“Look at this photograph!”

I’m a simple person with simple pleasures, and if I am going to do an article on the nickelback position you had better believe I am going to trot out the reference to the band and their most famous meme.

In an ongoing summer series, Pewter Report looks at and ranks each position group in the NFC South. So far, we’ve chronicled and ranked the NFC South quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, offensive lines, defensive lines and linebackers. Now, it’s on to the NFC South’s cornerbacks.

Quarterbacks

Running Backs

Wide Receivers

Offensive Line

Defensive Line

Linebackers

Cornerbacks

This week we are diving into the nickelback position as I truly feel it has evolved into its own positional group.

NFC South Nickelbacks

1. Tampa Bay Bucs

Tykee Smith

Tavierre Thomas

Christian Izien

Bucs DB Tykee Smith – Photo courtesy of Georgia

This is admittedly a leap for me as I am ranking a rookie third-round pick over a fellow rookie taken near the top of the second round along with other players with actual NFL experience. Allow me to try and justify this ranking.

First off, Tykee Smith has already supplanted two players with NFL experience as the Bucs starting nickelback. Tavierre Thomas is a six-year veteran with almost 1,500 snaps of average-to-above-average play in the slot. Christian Izien was a solid nickelback in his own right last year during his rookie season.

And yet, the Bucs feel like Smith is the best player at the position. And this isn’t a rebuilding Bucs looking to get young players reps for the sake of development. This is the three-time reigning division champion Bucs looking to make a legitimate run at a Super Bowl.

Smith was a fantastic slot player at Georgia last year where he amassed 69% of his snaps. He allowed just 0.70 yards per coverage snap, while adding four interceptions, two sacks, two passes defensed and 8.5 tackles for loss. Smith has received praise from coaches and teammates alike that he is already playing like he is a veteran with safety Jordan Whitehead saying recently that Smith is ahead of where he was in his first year.

But this ranking goes beyond the player at the top. The Bucs are legitimately three players deep at the position with both Thomas and Izien fine starting options in their own right. Thomas, who has three interceptions in camp thus far, has shown himself to be a good slot defender for several years now, although he is often overshadowed by another player. The 2021 season was the year where he received the most playing time, playing in 15 games, starting eight and amassing 639 snaps.

2. New Orleans Saints

Kool-Aid McKinstry

Alontae Taylor

Will Harris

Saints CB Kool-Aid McKinstry – Photo by: USA Today

Given the presence of Marshon Lattimore and Paulson Adebo, I am working under the impression that New Orleans is going to try and get second round pick Kool-Aid McKinstry on the field by kicking him in to the slot this season before making a decision on which of the other two corners they want to keep next year.

This will be a position change for McKinstry, who only played 28 snaps in the slot in college. He was rarely targeted at Alabama and brings an interesting length profile to the position that could make him a matchup problem for power slot receivers. But smaller, shiftier receivers may give him trouble, especially in the man-heavy system New Orleans typically likes to run.

Behind McKinstry is Alontae Taylor. Taylor is a former second-round pick himself who struggled in his own transition to the slot last year. Taylor was targeted 113 times over 562 coverage reps in 2023, allowing 75 catches for 836 yards and six touchdowns. He also struggles in run defense, in part, due to a career missed tackle rate of almost 20%.

Will Harris joins New Orleans after spending his first five years in Detroit. He struggled in his time in the Motor City, posting a coverage grade north of 60 just once (2022). He is a solid run defender though and provides experienced depth for the Saints.

3. Atlanta Falcons

Dee Alford

Antonio Hamilton Sr.

Going to do this one a little backwards. I discussed Antonio Hamilton Sr. in the cornerback preview that you can click on above. He gives the Falcons depth in several areas and is one of my favorite under-the-radar signings of the entire offseason.

Dee Alford is coming off of a very good sophomore season where he was targeted just 61 times and allowed only 43 catches for 433 yards. He is a smart and disciplined player who can jump routes and make plays on the ball.

The former undrafted free agent played well in a Saints-style defense last year under former defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen. But it should be noted he was actually a much better zone defender last year and with new head coach Raheem Morris taking over there is a chance Alford may have yet unlocked potential.

4. Carolina Panthers

Troy Hill

Chau Smith-Wade

49ers WR Ricky Pearsall and Panthers CB Chau Smith-Wade – Photo by: USA Today

In 2020 Troy Hill made the switch to becoming mostly a slot corner and has performed well in the role since then. But he will be 33 when the season begins and there have been some signs of decline for the former undrafted free agent.

In two of the past three seasons, he has posted a PFF coverage grade below 60.0 and last year he allowed almost 1.5 yards per coverage rep when he was aligned in the slot. That was the 5th highest rate out of 32 qualifying players.

Chau Smith-Wade could push Hill for the starting role this year. He is a fifth-round pick out of Washington State but nickelback will be a largely new position for him. He only played 30 snaps in the slot for his entire four-year collegiate career. But Smith-Wade is a playmaker with 16 pass breakups, three interceptions and four defensive touchdowns on his resume.