Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker doesn’t get a ton of love from analytics sites but he gets respect from his peers and people around the league.
While some don’t consider him even in the conversation of the best safeties in the game, his peers not only put him there, they rank him at the top of his position and in the top 20 players of the entire league.
In this year’s edition of the “Top 100 Players,” he comes in at No. 19 overall. He was 97th overall last year.
His contract extension was a record for his position when he signed it. He was a Pro Bowler for the second year in a row and a first-team All-Pro.
If you ask him, he is the league’s best safety because of the versatility he has to blitz, cover and tackle.
What did players say about him?
New England Patriots RB Damien Harris: “I remember him being talked about as the best defensive player we were going to play against all year.”
San Francisco 49ers TE George Kittle: “One my favorite players in the NFL right now is Budda Baker. I think he’s a very old-school player the way that he throws his body around and he doesn’t use the excuse that he might be the shortest guy on the field. He’s going to be the most physical and the fastest guy. He’s going to tackle you and snap. That’s what I love about him. He’s just got a reckless abandon for his body.”
San Francisco 49ers FB Kyle Juszczyk: “I honestly think that Budda is the best safety in the game. I mean, there were multiple times when we played them where our plays were literally designed to find Budda and make sure that he can’t run down and make a play down the field.”
Philadelphia Eagles RB Miles Sanders: “He’s legit everywhere. And he doesn’t just blitz off the edge. He blitzes through the B gap, C gap, A gap, opposite side. He can do a lot of stuff. I like him and he can come up and hit you, too.”
Baker’s favorite play was his first career interception, which he got against the Dallas Cowboys.
On the famous play when he intercepted Russell Wilson and DK Metcalf caught him, he made sure to emphasize that he has never been caught from behind in his life other than that. He also made sure to point out he got the pick and the Cardinals won that game.
Can he get even higher?
We will see in the years to come.
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