New England Patriots: The 10 greatest defensive players of all-time

3. CB Ty Law

Peyton Manning if you’re readin this, you may want to look away now. You couldn’t beat the New England Patriots because you couldn’t get past Ty Law.

The Patriots leader with 36 interceptions, Ty Law was even better in the playoffs. He recorded 4 in his Patriots playoff career, with 3 coming in 2003. All 3 came in the AFC Championship Game against Peyton Manning and the Colts.

Law almost single-handedly got the New England Patriots into the Super Bowl against the Carolina Panthers. Though he went on to spend time with the Jets, Chiefs, and Broncos, Ty Law is forever a Patriot.

He was selected to the New England Patriots Hall of Fame in 2014, and will likely end up in Canton, OH one day as well.

2. CB Mike Haynes

Mike Haynes doesn’t stick out on the Patriots all-time leaderboards so he’s often forgotten, but he shouldn’t be. In 1976 Haynes was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year after he recorded 8 interceptions.

Haynes played in New England for seven seasons and finished with 28 total interceptions. He was named to six Pro Bowls before he became a Raider and won a Super Bowl. He was a member of the NFL’s 75th Anniversary Team and the NFL’s 1980’s All-Decade Team.

Haynes was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1997 and his #40 is retired in New England.