What's so Hard about Covering an NFL WR?

It's not. that's why no QB averages more than 8 yards per completion. On any deep pass, the DB is more likely to break it up.

that's why DBs and WRs all get paid the same. it looks exciting but the positions are basically a wash.

Most of you are too young to remember when passing the ball was a risky proposition. American football today suffers from a long series of pigheaded rules changes over the last 30 years to pamper the offense, specifically the passing game. That's why DB's are nameless and running backs are no longer the star of the show. That's why 80% of all passes travel less than ten yards. Look at the number of 2-yard touchdown passes today. Pathetic and boring.

Unmentioned so far is how smart you have to be to anticipate and react to running plays. The WR is trying to pull you away as a decoy and you have to be aware of what is happening behind you so that you can provide defensive run support.

I played (undersized) LB as a junior and DB as a senior. LB was only difficult in that you had play calling responsibility. Otherwise it was just stunt and react, sometimes picking up a TE or a RB out of the backfield on a short route. DB was much, much more challenging. Safety is the most fun position because you are facing the action and usually running full speed towards the eventual ball handler.

fastboy77 wrote:

???

It’s called elite quickness and agility. A long with insane catch radius’ and qbs that are so accurate they can throw a covered wr open. Go try it with a HS wr and you’ll see how fast he burns you.

fastboy77 wrote:

???

1) you’re 5’8

2) you weigh 135

3) your fastest with a tailwind 200 in spikes in barely under 26

4) you bench 95#

5) you have the mental toughness of a chubby girl on her period

Other than that, you’re ready to rock.

Only someone who has never played cornerback would ask that question. I started at left corner as a freshman. We played a team that directly targeted me.....I didn't know what the he'll was going on. Only time in my athletic career I felt completely overwhelmed. Gave up football the next season went on to win a few state titles which was easy compared to covering receivers.

Nfl....can't imagine

Cornerbacks are often the best athlete on the field, because who else could come close to keeping up with guys with all the advantages listed above? How many wide receivers could ever top guys like Darrell Green, Deion Sanders, Champ Bailey, or Rod Woodson?

next best case wrote:

snowdays wrote:

it's not. cornerback is the most low-iq, braindead position in football. the people who would be good at covering wide receivers are the wide receivers.

Yeah, why would someone play DB if they are good enough to play WR?

Ask Wes Welker if he still has speech capabilities.

sheeple wrote:

DinoZ wrote:

Usually a WR is faster than you are, they know where they are going and you can't touch them after five yards, that will do it right there,

Other posts explain it well, and this one sums it up.

American football is a ridiculously contrived support, set up to produce action, outcomes and scores that audiences want.

If you want to compare athletes, you can’t compare DBs to WRs. It’s like a gladiatorial fight with rules to make it “exciting.” Watch track. Watch real football.

I love soccer. But no one alive who actually understands American football would claim that soccer is more exciting.

A good college game on a random Saturday in September is more exciting than the World Cup finals...

Generally, DBs are guys that have all the skills to be wide receivers... but they can't catch.

Let's get physical with the bump and run by the defender. Double team their best receiver.

zcxvxczv wrote:

Cornerbacks are often the best athlete on the field, because who else could come close to keeping up with guys with all the advantages listed above? How many wide receivers could ever top guys like Darrell Green, Deion Sanders, Champ Bailey, or Rod Woodson?

Kinda silly to list Hall of Famers as if they are the norm.

The Hall of Fame receivers beat those guys all the time.

In his prime in 1990 Rice faced Sanders twice.

Game 1 - Rice had 8 catches for 171 yards and a TD.

Game 2 - Rice had 13 catches for 225 yards and 5 TD's.

A lot of WRs are taller than DBs. Have to hit them while in the air to break up the play if can't leap with them. DBs have to be very agile to change direction quickly and be able to sprint backwards faster than a lot of distanance runners can run forwards.

QB position is all about footwork which he uses for timing his throws to a given receiver. If he's doing a many step drop, he's likely going deep on the 7, 8, or 9 route. The dropping back is to give the receiver time to setup and get to the predetermined location of the ball throw. If it's a no-huddle, quick release, he's probably looking for a 1 or 2 route. Something in between in the timing would be the remainder 3,4,5,6 routes on the route tree. The middle routes requires precision timing because he's going to be making cuts. Therefore a CB can interrupt by jamming on the line a bit at the right time. Even a 1/2 second off and the ball and receiver don't get at the right spot.

