Photo Credit: Raiders Wire - USA Today
1. 50% of the weight: "The Eye Test" - my own personal assessment of the player's talent, productivity and overall impact on winning. This has to come first, otherwise it wouldn't be my list.
2. 20%: Stats. The raw numbers.
3. 10%: Impact on winning in pressure situations and most importantly, the playoffs.
4. 10%: The experts over at Pro Football Focus really know their stuff; they examine every single play of the NFL season, and I trust their detailed analyses. I'm giving 10% of the weight to their 2019 Top 101 NFL Players.
5. 10%: Recent Pro Bowl selections. Thanks to the coaches, players and fans to their contributions, here.
69. Za'Darius Smith, Edge, Green Bay Packers
-2019 Key Stat: 13.5 sacks (6th-most)
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? Yes.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? No.
-Pro Football Focus: #19 overall player
Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams and Aaron Jones get an awful lot of press when it comes to the "Packers' best players" - but Smith is clearly right there with them. His 2019 season was similar to Jones', in that both had always shown pure natural ability, but '19 was the year in which it all came together, both on the field and on paper. The Packers' D is sometimes frustrating because of its inconsistent performance, but Za'Darius had no such issues with inconsistency. He was salivating after the quarterback, week in and week out, and really...almost every single play. Crazy motor on this kid.
68. Shaq Barrett, Edge, Tampa Bay Bucs
-2019 Key Stat: 19.5 sacks (most in the game)
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? Yes.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? No.
-Pro Football Focus: Unranked
The Twitterverse is protective of Shaq, and I'm not talkin' about the big fella from the Lakers and Magic. This related tweet of mine got some traction:
67. Jadeveon Clowney, Edge, Free Agent
-2019 Key Stat: 58 QB pressures
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? No.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? No.
-Pro Football Focus: #80 overall player
Where will Clowney land in free agency? I heard he has some interest in playing for my Jets. That would be lovely. Anyway, you probably know about Clowney at this point - at 6'5", 255 with speed and power, he's been one of the most intimidating forces in the NFL since he entered the league in 2014. He was a monster early last season with the Seahawks, then faded just a bit down the stretch. Again, I'd still take him on my Jets in a heartbeat.
66. Zack Martin, G, Dallas Cowboys
-2019 Key Stat: Zero sacks allowed/only 2 penalties
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? Yes. A starter.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? Yes. A starter.
-Pro Football Focus: #35 overall player
Guy's a Pro Bowl starter every year. The Cowboys continue to boast one of the premier offensive lines in the NFL, and Martin is the best of them all. What more do I need to say?
65. Lavonte David, LB, Tampa Bay Bucs
-2019 Key Stat: 123 tackles/#1 in coverage (PFF)
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? No.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? No.
-Pro Football Focus: #36 overall player
Wow. Maybe one of the most underrated defensive players in the history of the NFL. Until they landed Tom Brady and Gronk, the Bucs weren't getting much press. In recent years, most of their media coverage had been about Jameis Winston's frustrating turnover issues. But damn...I see you Lavonte. Arguably the best linebacker in coverage, he's also one of the smartest and most-prepared players in the game in the past decade or so. LD's only a two-time Pro Bowler? That's just pure nonsense. He's up there with Luke Kuechly, Bobby Wagner (seen in Part 2 of my series) and Derrick Johnson as one of the best and most productive inside linebackers of his generation.
64. Jason Kelce, C, Philadelphia Eagles
-2019 Key Stat: 1,163 snaps (#1 center)
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? Yes. A starter.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? No.
-Pro Football Focus: #53 overall player
The Eagles feature a slew of creative blocking schemes - you ever see this big fella get down field on potential gamebreaking plays? He's shockingly athletic for 6'3", 295. To me, he's the best center in the game...hands down. No competition right now.
63. Mark Ingram, RB, Baltimore Ravens
-2019 Key Stat: 15 total TDs
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? Yes.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? No.
-Pro Football Focus: Unranked
This veteran stabilized the now-famous Ravens' offense. Obviously Lamar Jackson deserved his MVP award, but the previous season the Ravens' rushing attack was wholly unspectacular with Gus Edwards, Alex Collins, Kenneth Dixon and "Buck" Allen. In '19, Ingram was the difference maker. He's always been a dual threat, rushing hard downhill and catching passes with ease out of the backfield. He has a high rate of cashing in in the redzone, and that's an absolute necessity for any Super Bowl contending team. Rookie RB J.K. Dobbins is getting a crazy amount of press, but never sleep on Ingram. He will get his. Dobbins will just keep the veteran fresh.
