Over the past few seasons, wide receivers have become premium position players, and the NFL just welcomed a strong rookie class of wideouts. In order to counter a league full of star and rising pass-catchers, teams need quality cornerbacks in the secondary.

But a quarterback can avoid a high-level cornerback by targeting other areas of the field, which is why a strong tandem on the boundaries or a versatile defender who can line up on the outside and in the slot could elevate a good defense to an elite level.

Which defenses feature the best cornerback duos?

To determine our top 10 CB tandems, we tallied pick-sixes, interceptions and pass breakups. We also factored in advanced coverage numbers such as allowed passer rating (out of a possible 158.3), touchdowns and completion rate.

Players who have notched record-breaking numbers and made All-Pro or Pro Bowl rosters got a notable push in these rankings.

The list below includes boundary and slot cornerbacks who meet the following criteria.

• Each duo has played together for at least one season.
• Both cornerbacks in the tandem have played at least nine or more games (more than half a season) with their current team.
• Eligible nickelbacks must primarily play cornerback. Primary box and free safeties are not eligible.

For honorable mentions, we'll start with duos that have not played together in a season or suited up for fewer than nine games with their current team.

Honorable Mentions

Jalen Ramsey and Kendall Fuller, Miami Dolphins

Three-time All-Pro Jalen Ramsey and Kendall Fuller are a solid new duo. The Miami Dolphins signed the latter to a two-year, $15 million deal this offseason.

Fuller is coming off a down year with the Washington Commanders, who stripped down their defense by trading edge-rushers Montez Sweat and Chase Young last October. He should be able to bounce back in Miami.

Both Fuller and Ramsey can play on the boundary and in the slot, which will allow defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver to mix up his pre-snap coverage looks.

L'Jarius Sneed and Roger McCreary, Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans acquired L'Jarius Sneed from the Kansas City Chiefs and signed him to a four-year, $76.4 million contract. He's coming off his best season, logging 14 pass breakups and two interceptions without giving up a touchdown.

The Titans signed Chidobe Awuzie to a three-year, $36 million deal, but he struggled last year, allowing a 113.5 passer rating in coverage, and he missed 10 outings over the past two terms.

Keep your eyes on third-year cornerback Roger McCreary, who has inside-outside versatility. He's a budding primary slot defender who didn't allow a touchdown in 2023.

Pat Surtain II and Levi Wallace, Denver Broncos

As a two-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro, Pat Surtain II is one of the league's top cornerbacks. He's logged double-digit pass breakups in all three of his seasons with seven career interceptions.

Surtain's career accolades help this duo earn an honorable mention among new tandems. Levi Wallace has been a decent boundary cornerback with the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers over the last five years.

10. Cam Taylor-Britt and Mike Hilton, Cincinnati Bengals

Mike Hilton can make a case that he's one of the league's best slot cornerbacks, which is why this duo cracked the top 10.

In six seasons, the 30-year-old has registered 51 pass breakups and 12 interceptions while missing fewer than 10 percent of his tackle attempts in four campaigns.

Over the last two years, Hilton has surrendered just one touchdown and allowed a 78.8 passer rating or below in both terms.

Going into his third season, Cam Taylor-Britt has shown the ability to play at a high level, logging four interceptions and 11 pass breakups last year, but he's already missed 11 career games.

If the 24-year-old stays healthy, he can be a cornerstone defender in the Bengals secondary.

9. Christian Benford and Rasul Douglas, Buffalo Bills

Rasul Douglas barely satisfied the threshold for these rankings.

The Buffalo Bills acquired the West Virginia product from the Green Bay Packers before the 2023 trade deadline, and he suited up for nine games with the club.

Douglas' ball-hawking tendencies helped this pair move ahead of the Cincinnati Bengals' tandem for the ninth spot. With the Bills, he recorded eight pass breakups and four interceptions while allowing a 38.6 passer rating and one touchdown in coverage.

In 2022, Buffalo drafted Kaiir Elam and Christian Benford in the first and sixth round, respectively. The latter has been a more reliable starter.

Benford doubled his pass breakup and interception totals between his rookie and second-year terms.

Because of his draft position, the 23-year-old has flown under the radar, but his production is on par with a budding starter.

8. Paulson Adebo and Alontae Taylor, New Orleans Saints

Marshon Lattimore is more accomplished than Paulson Adebo and Alontae Taylor, but he's missed 17 games over the last two years.

