The top 101 players in the NFL today

Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield present their top 101 players in the NFL for the 2020 season.

60. Myles Garrett, EDGE, Cleveland Browns

(AP Photo/David Richard)

Unfortunately, Garrett’s most infamous on-field action in 2019 — swinging his helmet at Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph — cut his season from 16 games to 10 with an indefinite suspension. Nonetheless, the Browns exercised Garrett’s fifth-year option in April, and then made that redundant in mid-July with a five-year, $125 million contract extension that makes the first overall pick in the 2017 draft the highest-paid edge defender on a per-year basis in the league.

When he’s been on the field, Garrett has done a lot to justify the Browns’ faith in him.

Garrett put up 10 sacks in just 10 games last season, with 49 total pressures and 20 stops. At 6-foot-4 and 272 pounds, Garrett brings an unusual combination of size, speed, power, and technique to the equation. As long as he can keep his head on straight, the 24-year-old Garrett should be one of the league’s premier players at his position for a long time.

59. Denzel Ward, CB, Cleveland Browns

(Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports)

The Browns have had more than their share of first-round busts in recent years (especially in 2012, when they blew it on both Trent Richardson and Brandon Weeden, and 2014, when they blew it on both Johnny Manziel and Justin Gilbert), but the fourth overall selection of Ohio State’s Denzel Ward in 2018 has been one of the league’s better choices. Cornerback is generally a position that requires an adjustment period when one goes from college to the NFL, but Ward hit the ground running, and he’s never stopped. Ward gave up a few big plays in his rookie campaign, but proved mature beyond his years on the field, and the 2019 season showed his further development. Last season, Ward allowed just 31 catches on 69 targets for 426 yards, 128 yards after the catch, one touchdown, two interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 58.0. This despite hamstring injuries that cost him four games, and an ankle issue later in the season.

Ward has great technique and on-field acumen, but it’s his pure athleticism that sets him apart — it allows him to make an exceedingly difficult position look embarrassingly easy at times. If there’s one young cornerback I’d say could be at the top of this list in a year or two, it’s Ward.

58. Carson Wentz, QB, Philadelphia Eagles

(Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports)

“The Duality of Man” is one of those Literature 101 themes, that crops up in a variety of works. Perhaps best displayed in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the theme stands for the proposition that humans are in essence both good and evil. That inside each of us is a struggle between our better angels and our more base instincts and desires.

Given the commonality of this theme, you can transpose it to allmost anything in life. Including football. Take the next quarterback on this list. Benjamin Solak, who in addition to the great work he does for The Draft Network, covers the Philadelphia Eagles for Bleeding Green Nation. In a piece from last September, titled “The Quarterback Who Never Says Die,” Solak tapped into the duality of Wentz, and how what makes him great, makes him flawed in a sense. Quoting at length from a masterful piece:

Carson Wentz again made such plays on Sunday night in a losing effort to the Atlanta Falcons, 24-20. He wore Vic Beasley on his back and welcomed a steamrolling Adrian Clayborn into his ribcage. Cameras tracked his walks to the sideline, his climbs up from the ground, his trip into the infamous blue tent. The box score remembers these plays as late-down conversions at key moments in the fight, but that is somehow not enough. It is not enough, and we all knew that as we watched Wentz peel himself off the turf, the cost of his valor exacted from his body, but not his will. Wentz’s heart dazzled the crowds as he braced it onto his sleeve, but the price of admission for the clinic on competitive toughness wasn’t paid by the people. It was paid by the quarterback.

This is the shadow that hangs, and with it comes a cold wind. How many more times can Wentz turn in a performance as he did last night? Not a performance characterized by endurance, which Wentz showed in spades as the team fought back; nor characterized by self-reliance and creativity, which the situation required, given the lack of offensive weapons at his disposal; but characterized by the lack of self-preservation, the regardlessness with which only a man possessed could offer himself to the game.

On that horizon, the cold wind that blows is Cam Newton, or rather the fraction of him that takes snaps for Carolina today. Large and fast and strong and adamantine, Newton heard the opening bell in 2011 and came out swinging; the league didn’t have an answer. He took the NFL three rounds and two Pro Bowls before he lost even a game to injury, and was back in Round 5 for a league MVP and Super Bowl berth. He broke 10 tackles for every rushing record he set, christened the QB sneak as the QB “there’s nothing sneaky about this, you just can’t stop it anyway.”

But they could stop it — not any one defense, but defenses as a whole. With every hit — several of them late, several of them on slides, many of them uncalled — the giant wheel of NFL misfortune spun, and eventually, Newton landed on red. His 2016 season was one of his worst as a passer, and in the offseason, he had surgery on his throwing shoulder. Two years later, and out routes flutter in the air before dying into the sideline; deep balls are cast like javelins and land with just as much accuracy. Newton took on the NFL, and attrition won.

