Packers: Kevin King in ‘Future Five’ of 2018 cornerback rankings

Green Bay Packers’ second-year player Kevin King makes the “Future Five” section of the 2018 cornerback rankings.

This list was a very fun one to do. Quarterback continues to be the most important position in sports, and the need for dominant corners to stop the Aaron Rodgers and Tom Bradys of the world is more important than ever.

The importance of the cornerback position is evident if you look at three recent playoff games.

First, the 2016 NFC Championship Game. The depleted Green Bay Packers secondary faced off against the Atlanta Falcons’ juggernaut offense. A football team is not going to fair well if you have third and fourth string cornerbacks facing off against Matt Ryan and Julio Jones.

Second, Super Bowl LI. The Falcons’ secondary completely fell apart in the second half, which greatly contributed to the New England Patriots’ incredible 28-3 comeback (passing as much as they did when you are up 25 points probably doesn’t help either).

Last but not least: Super Bowl LII. Bill Belichick made one of the worst decisions of the 2017 season by benching star cornerback Malcolm Butler. If Butler played, there is a chance the Philadelphia Eagles’ passing attack — which was led by backup quarterback Nick Foles — would have been foiled.

I believe all three of the games listed above could have gone differently had the secondaries (and primarily the cornerback position within those secondaries) played better. Just watch these games and you will realize the impact (good or bad) that cornerbacks have on a defense.

Of course, scrolling through these rankings will also help you appreciate the importance of cornerbacks. Let’s get going.