If he senses a sudden blitz package, he's looking for a checkdown closer to the line of scrimmage.

That's why studying the tape is important to understand the QB's current knowledge of the route system. DBs can key off this type of info to know roughly the vicinity of the throw. A good DB like Ed Reed or Troy P. would study all the tendencies of the QB and anticipate the types of throws based on circumstances. Scrubs in the practice squad are too overwhelmed by the moment so they tend to react to the moment rather than anticipate. Most plays are not random, the QB and WR know exactly where they are going and the timing of it. It's not always about speeeeeed but just knowing where to be at a given moment.

You say it's silly to list Hall of Famers as the norm and then you mention two games with the greatest wide receiver of all time by far where we don't even know whether Sanders was on Rice the whole time.

For a more complete comparison, here is my count of the #'s of wide receivers, cornerbacks, and safeties with sub 4.50 combine 40s in 2020. I might be slightly off, but basically as I was counting, sometimes the wr would have more, sometimes the cornerbacks. There were 54 guys total with sub 4.50 times, 39 of them either WR or CB. The only sub 4.30 guys were a wr (Ruggs), 4.27, and a cb (Guidry), 4.29.

WR 20

CB 19

S 6

Also quite a few running backs sub 4.50, one tight end sub 4.40, and a few linebackers.

For the standing broad jump, among the guys who jumped at least 125 inches (10'5"), 16 were wr's and 12 cb's. 9 were safeties. There were quite a few lb's and rb's, even 3 d-linemen. Ability here was much more widely spread among positions.

Where there was a marked advantage for wide receivers was in vertical leap at 26 wr's, 13 cb's, and 8 safeties. Probably, wide receivers are chosen even more for vertical leaping ability than sprinting.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/draft/2020-combine.htm

zcxvxczv wrote:

Cornerbacks are often the best athlete on the field, because who else could come close to keeping up with guys with all the advantages listed above? How many wide receivers could ever top guys like Darrell Green, Deion Sanders, Champ Bailey, or Rod Woodson?

_______________________________________________

Cornerbacks love to hit but hate being hit themselves. Pussies, cheap shot artists.

zcxvxczv wrote:

Cornerbacks are often the best athlete on the field, because who else could come close to keeping up with guys with all the advantages listed above? How many wide receivers could ever top guys like Darrell Green, Deion Sanders, Champ Bailey, or Rod Woodson?

How about....

Bob Hayes

Tyreek Hill

Wille Gault

James Jett

Jacoby Ford

Sam Graddy

Mel Gray

Isacc Curtis

Johnny Jones

Alvis Whitted

DinoZ wrote:

zcxvxczv wrote:

Cornerbacks are often the best athlete on the field, because who else could come close to keeping up with guys with all the advantages listed above? How many wide receivers could ever top guys like Darrell Green, Deion Sanders, Champ Bailey, or Rod Woodson?

How about....

Bob Hayes

Tyreek Hill

Wille Gault

James Jett

Jacoby Ford

Sam Graddy

Mel Gray

Isacc Curtis

Johnny Jones

Alvis Whitted

At least 1/3 of the guys you listed were not very good N.F.L. receives. The poster to whom you responded listed elite defensive backs.

Apples & oranges wrote:

DinoZ wrote:

How about....

Bob Hayes

Tyreek Hill

Wille Gault

James Jett

Jacoby Ford

Sam Graddy

Mel Gray

Isacc Curtis

Johnny Jones

Alvis Whitted

At least 1/3 of the guys you listed were not very good N.F.L. receives. The poster to whom you responded listed elite defensive backs.

Do you have any idea at all just how fast those DB's were compared to those WR I mentioned? Ya don't do ya?

It's not all about raw 40 yd speed with DBs. I played DB at a Division I school back in the early 80s. I was 5'10" & 185 lbs with only 4.52 speed. More importantly is foot work - back peddling & being able to change direction on a dime. Vertical jump is also important especially when facing much taller receivers. But the biggest factor is being able to hit & put the hurt on the receivers. My DB coaches both in HS & college strongly emphasized this - you make that receiver pay the price for catching the ball in your zone/area - so he'll think twice the next time. Unless you guys played football you fully wouldn't understand this.

Check out these DBs putting the wood on the receivers (think they're gonna want run a route on the DB again?) Man...brings back memories from the good old days. 💪