Photo Credit: NBC Sports
Alvin Kamara, Myles Garrett and Matthew Stafford led the way in Part 5 of my NFL Top 100 series. Before we get to Part 6, here's my ranking criteria, again:
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.
Please note: I use logic. The quarterback position is the most influential in all of professional sports, and I absolutely take that into account (PFF does not, in their rankings).
50. Quenton Nelson, G, Indianapolis Colts
-2019 Key Stat: 0 sacks allowed/2nd-best run blocker (PFF)
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? Yes. A starter.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? Yes.
-Pro Football Focus: #11 overall player
Let's be honest, here...we're really splitting hairs when it comes to Nelson, Terron Armstead, Ryan Ramczyk, Jason Kelce, Zack Martin, Lane Johnson and Brandon Brooks. These are the top seven offensive linemen in the NFL, any way you want to slice and dice them. I'm going with Nelson as my No. 1 OL in the game because he's still just 24 years of age. He already has things figured out, and he has a ton of prime years remaining. He'll be looking to propel a renaissance year for veteran quarterback Philip Rivers.
49. T.Y. Hilton, WR, Indianapolis Colts
-2019 Key Stat: 5 TDs in just 10 games
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? No.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? No.
-Pro Football Focus: Unranked
I'm a T.Y. Hilton guy. He was an invaluable contributor to Andrew Luck's much-publicized NFL career; a lightning-quick wide receiver who racked up four consecutive Pro Bowl appearances from 2014 through 2017. Now, the obvious knock: the guy can't seem to stay on the field. Listed at 5'10", 183 - which means he's probably 5'8", 170 - Hilton's tiny frame takes a beating out there. He's dropped from 16 to 14 to 10 games played in the last three years, and even when he's at the top of that range, he's often in and out of the lineup with various nagging injuries. Hilton's hoping rookie WR Michael Pittman Jr. will take some of the pressure off him this season.
48. Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Bucs
-2019 Key Stat: 1,333 yds/9 TDs
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? Yes.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? No.
-Pro Football Focus: #20 overall player
Do you remember Godwin on Hard Knocks? He actually had his own storyline, one in which he was battling for one of the final spots on a weak Bucs' roster. Doesn't that make you wonder about his sustainability, just a bit? How did he explode just a couple years later? Obviously, credit Godwin for working his ass off and improving; his strengths have always been route running and sticky hands. He should be very productive again this season, even if Gronk steals some of his looks away.
47. Adam Thielen, WR, Minnesota Vikings
-2019 Key Stat: 7 TDs in only 10 games
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? No.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? Yes.
-Pro Football Focus: Unranked
Here's an old-school guy. Thielen's a warrior out there; one who gets an awful lot of respect from both teammates and opposing players. Thielen's thought of as a smaller, scrappy guy - we've all heard the comparisons to Julian Edelman and Wes Welker, especially early on in his career - because he broke out as a productive slot receiver. But Thielen is listed at 6'2", and he has much longer arms than you think. He's a true WR1 now. He's not simply a slot guy takin' shots over the middle. Thielen makes plenty of dynamic high-point plays, and his Vikings will need him healthier this season (only played 10 games in '19).
46. Allen Robinson, WR, Chicago Bears
-2019 Key Stat: 98 rec/1,147 yards
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? No.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? No.
-Pro Football Focus: #85 overall player
The Twitterverse - and really the mainstream media, too - had two punching bags last NFL season: Baker Mayfield and Mitchell Trubisky. And perhaps...rightfully so. Trubisky was awful. The Bears' relevancy lasted just one season. I mean, how painful is it that Chicago selected Trubisky over Pat Mahomes and Deshaun Watson? Anyway, I digress. How about the job Robinson did, considering Trubisky's well-documented bouts with inaccuracy? Robinson was Mr. Reliable in '19, and he actually played in all 16 games for the first time since 2016 with the Jags.
45. Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, San Francisco 49ers
-2019 Key Stat: 102 QB rating/15-4 overall record
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? No.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? No.
