Nick's Lists: Top 10 Defensive Backs in NFL History (10-6)

So I've spent most of my blog time over the last few days either A) warding off the virulent attacks of homerism on my wide receivers countdown or B) keeping tabs on the myriad of hurricanes and tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean.  Therefore, I have not been able to start my next countdown in time for the regular season, but fear not, I still have several more positions to cover, regardless of the status of the NFL season.  We resume our top 10 series with a look at defensive backs.

For this countdown, I am combining cornerbacks and safeties into one category.  Very often, secondary players have to be able to play both aspects of that area of the defense (3 aspects if you split safety into free and strong), especially in the case of injury.  Successful secondary players have good ball skills and reaction times.  They don't necessarily need to catch.  After all, if they could, they would be playing wide receiver and not cornerback.  Interceptions are nice, but the true mark of a successful secondary player is the offense doing everything it can to not throw the football in his direction.  Usually the best corners are matched up against the offense's number 1 receiver.  Safeties tend to shade toward that side of the field, usually in a cover 2.  Very often in a man-to-man defensive set, safeties also have to play corner and cover receivers to a man.  This usually happens when defenses bring strong blitz packages.  Secondary players are very versatile.  Some of their most exciting plays don't even occur on defense.  Many times you will see corners and safeties returning punts and kickoffs because their ball skills are similar to that of a receiver, and they are just as (if not more) quick and elusive.  Secondary players have to tackle as well.  It is agreed that the linebackers are the best tacklers on the team, but if all secondary players do is try to shove somebody out of bounds, the potential for YAC yards could be devastating.  Even if they give up a long pass, it is important that they shut the play down at that point, even if it is a big gainer.  Better to give up a 40 yard pass with no YAC than to give up a 75 yard pass with 35 YAC and a TD.  Being able to defend a pass and catch the occasional interception can only get you so far. 

On that note, you might know a few of the names on this defensive back countdown.  Like the wide receivers, you will see more names of guys who have played in the last 40 years than old-timers.  This once again has to do with the evolution of the forward pass as more of an offensive tactic as opposed to a last resort.  With that, sit back, relax, read on, and enjoy the TOP 10 DEFENSIVE BACKS IN NFL HISTORY!

10) Sean Taylor (Washington Redskins 2004-07)



From espn.com

 OK...I know the homer police are going to be all over me on this one, but you know what?  I don't really care.  This is MY list after all, and you all have your opinions, I know, but I feel like this is the appropriate place to pay an homage to who COULD HAVE BEEN the greatest safety of all time.  Unfortunately, legal troubles did not leave him with an appropriate method of defending himself during a home invasion where he was shot and killed while rehabing a leg injury.  When he did play, Sean Taylor was one of, if not the most feared man in the Redskins' defensive backfield.  He was drafted to play strong safety, but his ball skills prompted the Redskins to draft Laron Landry to play the strong side in 2007, and moved Taylor to the free side to allow him to be more of a ball hawk.  Before he died in 2007, he was tied for the league lead in interceptions with 5.  Nevertheless, could Sean Taylor light you up!  He never took a play off.  He may have had off the field issues, but when game day came, he was force to be reckoned with, earning the nickname "Meast" (man + beast).  His most famous 2 hits are from 2005 and 2007.  In 2005, during the Redskins big comeback against the Cowboys at Texas Stadium, Taylor blew up Terry Glenn across the middle as the Cowboys were responding the Santana Moss's 2nd TD of the 4th quarter.  His other big hit came in the Pro Bowl of all places.  AFC punter Brian Moorman tried one of those fake punt, punter keeper things.  Taylor decided to have none of that.  Fast forward to 2:15 of that linked video clip...listen to the call of that hit in Japanese.  HILARIOUS! 

9) Deion Sanders (Atlanta Falcons 1989-93; San Francisco 49ers 1994; Dallas Cowboys 1995-99; Washington Redskins 2000; Baltimore Ravens 2004-05)



