wilson, Mecole Hardman and Allen Lazard is capable of lining up anywhere, so it's tough to tell who will see the most of which Buffalo corners. Tre'Davious White has a history of shadow coverage assignments, meaning he might be the shadow assignment for Wilson in this one, but even if so it's probably not a tough enough matchup to call it a downgrade for Wilson, who's likely a better receiver than White is a corner. If White were to follow Wilson then it might leave Lazard to see the most of Taron Johnson, who tends to defend the slot for Buffalo. The remaining corner for Buffalo is Christian Benford, who just doesn't have the speed to keep up with Hardman or Wilson.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard, Mecole Hardman

BUFFALO WIDE RECEIVERS

The Jets defense is not a fun matchup for any passing game, not even the Bills. Josh Allen struggled in both games last year, throwing for just 352 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Stefon Diggs can't be covered by any corner without help – neither Sauce Gardner nor D.J. Reed are up to it – but if the Jets continue to make Allen struggle then it only leaves so much room for Diggs, who otherwise produced 130 of Allen's passing yards in the two 2022 games. Gabe Davis could bully Reed a little bit in a phone booth, but against Gardner it's difficult to see much opportunity. Deonte Harty is somewhat interesting – his most likely matchup would seem to be Michael Carter in the slot, but the Bills should look into matching up Harty against Gardner for a deep shot. Gardner is great but tall and lanky, and the curse of any tall corner is that they struggle to mirror the start/stop abilities of a smaller big-play threat like Harty.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Gabe Davis
Even: Stefon Diggs, Deonte Harty