The cornerback position may be the toughest position to play, especially in today’s game. If anything, this is evident by the lack of consistently dominant cornerbacks, especially compared to the wide receivers of today.  It’s hard to succeed on a regular basis without both elite athletic ability and great technique. An athletic freak can get by with average technique at most positions.  A player without much athletic ability can do some things if he’s technically sound. But if a corner doesn’t have the speed, hips and footwork to be able to dominate the receiver, ball skills and play making ability, he can’t be an elite shut down corner. See Rankings Here