Who doesn't love a good random ranking during training camp? NFL Media posted its list of the league's 30 best players over 30, and San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman comes in around midway through the ranking.
A player will have to be 30 years old as of the scheduled start of the season on September 10 to qualify for this ranking. Sherman is 32. Then the players are ranked by Ali Bhanpuri and Tom Blair according to who they feel is best right now.
Sherman came in at No. 16, one spot ahead of future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Bhanpuri and Blair wrote the following about Sherman's placement within the ranking:
"Did you think Richard Sherman was donezo following his injury-shortened final season in Seattle and lackluster first year in San Francisco? Shame on you. Shame on me. Shame on us all. Sherman was the top-graded cornerback by PFF in both overall and coverage grades (minimum of 800 snaps) -- yes, over Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore. He also ranked 11th in passer rating allowed (59.6) among DBs with 40-plus targets, per NGS, helping the top-ranked passing defense push San Francisco to Super Bowl LIV. Sure, he gave up a big play in The Big Game, but he's not worrying about it, so why should you? After a little wobbliness, Sherman put himself on track to close his career as the elder statesman on a top contender."
Sherman is entering the final year of the three-year deal he signed with the 49ers in 2018 after seven seasons with the division-rival Seattle Seahawks. He was Pro Football Focus' highest-graded (90.3) cornerback last season.