Three players from the Green Bay Packers landed on the first half of Pro Football Focus’s list of the top 101 players from the past decade of the NFL.
Left tackle David Bakhtiari, receiver Jordy Nelson and guard Josh Sitton were all recognized among the first batch of PFF’s best players from the 2010s.
Players ranked between No. 50 and No. 101 were released on Monday and Tuesday. The second half of the list, which is likely to feature other Packers, will drop on Wednesday and Thursday.
Bakhtiari, a four-time All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowler, ranked No. 84. He is considered by PFF to be the second-best pass-blocking offensive tackle of the decade, trailing only Joe Thomas.
From PFF on Bakhtiari: “Only Thomas had a higher PFF pass-blocking grade over the decade, and Bakhtiari has done it while pass-blocking for Aaron Rodgers, who consistently holds the ball longer than almost any other quarterback. Bakhtiari has now had six straight seasons with a PFF pass-blocking grade of 85.0 or better, with three of those seasons going well into the 90.0s.”
Nelson came in at No. 69. A favorite target of Aaron Rodgers, Nelson’s career passer rating when targeted was 116.7, per PFF. Between 2011-16, Nelson caught 397 passes for 6,098 yards and 57 touchdowns.
Sitton, at No. 68, was the highest-ranked Packer on the first half of the list. PFF labeled him as one of the top pass-blocking guards of the last decade.
PFF on Sitton: “He went on a run of four straight seasons in the decade of posting a PFF pass-blocking grade above 90.0 and peaked in 2014 at an absurd 94.9, which remains the highest single-season pass-blocking grade we have given to any offensive lineman.”
Rodgers, outside linebacker Clay Matthews, defensive back Charles Woodson and edge rusher Julius Peppers will almost certainly be included in the top half of the list.