Former Gamecock rated top player at his position in the NFL

When former South Carolina football star Stephon Gilmore left the Buffalo Bills for the New England Patriots, he hoped to play on bigger stages as part of one of the top teams in the NFL.

This week, Pro Football Focus said he played like the top corner in the league in 2018.

PFF rated Gilmore as the No. 1 corner in the league, edging out Desmond King of the Los Angeles Chargers. Gilmore was named to his second Pro Bowl in December.

For the season, Gilmore had 45 tackles, picked off a pair of passes and broke up 20 more. He was a key part of a defense that allowed 6.5 yards per pass attempt, No. 8 in the NFL.

The 28-year-old from Rock Hill spent the first five seasons of his career in Upstate New York, making the Pro Bowl in 2016.

He was taken No. 10 overall in the 2012 draft after twice earning first-team All-SEC nods in 2010 and 2011. He was a key part of Gamecocks teams that won 20 games his final two seasons on campus.

This story was originally published January 3, 2019 at 9:01 AM.