411's NFL Round Up 7.01.08: Top Ten Defensive Backs of All Time

Posted by Emmett Wilks on 07.01.2008

A look at the ten best defensive backs in NFL history. Also, news and notes from around the league in this week's NFL Round Up!

A good day to everyone in Internet land. The wonderful tick-tock continues as we inch ever closer to the start of yet another football season. There are occasions when I feel like Cartman on the episode of South Park where he has Butters attempt to freeze him because he cannot wait three weeks for Nintendo Wii to come out. I don't think I've reached that extreme, but I think we could all use some football right not. But alas, onto the Round Up!


QUICK NOTES

Another week, another couple of NFL players caught up in off-the field digressions. I don't have the information to back this up, but I do think that maybe players got away with more stuff in years back, or it just wasn't incessantly reported. Honestly, I don't know. I have basically gone numb from all of these stories. Unless we see Payton Manning in a serial arson case of orphanages or Tom Brady stealing millions from the Red Cross, I just don't really care to comment on any of these stories for the rest of the year.

In what is the most important public criticism of preposterous rookie contracts yet, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell publicly stated that the top 10 picks receive as "ridiculous" money. Goodell, speaking at weeklong sports symposium at the Chautauqua Institution was referring particularly to top overall pick Jake Long and his 6-year, $58 million contract which makes him the highest paid lineman in the league. Goodell went on to say "there's something wrong about the system…the money should go to people who perform." The situation has caused teams with bad records, who need help from the best player, to not even want a top pick for fear a bust, a move that would cost them far too much in the salary cap. My readers know this has been a major issue for me for a long time, and finally, I believe the insanity will soon end.

Not a few days after I published my article last week stating the greater importance of lineman in the NFL today, the Giants finished negotiations with guard Chris Snee for 6-year, $43 million. The four year pro, who is son-in-law to head coach Tom Coughlin, played brilliantly during the Giants Super Bowl run. This makes the entire Giants o-line signed for at least the next three seasons, while skill players Plaxico Burress and Jeremy Shockey remain disgruntled.

Jacksonville Jaguars finalized a deal with DE Paul Spicer for a two-year, $8 million deal that will likely keep him a Jaguar till he retires. Make no mistake; this is not a nice guy move by the Jaguars. Spicer is still a solid contributor, and with young ends like Derrick Harvey and Quinton Groves, both draft picks this year, the Jags have both solid youth and experience on there defensive line. For a while, the Jags have been my favorite in the AFC, and every move they have made thus far has only reinforced that belief.

Former Lions running back Kevin Jones drawing some interest from NFL teams. While Jones underperformed during his time with the Lions, I believe that teams are making a mistake not pursuing him. While his reconstructed knee that ended his season last year remains a big question mark, Jones still has a very good potential to be a very good complementary back in the league, especially with the two-back approach being so en vogue right now. As of today, the Steelers, Dolphins, Packers, Browns, and Lions (WHO CUT HIM!) are the most interested parties. I could see him best with the Browns, who with a resurgent Jamal Lewis could provide a potent running attack for a team on the rise.


TOP DOGS


Previous Top 10's

Tight Ends

Offensive Linemen

Linebackers

Running Backs

Wide Receivers

Defensive Linemen


Perhaps no other position is deeper with all-time great talents like the defensive back positions. Since the early days of professional football, it is a role that was full of mega talented players who made big time impacts. In assessing the top ten, I elected to do what I did with the offensive linemen and split the rankings into two groups; safety and corner. Though players still can change positions from corner to safety with great frequency, the assignments and roles of each position can be vastly different, so I believe that two separate rankings were in order. So what makes a great defensive back? Firstly, superior athleticism is a major factor. Secondary players are often times the best athletes on a football field, playing in difficult circumstances. Think about. A corner must line up against a receiver and back peddle with him, as the receiver builds full speed with several strides, and then must defend against the route being run by a receiver. It is insanely difficult, but the greats have shown us how it is done. Stats also play a factor, but not as big as one might think. For example, former Redskin and Vikings safety Paul Krause is still the NFL's leader in career interceptions with 81, but he came no where near knocking off anyone in the top 5. Same with the Bengals Ken Reilly, who is third all-time with 65. Both players fall into the distinction of I mentioned a few weeks back as being very good for a very long time, but rarely great or legendary at their positions to warrant consideration. Thirdly in assessing a great corner was overall impact. Impact is a, very subjective measuring stick. Great corners and safeties, especially the respective top picks, changed the course of games simply by being on a field, whether it was shutting down a receiver, or making big hits in the secondary. Lastly was the all-around game players possessed. Many corners today, as with the last 20 years, have begun to assume their role pass defenders as the top priority (which it should be) while ignoring the run. Thus, a certain flamboyant cover corner was left off the top spot on the list due to only average run stopping ability. Special team play did not play any role. Despite some of the greatest return men ever on this list, that is totally separate facet of the game, and had no impact on the list. With that said, here it is.


