One of the most underrated positions in sports is the cornerback. Now more than ever, teams realize the importance of the positions, so let’s look at the ten greatest to play the position.
10. Darrell Green
NFL films ranked Darrell Green as the fastest player to ever play in the NFL. A blazing undersized corner carved out a 20-year career in the NFL, winning two Super Bowls and making the 1990s NFL All-Decade Team.
Green had 54 career interceptions, seven Pro Bowl selections, and once was a first-team All-Pro. Longevity and availability is the reason Green cracks the top 10. Well, guys like Ty Law and Darrelle Revis are on the outside looking in.
Green played an outstanding 295 career games, ranking 16th all-time and the most for the cornerback position.
Green was also a threat in the return game, though not being asked to do so for most of his career. In the 1987 playoffs in the divisional round against the Chicago Bears, Green broke free for a game-changing punt return touchdown.
9. Herb Adderley
Anyone under the age of 50 is shaking their head at this selection, but if you want to talk football, you need to do your research first. Adderley was a five-time first-team All-Pro, five-time NFL Champion, and a three-time Super Bowl champion.
Adderley was part of some of the greatest defenses ever during his time in Green Bay under Vince Lombardi. Adderley also had good size for the position, standing an even six-foot-tall and weighing 205 pounds.
He possessed fluid hips and elite ball skill, snatching 48 career interceptions during a time when he had fewer chances than his counterparts today. Adderley also was an elite return man once he caught an interception with 1,046 interception return yards which rank 9th all time.
Adderley also played in four of the first six Super Bowls, returning an interception for a 60-yard touchdown in Super Bowl II. Playing under Vince Lombardi and Tom Landry for his entire career, there may not have been a smarter corner ever to play the position.
8. Champ Bailey
From 2004-2006 Champ Bailey may have had the greatest three-year stretch of any cornerback ever. During that stretch, Bailey was a three-time first-team All-Pros, had 21 Interceptions and 56 pass breakups, and was second in defensive player of the year voting in 2006.
However, stats won’t be able to tell everything about Bailey. From a technical standpoint, very few have had as fluid hips as Bailey, and he might also have the greatest T-step of any corner.
Bailey also possessed some of the greatest ball skills ever seen by a cornerback having 52 career interceptions and being asked to play wide receiver when his team needed him during his 15-year career.
Champ has the most career Pro Bowl selections of any cornerback with 12. Bailey may also be one of the best tackling and run-support cornerbacks of all time with 832 solo career tackles, which ranks 28th all-time and fourth for cornerbacks.
7. Mel Blount
Mel Blount changed the NFL more than any cornerback has ever done by changing the rule book. In 1978 the NFL implemented the Mel Blount rule making it illegal to make contact with the wide receiver more than 5 yards past the line of scrimmage.
Standing 6-foot-3-inches tall and weighing 205 pounds, Blount still managed to be one of the most fluid corners of his era. Blount’s frame and length led to the rule change, but his hips and speed still allowed him to be voted first-team All-Pro once and second-team All-Pro twice, even after the fact.
Once the rule was implemented, Blount still managed to have 22 interceptions in his career 57. His 57 career interceptions rank tied for 13th all-time.
In 1975 Blount became the first cornerback ever to be voted NFL Defensive Player of the Year, with a league-high 11 interceptions in only 14 games. Blount won four Super Bowls during his career while playing a key role in one of the greatest defenses ever in the steel curtain.
6. Willie Brown
Willie Brown is credited with inventing the bump-and-run coverage that also most every NFL corner uses today. The former college linebacker out of Grambling State used his 6-foot-1-inch frame and elite speed to perfect this technique.
Brown is a five-time first-team All-Pro, a member of the NFL’s 1970s All-Decade Team, and a Super Bowl champion. Brown is seen above in Super Bowl XI, returning an interception for a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings, one of the most famous images in NFL history.
Brown had 54 career interceptions in his 16-year career and is unofficially credited with 331 career pass breakups. He also has seven career postseason interceptions which rank 6th all-time, three of which he returned for touchdowns which ranks second only behind Asante Samuel.
