The 101 best players in the NFL today

Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, and Aaron Donald lead Doug Farrar’s and Mark Schofield’s list of the NFL’s top 101 players.

80. Calvin Ridley, WR, Atlanta Falcons

(Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports)

I am never a fan of relying on a single play to summarize an NFL player. But if I were force to pick just one to demonstrate what Calvin Ridley does as an NFL wideout, it would be this catch-and-run against the Kansas City Chiefs:

Facing press alignment, Ridley is able to cross the defender’s face off the line of scrimmage with incredible change-of-direction skills. He then is forced to throttle down and adjust to the throw from the quarterback, and as he does so he avoids a huge collision with the lurking free safety. From there, Ridley races ahead for a 54-yard gain.

Most impressive. But these are the kinds of plays that Ridley delivers. Take this example on a dig route against the eventual Super Bowl champions:

Ridley gets a ton of separation off his break, and again adjusts to the throw, spins away from a lurking safety, and turns this into a huge play.

Last season was by far his most productive NFL campaign, as he set career-high marks in targets (137), receptions (90), yards (1,374) and yards per reception (15.3). With the departure of Julio Jones, there is every reason to think that next year could be even bigger.

Why Calvin Ridley is ready to be the Falcons’ top receiver… if necessary

79. Wyatt Teller, OG, Cleveland Browns

(Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports)

Last season the Cleveland Browns rode an improved offense to the AFC Divisional Round, winning their first playoff game in over twenty years. A big part of their success last year with the offensive system installed by new head coach Kevin Stefanski, incorporating a lot of outside zone run designs with boot-action concepts working off those designs in the passing game.

It helped that the Browns put together one of the NFL’s best offensive lines, and the team placed a pair of guards on this list. First up is Wyatt Teller, who did miss time in the middle of the season but was a dominant force at right guard, particularly in the running game. Given the offensive system in Cleveland, guards need to be quick and athletic to handle the outside zone game, so to that end enjoy this cut-up of Teller’s technique on just some of those plays from 2020:

https://youtu.be/YZHTfuR7yVI

You can expect a lot more of this in 2021.

78. Vita Vea, IDL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

(Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports)

If you want to know how much the Buccaneers missed Vea when he was out due to a fractured ankle from Week 5 through the NFC Championship game… well, Sports Info Solutions has the numbers. Without Vea last season, the Bucs allowed 4.0 yards per carry, had a sack rate of 6.5%, and allowed an EPA per play of -0.04. With Vea on the field, that same defense allowed 2.8 yards per carry, had a sack rate of 9.2%, and allowed an EPA per play of -0.18. That explains what Vea does for Todd Bowles’ defense, and the tape backs it up. Vea had two sacks, one quarterback hit, 13 quarterback hurries and nine stops in his abbreviated season, and his effect on Tampa Bay’s defense in his absence was even more clear.

77. Joel Bitonio, OG, Cleveland Browns

(Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports)

We now complete an offensive guard pair, as Joel Bitonio joins Wyatt Teller on this list. (Although technically the New England Patriots had a pair of their own in Shaq Mason and Joe Thuney. But now Thuney is in Kansas City with the Chiefs and no I’m not mad about it at all. Please don’t put in the newspaper that I was mad).

Where was I?

Right, Bitonio, who has been one of the NFL’s most consistent performers at guard since entering the league. With more and more defenses kicking pass rushers inside on passing downs, as well as the ability of many interior defenders to be pass rushers in their own right, guards have to be able to protect the passer.

Which is a strength of Bitonio’s.

Take the AFC Divisional Round game against the Chiefs. Bitonio saw a lot of Chris Jones in that game, so take some time to watch this cut-up of some of those battles:

https://youtu.be/OX19dJLfkg8

Two very impressive players going after it, but on these plays you can see the footwork, the upper- and lower-body strength, and even the awareness from the Browns left guard. Just some of the reasons why he is one of the NFL’s top guards.

76. John Johnson, S, Cleveland Browns

(Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)

Last season, Johnson was the on-field shot-caller for Brandon Staley’s advanced Rams defense — the defense that got Staley the head coach position with the Chargers, and Johnson a new three-year, $33.75 million contract with the Browns in free agency. It’s a major upgrade for a Cleveland team that had very little at deep safety after rookie Grant Delpit was lost for the 2020 season — the Browns’ safeties combined in 2020 to allow 14 touchdowns to just five interceptions. The addition of Johnson, and Delpit’s return to the field, should set that right.

