Madden 22: Best Cornerback (CB) Abilities 

Modern offenses in the NFL rely heavily on the passing game. This makes maximizing your cornerback’s abilities very important. Madden 22 gives you all the tools you need to get the most out of your secondary corps.  

Although these abilities primarily apply to the cornerback position, they also can help your safeties since they back up the cornerbacks and share a lot of the same responsibilities. It gives you a great opportunity to enhance your secondary as a complete unit.

Below, you will find Outsider Gaming’s ranking of the top five cornerback abilities in Madden 22. The list will be in alphabetical order.

1. Acrobat

Cornerbacks have a reputation for being the most athletic football players on the field. They have to be able to tackle well, backpedal as fast as a wide receiver runs forward, and break up passes. They also sometimes pick up blitz assignments.  

Acrobat is the best defensive ability in the game as it enhances the strengths that most cornerbacks need to possess on a functional level to be successful. Defensive backs with this ability will have increased range when diving for interceptions and breaking up passes.

2. Deep Route KO

Tall defenders can be very problematic on deep passes. Even in great coverage, a receiver like DK Metcalf can rise up over the defenders and still come down with the ball. This can be an even greater threat with balls thrown towards the sidelines and placed where only a receiver with great reach can lean out of bounds while keeping feet in bounds.  

The Deep Zone KO ability gives defenders a greater chance at batting the ball and reacting quicker in deep zone coverage. The deep zone is anything 20+ yards from the line of scrimmage. This is an ability that is great for cornerbacks as well as safeties in Cover 2, 3, and 4 zone coverages.  

3. Flat Zone KO

Tight ends and running backs love to sneak into the flats since cornerbacks usually have to chase the wide receiver downfield. This leaves the flats clear for an outlet pass once you remove all other options for the opposing quarterback.  

Flat Zone KO gives a defender quicker reaction times and the ability to force more drops when in flat zone coverage. The flat zone is the passing zone that extends from the end of the offensive line to out of bounds, and also extends downfield ten yards. Cover 2 and Cover 3 schemes are the best way to utilize this ability. 

4. One Step Ahead

Man coverage can be very tough against speedy receivers, especially if they are equipped with X-Factor abilities like Route Technician and Slot-O-Matic. There is less room for error than when in zone coverages due to a receiver performing a double move or quick cut giving you less time to readjust to the route.  

One Step Ahead is a great ability to give your cornerbacks. It increases reaction time for defenders to adjust to cut moves in man coverage. It can really help when you are playing a run-heavy team. They can catch you off guard by throwing slants and high-low pass schemes so you want to counteract that with a cornerback that can keep up with them and force them to take what you give. 

5. Pick Artist

Sometimes the perfect formation and play are called and your defender is in the ideal position to intercept an errant pass by the quarterback – only for the defender attempting to catch the ball seeing it bounce right off of his hands like Jaquiski Tartt for San Francisco in the NFC Championship against the Los Angeles Rams. A would-be game-sealing interception instead offered the Rams another chance, and they rode that all the way to defeating the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl. It is such a deflating feeling, but don’t throw your controller just yet. 

The Pick Artist ability enhances a defender’s catch rate on uncontested interceptions. It also gives you unlimited stamina on the return. If you use a special move or break a tackle, your stamina will reset to normal so it will have maximum efficiency in possible pick-six situations. This is a great ability to give a cornerback or safety.

Top tips for using Madden 22 CB Abilities 

Successful defenses absolutely require a solid secondary in today’s game. Madden 22 has great abilities along with the five that are mentioned above. Use them in combination with your cornerback or safety skillsets to shore up your pass defense and make it tough for your opponent to get a rhythm.

Force them to run the ball and constantly switch up their schemes. Use Pick Artist to deflate the opponent’s confidence passing the ball so that you can run man and terrorize them with the One Step Ahead ability. Another important factor to keep in mind is the formation and schemes that you run so that you can game plan and make the proper adjustments needed to ensure a win.  

Now you know which abilities are the best for your cornerbacks in Madden 22. How will you develop your secondary with these abilities?