That is the duality of Wentz. What makes him such a wonderful quarterback to watch, and what has earned the respect of those in the huddle with him, is what might lead to his “injury prone” tag, and the fear that we might never see what he could become in the NFL. This dates back to his days at North Dakota State. Watch one of the games that put him on the #DraftTwitter map, his junior year National Championship Game against Illinois State, and you will see moments that leave you in awe, and yet with the words of Sweet Lou Brown on your tongue. “Nice play Carson, don’t ever [bleeping] do it again.” A quarterback with that never-say-die attitude, who will run defenders over in the open field, and fight until the whistle, and even after.

What makes him great, that attitude and toughness, may result in unfulfilled potential.

Consider his 2017 season. In the midst of an MVP-caliber year, Wentz tucks the football and plows forward, diving for the end zone in a huge road game against the Los Angeles Rams. His touchdown plunge is called back due to a holding penalty, and Wentz returns to the huddle, every so often grabbing at his knee. Four plays later, he throws a touchdown pass.

He then limps to the locker room, with a torn ACL. Dream season over.

Never say die.

57. Quinton Dunbar, CB, Seattle Seahawks

(Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports)

The good news for the Seahawks, who traded a 2020 fifth-round pick to the Washington NFL Team for Dunbar in March, is that Dunbar is one of the league’s best cornerbacks, and was one of just three players to make my list of the best at his position in both man and zone coverage. Dunbar shared that with the two top players on this list, and based on stats and tape, there’s little doubt that he’s one of the NFL’s best. If he’s able to bring his athleticism and acumen to the field in Seattle, he’ll do a lot to bring the Seahawks’ defense back after a few years of worrying regression in the Emerald City. Not too much to ask for a guy who allowed 29 catches on 52 targets last season for 344 yards, 145 yards after catch, two touchdowns, four interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 56.9 in a defense where he was the only credible cornerback.

The bad news for the Seahawks? Dunbar’s legal situation gets weirder and weirder, and there’s no way of knowing how it will turn out. He’s currently on the Commissioner’s Exempt List until further notice.

56. Lavonte David, LB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

(Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)

The offensive side of the football has generated the bulk of headlines in Tampa Bay over the past six months. First, quarterback Jameis Winston threw a whopping 30 interceptions, bringing new meaning to the idea of a “30/30” player in sports. Then this past offseason, Tom Brady took his talents to the Bay and then coaxed former running mate Rob Gronkowski out of retirement.

All of these storylines overshadowed the fact that Tampa Bay’s defense was quietly one of the better groups in the league. This was an almost-porous unit in 2018, when they turned opposing passers into Matt Ryan on a weekly basis. No seriously, in 2018 opposing passers had an Adjusted Net Yards per Attempt of 7.7, a mark which would have placed this generic opposing passer fifth in the league, ahead of Matt Ryan.

But last season, and in particular down the stretch, this was a much better defense. The Buccaneers finished 2019 with a Defensive DVOA of -11.5%, good for fifth-best in the league and a huge improvement over their 2018 finish, which was dead last. Perhaps more importantly, they finished with a Weighted Defensive DVOA of -20.4%, third-best in the league. (Weighted Defensive DVOA places an emphasis on recent performance).

Linebacker Lavonte David was a critical component of this turnaround. Last year was another great campaign for the veteran linebacker, as he notched 18 quarterback pressures, 85 tackles and an interception. He also tallied four passes defensed, tying his career high. David allowed an NFL passer rating of 95.6 when targeted, his best number since his 2013 season.

But the numbers do not tell the full story. Watch what he does on these successive plays against the Houston Texans. First he covers tight end Darren Fells in the flat on a misdirection design, making a sure tackle in space:

Then on third down, he gets to the sideline on a screen to DeAndre Hopkins, preventing a conversion:

The Buccaneers’ offense might continue to gather the headlines in 2020, but if David and the rest of this defense continue to play at this level, watch out.

55. Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Mike Evans Bucs
(Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images)

This is not just the “Brady Effect,” although having the veteran passer on the other end of the connection will certainly put Mike Evans in a position to be successful in 2020.

This has more to do with the simple fact that since coming into the league in 2014, Evans has been one of the NFL’s most consistent producers at the wide receiver position. Over 100 targets, over 60 receptions and over 1,000 yards every single season in the league. That is consistency.

All receivers have a calling card or two. For Evans, one of his is his catch radius. Perhaps a trait he honed at Texas A&M with Johnny Manziel throwing him “YOLO” balls on every drive, Evans is a ball-winner. If the pass is thrown in his direction, odds are he is coming down with it.