CORNER

HONORABLE MENTION: Willie Brown, Darrell Green, Michael Haynes, Jack Butler

5.) Champ Bailey Washington Redskins (1999-2003) Denver Broncos (2004-present)

One of the two active players on the list competing, Bailey in many ways could easily attain #1 status. The current era of football is one where the rules of the game make it incredibly difficult for a corner to succeed. The modern NFL game has severely curtailed the physicality corners are allowed to have with receivers, and a huge statistical rise has occurred from both quarterbacks and receivers as a result. Bailey has nonetheless still thrived in this era. With 42 interceptions and 97 pass break-ups, opponents have simply ignored his side of the field. He is unquestionably the best corner the NFL has seen since the peak years of Deion Sanders, and now entering his 10th season, he remains the best, and most consistent, corner in the NFL today. What continues to separate Bailey from the other top corners today is his keen attention to detail and superior knowledge of reading receiving routes. He is also great against the run, and is a solid all around defender. With eight consecutive Pro Bowls starting in 2000 and 4 All-Pro selections from 2004 to today, he is the greatest corner in what is undoubtedly the toughest era ever for the position. Initially drafted by the Redskins in 1999, Bailey spent 5 very successful seasons in Washington before being traded to Denver for running back Clinton Portis. Since his arrival in Denver, he has propelled himself to an all-time elite status where his legend continues to grow.


4.) Rod Woodson Pittsburgh Steelers (1987-1996) San Francisco 49er's (1997) Baltimore Ravens (1998-2001) Oakland Raiders (2002-2003)

Longevity is such a difficult thing to achieve in any professional sport. Often times doing so comes with a regression of ones talents after a few years. Not so with Woodson, who through 17 brilliant NFL seasons maintained a high level of play that made him among the greatest all-around secondary players to ever step foot on a football field. In ten seasons with the Steelers, Woodson established himself as among the league's elite corners. Never as flashy as Deion Sanders, Woodson was equally effective lining up against the NFL's best receivers. He also was a great tackler, accumulating over 1,000 tackles during his career to go along with 71 interceptions. Of those interceptions, 22 came in the last five years of his career, when most players are going downhill, Woodson was still climbing up. In a position that is dominated by instinct and raw athletic ability, Woodson combined an uncanny intellect that furthered his tremendous athletic gifts. Woodson would eventually follow the Ronnie Lott path and move to the safety position, a move that was that would prove vitally important for the Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl title in 2001 and the Oakland Raiders AFC championship in 2003.


3.) Deion Sanders Atlanta Falcons (1989-1993) San Francisco 49er's (1994) Dallas Cowboys (1995-1999) Washington Redskins (2000) Baltimore Ravens (2004-2005)

If this list and conversation were simply predicated on pass coverage, rest assured, there would be ZERO debate that Sanders would hold the top spot. The single greatest cover corner in the history of football, "Neon Deion" would dominate NFL wide receivers with his near supernatural instincts and abilities. Perhaps the single greatest "athlete" to ever step onto a football field, no other player at any position, not Gale Sayers, Darrell Green, Dick Lane, or Michael Vick was a greater God given athlete than Sanders. During his turbulent NFL career, Sanders would earn the moniker "shut down" corner. That term, so carelessly overused today, was a perfect fit for Sanders. He could take an opponents best wide receiver out of a football game single handedly. It seems such a simple statement, but its impact on a game is immeasurable. He would fool enough quarterbacks into throwing his way, grabbing 53 interceptions in his career, finishing with 22 touchdowns: nine interception returns, three receiving, one fumble recovery, six punt returns, and three kickoff returns, cementing his status as one of the greatest return men to ever play the game. An eight time Pro Bowler and nine time All-Pro, Sanders was a central figure in back to back Super Bowl wins for the 49er's and the Cowboys in 1995 and 1996. Sanders also dabbled in baseball, where he played for the Yankees, Braves, Reds, and Giants from 1989-2001. Truly, Sanders is one of the greatest competitors to ever play professional sports.


Deion Sanders is the best coverage player ever, but not the best corner.