Adebo and Taylor are an up-and-coming pair who played well together last season.

After an inconsistent two-year start to his career, Adebo, 24, has settled in as a bona fide starter who can find the football. In 2023, he lined up mostly on the perimeter, logging career highs in interceptions (four) and pass breakups (18) while surrendering just one touchdown in coverage.

Meanwhile, Taylor took most of his snaps in the slot, making plays against the run and in coverage. The 25-year-old logged six tackles for loss, which is impressive for a cornerback, in addition to 14 pass breakups and two interceptions.

The Saints have a couple of young CBs in Adebo and Taylor who could be around for the long haul, whereas the Buffalo Bills may soon need a replacement for Rasul Douglas who will turn 29 in August.

7. Tyrique Stevenson and Jaylon Johnson, Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears defense trended in the right direction in the second half of the previous season. Yes, Montez Sweat bolstered the pass rush, though Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson also deserve praise for their contributions.

Last season, Johnson played at the level of a shutdown cornerback, recording four interceptions, returning one for a touchdown, and 10 pass breakups while allowing a 50.9 passer rating and two touchdowns in coverage.

The 25-year-old also permitted a 55.2 percent completion rate, his best season career mark in that stat category. The Bears justifiably rewarded him with a new four-year, $76 million deal.

On the opposite side of the field, Stevenson, 24, had his ups and downs. He made game-changing plays but also gave up nine touchdowns.

Overall, the Miami product showed a lot of promise with 16 pass breakups and four interceptions in his rookie year, but he needs to be more consistent in coverage, especially if opposing quarterbacks avoid Johnson's area of the field.

Johnson's 2023 Pro Bowl campaign pushed the Bears duo above Paulson Adebo and Alontae Taylor.

6. Brandon Stephens and Marlon Humphrey, Baltimore Ravens

Last season, Marlon Humphrey missed seven games, though he's the first All-Pro mentioned in this top 10 list, excluding the honorable entries.

The 27-year-old played at an All-Pro level five years ago, but he's also made AFC Pro Bowl rosters in two of the last four terms, most recently in 2022.

Even in an injury-riddled 2023 campaign, Humphrey logged above-average coverage numbers, giving up a 64.6 passer rating, 46.7 percent completion rate and just one touchdown.

When the Alabama product plays in most of the games throughout a season, he's an All-Pro-Pro Bowl candidate.

Brandon Stephens has transitioned from safety to boundary cornerback, which makes his third-year leap worth noting beyond his solid coverage numbers.

In his first year as a full-time starting cornerback, the 26-year-old logged 11 pass breakups and two interceptions, allowing an 80.6 passer rating and two touchdowns.

If Humphrey stays on the field and Stephens continues to grow in his new role, this pair will move into the top five in these rankings before the 2025 season.

5. Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir, San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers have fielded one of the league's best defensive fronts in recent seasons, but Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir have posted coverage numbers that show they're a big part of the team's stingy defense.

Ward registered five interceptions and led the league in pass breakups (23) for the 2023 season, which helped him earn his first Pro Bowl nod.

Ward's year wasn't a fluke, though. He's played at a high level over the last few terms.

Ward hasn't allowed a completion rate over 56.8 percent or a passer rating above 82.4 in a single season since his 2020 campaign with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Lenoir blanked pass-catchers on the boundary and played well in the slot.

Last season, Lenoir recorded career highs in pass breakups (10), interceptions (three) and tackles (84) while missing only 5.6 percent of his tackling attempts.

Lenoir has significantly improved his passer rating allowed in coverage every year, and he's surrendered just two touchdowns over the previous two campaigns.

Ward and Lenoir posted career numbers and played in every game last season. So, they slip ahead of Marlon Humphrey, who has recently battled injuries, and Brandon Stephens for the No. 5 spot.

4. Riq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon, Seattle Seahawks

In the No. 4 spot, the Seattle Seahawks have a pair of cornerbacks who have both made a Pro Bowl roster over the last two years.

As a rookie in 2022, Riq Woolen made the NFC's Pro Bowl roster, and 2023 first-rounder Devon Witherspoon accomplished that same feat last season.

In his first year, Woolen tied three other defenders for a league-leading six interceptions and recorded a team-leading 16 pass breakups.

Though his coverage numbers dipped last season, he still played at a high level, logging 11 pass breakups and two interceptions while allowing a 79.8 passer rating.

