The Florida Gators are one of those rare teams that spits out elite defensive backs and has created quite a pipeline to the NFL. The state of Florida is known as a skill-position state with elite athletes, and the defensive back position is a great example of that.

The Gators have produced numerous All-American defensive backs. One player who didn’t make the cut now is current All-American cornerback Vernon Hargreaves. While Hargreaves is sure to make this list, barring some freak phenomenon, I don’t like to throw current players on the list until their careers are over. However, there’s no denying that Hargreaves is one of the best in SEC history.

Here are the Gators’ top five defensive backs in school history as we see it at Saturday Down South:

1. Joe Haden (2007-2009)
The Skinny: One of the top corner backs in the NFL right now, Joe Haden starred at Florida. The 2009 consensus All-American was also named the MVP of the Year by the Sporting News. The former first-team All-SEC and AP player started all 40 games he played in and was a lockdown cornerback. Haden finished his career with 218 total tackles, 34 pass breakups, eight interceptions and 3.5 sacks. Haden entered the 2010 NFL draft as a junior and was selected by the Cleveland Browns with the seventh overall pick. Regardless of position, Haden was one of the top athletes ever at the University of Florida.

2. Keiwan Ratliff (2000-2003)
The Skinny: The former All-American and Jim Thorpe finalist, Keiwan Ratliff was a ballhawk. He became Florida’s first defensive back to be named the SEC’s Defensive Player of the Year. During his four-year Gator career, Ratliff set school records for punt return yards (860), interceptions in a season (9) and interceptions in a single game (3). He was inducted into Florida’s Hall of Fame as a “Gator Great” in 2013. Ratliff became a second-round pick for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2004.

3. Reggie Nelson (2005-2006)
The Skinny: Known as the Eraser for Urban Meyer’s defense, Reggie Nelson erased many mistakes by other defensive backs. Nelson headed to JUCO prior to this two-year stop at Florida, but he was a star for the Gators, particularly in the 2006 National Championship season. The former first-team All-SEC and All-American was feared in the secondary by would-be rushers and receivers and was known for bringing the hammer. The Jim Thorpe and Bronco Nagurski award finalist was also the recipient of the Vince Dooley Award, which was given to the nation’s top defensive back. Nelson was a first-round selection in the 2007 NFL Draft by Jacksonville and currently plays for the Bengals.

4. Lito Sheppard (1999-2001)
The Skinny: Sheppard played for Steve Spurrier at Florida, and he was the second Gators defensive back ever to become a sophomore All-American. Sheppard was an All-American from 2000-01, as well as being a consensus first-team All-SEC player. Sheppard was also named a Freshman All-American by Sporting News. He started 22 games during his three-year career and made eight INTs, 87 tackles and returned 27 kickoffs for 472 yards. He declared for the NFL after his junior season and was a first-round pick.

5. Louis Oliver (1985-1988)
The Skinny: One of the best stories in the history of Florida football, Louis Oliver was a former walk-on turned two-time All-American at safety. He was the first Florida defensive back to accomplish that feat in school history. Oliver was a finalist for the Thorpe Defensive Back of the Year in 1988, and he went on to be a first-round draft pick by the Miami Dolphins and played eight seasons in the NFL.