-Pro Football Focus: Unranked
Yesterday, Matthew Stafford and his Lions were a hot topic of discussion on Twitter. This morning, it was Garoppolo:
44. Tre'Davious White, CB, Buffalo Bills
-2019 Key Stat: 6 INTs (most in the game)
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? Yes. A starter.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? No.
-Pro Football Focus: Unranked
Back to "The Eye Test" here. From what I saw, Tre'Davious felt like the second-best corner in the NFL this past season. Yes, he's a ballhawk - as evidenced by his league-leading six interceptions - but he's also physical. I love his physicality and hands-on play. He doesn't back down from any receiver on an island; reputation means nothing to him. And yet...he went unranked by PFF? What happened, there? That's why I can only give them 10% of the weight in my analysis, because sometimes they seem to be ignoring what their eyes are telling them. Or showing them, I guess. Tre'Davious is a stud.
43. Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Cleveland Browns
-2019 Key Stat: 1,035 yards
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? No.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? No.
-Pro Football Focus: Unranked
Oh boy, Mr. Controversial. What do we make of OBJ (or ODB) at this point? Is he really worth the headache? This is kind of No Man's Land in my WR rankings, as he clearly sits outside the elite guys like Thomas, Julio, Hop, Davante, etc. And yet...he's still such an explosive talent. I still think my Jets should try to engineer a trade for him. Sam Darnold needs a true WR1 for his development. And look, OBJ still gained over 1,000 yards despite a wildly dysfunctional situation in Cleveland. Freddie Kitchens was completely overmatched. Mayfield struggled with inconsistency and inaccuracy. We can't simply dismiss Beckham after a wacky season like that. He should be set up for a strong year, this time around.
42. Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons
-2019 Key Stat: 4,466 yards (5th-most)
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? No.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? No.
-Pro Football Focus: Unranked
Speaking of Mr. Controversial...here's another one. Who is Matt Ryan? He was the 2016 NFL MVP - and ya know what? He really was the best player in the game that season. The Falcons were dominating Tom Brady's Patriots in the Super Bowl, until, well...the Falcons started playing like the Falcons and the Pats started playing like the Pats. It was all downhill from there. The Falcons have become irrelevant, as Ryan has bounced from good-to-bad years. 2017? Bad. 2018? Outstanding. 2019? Pretty bad, again. So yeah, who is he at this point? Has "Matty Ice" melted away for good? Look, personally, I can't write off a four-time Pro Bowler and former MVP. The quarterback position is just too important. Ryan still has Julio at his disposal, and we've seen him bounce back in a major way before.
41. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants
-2019 Key Stat: 1,441 total yds/8 TDs in 13 games
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? No.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? Yes.
-Pro Football Focus: Unranked
Don't forget No. 3 in my criteria - impact on winning. Barkley's been in the NFL for two seasons, and his Giants went 5-11 and 4-12. I mean, obviously, the Giants were completely dysfunctional on the whole - kind of like the Browns - but how important, really, is the running back position? The Chiefs won the Super Bowl with Damien Williams running the rock, and he was once an afterthought backup on a shitty Dolphins' team. The 49ers jumped on Raheem Mostert's back, and he was released a bunch of times in the past. Was Barkley worth the high pick? In a vacuum, he's one of the most talented football players in the world. He's an electric runner and extremely productive pass-catcher. But how much impact does he really have? Is it him, or just the position in general? Or really...are the Giants just THAT bad?
Come back next time for my top 40!
ARCHIVE:
Part 5, Players 51-59
Part 4, Players 60-69
Part 3, Players 70-79
Part 2, Players 80-89
Part 1, Players 90-100
50. Quenton Nelson, G, Indianapolis Colts
-2019 Key Stat: 0 sacks allowed/2nd-best run blocker (PFF)
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? Yes. A starter.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? Yes.
