Nickel cornerback has recently become one of the most underrated positions in the NFL. Given how spread out offenses have become lately, nickelbacks have essentially become starters, and they’re tasked with covering some of the most athletic receivers in the league. Shutting down players like Chris Godwin, Tyreek Hill, Adam Thielen, Cooper Kupp, and Keenan Allen is drastically important but nearly impossible.
So when the Detroit Lions unleashed a vault’s worth of money on nickel corner Justin Coleman, most understood that this was a pretty wise investment.