Last season, Johnson allowed 55 catches on 73 targets for 390 yards, 235 yards after the catch, three touchdowns, one interception, and an opponent passer rating of 95.1. Johnson’s numbers would be better were he to go after the ball more as opposed to trying to knock the heck out of the quarterback’s target, but the effectiveness of the method has generally been proven over time. If you can end a threat from a receiver as physically intimidating as Seattle’s D.K. Metcalf, you’re doing something right.

Rob Gronkowski might want to chime in, as well.

75. Ali Marpet, OG, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

(Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)

Yes, adding Tom Brady to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers paid immediate dividends, as the organization marched to a victory in Super Bowl LV. But anyone who has watched Brady over his illustrious career knows that if he is going to be at his best, he needs stout protection in the interior. Brady — like most quarterbacks — struggles in the face of immediate interior pressure.

Which is why Ali Marpet is on this list.

Take these two plays from Super Bowl LV, which show Marpet and the rest of the offensive line locking things down in front of the veteran passer:

On the second you can see Marpet fighting for every inch of turf in front of Brady, and that fight gives the QB enough time to find Rob Gronkowski late in the down for the touchdown.

Perhaps the game’s biggest play was a touchdown run from Leonard Fournette in the second half. Again we see Marpet helping pave the way:

There is a case to be made that Brady could be even better next year, his second in Tampa Bay. If that comes to fruition, the play from Marpet will be a part of that story.

74. Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons

(Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports)

Entering the 2021 NFL draft the Atlanta Falcons faced a fascinating decision. They could have drafted a quarterback of the future, or looked to continue with Matt Ryan under center.

They made the decision to forge ahead with Ryan, and when you watch him on film you can see why new head coach Arthur Smith feels comfortable moving into the new season with Ryan as his QB. What stands out studying the veteran passer is how he handles the pocket, from his footwork evading pressure and moving through reads as well as how he processes information pre-snap and post-snap:

Sure, the Falcons traded away Julio Jones this off-season, but with the addition of Kyle Pitts and Ryan still playing at a high level, this could remain a potent offense.

73. Brandon Scherff, OG, Washington Football Team

(Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports)

There are a number of reasons why the Washington Football Team did not let Brandon Scherff leave town.

Turn on any Washington game in which Scherff is playing, and you will immediately see the right guard doing things that are dominant at the position, and against top-level talent on the other side of the football.

On this play Scherff is working against Javon Hargrave, a premier talent at defensive tackle. But Scherff just stones him, combining footwork with power and punch up top with his hands.

Next, you see Scherff battling Hargrave again, with the defensive tackle trying a bull-rush:

Hargrave drives Scherff back off the snap, but the right guard fights and fights for every critical inch in the pocket, giving quarterback Alex Smith just enough room to get off a throw to move the chains on a 3rd-and-long situation.

Then there is this play in the running game:

That’s a “you might be wondering how I got here” moment for safety Tre Boston. And yes, I kept the end of that play in the clip when it seems like the safety is asking Scherff that same question…

Scherff has dealt with injuries in the past, such as a torn pectoral muscle in 2018 and a knee injury in 2020. But when healthy, he is among the sport’s elite in the interior.

72. Cameron Jordan, EDGE, New Orleans Saints

(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)

One of the most consistently effective pass-rushers of his generation, Jordan — who was selected by the Saints in the first round of the 2011 draft — has amassed at least 70 total pressures every season from 2015 through 2019. 2020 saw a slight downturn in total pressure with 61 (eight sacks, nine quarterback hits, and 44 quarterback hurries), but that doesn’t mean Jordan was any less available to provide pressure. Often, it meant that he was the one on New Orleans’ line who was double-teamed to that others could get to the quarterback. And even then, as was the case in his three-sack game against the Falcons in Week 11, double-teaming Jordan didn’t work very well, either.

71. Demario Davis, LB, New Orleans Saints

(Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

After bouncing around between the New York Jets and the Cleveland Browns, Demario Davis has found a steady home in New Orleans with the Saints. That has translated into the best football of his career over the past three seasons. 2020 was yet another solid campaign for Davis in the heart of the Saints defense, as he set a career-high mark in quarterback pressures with 22.

These two videos highlight what he brings to the table. In the first play you’ll see him identify the run scheme and get to the ball-carrier behind the ine of scrimmage:

In this clip, you’ll see those pass rushing numbers come to life as he gets to Aaron Rodgers for the sack:

Obviously change is in the air in the Big Easy with the retirement of Drew Brees, but the Saints still have their defensive QB in place with Davis returning to the fold.

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