QB: Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
I have made this list in previous years, and Lamar hasn’t been the top QB option before. That changes this year. Lamar is the fastest quarterback by far, and there is nothing to worry about with his arm strength. He really can do it all, and there will be some plays made this year that no other quarterback can make. What held him back from the top spot previously was how useful the abilities that other QBs had were. Now that abilities have been toned down, Lamar takes the top spot.
HB: Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles
Jahmyr Gibbs was the only one who I would say is close to Saquon for this spot. They both have that elite breakaway speed, but Saquon has that power to give him the all around game. There is nothing that Saquon can’t do. Not to mention he might be running behind the best offensive line in the league as well. The issue with the Eagles is there is nothing on that offense that you can lock in on stopping, so Saquon still won’t see a ton of stacked boxes.
WR: Jamarr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
Jamarr takes the top spot for the wide receivers, after coming off of a triple crown season. He has jumped up to 95 speed, with elite route running and elite juke and break tackle as well. He can do anything you ask of a wide receiver, and is a constant threat to take the top off of the defense as well. He is also only 25, so he is not going anywhere.
TE: George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
Kittle is by far the best blocker out of any players that were in consideration. He still has great speed for a tight end, and has some of the best route running out of the group. He is on the older side, so we will see how long he can hold on to this top spot. I expect Brock Bowers to be in this spot sooner rather than later.
OT: Lane Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles
The second Eagle on our list. There are not many attributes to look at for offensive linemen, so most times the best player is just the highest overall. This may be Lane’s last season, but he will be an elite player until the end.
IOL: Quinn Meinerz, Denver Broncos
Meiners may have the best set of abilities for an offensive lineman. Omniscient is a top tier ability, with secure protector and post up being solid as well. Meinerz is only 26 and just signed a new contract, so he should be a cornerstone of this Broncos team for 5 seasons.
EDGE: Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns.
You could make an argument for Micah Parsons here for that pure speed off the edge, but Myles is a much better run defender. The in game stats for Garrett have been below expectation so far, but it is hard to not see that improving. The big question here is how long can he keep this top spot, as he is 29 years old. I don’t think we see him retire, but how long will he be this dominant force?
DT: Dexter Lawrence, New York Giants
This was a two man race between Dexter and Chris Jones, though I ultimately gave the edge to Lawrence. Both are elite against the run and pass, but Lawrence has slightly better physical attributes that push him slightly above. Either one can take over a game from the middle of the defense.
LB: Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers
This may have been the easiest decision on this list. No other linebacker comes close to the all-around game that Warner has. He is better than some safeties in coverage, and better than some defensive linemen in the run game. There simply are no linebackers that I feel are close to him.
CB: Christian Gonzalez, New England Patriots
It may surprise some people to see Gonzalez over Surtain here, but I stand by it. That 96 speed allows Gonzalez to cover anyone, and at age 23 he will surely close the gap in zone coverage rating quickly. Gonzalez is by far the best player the Patriots have, and should be the best CB for the next 5 seasons.
S: Jessie Bates, Atlanta Falcons
I was torn between Bates and Derwin James, but Bates’ abilities gave him the edge. Deep in and out zone KO means that you really should not get many deep passes off against the Falcons at all. He is a playmaker on the back end that you can trust to do anything. That gives Atlanta a lot of flexibility with the rest of their defense.
