Shilo Sanders hasn’t even suited up in the NFL yet, but the rookie Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety is already sparking headlines — not for his play or anything like that, but for a list.
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After going undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft and later signing a free agent deal with the Bucs, Sanders appeared on the One Night with Steiny pod, where he was asked to name his top five safeties of all time. And while most of his picks were expected, one name in particular caught fans off guard.
Here’s Shilo’s list:
- Ed Reed
- Ryan Clark
- C.J. Gardner-Johnson
- Troy Polamalu
- Jessie Bates
Most fans had no issues with the likes of Ed Reed or Troy Polamalu — two Hall of Famers with multiple Super Bowls between them and highlight reels that have aged like fine wine. It was the inclusion of Ryan Clark, placed second, that had the internet doing a double-take.
“Does that say Ryan Clark?” one fan wrote in disbelief. Another chimed in, “He better get Ryan Clark off there before I crash out.” Why the reaction? Probably because Clark’s résumé doesn’t scream “top 5 ever.”
Clark was a one-time Pro Bowler, known more for his toughness and leadership than eye-popping stats.
Does that say Ryan Clark ? lmao
— LightsOut (@LightsOutLerma) May 4, 2025
The rest, meanwhile, couldn’t get over Shilo having some glaring omissions like Brian Dawkins and Sean Taylor in his list. “No, Brian Dawkins should be a fireable offense for a young safety,” wrote a fan on “X”. “No Brian Dawkins? Sean Taylor? John Lynch?” penned another in shock.
While the internet chose to pretty much discredit Shilo Sanders’ list, for the former Buffs safety, however, his choices go deeper than stats.
“Ed Reed, Ryan Clark… I appreciate how a lot of people play,” Sanders said. “But these are the guys I really want to be like.” He doubled down on the old-school mindset too.
“I just like them old school safeties, bro,” Sanders continued, before rounding out his list with Troy Polamalu, CJ Gardner-Johnson, and Jessie Bates. “Jessie Bates — his anticipation is out of this world.”
So why did Shilo Sanders rank Ryan Clark so high?
It could be the leadership. It could be the former Steelers star’s no-nonsense play style. Or maybe, it could be that Ryan Clark, who co-hosts The Pivot podcast and is an ESPN analyst, has become a kind of mentor figure, or maybe even a modern-day blueprint for how a safety can influence the game off the field, too.
But whether or not you agree with the list, one thing’s clear: Shilo isn’t just trying to copy greatness. He’s trying to define it in his own way, and he’s not afraid to be a little different doing so, just like his dad, Deion Sanders, did.
