This is a ranking of the top 10 Baltimore Ravens defensive backs ever:
10. Marcus Peters:
There were a handful of players that almost made this list. While Marcus Peters is only entering his second season with the Ravens, he has the chance to climb these rankings. Trading for Peters is one of the things that made Baltimore’s 14-2 run possible. Peters had three interceptions and two defensive touchdowns for the Ravens in 2019. He was voted to the Pro Bowl and was named a second team All-Pro player.
Peters had less than one full season with the Ravens so far but he made it count. The Ravens needed to fix their secondary in 2019. They probably would not have beaten the Seattle Seahawks without Peters getting that pick six. The fact of the matter is that Peters showed up right away and made a difference.
Peters has the chance to become a top five player on this list. That’s why I put him over a player like Gary Baxter, Corey Graham or Samari Rolle. Peters has a chance to have the best run of his career in Baltimore. If Peters continues to play at a Pro Bowl level for the Ravens, he won’t be remembered as a Kansas City Chief or a Los Angeles Ram. He’ll be known for his time with the Baltimore Ravens.
9. Rod Woodson
Rod Woodson was a part of the Ravens Super Bowl XXXV team. He is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Woodson is one of the only players on this list who spent almost their entire career with another team. Woodson spent a decade playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers. On a list of the top 10 defensive backs in Steelers history Woodson would probably be a top five player. We’re looking specifically at what these defensive backs have given to the purple and black.
Woodson was great for the Ravens over a four season span. He had 20 of his 71 career interceptions for Baltimore. Woodson was a huge part of the Ravens history. He was there when they were just starting to be a great team. Woodson’s experience and football intelligence helped make the entire secondary opportunistic. He made the Pro Bowl in three of the four years he was with the Ravens.
8. Lardarius Webb
Lardarius Webb spent his entire career with the Baltimore Ravens and in this day and age, that is very impressive. Webb had 15 career interceptions. His best season was in 2011 where he had 62 total tackles and five interceptions. He’s scored on a interception return, a kickoff return and a punt return. When he was healthy and in his prime he was one of the best slot corners in the NFL. Webb is one of the most underrated players in franchise history and he is absolutely beloved in Baltimore.
His longevity with the Ravens is something to be admired. He stuck with the team from 2009 to 2017. In that time he did just about everything a 5’10” defensive back could do in the NFL. He was a great special teams player, a great starter for the defense and a very reliable player that could rotate into the game. He started as a third round pick who had to earn a chance to shine. At times in his career he was an absolute star. The most incredible fact about his career was that Webb had at least one interception every year of his career, except for his rookie season.
7. Dawan Landry
Dawan Landry was a constant for the Ravens defense from 2006-2010. Landry was a tackling machine and he was one of the most productive players the Ravens ever had at strong safety. Landry had 363 total tackles with the Ravens. He also had nine interceptions, five sacks and scored three defensive touchdowns. We’re talking about a player that started 14 games as a rookie and had 69 tackles and five interceptions. Productivity was surely Landry’s calling card.
Landry was a consistent player who added toughness to a defense that already had a surplus of it. He was a hard hitting player with a lot of range and because of that he was the perfect player to pair with Ed Reed. The Ravens were rightfully known for their defense at the time. Part of that was an elite combination at the safety position.
6. Eric Weddle
The Ravens didn’t get Weddle in the prime of his career, but they got three strong seasons from him. Weddle was a leader for the defense. He was a coach on the field kind of a player and it made a huge difference. The only things that fit more than Weddle and the Ravens are chocolate and caramel and bacon on a sandwich. Weddle was a very good player for the Ravens and he was a textbook definition of what a Ravens player should be. One of the most frustrating facts in Ravens history is that the franchise didn’t get Weddle a Super Bowl ring.
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Weddle went to the Pro Bowl all three years he was with the Ravens. In three years he totaled 220 tackles, 10 interceptions and three interception returns for a touchdown. Weddle is a Ravens legend and reaching that status in three years is very impressive work. He was a productive player, yet statistics don’t tell you what he was all about.
