Which team boasts NFL's best secondary? - NFL.com

The days of Seattle’s “Legion of Boom” and Denver’s “No Fly Zone” are gone. Neither team — whose feared secondaries have both disintegrated in recent years — was in Pro Football Focus’ top 10 secondaries ranking at the end of 2018.

Solidifying the top three spots in that list were the Chicago Bears, New England Patriots and Los Angeles Chargers. But that’s all in the past.

Now that the 2019 NFL regular season is just weeks away, we have just one question: Which team boasts the best secondary heading into this season?

Versatile, young Chargers pose a major challenge for opposing offenses

There’s a reason the
Chargers used six or more defensive backs on 87.6 percent of their snaps in the playoffs last season. This secondary is loaded, with guys like All-Pro safety
Derwin James,
Adrian Phillips and
Casey Hayward. Phillips, a safety who took 63.2 percent of his snaps at inside linebacker last season, is one of the most underrated defensive players. Coordinator Gus Bradley’s defense is stacked with talent, so expect this unit to remain a top-three secondary again.

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Patriots’ veteran group stalling league’s best offenses

The
Ravens,
Bears, Jags and
Saints might look better on paper, but I’m picking a pack of pass defenders who — in the last real action we witnessed — held Sean McVay’s high-flying
Rams to three points on the game’s biggest stage. New England wins the prize IRL (in real life).
Stephon Gilmore is a star, and
J.C. Jackson is ready to make the leap.
And twins? … Jason and
Devin McCourty continue to roll, while
Patrick Chung is a loyal foot soldier. Biggest names? No way, but the untouched coaching of Bill Belichick puts this less-flashy group over the edge. Got issues? Come talk to me in February.