Recent ranking of Cardinals safety Budda Baker must be a joke, right?

After coming off one of his best seasons in 2020, Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker was listed in the middle of the pack among players in his position group by PFF.

Pro Football focus recently put out its list of the top 32 safeties heading into the 2021 season, and Budda Baker of the Arizona Cardinals, who most NFL players would say is among the top five, is sitting at No. 16.

PFF’s Sam Monson, who also recently put linebacker Isaiah Simmons last on his list of top 32 linebackers, compiled this list of safeties and said Baker’s “most memorable play of his season – and arguably of his career – is getting chased down from behind by a flying D.K. Metcalf to prevent a defensive touchdown.”

Once again, Monson proves he did not watch a single Cardinals game in 2020. Baker had arguably the best season of his career, where he finished with 118 tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble. He also registered the first interception of his career against the Dallas Cowboys.

Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker deserves a higher ranking from PFF

Baker’s performance during his fourth year with Arizona earned him Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro honors, something he had not accomplished since his rookie year, where he earned both as a special teams player.

Baker was also the third-highest graded safety during the 2020 season by PFF, with only Jessie Bates and Justin Simmons finishing with a better grade. The Cardinals safety was also the highest-graded red-zone defender last year by PFF. So how are 15 other safeties ranked higher than him?

When Baker learned of where he was ranked among safeties going into 2021, he had to just laugh it off. “I don’t even want PFF mentioning my name anymore honestly,” he posted on Twitter, “I’ll keep getting all pros and pro bowls from my peers and fans.”

Tennessee Titans safety Kevin Byard, who is ranked 12 on the list, even chimed in on the listing. “That’s big (cap) bro,” Byard replied on Twitter, “you balled out crazy last year!! Everyone and they mama saw that.”