62. Josh Jacobs, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
-2019 Key Stat: 88.5 rushing yds/gm (3rd-most)
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? No.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? Was still in college.
-Pro Football Focus: #99 overall player
For a good laugh, watch Josh Jacobs run the ball in high school. He looks like Spike in Little Giants, times 100. And ya know what? It was kind of like that in his first season in the NFL, too. I say that relatively, when you consider the following: (1) The Raiders had no downfield passing attack; (2) the defensive box was often stacked against Jacobs and (3) the Raiders were a pretty shitty team, altogether. With those circumstances, it's near impossible to be third in the league in yards per carry. This much is clear: Jacobs is already one of the best pure rushers in the game.
61. Darren Waller, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
-2019 Key Stat: 90 rec/1,145 yds (both 2nd-most at TE)
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? No.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? No.
-Pro Football Focus: #70 overall player
Ya gotta tip your cap to Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock on this one - Waller was a find. Talk about a physical specimen. Waller had been in the league, on and off, since 2015 - would you have even known that before last season? - but he was an afterthought due to substance abuse issues and a limited offensive role. In terms of pure gifts, I'd put him right up there with the standouts of the league. At 6'6", 255, he is a super athletic pass catcher with sticky hands. He's perfect for tight-window first downs and difficult redzone spots. The best word for Waller is weapon. The kid's a matchup nightmare.
60. Darius Leonard, LB, Indianapolis Colts
-2019 Key Stat: 121 tackles/5 INTs
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? Yes. A starter.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? No.
-Pro Football Focus: #100
Talk about a breakout player, here. Look at the guys over 120 tackles, then look at the guys with five or more interceptions - you aren't gonna see crossovers. Leonard did it all for the Colts, and he's still just 24 years old. He's just getting started. Leonard's going to be a major impact player for a long time.
Tune in next time for the 50s!
ARCHIVE:
Part 3, Players 70-79
Part 2, Players 80-89
Part 1, Players 90-100
69. Za'Darius Smith, Edge, Green Bay Packers
-2019 Key Stat: 13.5 sacks (6th-most)
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? Yes.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? No.
-Pro Football Focus: #19 overall player
Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams and Aaron Jones get an awful lot of press when it comes to the "Packers' best players" - but Smith is clearly right there with them. His 2019 season was similar to Jones', in that both had always shown pure natural ability, but '19 was the year in which it all came together, both on the field and on paper. The Packers' D is sometimes frustrating because of its inconsistent performance, but Za'Darius had no such issues with inconsistency. He was salivating after the quarterback, week in and week out, and really...almost every single play. Crazy motor on this kid.
68. Shaq Barrett, Edge, Tampa Bay Bucs
-2019 Key Stat: 19.5 sacks (most in the game)
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? Yes.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? No.
-Pro Football Focus: Unranked
The Twitterverse is protective of Shaq, and I'm not talkin' about the big fella from the Lakers and Magic. This related tweet of mine got some traction:
And like I've said many times before, I respect Cris Collinsworth and the whole team over at Pro Football Focus, but I think it's just plain silly to ignore traditional stats...just because they are traditional. I try for a more holistic approach - as you can see from my criteria above - and there's no way in hell I'm ignoring Shaq's 19.5 sacks. Guy was an unstoppable machine this past season. Let's see if he can keep it up this year (if we have a season).@PFF @CollinsworthPFF The gang at Pro Football Focus works hard and undoubtedly does its homework, but how do Shaq Barrett and Golladay get left out of the 2019 top 101? Barrett (19.5 sacks) led the #NFL and Golladay had the most receiving TDs. Can't ignore all the standard stats— John Frascella (@LegendSports7) May 3, 2020
67. Jadeveon Clowney, Edge, Free Agent
-2019 Key Stat: 58 QB pressures
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? No.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? No.
-Pro Football Focus: #80 overall player
Where will Clowney land in free agency? I heard he has some interest in playing for my Jets. That would be lovely. Anyway, you probably know about Clowney at this point - at 6'5", 255 with speed and power, he's been one of the most intimidating forces in the NFL since he entered the league in 2014. He was a monster early last season with the Seahawks, then faded just a bit down the stretch. Again, I'd still take him on my Jets in a heartbeat.
