Eagles All-Pro James Bradberry lands atop CB ranking ahead of Sauce Gardner

How talented is James Bradberry really? Heck, we know he's pretty doggone good, but people ask that question all of the time. Sure, we understand the reasons. He's gotten a little older, but he hasn't lost a step, at least not yet. He has spent most of his career as the top man on his team's depth chart, whether we're discussing his time with the Carolina Panthers or the New York Giants. After landing with the Philadelphia Eagles, however, that role changed to some degree.

Darius Slay earned the title of Philly's resident CB1 before J.B.'s arrival, so these days, a hard day's work often means Number 24 is asked to lock down the opposing offense's second-best wideout. That happens sometimes when you're one-half of the NFL's best cornerback duo. Trust us on this one. It's a nice problem for the Eagles to have.

So, let's make long stories shorter. James, without question, would be the top corner on most NFL rosters. In terms of evaluation, he should never be punished for having great teammates. Anyone with an understanding of the game can see that, and for his hard work, he's earned some recognition.

Ahead of his second Eagles season, James Bradberry tops an NFL Next Gen Stats ranking of 2022's top ten cover guys.

The Philadelphia Eagles fielded eight Pro Bowlers in 2022. Truthfully, they could have had more. The 2022 Eagles also saw six of their players earn All-Pro designations. Again, they could have had more.

Bradberry was snubbed of a deserved Pro Bowl nomination, one that would have been his second. He did, however, stack a Second-Team All-Pro nod. Another show of respect came recently.

NFL.com ranked the top ten cornerbacks in the game ahead of the coming season. J.B. topped the list. The results were based on NFL Next Gen stats compiled during the most recent NFL campaign, but that matters little. A number-one ranking is a number-one ranking.

"A lot of these players were remarkably close in final numbers. Bradberry, on the other hand, stood apart from the rest... He was clearly the NFL's best coverage defender as the nearest targeted in 2022.

Opposing passers found it incredibly difficult when throwing Bradberry's way, posting a combined passer rating of 54.7, easily the lowest among all qualifying defenders (the only mark below 60, in fact). Bradberry finished with a respectable-but-not-remarkable three interceptions (while allowing three touchdowns), but his consistency when it came to denying pass attempts elevated his targeted EPA to the best mark in the league."

- Nick Shook

The rest of the top ten lands as follows:
2. Sauce Gardner (New York Jets)
3. Kader Kohou (Miami Dolphins),
4. Tyson Cambell (Jacksonville Jaguars)
5. Ryan Neal (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
6. Jaire Alexander (Green Bay Packers)
7. Jonathan Jones (New England Patriots)
8. Kristian Fulton (Tennessee Titans)
9. Darious Williams (Jacksonville Jaguars)
10. Carlton Davis (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Keep an eye on that duo in Jacksonville. They have the potential to be something special, but right now, Slay and Bradberry are hanging on to the crown. Much has been made of their age. They face a better crop of quarterbacks during the coming NFL season, but these two have been special for a while and will continue to be so.