To shut down superstar receivers, arguably the flashiest and most dynamic athletes on any NFL field, you need the requisite energy to match. You need an elite cornerback, someone willing to step into the ring with a giant of the game and completely shut them down. As the NFL becomes increasingly focused on the offensive side of the ball, the best cornerbacks in pro football history should get an even bigger microscope.

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The men featured in the list below had somewhat unheralded jobs. That's because the average football fan does not necessarily want to see the defense succeed. They want to see points; they want to see pretty, acrobatic catches; they want defenders to be irrelevant background characters in highlight reels. But these shutdown cornerbacks seldom let that happen. In fact, they created highlights of their own. They were anchors for their respective defenses, often taking on the most difficult defensive assignment while not missing a beat.

These are the best cornerbacks in NFL history, men whose legacies only look better now that the game has kind of shifted away from their most valuable talents.

10. Ronde Barber

Teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1997-2012)

Accolades: Super Bowl 37 champion, 5-time Pro Bowler, 3-time First-Team All-Pro, interceptions co-leader (2001)

Drafted in the mid-1990s, Barber's growth into a top-flight corner, coinciding with the defensively-minded Buccaneers' becoming an NFC powerhouse, was no coincidence.

On a star-studded defense, Barber was one of the biggest reasons Tampa Bay overwhelmed the Raiders' offense en route to the organization's first Super Bowl victory. A willing and difference-making tackler, Barber was one of the better all-around cornerbacks in league history. Thanks to fantastic timing on cornerback blitzes, Barber also averaged nearly two sacks over his 16 seasons, showing why he was a terrific defensive weapon.

9. Willie Brown

Teams: Houston Oilers (1963), Denver Broncos (1963-1966), Las Vegas Raiders (1967-1978)

Accolades: Super Bowl 11 champion, AFL champion (1967), 4-time Pro Bowler, 5-time AFL All-Star, 3-time First-Team All-AFL

Brown was traded to one of Denver's biggest rivals in the mid-1960s, and he made the Broncos rue the decision. In each of his first seven seasons with the Silver and Black, Brown was either an AFL All-Star or a Pro Bowler. Brown's penchant for well-timed physicality as one of the savvier players in pro football led to him making one of the most famous plays in Raiders history: a back-breaking pick-six off the Minnesota Vikings' Fran Tarkenton in a Super Bowl 11 triumph.

8. Mike Haynes

Teams: New England Patriots (1976-1982), Las Vegas Raiders (1983-1989)

Accolades: Super Bowl 18 champion, Defensive Rookie of the Year (1976), 9-time Pro Bowler, 2-time First-Team All-Pro

As a bright youngster in New England, Haynes shined as arguably the NFL's finest cornerback. In the second phase of his Hall of Fame career with the Raiders, Haynes helped galvanize the franchise's third-ever championship as a steady shutdown veteran. The 1984 season might have been Haynes' peak when he led the league in interception return yardage, effectively flipping the field every time he baited quarterbacks into a pick. In his heyday, there was no one more dependable or explosive than Haynes on the defensive boundary.

7. Dick \u0022Night Train\u0022 Lane

Teams: Los Angeles Rams (1952-1953), Arizona Cardinals (1954-1959), Detroit Lions (1960-1965)

Accolades: 7-time Pro Bowler, 7-time First-Team All-Pro, 2-time interceptions leader

As a sterling rookie in 1952, Lane intercepted an astonishing 14 passes in just 12 games. Over seven decades later, in a pass-happy league with a 17-game campaign, Lane's picks mark remains an all-time single-season NFL record. Lane's interception production would gradually decline from that point on, but mostly because quarterbacks learned it wasn't a good idea to test him. Throughout his entire career, Lane's uncanny athleticism with a rare 6-foot-1, 194-pound frame (for the time) made him an intimidating presence for offenses ever to try and overcome.

6. Darrell Green

Teams: Washington Commanders (1983-2002)

Accolades: 2-time Super Bowl champion, 7-time Pro Bowler, 4-time First-Team All-Pro

Green's top skill as an NFL player was his longevity. In a two-decade career with Washington, the cornerback experienced almost no significant drop-off as an elite cornerback. To this day, Green has the most games played (295) by any defender in league history. When it comes to more specific on-field aspects, Green's speed and lightning-quick reflexes allowed him to effortlessly shadow other teams' best playmakers while also moonlighting as an electric returner. Green was so fast that he still ran a 40-yard dash in 4.24 seconds ... at the age of 40. He was a unicorn.