66. Zack Martin, G, Dallas Cowboys
-2019 Key Stat: Zero sacks allowed/only 2 penalties
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? Yes. A starter.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? Yes. A starter.
-Pro Football Focus: #35 overall player
Guy's a Pro Bowl starter every year. The Cowboys continue to boast one of the premier offensive lines in the NFL, and Martin is the best of them all. What more do I need to say?
65. Lavonte David, LB, Tampa Bay Bucs
-2019 Key Stat: 123 tackles/#1 in coverage (PFF)
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? No.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? No.
-Pro Football Focus: #36 overall player
Wow. Maybe one of the most underrated defensive players in the history of the NFL. Until they landed Tom Brady and Gronk, the Bucs weren't getting much press. In recent years, most of their media coverage had been about Jameis Winston's frustrating turnover issues. But damn...I see you Lavonte. Arguably the best linebacker in coverage, he's also one of the smartest and most-prepared players in the game in the past decade or so. LD's only a two-time Pro Bowler? That's just pure nonsense. He's up there with Luke Kuechly, Bobby Wagner (seen in Part 2 of my series) and Derrick Johnson as one of the best and most productive inside linebackers of his generation.
64. Jason Kelce, C, Philadelphia Eagles
-2019 Key Stat: 1,163 snaps (#1 center)
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? Yes. A starter.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? No.
-Pro Football Focus: #53 overall player
The Eagles feature a slew of creative blocking schemes - you ever see this big fella get down field on potential gamebreaking plays? He's shockingly athletic for 6'3", 295. To me, he's the best center in the game...hands down. No competition right now.
63. Mark Ingram, RB, Baltimore Ravens
-2019 Key Stat: 15 total TDs
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? Yes.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? No.
-Pro Football Focus: Unranked
This veteran stabilized the now-famous Ravens' offense. Obviously Lamar Jackson deserved his MVP award, but the previous season the Ravens' rushing attack was wholly unspectacular with Gus Edwards, Alex Collins, Kenneth Dixon and "Buck" Allen. In '19, Ingram was the difference maker. He's always been a dual threat, rushing hard downhill and catching passes with ease out of the backfield. He has a high rate of cashing in in the redzone, and that's an absolute necessity for any Super Bowl contending team. Rookie RB J.K. Dobbins is getting a crazy amount of press, but never sleep on Ingram. He will get his. Dobbins will just keep the veteran fresh.
62. Josh Jacobs, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
-2019 Key Stat: 88.5 rushing yds/gm (3rd-most)
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? No.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? Was still in college.
-Pro Football Focus: #99 overall player
For a good laugh, watch Josh Jacobs run the ball in high school. He looks like Spike in Little Giants, times 100. And ya know what? It was kind of like that in his first season in the NFL, too. I say that relatively, when you consider the following: (1) The Raiders had no downfield passing attack; (2) the defensive box was often stacked against Jacobs and (3) the Raiders were a pretty shitty team, altogether. With those circumstances, it's near impossible to be third in the league in yards per carry. This much is clear: Jacobs is already one of the best pure rushers in the game.
61. Darren Waller, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
-2019 Key Stat: 90 rec/1,145 yds (both 2nd-most at TE)
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? No.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? No.
-Pro Football Focus: #70 overall player
Ya gotta tip your cap to Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock on this one - Waller was a find. Talk about a physical specimen. Waller had been in the league, on and off, since 2015 - would you have even known that before last season? - but he was an afterthought due to substance abuse issues and a limited offensive role. In terms of pure gifts, I'd put him right up there with the standouts of the league. At 6'6", 255, he is a super athletic pass catcher with sticky hands. He's perfect for tight-window first downs and difficult redzone spots. The best word for Waller is weapon. The kid's a matchup nightmare.
60. Darius Leonard, LB, Indianapolis Colts
-2019 Key Stat: 121 tackles/5 INTs
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? Yes. A starter.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? No.
-Pro Football Focus: #100
Talk about a breakout player, here. Look at the guys over 120 tackles, then look at the guys with five or more interceptions - you aren't gonna see crossovers. Leonard did it all for the Colts, and he's still just 24 years old. He's just getting started. Leonard's going to be a major impact player for a long time.
Tune in next time for the 50s!
ARCHIVE:
Part 3, Players 70-79
Part 2, Players 80-89
Part 1, Players 90-100
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