Most yards given up by a cornerback is 15,046 by Allen Rossum. Most yards given up in a season by a cornerback is 2,078 in 2006.
Cornerbacks mainly cover receivers but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create turnovers through hard tackles, interceptions, and deflecting forward passes.
In 2022, Marcus Jones gained the most all-purpose yards by a defensive back with 1,172 yards. However, Sauce Grander was recorded as the best CB of 2022 based on Statmuse data.
Similarly, Micah Hyde has gained the fewest career all-purpose yards by a defensive back when gaining 2,022+ all-purpose yards, with 2,032 yards.
Most Yards Given Up In A Season
Most yards given up by a cornerback in a season is 2,078 by Chris Carr from Oakland Raiders in 2006. Carr broke the record of Tyrone Hughes 1,943 yards.
Chris Carr
Chris Carr gave up 2,078 yards in 2006. He was signed by the Oakland Riders as a free agent in 2005.
His first touchdown as a cornerback was on October 29, 2006, when he intercepted a pass by Steelers quarterback Ben and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown.
Carr is the Raiders’ all-time leader in kickoff return yardage, with 4,841 yards on 201 attempts.
On March 19, 2014, he announced his retirement from New Orleans Saints and now works as an attorney at Zeman and Petterson.
Tyrone Hughes
Tyrone Hughes was the first CB to set the record of 1,943 yards in 1996. However, in 2006 his record was broken by Carr.
The player was the first 1990s player ever to receive the title. His first-ever record was in 1995 with 1,898 yards from New Orleans Saints.
In the 1993 NFL draft, New Orleans Saints picked him in 5th round. Hughes left as the franchise career record holder for kickoff return yards (5,717), punt return yards (1,060), and touchdown returns (5).
In 1998, Tyrone sighed the Dallas Cowboys as a free agent and was not re-signed after the season.
Here is the list of top players with the yards given up in a season :
| Tyrone Hughes | 1,943 |
| Josh Wilson | 1,888 |
| Devin Hester | 1,874 |
| Allen Rossum | 1,836 |
| Terry Fair | 1,617 |
| Mike Nelms | 1,594 |
| Justin Miller | 1,586 |
| Leodis McKelvin | 1,558 |
| Will Blackmon | 1,555 |
| Chris Carr | 2,078 |
Most Yards Allowed By A Cornerback In 2021
Most yards given up by a cornerback 2021 is 643 yards by Avery Williams in his rookie season. He played for Atlanta Falcons.
Williams is a CB and returner who played college football at Boise State. As a senior, Williams was named the Trinity League co-Most Valuable Player after rushing for about 1,175 yards and 14 touchdowns on offense at running back.
The Falcons picked him in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft as a kick and punt returner. In the 2022 offseason, the Falcons moved Avery to running back, returning to his primary high school position.
Similarly, Julian Love had the fewest all-purpose yards by a defensive back in 2021, with just 3 yards.
The list below shows the top 10 cornerbacks with the most yard given up in 2021 :
- Avery Williams – 643
- Tremon Smith – 545
- Isaiah Rodgers – 525
- Darius Phillips – 346
- Brandon Wilson – 291
- Desmond King – 206
- Darius Slay – 188
- Trevon Diggs – 152
- Darnay Holmes – 134
- Mike Hughes – 116
Highest Cornerback Ever Drafted
Highest cornerback drafted in NFL history was first round third pick that includes Derek Stingley and Shawn Spring.
Teams might not take the corners that highly very often, but the ones who are good enough and perhaps have more points are picked very quickly.
However, till today not a single cornerback has been selected first in Draft history. They have always been seen as either 3rd or 4th pick in the NFL.
Most recent CB drafted was Derek Stingley, as per Statmuse. He was the 3rd pick from Texas in the 1st round. Similarly, the CB Sauce Gardner was picked at 5. This is the first time both CB were drafted in the top 5 list.
Here below is the list of other cornerbacks taken with top-5 picks in the NFL draft:
- Sauce Gardner – 4th pick (2022), Jets
- Patrick Peterson – 5th pick (2011), Cardinals
- Terence Nowman – 5th pick (2003), Cowboys
- Quentin Jammer – 5th pick ( 2002), Chargers
- Charles Woodson – 4th pick (1988), Raiders
- Shawn Spring – 3rd pick (1997), Seahawks
Which Cornerback Has Allowed The Most Yards?
Cornerback Allen Rossum has allowed the most yards at 15,046. Rod Woodson followed with almost half of Alleb’s at 8,876 yards.
Allen Rossum
Allen Rossum is a former cornerback and return specialist drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1998. He was a selection of the Pro Bowl in 2004.
He ranked first among active players in punt and kickoff return yards during his career. He is the only player in National Football League history to have a kickoff return for a touchdown with five teams.
Allen Rossum is ranked 2nd in NFL history for gaining more than 15,000 career return yards. These yards come from returning 514 kickoffs and 307 punts.
QUIZ: Can you name the retired player who comes in 1st? pic.twitter.com/tSo2FHjEIC
— PFRPA (@ThePFRPA) August 26, 2019
Rossum set Eagles single-season records for 54 kickoff returns with 1,347 yards while being ranked 4th in NFC and 5th in the NFL with an average of 24.9.
Throughout his career with the Eagles, the footballer returned 8 kickoffs for 2,427 yards and 50 punts for 437 yards, with one returned for a touchdown.
Rod Woodson
Rod Woodson played in NFL for 17 seasons. He is the current head coach of the XFL’s Vegas Vipers.
The player was drafted by Pittsburgh Steelers in 1987. The player also had two shorter stints for the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders.
His interception is the third-most in NFL history with 71. Rod switched to safety after playing most of his career as a cornerback later in his career.
Woodson finished his rookie season with 20 combined tackles in eight games and no starts in 1987. He also returned 13 kicks for 290-yards (22.3 YPR) and made 16 punt returns for 135-yards (8.4 YPR)
On April 13, 2022, Woodson was announced as one of the eight head coaches for the 2023 season of the XFL.
The below top 10 list shows the Cornerback with the most yards allowed :
- Alleb Rossum – 15,046
- Rod Woodson – 8,876
- Tyrone Hughes – 8,665
- Deion Sanders – 7,838
- Ron Smith – 7,788
- Chris Carr – 7,489
- Speedy Duncan – 7,157
- Abe Woodson – 6,850
- Alvin Haymond – 6,749
- Mike Nelms – 6,079