5. Charles Woodson

Teams: Las Vegas Raiders (1998-2005, 2013-2015), Green Bay Packers (2006-2012)

Accolades: Super Bowl 45 champion, Defensive Player of the Year (2009), Defensive Rookie of the Year (1998), 9-time Pro Bowler, 4-time First-Team All-Pro, 2-time interceptions leader

Another player who shined with two separate franchises during his career, Woodson is renowned as a beloved member of both the Raiders and Packers. He played in a Super Bowl for both teams, finally reaching the top with Green Bay at the start of the 2010s. Woodson's steadiness and willingness to reinvent himself -- he transitioned from the boundary to the nickel to safety over the course of his career -- is why he has a reputation as one of the greatest pure defensive backs ever.

4. Mel Blount

Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers (1970-1983)

Accolades: 4-time Super Bowl champion, Defensive Player of the Year (1975), 5-time Pro Bowler, 2-time First-Team All-Pro, interceptions leader (1975)

Blount was so dominant at the line of scrimmage that the NFL eventually implemented the "Mel Blount Rule." You know that rule as "illegal contact" where defenders cannot bump receivers five yards past the line of scrimmage. Before the rule was implemented, it was often considered an incredible success to actually make it downfield against the Hall of Fame corner. Think about that the next time you credit any modern cornerback for just doing their job. On an overall basis, Blount was the Steelers' defensive anchor in the secondary, becoming one of the lead figureheads of the "Steel Curtain" defense that brought four Lombardi Trophies to Pittsburgh.

3. Rod Woodson

Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers (1987-1996), San Francisco 49ers (1997), Baltimore Ravens (1998-2001), Las Vegas Raiders (2002-2003)

Accolades: Super Bowl 35 champion, Defensive Player of the Year (1993), 11-time Pro Bowler, 6-time First-Team All-Pro, 2-time interceptions leader

Woodson was the clear best player on Pittsburgh's second incarnation of a "Steel Curtain" defense that wasn't quite well-rounded enough to hoist a Lombardi Trophy. But that was through no fault of Woodson. Even after tearing his ACL in Week 1 of the 1995 season, the former DPOY unthinkably returned for that year's Super Bowl, exemplifying that he would do whatever it takes to be there for his team. After moving on from the Black and Gold, the late-stage Woodson used his expertise to transition into elite safety play, becoming a field-tilting veteran for the Ravens' first Super Bowl championship team.

Woodson is one of the only NFL players ever to earn First-Team All-Pro honors in three separate decades, let alone at two separate positions.

2. Darrelle Revis

Teams: New York Jets (2007-2012), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2013), New England Patriots (2014), New York Jets (2015-2016), Kansas City Chiefs (2017)

Accolades: Super Bowl 49 champion, 7-time Pro Bowler, 4-time First-Team All-Pro

In an era featuring some of the most prolific passing offenses in league history, Revis thrived. The phrase "Revis Island" was not coined because he treated opposing receivers to a relaxing tropical vacation. It began because Revis' coverage was so exceptional that he usually stranded them on an uncharted island with no hope of rescue. Some of the finest receivers the NFL has ever seen -- Calvin Johnson, Andre Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald -- all faced off against Revis in his prime, and all made little to no impact.

Against the immense offensive odds, Revis was a coverage machine, a man who flat-out dominated cornerback play in a fashion we might never see again.

1. Deion Sanders

Teams: Atlanta Falcons (1989-1993), San Francisco 49ers (1994), Dallas Cowboys (1995-1999), Washington Commanders (2000), Baltimore Ravens (2004-2005)

Accolades: Defensive Player of the Year (1994), 8-time Pro Bowler, 6-time First-Team All-Pro, kickoff return yards leader (1992)

A flashy trash-talker who almost always backed up his smack talk, "Prime Time" was must-see TV every time we had the pleasure of watching him on a Sunday. Sanders' coverage skills were so exemplary that he would often bait quarterbacks by giving receivers a significant cushion before making it all up in a flash for a pick. If Sanders did get the ball in his hands, he was usually liable to take it to the house, showcasing some of the finer open-field instincts we've ever seen from any football player. Sanders was so good that even as an unwilling tackler, his shutdown coverage just made offenses completely ignore him week to week, mitigating his biggest flaw.

A powerhouse of unmatched bravado and undeniable natural talent, Sanders is the clear greatest cornerback in NFL history.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Ranking the 10 best cornerbacks in NFL history