-Pro Football Focus: #11 overall player
Let's be honest, here...we're really splitting hairs when it comes to Nelson, Terron Armstead, Ryan Ramczyk, Jason Kelce, Zack Martin, Lane Johnson and Brandon Brooks. These are the top seven offensive linemen in the NFL, any way you want to slice and dice them. I'm going with Nelson as my No. 1 OL in the game because he's still just 24 years of age. He already has things figured out, and he has a ton of prime years remaining. He'll be looking to propel a renaissance year for veteran quarterback Philip Rivers.
49. T.Y. Hilton, WR, Indianapolis Colts
-2019 Key Stat: 5 TDs in just 10 games
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? No.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? No.
-Pro Football Focus: Unranked
I'm a T.Y. Hilton guy. He was an invaluable contributor to Andrew Luck's much-publicized NFL career; a lightning-quick wide receiver who racked up four consecutive Pro Bowl appearances from 2014 through 2017. Now, the obvious knock: the guy can't seem to stay on the field. Listed at 5'10", 183 - which means he's probably 5'8", 170 - Hilton's tiny frame takes a beating out there. He's dropped from 16 to 14 to 10 games played in the last three years, and even when he's at the top of that range, he's often in and out of the lineup with various nagging injuries. Hilton's hoping rookie WR Michael Pittman Jr. will take some of the pressure off him this season.
48. Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Bucs
-2019 Key Stat: 1,333 yds/9 TDs
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? Yes.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? No.
-Pro Football Focus: #20 overall player
Do you remember Godwin on Hard Knocks? He actually had his own storyline, one in which he was battling for one of the final spots on a weak Bucs' roster. Doesn't that make you wonder about his sustainability, just a bit? How did he explode just a couple years later? Obviously, credit Godwin for working his ass off and improving; his strengths have always been route running and sticky hands. He should be very productive again this season, even if Gronk steals some of his looks away.
47. Adam Thielen, WR, Minnesota Vikings
-2019 Key Stat: 7 TDs in only 10 games
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? No.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? Yes.
-Pro Football Focus: Unranked
Here's an old-school guy. Thielen's a warrior out there; one who gets an awful lot of respect from both teammates and opposing players. Thielen's thought of as a smaller, scrappy guy - we've all heard the comparisons to Julian Edelman and Wes Welker, especially early on in his career - because he broke out as a productive slot receiver. But Thielen is listed at 6'2", and he has much longer arms than you think. He's a true WR1 now. He's not simply a slot guy takin' shots over the middle. Thielen makes plenty of dynamic high-point plays, and his Vikings will need him healthier this season (only played 10 games in '19).
46. Allen Robinson, WR, Chicago Bears
-2019 Key Stat: 98 rec/1,147 yards
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? No.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? No.
-Pro Football Focus: #85 overall player
The Twitterverse - and really the mainstream media, too - had two punching bags last NFL season: Baker Mayfield and Mitchell Trubisky. And perhaps...rightfully so. Trubisky was awful. The Bears' relevancy lasted just one season. I mean, how painful is it that Chicago selected Trubisky over Pat Mahomes and Deshaun Watson? Anyway, I digress. How about the job Robinson did, considering Trubisky's well-documented bouts with inaccuracy? Robinson was Mr. Reliable in '19, and he actually played in all 16 games for the first time since 2016 with the Jags.
45. Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, San Francisco 49ers
-2019 Key Stat: 102 QB rating/15-4 overall record
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? No.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? No.
-Pro Football Focus: Unranked
Yesterday, Matthew Stafford and his Lions were a hot topic of discussion on Twitter. This morning, it was Garoppolo:
And this was my reply to Ted's astute post:Why are screens and play fakes coupled together like they are similar?— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) May 6, 2020
You still have to read a defense and make difficult throws on play action. https://t.co/2icWQlf7Le
And really...shame on PFF! Where's the logic, here? The Niners steamrolled the NFC - basically from start to finish - and Garoppolo continued his winning ways at the helm. Remember, a couple years back, before Kyle Shanahan had all of his winning pieces in place, Garoppolo started off like a man on fire. He really didn't have much to work with, yet he became the first QB to start out 5-0 since Ben Roethlisberger. Guy's a winner. He has the moxie. He has the magic; even if he doesn't blow your hair back with his stats.Ted, @PFF didn't even have Garoppolo in their top 101 #NFL players of 2019. Thoughts? #NFLTwitter #49ers— John Frascella (@LegendSports7) May 6, 2020
44. Tre'Davious White, CB, Buffalo Bills
-2019 Key Stat: 6 INTs (most in the game)
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? Yes. A starter.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? No.
