Logan Ryan played one season in New England with Darrelle Revis, the superstar cornerback who will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer.
Ryan never overlapped with Stephon Gilmore, but he believes the former Patriots standout deserves the same honor once he retires.
Appearing on Tuesday’s episode of NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” as a guest host, Ryan explained why Gilmore — the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2019 — should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
“Somebody I’ve been watching a lot and studying in the league is Stephon Gilmore,” the ex-Patriots cornerback said. “Gilly Lock is a clamp. I think he had a great season last year, and honestly, Gilly’s been doing this for a long time. He’s one of the rare guys that you can lock on a guy in push coverage. We really haven’t seen that since Darrelle Revis, the ability to shut down a side of the field. Press man-to-man, every play, he’s making the receiver earn it. He doesn’t fear them. And he got a Defensive Player of the Year.
“That is really hard to do at the DB position. Every year, the Defensive Player of the Year is just another pass rusher. … This guy is special. For you to get a Defensive Player of the Year at DB and be doing it at the level you’ve been doing it, on an island, that’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer.”
Gilmore, who played for the Patriots from 2017-21, is one of just five cornerbacks ever to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors, joining Mel Blount, Lester Hayes, Rod Woodson, Deion Sanders and Charles Woodson. Blount, Sanders and both Woodson all are in the Hall of Fame. Gilmore also has five Pro Bowl selections, two first-team All-Pro nods and one Super Bowl championship on his record.
It’ll be another several years before Gilmore’s Canton candidacy kicks in. Players must be retired for at least five years before they become eligible for the Hall of Fame, and Gilmore’s playing career isn’t yet over. The 32-year-old is preparing to enter his 12th NFL season and his first with the Dallas Cowboys, who acquired him from the Indianapolis Colts in an offseason trade.