But beyond what he can do at the catch point, Evans is smooth as silk off the line of scrimmage. Watch this video package on his releases at the line of scrimmage:

There are many ways to “win” a route. If a receiver can get a clean release at the line of scrimmage, he makes life easier on himself. This video package shows the myriad ways Evans can beat defenders immediately. Using a combination of footwork, upper body strength, and leverage, Evans can get inside or outside a defender in the blink of an eye.

Just watch the quick change-of-direction on this release:

Get yourself some Mike Evans shares now, before it’s too late.

54. Marcus Williams, S, New Orleans Saints

(Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports)

His rookie season was perhaps defined by a single moment in time. A missed tackle at the end of a playoff game that allowed the Minnesota Vikings to pull off a stunning miracle finish in the NFC Divisional Round. But that one moment in time propelled Williams towards becoming one of the NFL’s best players at his position, and last season was no different.

Last season was his best in terms of pass coverage. Williams was targeted 24 times in the passing game, allowing just 12 receptions for 139 yards and a single touchdown, against four interceptions. He gave up an NFL passer rating of just 42.2, his best mark in three seasons in the NFL. A prime example of his ball-hawking ability comes from his interception of Matt Ryan this past season, on a deep throw intended for Calvin Ridley. Williams reads the quarterback’s eyes perfectly and breaks on the throw, taking a perfect angle to undercut the pass:

With his steady growth over the past few seasons, and now with a veteran running mate in Malcolm Jenkins in town, Williams should continue to shine.

53. Eric Kendricks, LB, Minnesota Vikings

(Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

Run defense might be a dying art in the modern NFL, but it is hard to find a better linebacker at stopping the run in today’s game than Eric Kendricks. Last season was another stellar campaign for the Minnesota Vikings’ LB, as he tallied a career-high 93 tackles, and 42 “stops.” He also contributed as a pass rusher, adding 17 total quarterback pressures and a career-high mark of 15 quarterback hurries.

Where he took a big step forward, however, is in coverage. Kendricks was targeted 73 times in coverage last season, and allowed just 39 receptions, a reception rate of just 53.4%. While he allowed a pair of touchdowns, he also notched an interception and a career-high 13 pass breakups. Opposing passers had an NFL passer rating of just 74.8 when targeting Kendricks last season, which was his best mark since entering the NFL.

Watch what he does here on this interception of Jimmy Garoppolo from the Divisional Round:

This is textbook underneath defense from the linebacker.

The Vikings’ defense was very solid in 2019, and as we have seen they have a talented pair of safeties behind him in Anthony Harris and Harrison Smith. But Kendricks is a standout defender in his own right, and should be a huge part of Minnesota’s defense in the season ahead.

52. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas Cith Chiefs

(AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

“No. No I don’t want to. You can’t make me choose between them. I’m make this a tie, I swear I will.”

Okay, so that is not technically a direct quote from me to my editors when given this assignment, but it is pretty darn close.

Look, both Travis Kelce and George Kittle are transcendent players at the position. They both do everything you want and more from a tight end. For years, the knock on Kelce was that he was not a great blocker, but over his time in Kansas City he has worked mightily on his craft, and has become better in that facet of the game as well. Making this decision even harder is the fact that both players operate under coaches that put them in positions to be successful. Andy Reid and Eric Bieniemy put get Kelce a ton of favorable matchups, and having weapons like Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman certainly helps. Kyle Shanahan’s route designs do wonders for Kittle.

In the end, Kittle is four years younger, so he’s got more football ahead of him. A copout? Perhaps. But as these lists are also forward-thinking in nature, ask yourself this: If you could choose between the two to build an offense around for the next five years, which player are you picking?

But these are both great, great players. Kelce is such a weapon in the passing game that putting him atop this list is a certainly reasonable position.

51. Terron Armstead, OT, New Orleans Saints

(Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports)

It took a while, but Terron Armstead put together a tremendous season for the New Orleans Saints in 2019. Last year logged over 1,000 snaps for the first time in his career, and gave up just a single sack, which came in the Wild Card round in New Orleans’ victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

Armstead has put in some time the past few offseasons at “OL Masterminds,” the offensive line clinic put together by Duke Manyweather and Philadelphia Eagles’ right tackle Lane Johnson. You can see some of the technical knowledge on film this past season from Armstead’s game. This video breakdown of Armstead’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars is a good place to start:

Then there is this play, with an actual fake block from an offensive tackle. A thing of beauty:

Finally, if seeing a big man in space is your thing, then well, here you go:

I’ll be honest, that “fake jump set with a head fake” is reason enough to make Armstead a top five offensive tackle.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8, Page 9, Page 10, Page 11