Ike Taylor from NFL.com created a short list of NFL cornerbacks he felt would be the most valued in 2016. The past three Super Bowl champions sported elite secondaries, from the "Legion of Boom" to the "No Fly Zone" each of the three champions received game changing play from their defensive secondaries.
The Denver Broncos may have the best trio of cornerbacks in the NFL, but Taylor thinks the Arizona Cardinals have the best two naming Patrick Peterson as his top corner and Tyrann Mathieu as his second most valuable corner.
However, the Broncos own Bradley Roby makes his list at number three. The former first round pick has carved out a large chunk of playing time for himself opposite all-world corner Chris Harris Jr. and Aqib Talib. It sure seems like Roby is on his way to stardom in this league.
Of Roby, Taylor noted the following:
Some might question this choice, but there is rationale to my decision. With the spotlight on Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr., who led the Broncos' secondary vocally and statistically, Roby was, without a doubt, the unsung hero of the "No Fly Zone." The 23-year-old corner is the most versatile of the three, covering anyone from the opponent's No. 1 receiver to the best slot receiver. He played a key role in Denver's road to winning Super Bowl 50, and he's only going to become more valuable to this team in his third NFL season.
No questioning your choice here, Taylor. None at all. Roby made some huge game transforming plays in 2015 from a game sealing touchdown in Week 2 against the Kansas City Chiefs to catapulting the Broncos to a Super Bowl berth with what was likely a game saving forced fumble against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Divisional round of the playoffs. Roby is poised to explode onto the NFL scene in 2016.
According to Patrick Smyth, the Broncos Vice President of Public Relations, Roby gave up the fourth fewest yards per completion (9.4) among NFL cornerbacks in 2015. That is already pretty elite considering Roby was targeted all year long as the youngster in the "No Fly Zone".
The embarrassment of riches on the defensive side of the ball was not terribly diminished by the departures of several key defensive players in free agency, so the NFL's top ranked defense in 2015 should be able to keep close to that pace again in 2016.