#31 Roquan Smith
Ever since being drafted in the top 10 back in 2018 by Chicago, Roquan has been one of the most productive off-ball linebackers in the NFL. Looking at his raw tackling numbers, nobody has created more than his 693 stops over that period of time.
Much more important have been the impact plays he’s been able to produce in the run and pass game. This past season, he was tied for a league-high three interceptions and 42 defensive stops among linebackers during the regular season.
To encapsulate Smith’s value to the Ravens defense once they traded for him, they went from 28th in EPA per play allowed through the first eight weeks without him (0.076) all the way to fifth league-wide (-0.078) from that point onwards.
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#32 Jalen Ramsey
Has Ramsey lost a little bit of shine from being the premiere shutdown corner in football for the past five years or so? Sure. However, that doesn’t mean that he can’t be one of the most valuable pieces in the secondary under Vic Fangio in Miami.
Over the final seven games of 2022, he held opposing quarterbacks to 18-of-34 for 276 yards and two touchdowns, whilst picking off three passes.
Along with that, he’s been one of the elite run-defenders and tacklers at the corner spot, as he earned the second-highest PFF grade vs. the run (91.8) among all defensive players with 200+ snaps this past season. He’s also never missed more than five tackles over the last five years.
With his physicality, he can be put into the slot to involve himself in the run fit, yet he’s talented enough to blanket basically anybody on the perimeter.
#33 A.J. Brown
We thought we knew who A.J. Brown was during his tenure in Tennessee. As a rookie in 2018, he led all wide receivers with 8.9 yards after catch on average and he remained one of the most effective players with the ball in his hands when fed over the middle of the field. He finished top-five in that category in his first season in Philadelphia (6.2), being borderline unguardable on slant routes.
However, the Eagles started using him a lot more down the field and even if he didn’t gain a step on his man, they gave him chances to win through contact. He finished behind only Miami’s Jaylen Waddle in yards per target (10.3 per) among all players with 20+ targets and tied for third with six receptions of 40+ yards.
He’s just not quite in the same tier as other elite receivers in terms of third downs converted, as he finished 26th in that regard (15) last season, three behind teammate DeVonta Smith.
#34 Tristan Wirfs
I would argue Wirfs has been a top-two right tackle in the league each of his first three seasons as a pro. While he has been charged with three sacks in each of the last two seasons (one as a rookie), his pass-blocking efficiency has actually increased in each of them and he’s been atop the league in 2021 and ’22, with just six total pressures across 696 snaps in pass-pro this past year.
The Bucs run game has certainly fallen off since their run to the Super Bowl in 2020, as they finished dead-last in the NFL in terms of rushing yards (1308) and yards per carry (3.4) this past season.
However, Wirfs’ explosiveness out of his stance and ability to roll his hips into contact were the most exciting parts about his game coming out of Iowa. Now making the transition to the blind side, we’ll see if he can build on a historic start to his career.
#35 Andrew Thomas
Being part of that 2020 draft class with Wirfs, Thomas’ pro career certainly wasn’t off to the greatest start. As a rookie, he finished 64th among the 92 tackles to log at least 100 snaps in terms of PFF grade, surrendering 10 sacks and 57 total pressures across 615 pass-blocking snaps.
However, since then his grade has gone from 62.4 to 78.9 and finally 90.3 this past season, when he allowed just 23 pressures across 700 snaps in pass-pro.
Along with tremendous improvements in his ability to read and counter guys rushing off the edge, he’s become an elite run-blocker at the position. His ability to scoop- or hinge-block three-techniques on the backside of lateral concepts is tremendous, yet he’s also extremely well-coordinated when asked to secure targets in space.
If it wasn’t for Trent Williams, he would’ve earned a first-team All-Pro nod this past season, which he should be in the running for these next several years.
#36 Lamar Jackson
I truly believe the Lamar we saw over the first five weeks of last season was the best version that we’ve gotten yet. Unfortunately, from that point, he started trying to elevate his team by pressing for game-changing plays, as they didn’t have the horses or play-designs in the passing game to stay ahead of the competition.
