NFL Divisional Round Power Rankings: Top 16 players ranked feat. Patrick Mahomes, Derrick Henry, Josh Allen, and more

The NFL Playoffs Divisional Round is finally here. Only eight teams remain in the race to the Superbowl. In pivotal one-and-done games, the greatness of individuals may be the difference between winning and losing. We rank the top 16 best players in the NFL Playoffs Divisional Round.

1. Patrick Mahomes

If Patrick Mahomes wants to challenge Tom Brady as the best quarterback of all time, he needs to win the Super Bowl. A championship three-peat in the Super Bowl era has never been accomplished and it would cement Mahomes’ legacy. Mahomes is coming off a mediocre season statistically but still led the Kansas City Chiefs to 15 wins and the number one seed. Mahomes has been rested for the past two weeks and will come into this divisional round game against the Houston Texans refreshed.

2. Josh Allen

MVP candidates Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson find themselves in eerily similar circumstances. Having both been 1st round picks in the 2018 NFL drafts, Allen and Jackson have consistently excelled since coming into the league.

3. Lamar Jackson

NFL: Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills - Source: Imagn

Both of them are coming off incredible MVP-calibre seasons, making their face-to-face duel this weekend all the more exciting. However, there is one common threat that has stood in their way. Whoever emerges from this divisional round showdown has to take down Patrick Mahomes in the Championship round next week. Allen and Jackson are a combined 0-4 against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in playoff competitions.

4. Saquon Barkley

Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley proved the value of the running back positions with their play. Both Henry and Barkley joined new teams via free agency this season and have set record-breaking numbers for the Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles respectively.

5. Derrick Henry

NFL: AFC Wild Card Round-Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens - Source: Imagn

Henry broke the Ravens single-season record with 16 touchdowns, while Barkley was on the cusp of breaking Eric Dickerson’s single-season 2,105 yards record but chose to sit out the final regular season game. If the Ravens and Eagles were to advance to the next round, they would need a heavy dose of running from these two players.

6. Travis Kelce

7. Mark Andrews

NFL: Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers - Source: Imagn

In a game dominated by wide receivers, tight end legends Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews hold their own. As the favorite vertical weapons for Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson respectively, Kelce and Andrews are expected to turn up in the NFL playoffs. Neither had the best year statistically, but are still expected to be counted on in the playoffs.

8. Jared Goff

The four remaining quarterbacks in the NFC division had to battle through various challenges this season to get to the divisional round. Jared Goff’s Detroit Lions team was impressive all season but has suffered a series of unfortunate injuries. Four of the five offensive linemen, namely Taylor Decker, Frank Ragnow, Graham Glasgow and Kevin Zeitler, had to deal with various injuries.

9. Jayden Daniels

Jayden Daniels suffered a week 7 rib injury that marred his rookie season but has since returned to form. Daniels have led multiple fourth-quarter comebacks this season, including the iconic hail-mary touchdown pass against the Chicago Bears.

10. Matthew Stafford

Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams endured a slow start to the season but bounced back strong. They were 1-4 through the first five weeks and there were rumors Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp was on the trade block. Stafford managed to turn their season around, winning the NFC West division with a game to spare. Last week, they had arguably their most impressive game to date by defeating the 14-3 Minnesota Vikings.

11. Jalen Hurts

NFL: NFC Wild Card Round-Los Angeles Rams at Detroit Lions - Source: Imagn

Coming back from a concussion scare, Jalen Hurts was not at his best last week against the Green Bay Packers. He had 131 yards passing and 36 yards running but was helped by a stout performance from the defence and the heroics of Saquon Barkley. The QB would have to have a better showing in the divisional round for the Eagles to advance.

12. CJ Stroud

NFL: AFC Wild Card Round-Los Angeles Chargers at Houston Texans - Source: Imagn

Statistically, CJ Stroud regressed slightly this year compared to his record-setting rookie campaign, but last week’s victory against the Los Angeles Chargers showed what he was capable of. Down by 6 with the first half running down, Stroud was miffed on the snap with the ball rolling close to their end zone. He managed to scoop it up, ran away from four Chargers defenders and delivered a 34-yard completion. That play turned the game around and they were able to put away the Chargers. He also enters the divisional round as the biggest underdog among all quarterbacks as he takes on the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs.

13. Chris Jones

In the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans divisional round showdown on Saturday, it may come down to an individual act that will determine the game. Chris Jones and Will Anderson are two of the top interior pass rushers in the world and it will come down to them to make the lives of the opposing quarterback difficult.

14. Will Anderson

NFL: Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs - Source: Imagn

Jones is the crafty veteran and the heart of the Kansas City Chiefs defence. He only had 5 sacks this season but was regularly double-teamed. Anderson is the young upstart and his sacks and tackles-for-losses flip the momentum of games.

15. Amon-Ra St. Brown

For Amon-Ra St. Brown, it has been four games and over a month since he had a 100-yard game, and while the Lions have other playmaking options like tight end Sam Laporta and running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery St. Brown is still the receiving threat that poses the most danger to opposing defences.

16. AJ Brown

NFL: Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles - Source: Imagn

The #1 receivers for NFC’s #1 and #2 seeds have to step up this week if the Lions and Eagles are to meet in the Championship round. AJ Brown decided to read a book on the sidelines of the Eagles’ wild-card round victory over the Green Bay Packers after having only one reception for ten yards. It was his worst game in the season.

Divisional Round Matchups

The NFL Playoffs Divisional Round starts on Saturday with the AFC matchup of the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans, followed by the NFC duel between the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders. The divisional round then concludes with the Rams at Eagles and Bills against Ravens on Sunday.