Because of his playmaking ability on the boundary and in the slot, Witherspoon has star potential.

In 2023, the 23-year-old registered 16 pass breakups, a pick-six, 79 tackles, eight for loss and three sacks. Because of his above-average tackling at the position, he's capable of logging double-digit numbers in tackles for loss, which is rare for a cornerback.

This offseason, the Seahawks hired head coach Mike Macdonald, who was the Baltimore Ravens' defensive coordinator and fielded the No. 1 scoring defense last year. Woolen and Witherspoon could make All-Pro strides in 2024.

3. Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed, New York Jets

The New York Jets have to be in the top three with Sauce Gardner on a list of his own.

Since the AFL/NFL merger, the Cincinnati product is the only cornerback to start his career with a couple of All-Pro seasons.

As a rookie, Gardner led the NFL in pass breakups with 20, and he's allowed just two touchdowns in 33 career games.

In 2023, the 23-year-old saw a drop-off in his pass breakups and didn't log an interception, but that's partially because quarterbacks tend to avoid his side of the field.

In 2022, QBs targeted Gardner 86 times and that number plummeted to 55 last season. For context, that tied for 120th among all defenders across the league in 2023.

As a result, D.J. Reed saw a lot of action in coverage, though he has played well opposite Gardner.

In 2023, the 27-year-old allowed a 58.8 percent completion rate, a moderate improvement from 63.5 percent for the 2022 term. He has surrendered just four touchdowns in two campaigns with Gang Green.

Gardner is the star in the Jets secondary, but don't overlook Reed's consistency.

2. Martin Emerson Jr. and Denzel Ward, Cleveland Browns

Denzel Ward has three Pro Bowl seasons in six years, two in the last three terms. He also has the coverage numbers that help him match Sauce Gardner's historic career start.

Ward, 27, has recorded double-digit pass breakups in all six of his seasons and 15 interceptions in total. He has also scored four defensive touchdowns, two pick-sixes and a couple on fumble recoveries.

Ward has eye-opening advanced coverage numbers as well. In two out of his six campaigns, he's allowed a completion rate lower than 49 percent. Last year, he surrendered a 56.2 passer rating, which is his career best. Gardner hasn't topped either of those single-season marks.

In his second year, Martin Emerson Jr. emerged as a ball hawk, leading the Cleveland Browns in interceptions (four) and tying fellow cornerback Greg Newsome II in pass breakups with 14.

As the primary defender opposite Ward, the 23-year-old has an All-Pro-Pro Bowl trajectory because of his knack for making game-changing plays. He has more upside than New York Jets' No. 2 cornerback D.J. Reed, who hasn't recorded more than two interceptions in a single campaign.

The Cleveland duo get the No. 2 spot over the Jets' tandem because of their collective playmaking ability.

1. Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland, Dallas Cowboys

Speaking of playmaking ability, the Dallas Cowboys cornerbacks have certainly left their mark in that aspect.

Moreover, the Cowboys have the only All-Pro cornerback duo in these rankings. Trevon Diggs made the list of elite players in 2021, and DaRon Bland did it last year. Both earned recognition by forcing turnovers at a jaw-dropping rate.

In 2021, Diggs led the NFL in interceptions with 11, returning two for touchdowns, and he logged 21 pass breakups. He followed that up with a 2022 Pro Bowl campaign, registering three interceptions and 14 pass breakups.

In Week 2 of the previous season, the 25-year-old tore his ACL, but Bland continued his ascension among the league's top cornerbacks.

Bland recorded a league-leading nine interceptions and etched his name into record books with the most pick-sixes (five) in a single season.

Bland, 24, isn't just a highlight playmaker, though. Between his rookie and second-year terms, he saw significant improvement in his allowed completion rate (71.4 to 59.5 percent) and passer rating (82.2 to 60.8).

Dallas should be the favorite to lead the league in interceptions and pick-sixes with Diggs and Bland on the field together in 2024.

Though the Cowboys have lost defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, new play-caller Mike Zimmer should be able to get the best out of Diggs and Bland.

Zimmer hasn't coached since the Minnesota Vikings fired him after the 2021 campaign, but his team's defenses finished within the top 10 in takeaways for the 2019 and 2020 terms.

Under Zimmer, Diggs and Bland could break multiple records, which is why they're the No. 1 cornerback duo.

Player contract and team salary-cap details are provided by Over the Cap.

Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.