ProFootballTalk.com's Top 25 In 25

No. 13 Deion Sanders.

In his prime, facing Deion Sanders made a quarterback's job of reading the defense easier.  Why?  Because, while progressing through his reads, the quarterback had no reason to even look toward the side of the field where Deion was playing.

Sanders was the ultimate shutdown cornerback.  He blanketed his assigned receiver most of the time, and in those rare occasions when the would-be pass-catcher somehow achieved separation, Deion's blazing speed would allow him to recover in time to disrupt the reception.

Though he's the top-ranked cornerback in our list of the best 25 players of the last 25 years, Deion would have been placed even higher on this ranking if he had been a more complete defender.  He wasn't.  Sanders was invisible in run support, and at times he appeared to be avoiding contact.

Still, that knock on his overall game isn't nearly enough to undermine his incredible gifts.  Coupled with his magnetic "Prime Time" persona, his electrifying kick-return skills, and his unforgettable (but not overdone) touchdown celebrations, we suspect that we'll never see another guy like Deion in our lifetimes.

Click here for No. 12.