Hey again, Madden fans. The last time we ranked the top 10 cornerbacks was back in early September. 89 OVR Lester Hayes had the top spot and we were somewhat excited about his Acrobat discount of 3 AP. A lot has changed since then. Here are our current top 10 CBs in Madden Ultimate Team:
Top 10 Cornerbacks in MUT 23
1. 99 OVR Darius Slay
Slay is currently selling for over 3 million coins which makes him the most expensive player in all of Madden Ultimate Team. Some of that is because of how difficult it is to complete his set, but part of it is because he really is the best CB in the game right now. Slay has 98 speed, 97 man coverage, 98 zone coverage, and 98 press. He gets team chemistry for all 32 teams and he has more ability discounts than is appropriate to list out here. You can find them all on the abilities section of his database page. As unbelievable as it sounds, Slay can equip Pick Artist, Deep Out Zone KO, Flat Zone KO, and Acrobat for just 3 AP total.
2. 97 OVR Mel Blount
There was some internal debate over whether Mel Blount deserved the top spot on this list. He’s 6’3” with 97 speed and great coverage ratings (97 MCV, 97 ZCV). Blount has the Inside Shade discount for 2 AP which Slay lacks. This is extremely valuable in man coverage schemes, especially against meta formations where the best routes break between the numbers. You could build Blount for a man coverage scheme with Inside Shade, Deep Route KO, and Pick Artist for 3 AP. You could also build him for a zone scheme with Deep Out Zone KO, Flat Zone KO, and Pick Artist for 2 AP. He’s extremely versatile and should be on your team if you can afford him.
3. 97 OVR Kaiir Elam
Back in September, Elam’s Rookie Premier item made our top 10 list and he was truly one of the best corners in MUT at launch. His latest Weekly Wildcard item is one of the best CBs in the game right now. He has the same 2 AP Inside Shade discount as Mel Blount. He can run Inside Shade, Acrobat, and Pick Artist for just 3 AP. While he actually has better zone coverage (97) than man coverage (94), he’s one of the best man-to-man corners in the game because of his ability discounts, his size (6’2”), and speed (97).
4. 97 OVR PS2 (Patrick Surtain)
PS2 has the speed (97) and coverage ratings (97 MCV, 95 ZCV) you’re looking for in an elite corner. What makes him unique is that he has a special Shutdown ability for 1 AP. When he’s in the zone, Shutdown is basically One Step Ahead and Pick Artist combined which makes him very tough to beat in man coverage. Shutdown starts active and continuously reactivates throughout the game. You can count on it for just about half of your defensive snaps. PS2 also gets Pick Artist for 0 AP, Deep Route KO for 1 AP, and Medium Route KO for 1 AP. It just depends on how many of your Ability Points you want to spend on him.
5. 97 OVR Sauce Gardner
Sauce is an elite CB on the outside with his size (6’3”), speed (97), and coverage ratings (98 MCV, 95 ZCV). In one of his custom ability slots, he can get Mid Zone KO (1 AP), Outside Shade (1 AP), or Pick Artist (0 AP). In his other custom slot, you can choose between Acrobat (1 AP), Deep Out Zone KO (1 AP), Deep Route KO (1 AP), and Medium Route KO (1 AP). With all of these discounts on meta abilities, there’s likely a combination that’s right for your scheme.
6. 97 OVR The Warden (Denzel Ward)
The Warden is yet another corner with top-end speed (97) and great coverage ratings (98 MCV, 94 ZCV). At 5’11”, he’s a little smaller than the players we’ve already covered. His special AKA program ability is his own version of Universal Coverage, which starts the game active and continues to reactivate based on snap counts. When The Warden is in the zone, Universal Coverage essentially gives him all of the KO abilities at the same time. He also can equip Pick Artist for 0 AP along with Deep Out Zone KO or Flat Zone KO for just 1 AP.
7. 97 OVR Jalen Mills
Mills is a great zone coverage corner with 96 speed and 97 zone coverage. He has some of the best zone coverage discounts of any CB in MUT. He gets all three of the best Zone KO abilities (Deep Out, Mid, and Flat) for 1 AP each. You could also choose any two of them, along with Pick Artist, for just 2 AP total.
8. 97 OVR James Bradberry
Bradberry is almost an exact clone of Mills. They’re basically the same size, have similar ratings, and have almost identical abilities. Mills has the "Plays Ball In Air: Aggressive" trait that Bradberry lacks, which is why we gave Mills the slight edge on this list. This trait helps defend against passes downfield when you’re relying on a CPU player since clicking on can sometimes actually hurt you in Madden 23. Keep in mind that Bradberry is about 300,000 coins cheaper than Mills right now, which is probably a significant factor for most of you.
9. 97 OVR Charles Tillman
Tillman has the size (6’2”), speed (96), and coverage ratings (96 MCV, 98 ZCV) that many of the guys on this list have. He also has meta ability discounts like Pick Artist for 0 AP, Deep Out Zone KO for 1 AP, and Deep Route KO for 1 AP. What makes him different is that he can equip Strip Specialist for 0 AP. If your defensive scheme involves a blitzing CB, Tillman is a great option that can cover with the best of them, and he will also force more fumbles when he’s blitzing from the slot.
10. 96 OVR Tracy Porter (Powered Up)
Porter is another corner that can equip Pick Artist, Flat Zone KO, and Deep Out Zone KO for just 2 AP total. That’s a great combo on the outside in just about any zone coverage scheme. He also gets Medium Route KO for 1 AP if you run more of a hybrid scheme and need someone that can hold his own in man or zone. Keep in mind that you’ll have to power Porter all the way up in order to unlock his ability discounts.
Give Us Your Feedback
Is anyone other than Slay or Blount your top cornerback in MUT right now? Who didn’t make the cut that you feel deserves to be on this list? As always, a huge thanks to those of you that take a minute to leave a comment. We read all of them every week and enjoy the feedback.
Thanks again to Hurc and Hodgey from the MUT.GG Discord server as well as PIHCAM and TreyThomas from Huddle.gg for their help in putting this list together.
Have a great weekend everyone!
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