The biggest thing has been confidence. Xavier Rhodes believes in his ability, he believes in the defense and believes in the technique. He trusts his instincts and made great plays on the ball the past few games.
Rhodes always has had the talent. His makeup and aggressiveness is a perfect fit for head coach Mike Zimmer's defense. Credit him and secondary coach Jerry Gray for hounding these cornerbacks since Day 1 about their specific technique at the position. Not only has Rhodes improved this year, but we've seen strides from cornerback Josh Robinson as well.
I'm not ready to call Rhodes a shutdown corner yet, but he's displayed the ability to become that recently. I just need to see more of it before I go down that path, but Rhodes is on the right track — along with the rest of the defense.
Keep that mind when you analyze General Manager Rick Spielman's draft classes and only note quarterback Christian Ponder, who didn't pan out, and left tackle Matt Kalil, who has regressed over the past two seasons but still has time to get it together.
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