Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

DaRon Bland’s Ranking is Complicated

Originally posted on Inside The Star | By Cody Warren | Last updated Jun 5, 2026 8:38 AM ET

I feel as though DaRon Bland is one of the toughest cornerbacks in the NFL to rank, and that is why I think this conversation is worth having for your water cooler talk.

If we are talking about his best football season, Bland belongs near the top-corner conversation. He had a ridiculous 2023 season with nine interceptions, five pick sixes, and an NFL record for interception-return touchdowns in a season.

We know that’s not a hot take, it’s history.

But the fairest question of them all: are you truly an elite playmaker if the elite playmaking only showed up for one season?

That may be a tough pill to swallow, but is it untrue?

DaRon Bland has elite playmaking ability, it’s been proven, but to call him an elite playmaker year after year is a stretch. He has to stack those seasons. I’m not saying he needs another historic season, but I just need him to impact games.

He’s just not there.

Where DaRon Bland Ranks Right Now

This is how I stack DaRon Bland against the top corners in the NFL right now.

If you’re looking at Bland through a Cowboys fan lens, that may seem low, but I think it’s a fair ranking.

Bland’s recent production doesn’t put him in the top-five corner conversation. He only played in 12 games in 2025 and finished with one interception, one defensive touchdown, six passes defended, and 73 tackles.

Is that useful production? Yes, I think it is, but it’s not enough to say he is better than the league’s top corners.

Surtain, Stingley, McDuffie, Witherspoon, and Sauce are viewed as true matchup corners. Bland is viewed as a ball hawk who can change a game in one snap, if he is on the field.

Bland’s Case Needs More Than One Productive Year

This might be the part that is hard to hear for some DaRon Bland diehards.

Bland’s 2023 season was elite. I watched that season and can say his playmaking resume from that year alone is better than most corners will ever touch. But, you knew there was going to be a but, one monster year does not make you elite forever.

It makes him a player with elite playmaking upside. There’s a difference.

Here’s where I have Bland in a few categories:

I’m not going to act like DaRon Bland is a top-10 or even top-15 corner right now, but I will refuse to act like what he did was luck.

You don’t accidently score five defensive touchdowns in a season. There is instinct, timing, and real danger for quarterbacks.

Now he has to prove he can do it beyond that one historic year.

Health is the Whole Deal

I think it all comes back to health.

In his four years in the NFL, he has played in 53 of 68 games and started 42 of those games.

If DaRon Bland is healthy, sharp, and back in rhythm, I think he could climb back into the top-10 conversation. Besides the health part, he has to be the best version of himself.

If he gives up too much in coverage, the slash plays will not clear the slate. The Cowboys need stability, and for Bland to hold up snap after snap, not just flash once every few weeks.

The talent is there. Now the Cowboys need the proof again.

This article first appeared on Inside The Star and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: