Who else made the list of the top ten safeties in Eagles history? We all know who comes in first.
Maybe one day, Sydney Brown, Reed Blankenship, or C.J. Gardner-Johnson will rank among the best 10 Eagles safety on our list. Here are the guys that did make the cut, and we’re rooting for them.
Although Eagles supporters frequently recall knockout shots, they don’t always recall the final scores. Even though Ray Ellis was the 331st player selected in the 1981 draft, he was selected in the 12th round, and he will always be remembered for concussing Tony Dorsett in 1984.
Apart from that, Ellis was a competent player. Even though he was on our minds while creating this one, despite his 12 interceptions in 73 career games with 36 starts, we were unable to convince him to rank in the top 10.
Moore has three interceptions in five postseason games (all starts) for the Eagles. That is tied for third most in franchise history with Eric Allen, Seth Joyner, and Roynell Young.
He is best known for stopping a Giants trick play/lateral that went for 76 yards and for his two picks in a 31-9 playoff victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, one of which was a pick-six. Rod Dixon, the ball carrier, was located by Moore at the four-yard line.
If Dixon had scored, New York would have denied the Eagles the 2001 NFC East championship.
In Super Bowl LII, Rodney McLeod produced one of the most significant—yet underappreciated—plays. He thwarted a drive on a third-down reversal by power-bombing a Patriots ball carrier in the manner of Kevin Nash. That was significant since New England failed on the ensuing fourth-down field goal attempt in a game marked by few stops.
As one of the most cherished players during the Doug Pederson era as head coach, McLeod is one of those quiet, tough guys.
For the most part, he was also trustworthy and strong. Despite an injury that terminated his 2018 season, he participated in all 75 games and finished with 347 tackles, two sacks, 11 interceptions, 34 pass breakups, and four forced fumbles.
Especially by NFL standards, five years isn’t a long time, therefore players need to have a significant impact in a short amount of time to make a list like this. Without a doubt, Michael Lewis did it.
During his 76 games with Philadelphia, he recorded 325 solo tackles out of his 394 career total. He recorded six sacks and nine interceptions. He also recorded 10 forced fumbles and 41 pass breakups.
When Lewis was around, heads had to be on swivels or they would be lost. In 2004, he was selected to the Pro Bowl roster.
Quintin Mikell was voted Second-Team All-Pro in 2008 and 2010, and he was included on the Pro Bowl roster in 2009. He participated in 123 regular-season games, including 59 starts, and three NFC Championship Games.
Four sacks, 48 pass breakups, seven forced fumbles, ten interceptions, and 448 tackles were all recorded by him. Though he’s one of the greatest Eagles to ever play safety, he doesn’t get the credit he deserves.
In 1984, Andre Waters’s career took off. As a rookie, he returned a kickoff for an 89-yard touchdown. His fierce play won him a particular place in Buddy Ryan’s heart when he was matched with him in 1986. He also started for the remainder of Ryan’s coaching career and the following season.
In some towns, the term “Dirty” could be considered offensive. It turned became a badge of honor for Waters, who was selected for the 75th Anniversary Team in part because of it.
Another one of the real “iron men” is Randy Logan. From Week 2 of the 1982 NFL season to the end of his career, he did not miss an Eagles game. Of his 159 in-game appearances, 154 were starts.
He helped lead Philadelphia to the verge of a Super Bowl victory as a Second-Team All-Pro in 1980. If they hadn’t fallen to the Raiders, how might we have perceived him and a few other Eagles on that squad?
Logan remains a legend in either case.
Due to a knee injury, Wes Hopkins was unable to play in 1987; nonetheless, he had already achieved remarkable results in 1983 and 1985. In addition, he recovered to play in six more seasons between 1988 and 1993.
He recorded 12 sacks and 30 interceptions overall while playing safety. In 1985, he was selected to the First Team All-Pro and was a member of the Pro Bowl roster.
Malcolm Jenkins was capable of everything. He was able to play in the box or deep. He could be used on special teams or in the slot corner. Look for any available video of his mic’d-up performance from Super Bowl LII if you want to be in awe of his leadership. To be honest, we don’t know if the Birds would have prevailed in the game without him.
During his six seasons in Philadelphia, one of the real iron men, Jenkins played 102 games without missing any (six of which came in the postseason). 5.5 sacks, 515 tackles, and 102 starts. In an Eagles uniform, he also contributed three Pro Bowl selections, 58 pass breakups, 12 forced fumbles, 11 interceptions, and four defensive touchdowns.
Bill Bradley made NFL history by being the first player to lead the team in interceptions for two seasons in a row. Before grabbing nine more in 1972, he recorded an incredible 11 picks in 1971.
He would end up with 34 interceptions overall in 110 games (79 starts) as an Eagle. His résumé includes three Pro Bowl appearances (1971–1973) and two First-Team All-Pro mentions (1971, 1972). In addition, he is inducted into the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame.
Not only is Brian Dawkins one of the all-time great Eagles. He is among the best players who have ever occupied the safety position. Throughout his career, he is the only player in NFL history to record 36 forced fumbles, 37 interceptions, and 26 sacks.
Wearing an Eagles jersey, the Pro Football Hall of Famer received seven of his nine Pro Bowl selections. His four First-Team All-Pro selections (2001, 2002, 2004, 2006) also followed suit. He is a member of the Philadelphia Eagles 75th Anniversary Team and has been inducted into the Hall of Fame. He has also retired his number 20 jersey.
There’s a reason he’s among the most adored Eagles of all time. Weapon X will never be produced again.