2.) Mel Blount Pittsburgh Steelers (1970-1983)

There are some corners who play a great all around game, but don't really excel in any one thing. There are the Deion's of the world, who are legendary pass coverage players who can make game changing interception but rarely a tackle. And then there's Blount, the man who can do it all great. The left corner for the greatest defensive unit ever, the "Steel Curtain" of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Blount was pure and simple the greatest all around player to ever line up at the position. His bump and run style of coverage was so effective at negating a receiver the NFL was forced to start restricting corners contact. Blount would still thrive even with greater freedom to receivers, making him among the most respected and feared defenders ever. It is not just his 57 interceptions, the five Pro Bowls, and the four All Pro teams. It wasn't even punishing hits he could deliver on opponents, making him essentially another linebacker on the field or even the first team selection on the NFL's 75th Anniversary team. It was the presence of this 6-3, 205 lbs beast of a man, perhaps the greatest athlete in the NFL during the 1970's, who was a central component to 4 Super Bowl titles won by the Steelers in the 70's. Blount encompassed everything that made those Steeler teams so great. He was as mean as Joe Greene, as instinctive as Jack Ham, as crazy as Jack Lambert, and fearless as Terry Bradshaw. He was the real deal, and the total package.


1.) Dick "Night Train" Lane LA Rams (1952-1953) Chicago Cardinals (1954-1959) Detroit Lions (1960-1965)

He was the perfect secondary player, and the best corner in NFL history. Over the course of his 14 year career, Lane established every conceivable mark of how to measure a comer. In coverage? He as shut as you could be. Against the run? Simply superb. His vicious clotheslines were as feared as a hit from contemporaries like Ray Nitschke. His career would produce ten All-Pro seasons and seven Pro Bowl bids. But that cannot surmise his impact. During his peak of the 50's and 60's, there was simply no one else even remotely in the same class as Lane. While Sanders played with Woodson and Green, there could be no one even comparable to how Lane dominated the competition around him. He was a headhunter as well as a ballhawk. He could make the big hit with as much frequency as an interception. His style and techniques of how to play cornerback would become the standard fundamentals we all know today. He broke into the league as the most unexpected rookie sensation ever. Lane borrowed money for the train and asked the Rams for a tryout. The coaches liked what they saw from the junior college kid, and by the end of the season, Lane had 14 interceptions, a record that has stood for 55 years. Shockingly enough, he failed to make the Pro Bowl that season, perhaps the greatest snub of all-time. But during that era, rookies usually did not get an invite. He would finish up with 68 picks, 5 of which went to the house. Though controversial for his brazen style, he still attained the admiration of everyone all those who played against him, including Vince Lombardi, who called him the best corner ever. That's good enough for me.


FUTURE CONSIDERATION- Antonio Cromartie, Asante Samuel, DeAngelo Hall.

SAFETY

A special mention must be made for Sean Taylor, the Redskin safety tragically gunned down last year. His short career was Hall of Fame level play, and it will never be known just how great he could have been. He sits here with special recognition as one of the great secondary players of this decade.

HONORABLE MENTION: Jack Christiansen, LeRoy Bulter, Steve Atwater, Willie Wood, Rodney Harrison, Darren Sharper, Darren Woodson, John Lynch, Yale Lary, Ed Reed(like Brain Urlacher, just a few more seasons and his name is on this list, no questions.)

5.) Elmen Tunnell New York Giants (1948-1958) Green Bay Packers (1959-1961)

For many younger fans, Tunnell is an unknown figure. He played in an era before some of our parents were even born, or too young to be watching football. But Tunnel was as brilliant and dominate a competitor as there ever was. His deceptive quickness would be the bane of countless quarterbacks who throw a ball in his direction. Tunnell accumulated 79 interceptions during his 14 NFL seasons, still 2nd all-time. His was an artist at deep coverage. Tunnell was among the first ever defense only players, as the NFL during the 50's began to move away from two-way players and focus on offensive and defensive specialists. Undrafted out of college, Tunnell paid his way to New York in 1948 and asked the Giants for a tryout. The G-Men would soon be very happy he did so. Tunnell was also an important cultural figure for football as well. He was also among the great punt returners of all time, being dubbed "offense on defense" by opposing coaches. Playing football the same time Jackie Robinson was breaking the color barrier in baseball; Tunnell was the first black player in the Giants' post-World War II era. He went on to become the NFL's first black assistant coach and the first African-American to be named to the Hall of Fame.