5. Jimmy Smith
I listed Jimmy Smith as my most underrated cornerback in franchise history. If you needed to take a receiver out of a game, and you could pick any cornerback in Ravens history, Smith would have to be on your shortlist. Other than two cornerbacks on this list, Smith was the best cornerback in Ravens history at physically matching up with elite receivers. Smith doesn’t have great interception totals, but he has always been a stingy cover corner.
Smith has been with the Ravens since he was drafted in 2011. The fact that he’s never been to a Pro Bowl is mind boggling. It’s important to remember that Smith already has an impressive resume and he’s still adding to it. The Ravens could have justified saying goodbye to Smith this offseason. The fact that they didn’t speaks volumes to how good he still is.
4. Duane Starks:
If you needed an interception, the best cornerback in Ravens history for it was Duane Starks. He was the best cornerback the Ravens ever had when it came to taking the football away. He had at least four interceptions in each of his four seasons in Baltimore. He had 20 regular season interceptions and four postseason interceptions wearing the purple and black. Starks was the master of jumping routes and he is the perfect example of why ball skills will always be an important trait at the cornerback position. Starks was Marcus Peters before Marcus Peters.
Starks had the best year of his career in the 2000-2001 season, the year the Ravens won the Super Bowl. He had six interceptions and two fumble recoveries that year and that was just in the regular season. The 2000 defense was known for being opportunistic and forcing a ridiculous number of turnovers. Starks was a huge part of that.
3. Marlon Humphrey
Marlon Humphrey may end up being the best cornerback the Ravens ever have. He’s incredibly good. Like Smith, he’s a shutdown cornerback whose reputation isn’t built on interceptions. He simply locks receivers on an island and takes them away from the game. From a technique standpoint, Humphrey is probably the best cornerback the team has ever had. This past season saw Humphrey named as a first team All-Pro player and he was voted to the Pro Bowl. It was one of the best seasons a cornerback has ever had in Baltimore.
While Humphrey isn’t a crazy stat producer, he did make some big moves in the turnover department last season. He scored two defensive touchdowns on fumble recoveries. He had three interceptions, forced two fumbles and recovered three. Humphrey is the most important player on the current Ravens defense. He’s an elite defensive back who has a chance to become the second best defensive back in franchise history.
2. Chris McAlister
Chris McAlister was one of the greatest cornerbacks of all-time and he doesn’t get enough credit for that. He was with the Ravens for 10 seasons. He played two games for the New Orleans Saints after that, but let’s forget about that. McAlister was a shutdown cornerback. Much like Duane Starks was the early version of Marcus Peters, McAlister was the early version of Marlon Humphrey. He was a three time Pro-Bowl player and in 2003 he was listed as a first team All-Pro. He was one of the top players at his position for a long time and he was one of the toughest and most physical cornerbacks in NFL history.
The best Chris McAlister moment was probably when he returned a missed field goal for a touchdown against the Denver Broncos. He caught the ball and slowly started to walk as if the play was over. He then sprinted all the way down the field and scored what may have been the most stunning touchdown in franchise history. McAlister had 26 career interceptions and scored seven touchdowns.
1. Ed Reed:
Ed Reed is arguably the best player in franchise history. What isn’t (sanely) debatable is that Reed was the best free safety of all time. He is the all-time interception return yards leader. He caught so many passes on defense that Ravens fans used to joke that he was their best receiver. It doesn’t need to be said that Reed was the greatest defensive back in NFL history. Unlike the rest of this list, this isn’t opinion it’s objectively a fact.
Because it makes all good Ravens fans smile, let’s run down some of his impressive statistics. Reed had 64 career interceptions for 1,590 return yards and seven defensive touchdowns. He scored two touchdowns on fumble recoveries, a touchdown on a punt return and three touchdowns on blocked punts. He did everything. He was the most dangerous ball hawk in NFL history and he was the most fun defensive back to watch ever.
There you have it the 10 best defensive backs in NFL history. One thing Ebony Bird is going to try to do this offseason is to celebrate the history of the Baltimore Ravens. It’s been a lot of fun watching the Ravens and the world needs fun. Ravens fans, like everybody right now need a smile. So stay tuned. We’ll keep giving you analysis on the 2020 season, but we’ve got a lot of fun things lined up for you. Let’s go Ravens fans! Let’s make sure this offseason is fun.