Los Angeles Rams' newest star cornerback, Trent McDuffie, receives a top ranking ahead of the 2026 season.
Los Angeles Rams' newest star cornerback, Trent McDuffie, received a top ranking for his position group ahead of the 2026 season.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler compiled a list by NFL executives, coaches, and scouts, ranking the top cornerbacks heading into the upcoming season.
They ranked McDuffie at No.5 on the list as he is set to enter his first season in Los Angeles.
"McDuffie is a top-five cornerback for the second consecutive year. Some evaluators still view him as more of a slot corner due to his size (5-foot-11), but that doesn't tell the whole story. McDuffie was an outside corner for 500 snaps last season. Even so, some evaluators believe he's best inside because of his strength, short-area quickness and competitiveness.”
One NFC scout praised McDuffie’s versatility, a tool that the Rams will certainly use to their benefit this upcoming season.
"One of the top coverage corners in the league," an NFC scout said. "He can cover in the perimeter or the slot, can play man or zone, can pressure the quarterback, can play Cover 2 well and can jam and re-route. [He] has plus zone vision."
Los Angeles traded for the All-Pro cornerback in March from the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Rams paid a hefty price to acquire McDuffie.
The trade included the Rams sending the No. 29 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, a 2026 fifth-round pick, a 2026 sixth-round pick, and a 2027 third-round pick.
Shortly after the trade was official, McDuffie signed a massive four-year, $124 million contract extension that includes $100 million guaranteed, making him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history with an average annual salary of $31 million.
The Rams are expecting big things from the former Washington product, and they are paying him as such. The 2025 season was not McDuffie's best as a pro, but the Chiefs underachieved in a major way throughout.
Still, McDuffie has panned out a stellar career through his first four seasons. In 56 games, the 25-year-old has recorded three interceptions, 34 passes defended, eight forced fumbles, 5.5 sacks, 246 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and 15 quarterback hits.
The former first-round pick joins the Rams after they endured some big struggles at the cornerback spot last season.
The 2025 Rams corners were certainly the weakest link in their defense. Los Angeles’ pass defense ranked 19th in the league, allowing 216.7 yards per game.
In their final game of the 2025 season, they allowed Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold to complete 25 of his 36 passes for 346 yards, three touchdowns and a passer rating of 122.4.
That performance prompted the Rams to make a major upgrade at cornerback by trading for McDuffie, a player they believe can be a game-changer when it matters most.