4.) Ken Houston Houston Oilers (1967-1972) Washington Redskins (1973-1980)

With the 9th Round draft pick the '67 NFL Draft, the Oilers selected a linebacker from small Prairie View A&M that had a some potential. What they ended up getting was one of the greatest safeties the NFL has ever seen. At 6-3, 197 lbs, Houston was just a little too skinny to start at a linebacker spot, so he was moved to safety as a rookie. The success was almost immediate. His quick, fluid style of play fit perfectly with the his safety spot, which propelled him to twelve Pro Bowls and three All Pro team selections. His picked off 49 passes in his career, taking back 12 of them. Though he did not have the highlight reel interceptions like Deion or the big hits of Brian Dawkins or Ed Reed, Houston was among the most respected and admired men in the NFL. His play was as consistent as it was spectacular, playing in 183 straight football games during his career. A beloved figure in both Houston and Washington, he earned recognition on the NFL's 75th Anniversary team as a first teamer, beating out Ronnie Lott.


3.) Larry Wilson St. Louis Cardinals (1960-1972)

The man was simply born to play safety. The free wheeling wild man was among the most feared defenders in the NFL during the 1960's. A furious hitter, he was brilliant at dissecting plays and changing the course of a game. With defensive coach Chuck Drulis, Wilson is credited with creating the safety blitz. Never before had players in the deep secondary been asked to rush a quarterback, but Wilson made it among the most effective plays still utilized in the NFL today. Though official stats of sacks were not recorded, it is believed Wilson managed to amass over 22 sacks during his career. He played his entire career for the Cardinals, where he garnered eight Pro Bowl and All Pro selections. Hall of Fame announcer Pat Summerall once said of Wilson that he "typified everything great you could possibly expect in a pro football player." His most famous moment came in a game against the Giants in 1965. Having broken both wrists in the previous weeks, Wilson played with two casts on each arm. He would still intercept a pass from Giants QB Bill Nelsen (one of 52 in his career) that set up a Cardinals touchdown.

2.) Brain Dawkins Philadelphia Eagles (1996-Present)

He has been the unquestioned leader of the Eagles defense for a decade. His passion, desire, and nearly insane obsession with perfection has elevated him to be not just one of the greatest safeties, but defensive players ever to strap on a helmet. Drafted as the last pick of the 2nd round in the 1996 draft, the Eagles coaching staff, then under Ray Rhodes quickly realized during rookie mini camps what they had stumbled on. While there, Dawkins displayed the leadership, speed, athleticism, and football IQ that would maintain his elevated level of play for years. A five time All Pro Selection and six time Pro Bowler, Dawkins plays every facets of the game with a poetic zeal. Whether is pass coverage (33 career interceptions), in the run (842 tackles) and perhaps the best blitzing safety of all-time with 13 sacks, with Pittsburgh's Troy Polumalu not far behind. His career possess a long list of devastating hits, but his greatest play game during the 2004 NFC divisional playoff game against the Packers. Green Bay went for a fourth and one on the Eagles 40 yard line, and Packers running back Ahman Green broke free and raced towards the end zone. Dawkins, on the other side of the field, ran down green from behind at the 2, preventing the touchdown as the Eagles would make a fourth and goal stand. No other play in Dawkins career better exemplifies the passion and commitment he brings to the game, as he is one of the greatest safeties in NFL history.

1.) Ronnie Lott San Francisco 49er's (1981-1990) LA Raiders (1991-1992) New York Jets (1993-1994) Kansas City Chiefs (1995)

Few players in the annuals of professional football, heck, all professional sports, have such a aura around them like Hall of Fame safety Ronnie Lott. Above all the accolades and awards, which were very numerous, there lies the fear that still permeates from those who played against him. When Ronnie Lott hit someone, they did not see some stars; they saw the whole universe in front of them. Lott played safety with a controlled rage, a reckless abandon that was never sloppy or without thought. He was not only reading quarterback's eyes to determine the play, it seemed he could read his mind. And with that innate talent, Lott forged perhaps the most dominating presence ever seen in an NFL secondary. He once remarked that when he hit someone, he would imagine there were three ball carriers right in a straight line, and he was trying to knock down the one who was furthest back. His 63 career interceptions still rank 6th all-time. He spent his first four seasons at the corner position (making the Pro Bowl each year). Then in 1985, after two Super Bowl titles, 49er's coach Bill Walsh moved Lott to safety. The move was mildly disappointing initially, but by 1986, it is obvious that Lott had indeed found his calling. For the next 6 seasons, Lott would redefine the safety position. When all was said and done, Lott had claimed ten Pro Bowls, 9 All-Pro teams, four Super Bowl titles, two selections on NFL All-Decade teams, the NFL's 75th anniversary team selection, and his #42 jersey retired by the San Francisco 49er's. Lott, the best safety in NFL history.


The most feared and best safety in football history was Ronnie Lott.


For Future consideration- Roy Williams, Bob Sanders, Troy Polamalu.

That'll call it for this week folks. Have a good one.