With that being said, he did still finish top five among quarterbacks in PFF grade (85.2) and tied for third in big-time throw rate (5.0%), whilst his turnover-worthy play rate was just slightly above the likes of Mahomes and Burrow (2.3%).
Now with a new offensive coordinator in Todd Monken willing to open the field with a lot more spread-out formations and massive improvements at the wide receiver position, I could easily see Lamar compete for the second MVP trophy of his still young career.
#37 Cooper Kupp
Even taking into account the final game Kupp was available for against Arizona, where he had -1 yard on three (screen) passes before getting hurt, he still finished behind only Justin Jefferson and Tyreek Hill in receiving yards per game (90.2) and would’ve slotted in between those two if you take that game out.
With the O-line getting blown up constantly when the Rams tried to run the ball and Allen Robinson’s addition in free agency turning out to be highly disappointing, Matthew Stafford relied heavily on his go-to target in order to make the offense at least viable.
His drop rate of just 2.0% is significantly lower than most top-tier receivers. Let’s not forget that Kupp won the triple crown at the position just a year ago and capped off that historic campaign with a Super Bowl MVP.
I don’t think he’s quite as dynamic as the elite names I’ve mentioned here, but he also led the NFL in 20+ yard receptions in the last full season he played.
#38 Jason Kelce
You’re not going to find many people who held Kelce in higher regard just a couple of years ago than me. Between 2017 and 2019, he was a first-team All-Pro three straight years and earned the highest grade among all centers by Pro Football Focus.
However, his quality of play had dropped off just a little bit in the two following seasons and a couple of new candidates for the title of best at the position emerged.
Yet, looking at the Eagles’ ascent in 2022 to the NFC’s top team, we can’t take for granted the step this guy took back up and how outstanding he was. I don’t believe there’s a smarter offensive lineman or player in that position group with better functional athleticism out there still today.
His understanding of angles, how to approach combos, aiming points and flexibility to get his body aligned accordingly are tape-worthy. And while his undersized frame necessitates fewer island duties in pass-pro, he wasn’t responsible for a single sack or QB hit across 753 pass-blocking snaps this past year.
#39 Jeffery Simmons
There may not be another player in the NFL as physically imposing as Simmons. At 6’4”, 305 pounds, he is pretty much an immovable object in the run game, yet he will gladly return the favor on passing downs and put your guards on skates when he wants to create vertical movement.
Over the past two seasons, he’s tied for fourth among interior D-linemen behind only Chris Jones, Aaron Donald and Javon Hargrave with 119 total pressures across regular and postseason, despite participating in just one playoff contest. His 13 passes batted down at the line rank second among all defensive linemen over that stretch.
He was a huge reason the Titans finished 2022 as the top defense in rush EPA (-0.199) and rushing success rate (33.0%) despite playing with the second-lightest boxes (six or fewer defenders) across the NFL. And he embodies that pocket-crushing mindset Tennessee builds its defense around, whilst forcing quarterbacks to decipher what’s going on in the back end.
#40 Derwin James
The term “swiss-army knife” has been used for years to describe certain players, but I’m not sure we’ve seen a versatile piece in the secondary quite like Derwin, as we’ve moved to position-less football to a certain degree.
According to PFF, James spent 330 snaps in the slot, 270 at deep safety, 154 in the slot and 63 on the defensive line this past season. What he allows you to do in coverage, because of all the delayed rotations Brandon Staley and company can ask of him is unique, but he might’ve become even more valuable as a situational blitzer.
He put up a career-high four sacks and earned an elite PFF pass-rush grade (90.9) last season. He missed a career-low 4.2% of his attempted tackles (five of 120) and was tied for the third-most stops in coverage (14), meaning he was able to bring the intended target down before he could move the chains or create a positive play for the offense, in relation to down and distance.
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