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.

59. Denzel Ward, CB, Cleveland Browns

Denzel Ward Browns
(Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports)

One has to love what the Cleveland Browns are putting together, even if you are not a fan of the team. After making a run to the AFC Divisional Round a year ago, Cleveland has continued to assemble an impressive defense. They added Greg Newsome II in the draft along with linebacker/slot defender Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, and the free agency additions of John Johnson III and Troy Hill make this an imposing secondary on paper.

But Denzel Ward might be the biggest piece of that unit. Since entering the league in 2018 Ward has been a standout coverage corner, and last season was another impressive year. While he did allow six touchdowns when targeted, Ward also notched a pair of interceptions, ten pass breakups and one of the better tackles you’ll see a CB make:

Given their moves this off-season, Cleveland must believe the way to the AFC Championship game starts with stopping Patrick Mahomes. If they accomplish that goal, Ward will be a huge part of the effort.

58. Garett Bolles, OT, Denver Broncos

(Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)

Bolles, the Broncos’ first-round pick in 2017, didn’t come into 2020 looking like a guy who would somehow become one of the NFL’s better left tackles. He allowed 16 sacks and 77 total pressures in his first three seasons, and those metrics weren’t vapor — Bolles looked overwhelmed on the field more often than not. And then, the proverbial light went on, and Bolles became the player the Broncos hoped he would be. In 622 pass-blocking reps last season, Bolles gave up no sacks, eight quarterback hits, and five quarterback hurries — and that was with a quarterback in Drew Lock whose field awareness often made protecting him tougher than it should have been.

As he showed in this 92-yard touchdown pass from Lock to Jerry Jeudy against the Raiders in Week 17, Bolles has the control through the arc and recovery strength you want in a blindside pass-protector. The Broncos didn’t even wait for the 2020 season to end before they rewarded Bolles for his career year, giving him a four-year, $68 million contract extension last November.

57. James Bradberry, CB, New York Giants

The acquisition of James Bradberry by the New York Giants was one of the quieter moves last off-season, but it paid off in a big way for Joe Judge and Dave Gettleman. Bradberry had his best season as a professional, setting career marks with interceptions (three, tying his previous-high set in 2019) and passes defended (14). He also allowed just 44 receptions and a completion percentage of just 56.4%, also career-best numbers.

What stands out watching him is his patience and technique. You saw this early, in a Week 1 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers:

Many cornerbacks panic in this situation and attack early, leading to a pass interference penalty. Bradberry is patient and plays “up through the pocket,” punching the football out and breaking up a potential big play.

The Giants are quietly assembling a stout roster — although their success or failure hinges on quarterback Daniel Jones — and Bradberry is a huge part of what they have built on the defensive side of the football.

56. Nick Bosa, EDGE, San Francisco 49ers

(Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports)

Bosa’s return to form is another reason NFC West quarterbacks will find things to be more difficult in 2020. San Francisco’s defense was waylaid by injuries in 2020, and the torn ACL that limited Bosa to just 68 snaps in his second NFL season was perhaps the most damaging of all. Bosa ranked second on our list of edge defenders after his rookie campaign, which is unusual — generally speaking, rookie pass-rushers have to come to terms with their relatively limited array of technique, as well as the quality of NFL blockers. But Bosa hit the ground running from his first game, and kept it up all the way through Super Bowl LIV, where he put up an MVP-caliber performance. The 49ers obviously missed Bosa’s presence last season — not to mention his 14 sacks, 20 quarterback hits, and 68 quarterback hurries — and a return to form would obviously do a lot to help Kyle Shanahan’s team become postseason contenders again.

55. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints

(Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports)

Kamara was most notable for his incredible game against the Vikings in Week 16 last season, when he scored six rushing touchdowns and blasted through Mike Zimmer’s defense for 155 yards on 22 carries.

But that’s not all there is to Kamara’s game, of course. He’s a fabulous runner, but he’s also a major part of Sean Payton’s passing game, and that will continue to be the case as the Saints transition from Drew Brees to whatever combination of Taysom Hill and Jameis Winston happens in 2021. Given the fundamental limitations of those quarterbacks, Kamara might see even more targets than the 115 he had in 2020, putting up 88 receptions for 793 yards and five touchdowns. As was the case with Reggie Bush and Darren Sproles in Payton’s offense, few backs are better at moving linebackers and safeties by motioning from the backfield to the slot pre-snap.

54. Darius Leonard, LB, Indianapolis Colts

(Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)

Since coming into the league in 2018 Darius Leonard has been one of the NFL’s most consistent performers at the linebacker position. Leonard is a force against the run, has the ability to put pressure on opposing passers when tasked with blitz responsibilities, and can handle the zone and man coverage responsibilities asked of linebackers in today’s game.

On this play against the Jacksonville Jaguars you see that ability to get to the opposing quarterback and be a disruptive force in the pocket:

And if you have the awareness to read and react to everyone’s favorite play, even better:

The scary part? Leonard might just be getting started, and he remains motivated to continually refine his craft. The best could still be ahead.

Watching tape with Colts All-Pro linebacker Darius Leonard

53. Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings

(Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports)

Of all the backs on this list, Cook may have the widest gap between production and recognition. This could be because he’s on a team that missed the playoffs last season, and hasn’t advanced beyond the divisional round since his rookie season of 2017, but there’s no doubt, when looking at both metrics and tape, that Cook is one of the NFL’s best backs over the last few seasons. Only Derrick Henry had more rushing yards than Cook’s 1,557, which he amassed with 312 carries, averaging five yards per carry and scoring 16 rushing touchdowns along the way. Cook forced 68 missed tackles last season, and gained 1,039 yards after contact — he and Henry were the only backs to break the 1,000 yards after contact barrier last season. With his vision and acceleration, Cook might be the best inside/outside zone runner in the league, which perfectly fits Minnesota’s preferred running styles.

52. Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers

(Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports)

There was perhaps no more fascinating storyline to the 2020 NFL season than the debut of rookie passer Justin Herbert. Pressed into action after a medical incident involving starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor, Herbert shined in his first NFL season. There were two aspects to his play that are of note.

First, the scheme fit. Herbert showed during his time at Oregon his ability to read leverage in the secondary and attack accordingly, particularly in the downfield passing game. Offensive coordinator Shane Steichen and QB coach Pep Hamilton deserve a ton of credit for crafting an offense suited to that trait.

Then there is how Herbert handled pressure in the pocket. This was not a strength of his coming out of Oregon, but the rookie showed the ability to hang in the pocket in the face of pressure and deliver to all levels of the field.

Those traits will serve him well in 2021 and beyond.

51. Darren Waller, TE, Las Vegas Raiders

(Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports)

“Matchup nightmare” is a phrase commonly used to describe talented tight ends, and the description certainly applies to Darren Waller. Waller is the latest in the modern move tight end mold, a player who can run routes with the footwork and quickness of a wide receiver, but whose size and frame make him tough for a defensive back to cover.

The kind of player you gameplan for, like Bill Belichick did earlier this past season.

Even being limited in that outing against the New England Patriots, Waller put up impressive numbers in 2020. He caught 107 passes for 1,196 yards and nine touchdowns, all of which were career-high marks. What stands out the most watching him, at least for me, is the change-of-direction skills, which you see on this route against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

But I also love seeing plays like this, with the tight end chipping on the edge before releasing downfield:

Waller has certainly found a home with the Las Vegas Raiders, and a few more seasons like 2020 might see him crash the top-two party at the position.

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