Is Desmond Trufant a top 10 cornerback? One outlet thinks so

The great “is Desmond Trufant good” debate that kicked off when he was drafted appears to be settled, but figuring out exactly where he longs on the list of great corners in today’s NFL is just a little bit trickier. Enter FOX Sports, which put together a list of top ten cornerbacks in the league today. Here’s what they had to say about Trufant:

Prior to last season, Desmond Trufant was a solid NFL cornerback. He was an up-and-coming player poised to make his first Pro Bowl sooner or later, and that came to fruition in 2015. Despite only having one interception and 11 passes defensed, Trufant earned his first career Pro Bowl bid, and it was well deserved. Under former Seattle defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Trufant thrived as a zone cornerback on the left side of the defense. He locked down his half of the field with a great deal of success, often forcing quarterbacks to throw away from him. He isn't a ballhawk by any means (six career interceptions), but not all cornerbacks are. That's the one aspect of his game holding him back, and if he can improve, he'll be paid a hefty amount following this season. The Falcons would be foolish to let him go, not that they'll do so. Like Sherman and Norman, Trufant would benefit greatly by following opposing receivers across the field rather than staying on one side. That allows teams to avoid him, which hurts the Falcons.

Trufant is ranked 7th overall, even if this writeup isn’t the most glowing thing you’ve ever read, and I think that’s a fair spot for him. He’s a wizard in coverage most of the time, but he’s not a huge big play threat at the position, and he had a few dips and bumps in his performance a season ago. I fully expect him to continue to improve in 2016, however, and he remains one of the finest draft picks of the last decade for these Falcons.

Where would you put Trufant?