Highlights

• Deion Sanders was a dominant, unique player and is one of just six cornerbacks to win NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
• Rod Woodson was one of the most punishing cornerbacks in NFL history.
• Champ Bailey played the cornerback position more like a safety.

There may not be a more challenging position to play in the modern NFL than cornerback. Dealing with the game’s most talented receivers and quarterbacks is a daunting task for even the most physically gifted athletes.

Additionally, the NFL’s rules have become increasingly favorable to the offense, forcing cornerbacks to walk a fine line between being aggressive and cautious. As the position and its responsibilities continue to evolve, it’s time to look back at the 10 best cornerbacks in NFL history.

1 Deion Sanders

Prime Time was an electrifying player

Deion Sanders was an athletic marvel. He played multiple sports at the professional level and possessed some of the best speed and explosiveness ever seen in the NFL. No one would mistake Deion for being modest or soft-spoken, but through his play, he earned the right to be self-absorbed.

Sanders’ game was unique, coruscating, and, most of all, dominant. He wrapped up his career with eight Pro Bowls, six All-Pro selections, and is one of just six cornerbacks to take Defensive Player of the Year honors. One of the most impressive feats of a cornerback is not getting the ball thrown to your receiver, and Deion faced that situation often as quarterbacks were simply scared of him.

In addition to his defensive prowess, Sanders was one of the most prolific return men of his time. Although his special team numbers don’t enhance his performance at cornerback, they underscore the dynamic athlete Sanders was.

As Sanders embarks on his latest venture as a head coach, it’s easy to disapprove of his pompous demeanor. That said, this attitude and confidence is the byproduct of one of the greatest careers in NFL history.

2 Rod Woodson

Rod Woodson was a physically punishing corner

Although Rod Woodson came after the Steel Curtain, he managed to build his own legacy as one of the best defensive backs to ever live. Woodson’s game was incredibly balanced and versatile, which contributed to his successful switch to safety at the back end of his career. At corner during his run with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Woodson was a menace in coverage and was famously dominant in press coverage.

Woodson was also more than willing to get his hands dirty and was a valuable run defender throughout his career. Even without his safety accolades, Woodson is a highly decorated player. He made seven Pro Bowls and five All-Pro teams as a cornerback and finished his career with a total of 11 and seven, respectively. He also ranks third on the all-time interceptions list, with 71.

3 Champ Bailey

Bailey was a highly cerebral player

Whereas most cornerbacks play the receiver, Champ Bailey, much like a safety, played the quarterback, using his instincts and football acumen to torment opposing offenses. Bailey wasn’t a physically intimidating corner, but he was an all-around savvy player. He was a fluid mover who had the quickness to recover when he was beaten and was rarely caught out of position.

Bailey’s 12 Pro Bowl selections are the most of any cornerback in league history, which is no small feat, given the other players on this list. Ironically, a championship was the only thing that eluded the man called “Champ.”

With 52 career interceptions between his time with the team now known as the Washington Commanders and Denver Broncos, including 10 in 2006 alone, Bailey was one of the most revered players of his time and now sits in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

4 Charles Woodson

Woodson essentially had two primes

Charles Woodson entered the league as a folk hero of sorts. At Michigan, he became the first primarily defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy and remains the only one to do so today.

Fans expected him to continue breaking records and challenging the status quo in the NFL, and Woodson did just that, becoming the first player in NFL history to record 50 interceptions and 20 sacks in his career.

It’s no surprise that Woodson, who played 18 seasons between the Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers, compiled a lengthy list of accolades over his career, but the time frame is peculiar. After making the Pro Bowl in each of his first four seasons, Woodson went six consecutive seasons without an invitation before making the next four.

In total, Woodson made nine Pro Bowls and eight All-Pro teams. His physical dominance was undeniable, but his mid-career dry spell stops him from being higher.

5 Richard "Night Train" Lane

Lane led the league in interceptions twice

Cross-era comparisons are difficult to make, which is why Richard “Night Train” Lane could be placed just about anywhere on this list. He still holds the record for most interceptions in a single season, with 14 as a rookie in 1952 with the Los Angeles Rams.

