Dunbar Keeps Climbing

Quinton Dunbar used to be a wide receiver. Now he's one of the best cover cornerbacks in the NFL. He only has one more hill to climb.

Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Richard Sherman and the San Francisco 49ers are only one win away from the Super Bowl. By late Sunday night, the top corner in the NFL (arguably) over the last decade could be going back to the big game.

He's been having a big year for Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers. He's the best coverage corner by grade in 2019, according to ProFootballFocus.com (PFF).

Richard Sherman: only CB w/ coverage grade of 90+ in 2019 pic.twitter.com/UP3VSiEZ7A

— PFF (@PFF) January 7, 2020

If you notice who is second on that list, that's right. It's Quinton Dunbar of the Redskins.

The former wide receiver in early 2015, flipped by Scot McCloughan and Jay Gruden in training camps that year was graded in coverage by PFF as just a tick below Sherman. 

A great success story. Now if he can stay on the field for 14 or 15 games, as opposed to the 18 total games he's been available for in the last two seasons. 

Hopefully - Larry Hess being out and a new head trainer hired along with other new medical personnel will help that. 

Or a "Robin" to Dunbar's "Batman" role could help. The  Redskins are surely going to prioritize a corner in free agency or the draft, no matter what happens with Josh Norman who should not be retained in any way. It doesn't matter that Ron Rivera is here and Norman played his best for him. 

He was also very inconsistent under Rivera early in his career too. 

Dunbar has been on a steady rise as most great players tend to do and he saved the best for last.

Chris Russell is the Publisher of Maven & Sports Illustrated's Washington Redskins channel. He can be heard on 106.7 The FAN in the Washington D.C. area and world-wide on Radio.com. Chris also hosts the "Locked on Redskins" Podcast and can be read via subscription to Warpath Magazine. You can e-mail Chris at russellmania09@Gmail.com or follow him on Twitter at @Russellmania621.