For a while, the topic of when Georgia will have a shut-down corner came up a lot. Well, The Bulldogs seem to have one, and he continues to show it each week. That player is Deandre Baker and each week he proves yet again why he is a shutdown guy and one of the best corners in the country.
After seven games, Baker has 18 solo tackles, seven assists, and 25 total. Baker also has one tackle for a loss, two interceptions, eight breakups, one forced fumble, and one recovery. However, that isn’t the impressive part of it. Pro Fantasy Football releases various stat graphics and the one on Baker made a point.
The latest graphic is a one for PFF’s Midseason All-Americans defense. PFF gives Baker a 91.5 coverage grade, which is pretty dang high.
A staple on our Team of the Week in the SEC – Deandre Baker is our top-graded cornerback for good reasonhttps://t.co/BGcUIHoQUl pic.twitter.com/e0qwg4jVGK
— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 16, 2018
One of his best traits is his ability to shut down top receivers like Emmanuel Hall and Deebo Samuel. Not to mention, being one of the guys that prevented a quarterback like Drew Lock from throwing a touchdown pass.
He’s aggressive yet particular about how he covers wideouts. One play that proves the observation is the pass deflection during the LSU game that prevented a touchdown.
The best CB in the country, Deandre Baker of Georgia pic.twitter.com/CSt18OOUij
— Steve Palazzolo (@PFF_Steve) October 13, 2018
Baker made sure the defender knew he was there, but made the read correctly. He makes his move and bats the ball down without receiving a pass interference call. This play is just one of many Baker has made during his time at Georgia. LSU’s wide receiver never thought he would make that play, and he did.
That play is just one of many Baker has made throughout this season. However, it was that one against LSU that sparked up a lot of talk about whether Baker is the best cornerback in the country. Granted the video highlights are from last season, watch the video below and you be the judge.