Perhaps the most impressive part of all is that he did this in only 12 games. Had Lane maintained this pace for a 17-game season, he would’ve had 20. Regardless of who he was playing against, that is an unbelievable number.

Lane led the league in interceptions once more in 1954, notching 10 picks in his first season with the Cardinals, and ultimately made seven Pro Bowls and 10 All-Pro teams. Lane was a gambler and would look to jump routes and make plays on the ball, sometimes to his own detriment.

However, his 68 career interceptions, the fourth-most in league history, suggest his propensity for taking chances was well worth it.

6 Mel Blount

Blount is partially responsible for some rule changes

An integral part of the “Steel Curtain,” Mel Blount embodied everything that was 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers football. He was big, physical, and had an unquenchable thirst for making plays. Blount made five Pro Bowls and six All-Pro teams, in addition to his 1975 Defensive Player of the Year Award and four Super Bowl rings.

Blount’s signature “bump-and-run” coverage became more closely monitored after the NFL implemented a series of rule changes midway through his career. Most notably, the league stated that a defensive back could not intentionally impede the process of a receiver more than five years down the field.

Officials were more willing to penalize Blount when he got handsy with receivers, which led to him developing a new play style. Even with these new restrictions, Blount continued to impose his will on opposing receivers.

7 Darrelle Revis

Revis was the premier cornerback of the early 2010s

Even at a time when the likes of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees were at the peak of their powers, Darrelle Revis was a problem no offense had an answer for.

Revis, who spent eight of his 11 NFL seasons with the New York Jets, was a remarkable athlete with high-end straight-line speed and lateral quickness. He also never shied away from the opposing team’s best player, taking them one-on-one.

Revis’s ability to shut down one side of the field led to the nickname “Revis Island.” Unfortunately, he didn’t enjoy the longevity of others on this list, as he was out of the league after his age-32 season. Still, his three-year peak is among the best ever seen at the position, and with seven Pro Bowls and four All-Pro teams to his name, Revis is more than worthy of a spot on this list.

8 Mike Haynes

Haynes intercepted 46 passes in his career

Mike Haynes began his 14-year career with the New England Patriots before spending his final seven years with the Raiders. Although his most productive seasons came with New England, he received more acclaim with the Raiders. In total, the Arizona State alum made nine Pro Bowls and eight All-Pro teams and won Super Bowl 18 with the Raiders.

At the core of Haynes's success was a disciplined play style. He had an innate ability to mirror receivers and showed little wasted movement in coverage. Haynes was an all-around great cornerback and was among the most decorated of his time.

9 Willie Brown

Brown mastered the art of bump-and-run coverage

Willie Brown made the transition from linebacker to cornerback after going undrafted in 1963, and the move not only earned him a spot in the NFL but eventually in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Having played a more physically demanding position, Brown excelled in press coverage and took advantage of the lax rules in place during his time.

In addition to his physicality, he had great ball skills and a knack for undercutting routes. He had multiple interceptions in 13 of 16 seasons in the league with the Broncos and Raiders.

He retired as a nine-time Pro Bowler and six-time All-Pro and was later named to the 1970s All-Decade Team. It’s rare to see a player have immediate success changing positions, let alone reaching the heights that Brown did, but he was a rare talent.

10 Mel Renfro

Renfro holds the Dallas Cowboys interception record

After starring at running back for the Oregon Ducks, Mel Renfro became a full-time defensive player in the NFL. He started his pro career as a safety, before moving to corner later in his career. He hauled in 52 interceptions during his 14-year career with the Dallas Cowboys, 10 of which came in the 1969 season, where Renfro led the league in that category.

Renfro was nearly an annual participant in the postseason, making eight consecutive playoff appearances from 1966 to 1973. Although the Cowboys won two Super Bowls in Renfro’s time, his best postseason performance came in the 1970 postseason, where Dallas fell to the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl 5.

In total, Renfro made 10 Pro Bowls and four All-Pro teams. He now sits in the Hall of Fame as one of the Cowboys’ greatest defensive players.

All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise.