One of the few pleasant surprises from the Las Vegas Raiders’ roster last season was the emergence of free-agent signing/cornerback Eric Stokes. He went from being a first-round bust with the Green Bay Packers to becoming the Raiders’ No. 1 cornerback, giving Las Vegas’ secondary some credibility when it comes to the position rankings in the AFC West. So, how does Stokes stack up against the Denver Broncos’, Kansas City Chiefs’ and Los Angeles Chargers’ corners?
All stats referenced below are from
the regular season unless otherwise noted.
1. Patrick Surtain II, Broncos
2025 Stats: 47 tackles, 1 INT, 12 PDs (14 games)
Over the last four seasons, Surtain has made four Pro Bowls, one second-team (2025) and two first-team (2022, 2024) All-Pro squads, and won Defensive Player of the Year (2024). There isn’t a close second for the top corner in the division, as he’s a mainstay in the conversation for the best corner in the entire NFL. Last season, the 2021 first-round pick ranked 10th among all cornerbacks with a 66.5 passer rating when targeted and tied for eighth by allowing a reception once every 17.1 coverage snaps, per Pro Football Focus.
2. Ja’Quan McMillian, Broncos
2025 Stats: 56 tackles, 2 INTs, 9 PDs (17 games)
McMillian definitely benefits from the Chiefs moving from their top two cornerbacks—Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson—this offseason, as either of those two could take the second spot had they remained in the division. Granted, the former was PFF’s highest-graded AFC West corner a year ago and ranked sixth across the league with a 78.2 mark. In addition to the numbers above, the four-year veteran has proved to be a valuable nickelback, finishing sixth with 0.94 yards per snap allowed in slot coverage while logging five TFLs and four sacks in 2025.
3. Eric Stokes, Raiders
2025 Stats: 53 tackles, 0 INTs, 5 PDs (16 games)
As previously mentioned, Stokes had a much-needed breakout performance last fall. He went from getting benched by the Packers in 2024 to leading NFL corners in coverage snaps per reception allowed (19.8) in 2025, yielding the lowest completion percentage when targeted (56.0%) since his rookie season, per PFF. As a result, the Raiders rewarded the five-year veteran with a three-year, $30 million contract extension in the offseason, and he enters training camp as the team’s clear No. 1 corner.
4. Tarheeb Still, Chargers
2025 Stats: 53 tackles, 0 INTs, 7 PDs (15 games)
Still was one of the most surprising rookies in the league during the 2024 campaign, notching four interceptions and 10 passes defended while making just 12 starts to earn some DROY recognition/votes. However, the fifth-round pick took on a bigger role in year two, spending about half of his snaps at nickel, and saw an increase in completion percentage (64.4% to 71.7%) and a decrease in ball production. Granted, part of that can be chalked up to the difference in positions, and Still finished with a solid 70.0 PFF coverage grade and recorded five TFLs to remain a top five corner in the division heading into 2026.
5. Riley Moss, Broncos
2025 Stats: 80 tackles, 1 INT, 19 PDs (17 games)
Moss gets a bad rap because he gives up a good amount of yards (795 last season, per PFF) and draws a lot of penalties (12), as those figures were the third-most and tied for the most, respectively, among cornerbacks. However, that’s the result of playing on the opposite side of Surtain. The 2023 third-round pick also led the league in targets with 114 in 2025, 12 more than any other corner. Meanwhile, he yielded just a 57.0 completion percentage, due in part to leading the league in PDs. Coincidentally, Surtain and Moss had the same forced incompletion rate (17%), according to PFF. Also, a few of last year’s pass interference calls were questionable at best. The Iowa product may not look the part, but he is a quality NFL cornerback.
Honorable Mention: Nohl Williams (KC)
The sample size is small with Williams since he only made five starts and played fewer than 500 defensive snaps during his rookie season last year. But he was pretty good when on the field, surrendering a 54.3 completion percentage and just 223 yards, per PFF, with seven PDs. The Cal product could easily crack the top five with a strong sophomore campaign.
