NFL contracts can get complicated. Not all of the money is guaranteed. It doesn't all count against the salary cap, and its incentives and bonuses can get weird. And unlike the other major American sports, teams have to split the money between 53 guys on the regular season roster, the practice squad, and any injury replacements that come up during the season. Cornerbacks often get shortchanged as well. As more and more money flows into the offensive side of the ball, and their jobs become more complex and more challenging with each rule change, they're in a tough spot.
But, it's one of the most critical positions in football because of all those reasons listed above. Outside of the best sack artists in the league, cornerbacks and defensive backs are the most prominent names on that side of the ball. Here are the ten highest-paid NFL cornerbacks by average annual value (AAV) in 2023.
10. Carlton Davis – $14.83 million
While Tampa Bay's front seven were the standout unit on the defense that led them to a Super Bowl alongside Tom Brady in 2020, Carlton Davis helped anchor that defensive back unit. Davis claimed the Buccaneers' CB1 role essentially since being drafted in 2018. In doing so, he earned a massive three-year $45 million deal in 2022. Part of Davis' value is his versatility. He's not limited to one side of the field and follows star receivers across the gridiron if asked to.
Davis's value was most apparent just before his extension during the 2021 season. He was limited to just ten games in 2021 for a defense that struggled to match the play of its offense, not to mention its previous year's dominance. However, the Buccaneers did look much better when Davis was in, part of what prompted the extension.
9. J.C. Jackson – $16.5 million
J.C. Jackson spent four years working his way up the depth chart in New England after being signed as an undrafted free agent by the Patriots in 2018. In his contract year, he led the league in passes defended with 23. Jackson's incredible rise earned him a massive deal in 2022 as he signed with the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency. The Chargers signed him to a five-year $82.5 million deal to help bolster the defense and take the weight off Justin Herbert's shoulders.
Unfortunately, Jackson suffered a knee injury in Week 7 that ended his season. The Chargers could have used him on the field during their epic playoff collapse against the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, Herbert is locked down to a long-term deal, Keenan Allen is still an elite threat on the outside, Jackson is rehabbing and ready to play for Week 1, and it's a new year and opportunity for Los Angeles. Jackson and the other Chargers' health will be a significant indicator of their success in 2023.
8. Tre'Davious White – $17.25 million
Tre'Davious White has been everything the Buffalo Bills hoped for and more when they picked him in the 2017 NFL Draft. While Josh Allen has been the franchise game-changer for the Bills, White and a speedy, aggressive defense have played an equally significant role in the Bills being able to compete at a high level in the AFC over the past couple of years.
While White was limited to six games of action with injuries last year, he's been lights-out when healthy. He's already been selected to the Pro Bowl twice and first-team All-Pro once. After his All-Pro season, the Bills locked White down to a four-year $70 million deal in 2020. At the time, that deal made White the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. And while he no longer holds that title, if he can stay healthy and remain an elite shutdown corner, White could be back on top of this list during his next contract.
7. Xavien Howard – $18 million
The Miami Dolphins are serious about contending now. They believe they have their guy under center in Tua Tagovailoa. They're adding weapons to support him in Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill. And Xavien Howard is one of two cornerbacks on the Dolphins who are among the league's ten highest-paid. In his five healthy seasons of play at the top of the cornerback depth chart, Howard is a four-time Pro Bowler, led the league in interceptions twice, and earned a first and second-team All-Pro selection. Five cornerbacks went in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft before Howard fell to the Dolphins early in the second round. And Howard has outplayed them all outside of Jalen Ramsey, a top-five pick.
The Dolphins thought that resume was impressive and locked him down to a five-year $90 million contract this offseason. Incidentally, in restructuring Howard's contract this offseason, the Dolphins made him the first NFL player to have their deal restructured with three years remaining. That restructuring cleared cap space for the Dolphins to sign fellow 2016 draftee Jalen Ramsey this offseason. The AFC East is stacked this year, but the Dolphins have not shied away from the division's arms race this offseason.
5. Tie – Trevon Diggs – $19.4 million
Trevon Diggs has been the subject of much talk since entering the league. After a quiet rookie year in 2021, he led the league in interceptions in 2022. However, Diggs has often embodied the phrase “high risk, high reward,” occasionally getting burned due to his aggressive playstyle. His first-team All-Pro selection in 2022 bothered some rival fans. However, recording double-digit interceptions is incredibly valuable at almost any cost. Diggs didn't match the gaudy INT numbers from 2021 in 2022 but did earn a second straight Pro Bowl selection. And in continuing his elite-level play, Diggs was the priority to extend for the Cowboys this offseason.
Over the summer, Diggs signed a five-year $97 million extension that will keep him in Dallas for the foreseeable future. Dating back to the dynasty of the 1990s, the Cowboys' appeal as a franchise has often been their star-studded offenses. However, that hasn't been able to get the job done independently since then, whether it was Tony Romo and Dez Bryant or Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott. Finding players like Diggs and Micah Parsons in the draft could be the key to returning Dallas to relevance.
