Who are the best cornerbacks in NFL history? Well that is a tough question but I will put my two cents worth in here. I will list my opinion on the top 5 cornerbacks in NFL history and give my reasons.
Cornerback is a hard position to judge unless you have seen them play. Did a player get a huge number of interceptions because he was great? Or did he get those interceptions because he gave lots of big plays up so quarterbacks threw at him constantly?
To me the best cornerbacks in NFL history were the ones nobody wanted to challenge much. So my list of the top 5 cornerbacks may not read like the list of NFL interception leaders. Feel free to heap praise or insults upon me in the comments at the end of this article. Click my profile to see more articles about the greatest players and coaches in NFL history. Any stats used for my list of the best NFL cornerbacks of all time come from Profootballreference.com
1. Deion Sanders- Atlanta, San Francisco, Dallas, Washington and Baltimore (Ravens)
Deion Sanders was the best cornerback in NFL history. Quarterbacks feared to throw in his area so his interception numbers were not the best ever. He did manage to intercept 53 passes for 1,331 yards and 9 touchdowns. Amazingly Deion Sanders retired in 2000 and came back to play in 2004 and 2005 and played well. Sanders was so good that he often let receivers get open, and then closed the gap for the interception when the QB threw the ball. Deion Sanders also played wide receiver from time to time and was an excellent kick and punt returner. Deion Sanders was the best cornerback of all time.
2. Rod Woodson- Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Baltimore and Oakland
Rod Woodson is also made my best football players of all list as you can read here. He played a lot of years as safety but I still consider Rod Woodson to be a top 5 cornerback. Woodson intercepted 71 passes for almost 1,500 yards and added 12 touchdowns. Woodson was versatile and could play the run much better than the tackle shy Deion Sanders.
3. Mike Haynes- New England and Oakland
Mike Haynes is a case in point about lower interception totals not meaning a person is a bad cornerback. If somebody wants to argue that Mike Haynes is the best cornerback to ever play, I won’t dispute it much. Haynes struck fear into opposing offenses and he truly kept his side of the field clean of passes caught. Mike Haynes only intercepted 48 passes in his NFL career but that was because he was seldom tested.
4. Mel Blount- Pittsburgh Steelers
When you see today’s wide receivers running downfield untouched, you can thank Mel Blount. The NFL changed the way pass defense is played because Mel Blount was so devastating at man to man coverage. In the early days of Mel Blount’s career a defensive back could hit a wide receiver anywhere on the field until the ball was in the air. Blount was such a skilled thug that the rules were changed to negate him and to get more scoring in NFL games.
5. Ken Riley- Cincinnati
Ken Riley seldom gets the respect of an all time great NFL cornerback but he deserves it. Playing often on crappy teams Riley was one of the best defensive backs of his era. A former 6th round draft pick Riley ended his career with 65 pass interceptions under his belt.
Thanks for checking out my list of the Top 5 Cornerbacks in NFL history. I understand that another 20 could easily qualify for this list of great football players.
Sources
NFL career interception leaders