From espn.com

 Neon Deion...PRIIIIIIIIME TIME.  Gag me.  I hate Deion.  Even the one year he played for the Redskins making an obscene amount of money, I didn't want him here.  I will give the man his due, he found himself, and actually serves as a very good mentor to some of the more troubled players coming into the NFL (especially out of the University of Miami...kind of odd for a Florida State guy?).  So why am I putting Deion on my list?  Well, as much as I disliked him as a player, the man could play.  In fact, throughout his career, he was probably the most electrifying non-offensive player to ever have the ball in his hand.  53 interceptions and 19 non-offensive touchdowns later (including 3 more he scored as a wide receiver), he's in the Hall of Fame.  So, now you might ask, why is Deion rated only at #9?  Didn't you say that secondary players have to have ball skills?  Deion probably had the BEST ball skills of anybody to ever play the position.  This probably shouldn't come as much of a surprise to anyone, but the man could NOT tackle (and he played baseball at the same time...that's a strike in my book).  Not only that, he didn't really make much effort to.  If the man he was covering caught the ball, he hoped there was somebody there to clean up the mess, whether that was a safety over the top or the sideline.  He didn't care to learn how to tackle, and makes no bones about it even to this day.  Deion probably was the best cover corner in history, and maybe even all around player, but as a football player on the defensive side of the ball, you absolutely have to tackle!  As electrifying as he was, he should have known as well as anybody that you do get beat sometimes.  In Deion's case, it wasn't often, but it did happen.  Had he been able to wrap up and take a man to the ground, he very well could have been in the top 3, despite my personal protests.

8) Ed Reed (Baltimore Ravens 2002-)



From examiner.com

 Baltimore already had a formidable defense before Ed Reed arrived out of the U in 2002.  They won the Super Bowl in 2000 behind the strength of defense and special teams, going 5 straight games during the regular season without scoring a touchdown...winning 3 of them.  Baltimore's defenses under Marvin Lewis craved players who could hit you...hard, but at the same time were versatile and could play out of position if needed.  Reed's reputation as a big hitter is unquestioned.  His ability to cover fast receivers is what makes him one of the best safeties in the game.  He, like many of Baltimore's best defensive players, is a pure ball hawk.  When the ball is thrown on his side of the field, he will at least be in the camera picture.  He already has 54 interceptions in only 9 seasons of play at a position that is not really known for picking the ball off.  Probably the only knock on Reed (and the Baltimore defense in general going back to that Super Bowl season) is that they feel like every time they get the ball in their hands they HAVE TO score.  As a result, you usually see a lot of Stanford Band nonsense every time Baltimore gets a takeaway.  You can usually count on at least one lateral if Reed picks the ball off. 

7) Darrelle Revis (New York Jets 2007-)



From helmet2helmet.net

 Revis Island.  Usually when young players get bit mouths and refer to their side of the field as an "island" that you can't get off, the play doesn't back up the talk.  In the case of Revis, not only does he back up the talk, but nobody, and I mean NOBODY voluntarily pays a visit to Revis Island.  The true sign of a great corner is when offenses always look to his side of the field...and then always throw away from it.  Revis is that good.  Not unlike many great corners, he does not have a lot of interceptions, only 14 of them.  However, unlike another corner higher up on this list, Revis contributes to the defense through his tackling, recording over 40 tackles in each season of his career until 2010 (including 87 in his rookie year).  However, when you don't throw in his direction, nobody can catch the ball, and therefore he can't tackle anybody.  He has only been in the league for 4 years, and he is already up to number 7 on my list.  Give him a few more years, and Revis might very well crack into the top 3...if teams would ever start throwing at him...

6) Ken Houston (Houston Oilers 1967-72; Washington Redskins 1973-80)

Redskins fans remember Ken Houston really for just one play: this one.

Houston's tackle of Walt Garrison with zeroes on the clock on the 1-yard line sealed a 14-7 Redskins win over the Cowboys in one of the signature plays of the Redskins-Cowboys rivalry.  However, before arriving in DC in a 6-player trade in 1973, Houston was one of the best players in the young history of the Houston Oilers' franchise (Houston in Houston...keep it straight, OK?).  Houston earned a reputation as a strong tackler (as evidenced above) and an underrated ball hawk.  During his time in Houston, he took 9 picks back for touchdowns (and a 71 yard blocked field goal in his rookie year).  However, in the AFL (and eventually the AFC), Houston went largely unnoticed as the big market teams all played in the NFC.  When George Allen traded away 5 players for Houston, many felt he paid too high a price.  He had just done his homework.  Playing in a big market, Houston was noticed by everybody.  He finished his career with 49 picks and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1986. 

And that is a wrap on the first half of our latest countdown.  Sorry about the delays on this one, there has just been too much to talk about in the tropics.  I'll have the 2nd half in the coming days as well as some of Caputo's Corner picks for week 1.