Ranking the top 10 defensive players in NFL history…
4. Deion Sanders
Drafted fifth overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 1989 NFL Draft out of Florida State, Sanders quickly established himself as a shutdown cornerback and dynamic return specialist, earning the nickname “Prime Time” for his flashy persona.
Over five seasons with the Falcons, Sanders intercepted 24 passes and led the league in kick return yards (1,067) in 1992 with two touchdowns.
Signing with the San Francisco 49ers in 1994, he won Super Bowl XXIX and earned NFL Defensive Player of the Year with six interceptions returned for 303 yards and three scores.
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Joining the Dallas Cowboys in 1995 on a seven-year, $35 million deal, he won back-to-back Super Bowls (XXX), contributing offensively with 60 receptions for 784 yards in his career.
After a stint with the Washington Redskins in 2000 and retirement, he returned with the Baltimore Ravens (2004-2005), adding nine more interceptions.
Sanders’s career totals include 512 tackles, 53 interceptions for 1,331 yards, nine touchdowns, 2,199 punt return yards, 3,523 kickoff return yards and 22 total touchdowns across 188 games. He ranks among all-time leaders in non-offensive touchdowns (19) and was a nine-time Pro Bowler with six First-team All-Pro selections.
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Sanders’s standout attributes were his elite speed (4.27-second 40-yard dash), agility and coverage instincts, allowing him to blanket receivers and bait quarterbacks.
His playing style was flamboyant and opportunistic: a shutdown defender who high-stepped into end zones, excelled in man coverage and scored six different ways, revolutionizing the cornerback position.
He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
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But who ranks ahead of Sanders at No. 3 all-time?