Bucs cornerbacks E.J. Biggers and Ronde Barber were two of the highest rated cornerbacks in the NFL according to Football Outsiders. Biggers faired well in success rate and Barber was tied for seventh in yards per pass.

According to the calculations done at FootballOutsiders.com, Bucs cornerbacks E.J. Biggers and Ronde Barber were two of the top cornerbacks in the NFL in 2010. While they both were ranked highly by Football Outsiders, Barber and Biggers were polar opposites as far as NFL experience. Barber was playing in his 14th NFL season. The second-year pro Biggers was in his first season of playing time after spending his rookie year on injured reserve. 



Biggers was tied for sixth in the NFL for cornerback success rate. Football Outsiders evaluates that as a cornerback preventing their opponent from getting the yards needed on first, second, and third down. Biggers had a success rate of 63 percent. The cornerbacks ahead of Biggers were the Jets’ Darrelle Revis (70 percent), Vikings’ Antoine Winfield (67 percent), Raiders’ Stanford Routt (66 percent), Packers’ Tramon Williams (66 percent), and Rams’ Ron Bartell (65 percent). Biggers tied with the Dolphins’ Sean Smith for sixth.

Barber was tied for seventh in yards per pass among NFL cornerbacks. At 5.5 yards per pass Barber was tied with Tennessee’s Jason McCourty, and Green Bay’s Williams. The players ranked ahead of Barber were Winfield (4.2), the Eagles Joselio Hanson (4.4), Colts’ Justin Tryon (5.0), Falcons Ben Grimes (5.0), Bartell (5.2), and Chiefs’ Javier Arenas (5.4). 

A few of those cornerbacks, Arenas is one of them, were nickel corners that were typically covering slot receivers that run shorter pass patterns. Barber was every down player that covered outside receivers and also covered slot receivers in the nickel package.

The Buccaneers did not have a cornerback rank in the top 10 in yards allowed after catch. Tampa Bay starting cornerback Aqib Talib did not rank in the top 10 in any category.