As a Hall of Fame defensive back, it only feels right to rank my top-seven secondaries heading into the 2023 NFL season. This was a difficult list to construct, but after some thought, I settled on these seven teams.

Let’s get into it.

NFL’s Top 7 Secondaries

7. San Francisco 49ers

Cornerback Charvarius Ward and safety Talanoa Hufanga are future stars. When you put on Hufanga’s tape, it looks like he ate a power-up pellet and is moving faster than the rest of the tape. They also have some young guys at corner like Deommodore Lenoir, who needs some growth.

Tashaun Gipson is like a hired gun; he had five interceptions last season. This is a good unit on a great defense, and they lead the league in interceptions last season with 20.

They’d be higher on my list if DeMeco Ryans had remained the team’s defensive coordinator and didn’t become the Houston Texans head coach.

6. Dallas Cowboys

Adding Stephon Gilmore was big. The Cowboys had serious depth concerns in 2022, and Trevon Diggs had a reality check type of year. He wasn’t the ball hawk he usually is, but he’s still very good. The Cowboys have great depth, especially if Jourdan Lewis can get back from his injury last season.

Daron Bland filled in for Lewis and finished second in the league in interceptions. Don’t forget about this group’s safeties, Malik Hooker and Jayron Kearse. They’re big and very active at the line of scrimmage — they love to blitz.

I love Dan Quinn as a defensive coordinator. His unit likely will be top five this year. He has the scheme to confuse a lot of quarterbacks, so his secondary should thrive even more this season.

5. Seattle Seahawks

Now, this might be a little bit of a reach, but I love these guys. They have potential at cornerback. We know what Tariq Woolen did last season as a rookie — six interceptions and three fumble recoveries. They drafted Devon Witherspoon No. 6 overall out of Illinois this season. That’s a combination set up for long-term success.

Woolen is 6-foot-4 with 4.2 speed, and he’s like a receiver when playing the ball in the air; he can do anything. Witherspoon was my favorite cornerback in the draft because he does everything so well.

At safety, they have Quandre Diggs, who had four interceptions. If Jamal Adams comes back from injury after playing only eight snaps, it’s hard not to like this group. Is this a boom or bust unit? Yes. But, overall, it’s a very legitimate group.

4. Denver Broncos

There are some questions about this unit, but they have two top-tier players. Patrick Surtain might be my favorite young cornerback in the league. He does it all. He’s got the ideal frame and has great short-space movement skills. He’s probably the best cover corner in the game right now.

When you add him with safety Justin Simmons, who had six interceptions in just 12 games, they have some star-level talent. Damarri Mathis had an encouraging rookie year. Can he continue his development? Yes.

Kareem Jackson is heading into his 14th year. He’s one of the oldest safeties in the league, but he’s a great mentor for some young players.

Remember Vance Joseph is back as the defensive coordinator. Only Simmons was there when Joseph was the team’s head coach. These guys will need a quick learning curve on a big-time variable scheme, but there is a lot to work with in Denver.

>> PAGANO: What to Expect From Joseph, Broncos This Season

3. Philadelphia Eagles

They would’ve been higher on this list if they hadn’t lost Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, their best playmaker, in free agency this offseason. They also lost safety Marcus Epps, who was great at stopping the run.

There is some concern at safety. Reed Blankenship is an athletic, second-year player, but he played mostly slot cornerback in college. He’s got a lot to learn. The Eagles also have Terrell Edmunds, whom they signed in free agency. He was a pretty good pro in his first five years in Pittsburgh.

Most importantly for this Eagles defense, they kept Darius Slay and James Bradberry. That is one of the best cornerback duos in the league. Avonte Maddox is a good nickel defender, too.

This was the best-passing defense in terms of yards allowed, and they added to it in the draft. They drafted safety Sydney Brown from Illinois and cornerback Kelee Ringo from Georgia. If the Eagles continue to have a massively productive front seven, this unit will thrive.

2. Baltimore Ravens

They were below-par to start last season — there was no doubt about it. But they rebounded, and that will carry over into 2023. They don’t have CB Marcus Peters anymore, and that’s probably a good thing because his play declined.

They signed Rock Ya-Sin, who isn’t a game-changer, from the Raiders. However, there’s not a lot of downside with his game either.

This is where things get interesting. Marlon Humphrey, to me, has all the right traits to play the cornerback position. He’s physical, covers well, takes the ball away, blitzes and plays in the box. He can do everything. Add that to second-year player Kyle Hamilton, who could become the best safety in football. He’s got the versatility to do anything they ask of him.

They’ve got Marcus Williams at safety as well. If he’s healthy, his four interceptions from last season will only multiply. He’s the best instinctive-range player in the league. Trust me. I have seen a lot of safeties. He covers more ground than any of them.

They’ve got some depth concerns and some young cornerbacks. It’ll be interesting to see how they use some of them like Brandon Stephens. Overall, this group is as solid as there is in football.

1. New York Jets

This unit gave up fewer than 190 yards per game and allowed the fewest touchdowns against the pass last season. It was a huge jump from the previous season, and they’re going to make another huge jump this season. Why?

Because they have four returning starters on this unit. Now, you don’t start talking about the Jets without talking about the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year, Sauce Gardner. He can play man and zone coverage. He’s 6-foot-3, and he can run with any receiver. Gardner is an incredibly disruptive player. He really is the epitome of what the modern cornerback looks like.

He’s complimented by D.J. Reed, who had a good season last year. They have players at safety like Jordan Whitehead, who is like a heat-seeking missile. They’re No. 1 because they’re young, confident and proven to be capable after last season. Plus, they will play on the NFL’s best defense in 2023.

That will only make them better.

Ronde Barber is a former NFL cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers whose resume includes a Super Bowl title, three All-Pro teams, five Pro Bowls and a spot on the NFL’s 2000’s All-Decade Team. Follow him on Twitter at @rondebarber.