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Sunday, September 06, 2020

Top 25 NFL Defensive Backs

Athlon Sports ranked the top 25 defensive backs in NFL history. I took the bait to see how many of the players were recent, as well as how the two DB’s fared that had been named to the team from the NFL’s first 50 years, in 1969. Emlen Tunnell ranked 14th and Night Train Lane fourth – not bad.

I placed each player in the decade they played. If they played in two decades (or three), I tried to place them in the decade they played the most. If it was a close call I placed them in the earlier decade. Not a terrible distribution.

50’s two
60’s four
70’s three
80’s three
90’s six
00’s six
10’s one

rank/decade/years played
25. 90 94-08 Rodney Harrison S
24. 00 97-10 Darren Sharper S
23. 60 59-72 Dick LeBeau CB (top)
22. 90 92-04 Darren Woodson S
21. 80 77-86 Lester Hayes CB
20. 10 11-18 Richard Sherman CB
19. 90 95-09 Ty Law CB
18. 60 64-77 Mel Renfro CB
17. 00 07-17 Darrelle Revis CB
16. 00 03-14 Troy Polamalu S
15. 90 89-99 Steve Atwater
14. 50 48-61 Emlen Tunnell
13. 70 76-89 Mikes Haynes CB
12. 00 98-12 Charles Woodson CB
11. 00 02-13 Ed Reed
10. 60 64-79 Paul Krause
09. 60 61-72 Herb Adderley CB
08. 70 71-80 Jack Tatum S
07. 80 83-02 Darrell Green CB
06. 00 99-13 Champ Bailey
05. 70 70-83 Mel Blount CB
04. 50 52-65 Dick Night Train Lane CB (below)
03. 90 89-05 Deion Sanders CB
02. 90 87-03 Rod Woodson CB
01. 80 81-95 Ronnie Lott S
Dick Night Train Lane intercepts the pass intended for former UGA receiver Jimmy Orr (#28), who won rookie of the year for the Steelers in 1958. Orr later worked as a broadcaster for the Falcons.

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