NFL Week 13 cornerback rankings: Jets' Sauce Gardner is back at the top

• Sauce Gardner is back on top: The Jets superstar ranks fourth in PFF grade and ninth in successful coverage over expected, moving him up to the top spot in our rankings.

• Bears' Jaylon Johnson shines in Week 12: The Bears defense locked it down on Monday Night Football, and Johnson led the way with a 92.9 coverage grade. Johnson was targeted six times, yet he allowed just two catches for 4 yards.

• Dig into the numbers for yourself: PFF's Premium Stats is the most in-depth collection of NFL and NCAA player performance data. Subscribe today to get full access!

Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes

If quarterback is the most important position on the football field, then limiting the effectiveness of that player is the most important thing a defense can do.

A team can do this in two ways: It can pressure the passer to disrupt his timing, rhythm and accuracy, or it can shut down the opposing receivers.

These rankings will combine PFF coverage grades with our Successful Coverage Over Expected (SCOE) data, which looks at how well each coverage defender performed on non-targeted coverage snaps, as we grade every coverage defender’s ability to prevent separation whether they are targeted on the play or not.

Here are the top 32 cornerbacks for the 2023 season through Week 12. For more grades and statistics on the league's best cornerbacks, check out PFF Premium Stats.