K9's Top 50 Players
This is my list of the Top 50 players in the NFL today. As a bit of a prologue, I thought that I’d provide some clue to how this is put together. Quarterbacks were evaluated not so much on physical prowess as to whether they win and how indespensible they are to their franchise. Running backs who are multi-dimensional were given preference over players who are more straightforward, but productivity was key. This list privileges linemen on both offense and defense, partly because they’re underrated overall, but partly because linemen are so important to the success of their franchises. Defenders who make plays or allow others to make big plays are given preference on this list. The list also tries to be blind to media hype and draft status in favor of value and productivity.
Based on this list, I think that there’s a great number of really talented offensive tackles and safeties in the game today, but compared to the demand, it’s hard to find quality defensive tackles and especially cornerbacks, of which only 3 in the NFL made this list. Also, while there are a lot of outstanding wide receivers in the NFL today, the quantity of them tends to dilute their value, and so they aren’t featured on this list.
I know that this is a list that’s bound to get flamed, but hopefully it’ll start up some interesting discussion. There’s a positional breakdown at the bottom. Please feel free to disagree, but I’d rather hear why you disagree instead of that you just do.
1. Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots. Has everything that you want in a quarterback except the rocket arm and great mobility. No one in the NFL does more with less.
2. Ladanian Tomlinson, RB, San Diego Chargers. Will be mentioned in conversations about all-time greats at his position. Is entering the period in his career where winning a ring is the preeminent goal. It’s shameful that he’s only been to one Pro Bowl.
3. Peyton Manning, QB, Indianapolis Colts. The prototype of a pocket passer, but has been surrounded by great talent thus far in his career. No one picks apart a defense more coolly.
4. Julius Peppers, DE, Carolina Panthers. Carries the defense on his shoulders and is stout against the pass and the run. Defines a new prototype for the position.
5. Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints. The best quarterback in his conference gave the Big East immediate respect. Makes up for lack or prototype tools with savvy, leadership, and fearlessness.
6. Dwight Freeney, DE, Indianapolis Colts. Speed kills, and no one has more of it than Freeney. The cornerstone of Dungy’s Tampa-2 defense, and the prototype pass rusher.
7. Steve Smith, WR, Carolina Panthers. Perhaps no team in the NFL is as dependent on its WR as the Panthers are on Steve Smith. Pound for pound, he is the toughest player in the NFL.
8. Walter Jones, LT, Seattle Seahawks. Jones is the reason that Mike Holmgren is comfortable operating from a one-back, four WR base offense. Struggled with a new guard next to him last season, but the best tackle in the business.
9. Champ Bailey, CB, Denver Broncos. The reason that Bailey doesn’t get talked about more is that he makes it look so easy. Bailey is the most accomplished player of his generation at the most difficult defensive position.
10. Shaun Alexander, RB, Seattle Seahawks. Remarkably consistent rusher for a coach who would almost always prefer to pass.
11. Jason Taylor, DE, Miami Dolphins. You could make the argument that Taylor deserved Defensive Player of the Year honors for his 2006 season when he racked up 13.5 sacks, 2 INTs, 11 passes defensed, 9 forced fumbles, and scored 2 touchdowns. The 9 year veteran is an exceptional all-around player.
12. Michael Vick, QB, Atlanta Falcons. Love him or hate him, he carries the fortunes of his franchise on his shoulders. His team lives or dies by his play.
13. Torry Holt, WR, St. Louis Rams. People often overlook Torry Holt in discussions about the best WRs in the game today, but that’s only because he’s a consistent player to get 80+ catches, 1200+ yards, and 10+ TDs. Those are Hall of Fame numbers. Maybe the one candidate presently in the NFL to make future generations say “Who’s Jerry Rice?”
14. Shawne Merriman, LB, San Diego Chargers. Makes plays and fires up the defense around him. A great leader who holds himself accountable first. Set the league on fire as a rookie and has continued to produce since.
15. Richard Seymour, DE, New England Patriots. There have been very few foundational players to Belichik’s Super Bowl teams, but Seymour has been one of them.
16. Brian Urlacher, LB, Chicago Bears. Has all the physical tools that you would wish for in a linebacker. The only thing holding him back would be that the defense doesn’t seem to rally around him as much as you might like.
17. Larry Johnson, RB, Kansas City Chiefs. Been amazingly productive the last three seasons, but hasn’t handled adversity well in the past.
18. Marvin Harrison, WR, Indianapolis Colts. Not as good as many in the media believe, but still a Hall of Fame player. He makes the most of the opportunities given to him from the system.
19. Antonio Gates, TE, San Diego Chargers. An incredible athlete and a player who causes matchup problems for defensive coordinators around the NFL. An enthusiastic if technically unsound blocker.
20. Steve Hutchinson, LG, Minnesota Vikings. The best player at his position in the NFL. Strong and quick.
21. Chris McAlister, CB, Baltimore Ravens. Age is beginning to catch up to the Ravens’ playmaking cornerback, but he still is able to win more matchups than he loses, setting career highs in passes defensed and interceptions last season.
22. Kevin Williams, DT, Minnesota Vikings. Perhaps the best player at his position in the NFL today, Williams is a great anchor against the run and provides pressure against the pass.
23. Ed Reed, S, Baltimore Ravens. Reed has taken over some of the leadership responsibilities from teammate Ray Lewis, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a more talented and self-possessed player. Is the key every opposing quarterback looks for.
24. Jamal Williams, NT, San Diego Chargers. Simply put, the Chargers’ defense would not be very good without the outstanding presence of Williams in the center.
25. Michael Strahan, DE, New York Giants. A Hall of Fame player beginning his decline. Still keeps opposing tackles up at night.
26. Alan Faneca, LG, Pittsburgh Steelers. Career may be on the decline, but a major reason why the Steelers have never really had to worry about running the football.