-Pro Football Focus: Unranked
Back to "The Eye Test" here. From what I saw, Tre'Davious felt like the second-best corner in the NFL this past season. Yes, he's a ballhawk - as evidenced by his league-leading six interceptions - but he's also physical. I love his physicality and hands-on play. He doesn't back down from any receiver on an island; reputation means nothing to him. And yet...he went unranked by PFF? What happened, there? That's why I can only give them 10% of the weight in my analysis, because sometimes they seem to be ignoring what their eyes are telling them. Or showing them, I guess. Tre'Davious is a stud.
43. Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Cleveland Browns
-2019 Key Stat: 1,035 yards
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? No.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? No.
-Pro Football Focus: Unranked
Oh boy, Mr. Controversial. What do we make of OBJ (or ODB) at this point? Is he really worth the headache? This is kind of No Man's Land in my WR rankings, as he clearly sits outside the elite guys like Thomas, Julio, Hop, Davante, etc. And yet...he's still such an explosive talent. I still think my Jets should try to engineer a trade for him. Sam Darnold needs a true WR1 for his development. And look, OBJ still gained over 1,000 yards despite a wildly dysfunctional situation in Cleveland. Freddie Kitchens was completely overmatched. Mayfield struggled with inconsistency and inaccuracy. We can't simply dismiss Beckham after a wacky season like that. He should be set up for a strong year, this time around.
42. Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons
-2019 Key Stat: 4,466 yards (5th-most)
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? No.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? No.
-Pro Football Focus: Unranked
Speaking of Mr. Controversial...here's another one. Who is Matt Ryan? He was the 2016 NFL MVP - and ya know what? He really was the best player in the game that season. The Falcons were dominating Tom Brady's Patriots in the Super Bowl, until, well...the Falcons started playing like the Falcons and the Pats started playing like the Pats. It was all downhill from there. The Falcons have become irrelevant, as Ryan has bounced from good-to-bad years. 2017? Bad. 2018? Outstanding. 2019? Pretty bad, again. So yeah, who is he at this point? Has "Matty Ice" melted away for good? Look, personally, I can't write off a four-time Pro Bowler and former MVP. The quarterback position is just too important. Ryan still has Julio at his disposal, and we've seen him bounce back in a major way before.
41. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants
-2019 Key Stat: 1,441 total yds/8 TDs in 13 games
-2019/20 Pro Bowler? No.
-2018/19 Pro Bowler? Yes.
-Pro Football Focus: Unranked
Don't forget No. 3 in my criteria - impact on winning. Barkley's been in the NFL for two seasons, and his Giants went 5-11 and 4-12. I mean, obviously, the Giants were completely dysfunctional on the whole - kind of like the Browns - but how important, really, is the running back position? The Chiefs won the Super Bowl with Damien Williams running the rock, and he was once an afterthought backup on a shitty Dolphins' team. The 49ers jumped on Raheem Mostert's back, and he was released a bunch of times in the past. Was Barkley worth the high pick? In a vacuum, he's one of the most talented football players in the world. He's an electric runner and extremely productive pass-catcher. But how much impact does he really have? Is it him, or just the position in general? Or really...are the Giants just THAT bad?
Come back next time for my top 40!
ARCHIVE:
Part 5, Players 51-59
Part 4, Players 60-69
Part 3, Players 70-79
Part 2, Players 80-89
Part 1, Players 90-100
No comments:
Post a Comment