Stephon Gilmore
Ben Baskin:Jacksonville Jaguars. The jury is still out on whether Stephon Gilmore is a true shutdown corner after an inconsistent 2016, and with the cornerback market set so high after Janoris Jenkins and Josh Norman signed monster deals last year, a team has to be really sure that Gilmore fits their D before signing. I’d prefer to see Gilmore go to an already solid defense to cement their secondary, rather than being the first building block in a bad unit. So I think signing with Jacksonville would be a nice fit, where he could pair with emerging superstar Jalen Ramsey (obviously still widely underpaid on his rookie deal) and instantly be one of the best cornerback tandems in the league.
Chris Burke: New York Jets. The Jets don’t just need cornerbacks—they need cornerbacks who can thrive in man coverage, so they can properly execute Todd Bowles’s system. Gilmore fits the bill. The underlying concern for New York lies in throwing out big money to an elite free agent like Gilmore, right after the Darrelle Revis partnership fell apart. But that shouldn’t be a blocker, if the Jets think Gilmore is a fit for their system.
Jacob Feldman:Oakland Raiders. The Raiders landed several top free agents last year, and saw enough success to turn around their franchise. With a decent amount of room under the cap, they definitely could use more talent in the defensive backfield (Oakland was 25th in pass defense DVOA last year).
The winding football journey of Krishawn Hogan, the only NAIA draft prospect at the combine
Jonathan Jones: Chicago Bears. The Bears lost the Janoris Jenkins sweepstakes last year, and while Gilmore may not be as good as Jenkins, he was good enough to start in 66 of his 68 games for the Bills. Chicago has a lot of issues, and shoring up the backend is one of them.
Bette Marston: Green Bay Packers. Green Bay rarely spends big in free agency, but that makes Gilmore an even better fit. The Packers can probably get away with signing the sixth-year player for less than market value, which would bring crucial stability to the Packers’ secondary.
Eric Single: Tennessee Titans. The Titans should probably spend a good chunk of draft capital on upgrading their secondary no matter what happens this month, but Gilmore provides a more immediate fix for a team that can fairly expect the contend for a division title next fall. Coming off a career-high five interceptions in 2016, Gilmore is inching closer to shutdown corner status, and Tennessee likely wouldn’t mind trading in a few of those picks for consistently blanketing the top wideouts in the AFC South.