27. Levi Jones, LT, Cincinnati Bengals. Maybe the most underrated offensive tackle in the NFL. When he’s out of the lineup, the Bengals just aren’t the same team.
28. Alge Crumpler, TE, Atlanta Falcons. A dual threat pass catcher/blocker for the Falcons, and possibly their best player not named “Michael Vick.” The lynchpin of their offense.
29. James Farrior, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers. A great all around player moving forward or backward.
30. Jonathon Ogden, LT, Baltimore Ravens. A player looking at retirement, but the new prototype for the left tackle position. His face-offs versus Dwight Freeney are must-see TV.
31. Jeff Saturday, OC, Indianapolis Colts. Is to the offensive line what Peyton Manning is to quarterback. No one reads keys from the best defenses in the NFL better than Saturday.
32. Casey Hampton, NT, Pittsburgh Steelers. Maybe the single most underrated player in the NFL because his contributions don’t show up on the stat sheet, Hampton anchors a run defense that is a perennial top 10 grouping.
33. Ray Lewis, LB, Baltimore Ravens. No, he’s not the player that he used to be, but he’s still the centerpiece of one of the most dominant defenses in the league. He makes the players around him better not only because they want to impress him, but also because they’re afraid to let him down.
34. Adrian Wilson, S, Arizona Cardinals. Has the size and speed to make coaches drool, and his hitting ability makes opponents think twice about entering his zone. Still learning how to direct defenses and the minutiae of coverage, but can be as good as he wants to be.
35. Jonathan Vilma, LB, New York Jets. A playmaker waiting to be revealed. Has all the physical tools, but took a step back last season transitioning to the middle of a 3-4 defense. Will someday soon contend for NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors.
36. DeAngelo Hall, CB, Atlanta Falcons. Not as good as he or his press clippings say, but defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer can match him up with the opposition’s best wideout and know that Hall will win more battles than he loses.
37. John Henderson, DT, Jacksonville Jaguars. Everything you could ask for in a 4-3 tackle. Provides plenty of room for his linebackers to make plays, and collapses the pocket.
38. Lance Briggs, LB, Chicago Bears. A three-down player who benefits from the great personnel around him. Briggs isn’t as good as he thinks he is, but he’s still very good.
39. Lorenzo Neal, FB, San Diego Chargers. Every back he blocks for rushes for at least 1000 yards. Smart, savvy player who never takes a down off.
40. Steven Jackson, RB, St. Louis Rams. Immense talent just coming into his own. Could become the best all-purpose back this side of Ladanian Tomlinson.
41. DeMarcus Ware, LB, Dallas Cowboys. Is still playing the shadow of draft mate Merriman, but Wade Phillips’s version of the 3-4 defense might make for a breakout year for a player that possesses great size and speed.
42. Devin Hester, RS, Chicago Bears. No player without a defined position had a bigger impact on the NFL in his rookie season. Must prove he’s not a one-hit-wonder.
43. Brian Dawkins, S, Philadelphia Eagles. Dawkins’s knowledge of Jim Johnson’s schemes make him more valuable to his franchise at this point than his declining physical abilities. He’s a chess-master on the field at positioning players to confuse opposition quarterbacks.
44. Andre Johnson, WR, Houston Texans. Just beginning to come into his own as a top-shelf wideout. An improving supporting cast in Houston will only keep his star rising.
45. Sean Taylor, S, Washington Redskins. Coordinator Gregg Williams is still trying to tailor his schemes to get the most of Taylor’s prodigious talents. Sometimes makes curious decisions both on and off the field.
46. Tony Gonzales, TE, Kansas City Chiefs. His best years are behind him, but he’ll likely be a one-man receiving corps for Damon Huard or Brodie Croyle in 2007. Re-defined the TE position in the NFL.
47. Olin Kreutz, OC, Chicago Bears. A great technician that has orchestrated running games in a number of schemes.
48. Mack Strong, FB, Seattle Seahawks. Opens holes for one of the shiftiest star backs in the league. The fact that multiple backs have been successful behind Strong suggests that he lives up to his name.
49. Bryant McKinnie, LT, Minnesota Vikings. Lost some concentration in 2006 after signing a big contract extension. If Tavarius Jackson succeeds at all in 2007, McKinnie will be largely responsible.
50. Rodney Harrison, S, New England Patriots. It wouldn’t go far to say that Harrison may have been the difference between the Pats winning the Super Bowl last season and them washing out in the Conference Championship game. Harrison positions defenses better than almost anyone else, and there isn’t an offense he hasn’t seen.
QB: 4
RB: 4
FB: 2
WR: 4
TE: 3
OT: 4
OG: 2
OC: 2
DE: 4
DT: 4
LB: 8
CB: 3
S: 5
RS: 1
The Next 50 (or so):
QB: Carson Palmer, Phillip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Hasselback
RB: Frank Gore, Edgerrin James, Deuce McAllister, Willis McGahee
FB: Mike Karney, Justin Griffith
WR: Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald, Chad Johnson, Reggie Wayne, Plaxico Burress, Santana Moss
TE: Todd Heap, Jeremy Shockey
OT: Orlando Pace, Flozell Adams, Chris Samuels, Jon Jansen, Jammal Brown
DE: Luis Castillo, Derrick Burgess, Shaun Ellis, Leonard Little
DT: Warren Sapp, Vince Wilfork, Albert Haynesworth, Tommie Harris
LB: Derrick Brooks, Adalius Thomas, D.J. Williams, Derrick Johnson, Julian Peterson
CB: Antoine Winfield, Ronde Barber, Nate Clements, Sheldon Brown
S: Bob Sanders, Chris Hope, Donte Whitner, Mike Brown
RS: Adam “Pacman” Jones
