As tempting as it may be to hyperbolize one of my favorite Patriots on the day of his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction, I can’t go so far as to say Ty Law is the best cornerback in NFL history.
I mean, I’ll listen with attentive ear drums if you want to make that case. But the best corner in NFL history — and in Patriots history, now that you mention it — remains Mike Haynes, who was Deion Sanders with a willingness to tackle and without a taxi squad of publicists.
Haynes preceded Law as a Patriot by 19 years (he was drafted in 1976) and preceded him into Canton by 22 (he was a 1997 recipient of the mustard-colored jacket and bronze bust of vague likeness).