HONORABLE MENTIONS
Tennessee Titans RB Derrick Henry, Atlanta Falcons CB A.J. Terrell, San Francisco 49ers DE Nick Bosa, Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert, Dallas Cowboys OG Zack Martin, Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase, Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce, Pittsburgh Steelers DT Cam Heyward
15. Indianapolis Colts RB Jonathan Taylor
Running back is a tough position to gauge. It seems to turn over year after year from Le’Veon Bell to Christan McCaffrey to Derrick Henry to Jonathan Taylor. When I watch Jonathan Taylor play, I get happy flashbacks of watching prime Doug Martin; and he was a hell of a back. Taylor had 2,171 scrimmage yards and 20 touchdowns last season and that’ll only go up. Quenton Nelson and Ryan Kelly are coming back healthy and will help pave the way for him to break records.
14. Los Angeles Rams WR Cooper Kupp
While Cooper Kupp did break a handful of receiving records in 2021, I think he’s the third best receiver in the NFL. And that’s not a bad thing. He’s very quick and shifty, and runs some of the crispiest routes in the league. The reason I don’t have him as the number one wideout or in the top ten is because his production will inevitably drop. With Allen Robinson entering the system and teams being able to game plan for him, he won’t put up record breaking numbers, but I still think he’ll reach over 1,500 yards and 12 touchdowns.
13. Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson
Jefferson is a stud. He’s one of the next great wideouts in league history. After teams saw him as a rookie, they must not have learned because he’s gone for over 1,400 yards in his first two seasons. With 3,016 total receiving yards, he’s been dominating secondaries and high level defensive backs with ease. I wholeheartedly believe that Jefferson will rip through the threshold of 1,800 yards and 12 touchdowns this season and solidify himself as the NFLs number one receiver. Then, I think he’ll hold the thrown for years to come.
12. Indianapolis Colts OG Quenton Nelson
Nelson was banged up last season, but still found a way to make Second Team All-Pro. Ever since he’s entered the league, he’s made an All-Pro team. That’s not a funny coincidence or luck; he’s a machine and the second best blocker in the whole NFL. Nelson pulls with killer intent and does not back away from any defenders in pass protection. Nelson has only allowed four sacks in four seasons which is outstanding. He’s already going down as an all-time legend.
11. Dallas Cowboys LB Micah Parsons
You could argue that this is a bit high for Parsons. I mean you could, but I’m not going to listen. What can’t Micah do? As a rookie, he made 84 tackles, 13 sacks, forced 3 fumbles, and broke up three passes. AS A ROOKIE. That’s absurd. With not much changing on the defensive side of the ball in Dallas and the NFC East having weak offensive linemen, I think he’ll up his numbers even more in 2022.
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady
HE’S GOING TO BE 45 WHEN THE SEASON STARTS. I imagine 80% of NFL fans feel like Jesse Pinkman trying to burn Heisenberg’s house to the ground.
Brady is both the greatest quarterback of all time and the best recruiter of all time. He’s been the driving force behind Julio Jones, Russell Cage, and Kyle Rudolph signing to the Buccaneers. Brady is coming off a season where he could of (should of) won MVP. He threw for 5,316 yards and 43 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. Now he has more weapons at his disposal. It’s just not fair.
9. Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett
Looking at Myles Garrett is like peering at a real life superhero. He’s absolutely shredded with 4.5 40-yard dash speed which feels like a cheat code. His repertoire of pass rush moves is a mixed bag because he could hit you with immediate power in a bull rush, show speed then transition to power in an inside rip, or go straight speed and bend around you. Either way, you’re losing as an offensive tackle. With 38 sacks over the past 3 seasons, I don’t see his production dropping off.
8. Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers
Yes, he’s the returning MVP. Let’s keep in mind, though, that he did lose the leagues top wide receiver. The fix that the Packers got for him was a decrepit Sammy Watkins and a rookie from North Dakota State. That doesn’t add up to Davante Adams. With that being said, Rodgers is great at doing more with less. His pure talent and mechanics could take a poor Packers receiving core to the playoffs, and that’s why he’s a top-ten player in the league.
7. Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes
In the same case of Aaron Rodgers, Mahomes lost his top receiver, and that’s why I can’t put him in the top five. He’s still a tremendously talented football player. He’s arguably the leagues best improviser when a play breaks down and turns chicken shit into chicken salad. While he did lose Hill, Mahomes’ numbers won’t wither. He threw for 4,839 yards and 37 touchdowns last season. You’ll be hearing Patrick Mahomes’ name in the top-ten for years to come.
6. Las Vegas Raiders WR Davante Adams
Davante Adams is the best wide receiver I’ve watched since prime Calvin Johnson. Don’t get me wrong, Falcons Julio Jones and Steelers Antonio Brown were very, very good. But Adams is on another level. Traditionally, when you see a player leave an MVP-level QB, you see them decline (like Tyreek Hill will do in 2022). I don’t foresee that happening to Adams because he’s teaming up with his old college QB Derek Carr. His route running is superb, his effort to catch balls in double coverage is on another level, and his big play ability makes any fan thrilled.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers OLB T.J. Watt
The defending DPOY has to be a top-five player in the NFL, especially when you’re 27 and tied the sack record in 14 games. T.J. Watt is a tier above just about every other pass rusher in the NFL, and is like a unicorn because he can do so much more than just rush the passer. In 2021, Watt tallied 64 tackles, 22.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, and seven pass breakups. He’s a young stud that has taken the league by storm ever since he entered in 2017.
4. Los Angeles Rams CB Jalen Ramsey
Year after year after year, Jalen Ramsey takes the leagues best receivers and shuts them down. Ramsey is a lot like Aaron Donald where he should be in contention for DPOY every season because of his play. With corners, it’s tough to gague their performance off a stat sheet because good corners don’t get thrown at. That’s the case with Ramsey. He’s the best cornerback the NFL has seen since Darrell Revis…and he might even be better.
3. San Francisco 49ers OT Trent Williams
Having to go against Trent Williams in the trenches is a death sentence. Translation: you’re not going to win. He’s allowed eight sacks since 2016, and last season had a PFF grade of 97.8. He was so vital to the 49ers success and has become the offensive lineman version of Deebo Samuel.
Mike McDaniel moved the All-Pro left tackle to the backfield and had him motion to wing, then motion across the formation to wipeout undeserving linebackers. It’s like poetry in motion. Part of the reason Deebo Samuel played so well in the run game in 2021 was due to Williams being able to man-handle defenders. No other lineman can compare to Trent Williams.
2. Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen
While I mentioned prior that Pat Mahomes should have a 99 overall in Madden, I think this is a different case. Allen is the best dual-threat quarterback in the sense that he has a monster arm and the Bills specifically call plays to get Allen on the move, like QB powers and draws, on a consistent basis. Last season he passed for 4,407 yards with 36 touchdowns and rushed for 763 yards and six scores. In my opinion, he’s the best quarterback in the NFL.
1. Los Angeles Rams DT Aaron Donald
Do I need to explain this one? Last season he had 16 sacks and 23 tackles for loss which is BONKERS considering that he’s doing it at the defensive tackle position. It requires two or more players to try and suppress Donald’s success…and that’s if you’re lucky. Personally, I think he’s been the best player the past three seasons and should always be in contention for not just the DPOY, but MVP. At age 31, it doesn’t appear he’s slowing down.