5. Tie – Marshon Lattimore – $19.4 million
Marshon Lattimore burst onto the scene with the New Orleans Saints during his 2017 rookie year. He won Defensive Rookie of the Year, earned a trip to the Pro Bowl, and finished with five interceptions and 18 passes broken up. Lattimore helped breathe life into a Saints defense that had been struggling to back up the play of Drew Brees almost since their Super Bowl win. And while that team's Super Bowl window would ultimately close before they could make it back, they got pretty close. Lattimore and defense helped the Saints to four straight division titles and, eventually, four heartbreaking playoff exits.
But despite the lack of team success, Lattimore hasn't slowed down his level of play. He's earned trips back to the Pro Bowl in his last three full seasons of action. And the Saints rewarded him. Lattimore is in the midst of a five-year, $97 million extension New Orleans gave him to keep him around into the post-Brees era. Given the question marks at QB now, it's more critical than ever that Lattimore can lead a healthy defense for 2023.
4. Marlon Humphrey – $19.5 million
Most of the conversation about the Baltimore Ravens over the past half-decade has been about the offense and Lamar Jackson. Whether it was the elite nature of the offense, the offense not playing up to its elite potential, the offensive coordinator role, or anything else, it's rarely about the defense. But Marlon Humphrey has helped hold things down for the Ravens' defense and keep them in contention. Humphrey can do it all for the Ravens, whether it's lock down elite receivers in coverage, come up and stuff the run, or make an open-field tackle. He earned three trips to the Pro Bowl and one All-Pro selection, including one year leading the league in forced fumbles.
Humphrey signed a five-year $97.6 million deal in 2021 before an injury-plagued season saw the Ravens drop to 8-9 and last in the AFC North. While Humphrey didn't have the worst injury luck on a historically unlucky team, it was clear that Humphrey was a critical component of the Ravens' defense. While all eyes will be on the offense again this year, if Humphrey and the defense stay healthy, it will give the offense plenty of room for error under a new coordinator.
3. Jalen Ramsey – $20 million
Jalen Ramsey already has a claim to being one of the best cornerbacks ever to play the game. So it makes sense he finds a spot on the list of the top ten highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL. Ramsey has been the standard in the market for cornerbacks for a while now. He was the highest-graded cornerback prospect coming out of college in the last decade. And he somehow lived up to the hype. Ramsey helped lead the brief resurgence and AFC Championship Game run in Jacksonville despite an offense led by Blake Bortles. Then he went to Los Angeles and signed a big deal on his way to a Super Bowl title. But like many other great cornerbacks on this list, Ramsey has been struggling with injuries the past few years.
While he's been a perennial Pro Bowler for the last several years, staying on the field in the playoffs has been more complicated. But the Dolphins don't care about any of that. They're all in for this year. Ramsey signed a five-year, $105 million deal in free agency. As mentioned, there's an arms race in the AFC East. And besides Aaron Rodgers, Ramsey is the most significant addition this offseason.
2. Denzel Ward – $20.1 million
Denzel Ward flew under the radar for much of the league after getting drafted. He was the second top-four pick that the Cleveland Browns had. They picked Baker Mayfield as number one overall, and given the long stretch of terrible quarterback play and the eventual saga leading to Mayfield's exit, Ward has never been the focal point of that 2018 draft. But he has quietly become one of the best shutdown corners in the league. And as the Browns have fought their way out of the AFC's basement and into playoff contention, Ward has been at the forefront of that charge. Ward has been the prototypical shutdown corner since entering the league. He often dissuades quarterbacks from throwing in his direction, allowing a pass rush led by Myles Garrett to go to work.
Ward secured his bag for his talents last year, signing a five-year, $100.5 million deal. While Ward's underlying numbers aren't necessarily as gaudy as his paycheck would suggest, it's undeniable that he has been critical to the Browns' resurgent play in the last few years. Paying him big money ensures that however their offense works out, they have the skill on defense to stay in games.
1. Jaire Alexander – $21 million
Jaire Alexander tops the list of highest-paid cornerbacks in 2023. He's not the first name you think of when you think of cornerbacks in the NFL. But he has developed into the complete defensive back. He has elite coverage skills, is excellent in the open field, and can provide pressure off the edge when asked to. Alexander, unfortunately, will go down as part of a long line of defensive draft picks that frustrated Aaron Rodgers and caused his departure. He signed a four-year, $84 million deal with a record $30 million signing bonus for a cornerback. Fans may wish that money went to the offense, especially now that Rodgers is gone.
But that's not fair to the skill and talent he's developed in the league. He's earned two Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro team selections. Alexander helped lead a defense that complemented Rodgers' heroics. The Packers were desperately close to a return to the Super Bowl in 2019 and 2020. Now that the Jordan Love era has begun, Alexander is stepping into a leadership role as a veteran. Maybe for the first time. Alexander and the defense must step up and carry the offense this year.
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