Top Baltimore Ravens Players of All-Time: Safeties

In the last edition of our top Baltimore Ravens players of all-time we discovered by unanimous decision that Joe Flacco is, without a doubt, the best quarterback in Ravens history.

I don’t think there will be any arguments here.

This time around, let us take a look at a quarterback’s worse nightmare, lurking around in the backfield, the position most would call “the quarterback of the defense:” the safety. Who would qualify as the top 3 Safeties in Ravens history??

Let’s start with Rod Woodson. This one tidbit is during his pre-Raven days, but we’re talking about a guy who in 1995, tore his ACL in week 1 while playing with the team that wears black and yellow. Yet he returned 19 weeks later to play for that same team in the Super Bowl, even breaking up a pass against Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin. That’s incredible!

Fast forward to Woodson in the purple and black…

Woodson spent four seasons with the Ravens (1998 – 2001) and was a key piece in the franchises’ first Super Bowl victory. During his tenure with the Ravens Woodson never missed a game while racking up 20 interceptions (with 5 of them going for touchdowns). They say defense wins championships, and Woodson proved it.

Next up, Dawan Landry. A 5^th round pick in 2006 who earned himself a starting spot on the roster for his ball-hawking presence and hard-hitting dominance. His rookie season proved to be his best season as he contributed to a #1 ranked defense with 11 pass deflections, 5 interceptions (returned for 101 yards and 1 touchdown), and 3 sacks in the regular season.

Landry’s production took a hit of its own over the next two years, and despite a bounce back performance in 2009, his reign in the purple and black ended at the conclusion of the 2010 season. Landry didn’t record a single interception that year, but did manage to get triple digits in the tackles column at 111.

Landry also had the pleasure of playing alongside he who will unanimously be touted as the Ravens’ greatest safety of all-time, Mr. “I’ve got… 2 tickets to Paradise!!!!!” himself…..

Ed Reed.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last 13 years, especially over the last week, Ed Reed is a household name in the homes of Ravens’ fans and non-fans alike.

Perhaps this resume of accolades will speak for Mr. Reed:

Super Bowl XLVII Champion
NCAA National Champion
3x NFL interceptions Leader
NFL Defensive Player of the Year
NFL record for most career interception return yards – 1,590 total yards
NFL record for single longest interception return – 108 yards
Ravens all-time career leader in interceptions
NFL 2000s All-Decade team

More from Ebony Bird

Jun 5, 2013; Washington, DC, USA; Houston Texans safety Ed Reed laughs during the White House Visit at The White House. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

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