Baltimore Ravens
O- Marquise Brown
Marquise Brown leads his team in reception touchdowns. With his blistering speed and elusiveness after the catch, he has the tendency of keeping opposing defenses honest. Defensive coordinators around the league have this guy circled in their gameplan, along with Lamar… Who should they prioritize?
D- Patrick Queen
Patrick Queen not only led his team in interceptions, forced fumbles, and tackles, he led all AFC middle-linebackers in the three stats. Queen developed into a defensive superstar over the course of the season, and he is attributed to most of their defensive success. Look for him to be a household name by the end of season 2.
Buffalo Bills
O- Josh Allen
Josh Allen was a superpower this year in PML. Not only did he throw for 47 touchdowns on this season, he also RAN for 20 more. With a weapon like that, Allen is a clear indication of why the Buffalo Bills had success in their division.
D-Micah Hyde
Micah Hyde was in all of the statlines on his team. He led the Bills in tackles while still being top 3 for interceptions and 2nd in forced fumbles. A player with that all-around talent is rare to come by and Buffalo has one in Hyde.
Cincinnati Bengals
O-Tyler Boyd
Tyler Boyd had to step up this year. There isn’t much to say about the Bengals offense after their loss of Joe Mixon early in the season. Leading his team in receiving touchdowns, the next closest teammate is at 6. While he wasn’t Burrow’s favorite target, he definitely made more of his receptions count than others.
D- Chidobe Awuzie
Chidobe Awuzie has proven that this one is a no brainer. Any CB that has 4 defensive touchdowns deserves some sort of recognition. Chidobe Awuzie has almost as many touchdowns as rookie WR Jamarr Chase, Awuzie having one less. Awuzie was almost more of a threat than the entire Bengals offense, so we tip our hats off to him for keeping the Bengals relevant-kinda.
Cleveland Browns
O-Nick Chubb
Nich Chubb is one of the more dominant RB in the league. With 13 rushing touchdowns on the season, he has more rushing touchdowns than the rest of his team combined. He also tacked on 4 receiving touchdowns, proving that he can be trusted with the ball in the air. Being such a dominant player allows the Browns to be two-dimensional with ease.
D-Greedy Williams
Greedy Williams was the secret backbone of the Browns defense. He led his team in forced fumbles , interceptions, and defensive touchdowns . As a CB, he even racked up 2 sacks on the season. Greedy has proven that he can play defense this year.
Denver Broncos
O- Melvin Gordon
Melvin Gordon may have unlocked a new dimension of his game: Receiving. As a RB, he had a 1,000 yard season in reception yards, tailing only TE Noah Fant on his team. With his trademark wheel routes, Gordon was practically uncoverable in most situations. He may be trying out for WR come next season.
D-Patrick Surtain II
Patrick Surtain II is looking just like his father when he played. Racking up 11 interceptions on the season, he led his team and the AFC in this category. For those that were overlooking him and setting him in his dad’s shadow, beware… for he is just getting started.
Houston Texans
O-Christian Kirk
Christian Kirk had a great year as a WR. Leading his team in reception yards and touchdowns, he was practically the only offense that the Texans had. His reception yards place him 4th in the NFL, and 2nd in the AFC only behind the speedster Darnell Moss. Kirk switched teams midseason due to a trade, but it is clear that he made himself right at home in Houston.
D-Desmond King II
Desmond King II is another CB that deserves recognition for his ability to turn opponents’ mistakes into points for his team. With 4 defensive touchdowns on the season, he almost has more touchdowns than all of the RB on his team. King has shown that he is deadly when it comes to making little mistakes, keep this in mind next time you target his assignment.
Indianapolis Colts
O-Carson Wentz
Carson Wentz did a great job taking care of the football. Throwing for 25 touchdowns may not seem like a lot, but only having 8 turnovers on the entire season is phenomenal. The Colts defense is thanking Carson for keeping them off the field and keeping them in the lead. Aside from the final game of the season, Wentz did the greatest quarterbacking we have seen in a while. The offensive numbers may not be there, but Wentz did his team wonders by limiting mistakes.
D- DeForest Buckner
DeForest Buckner is a frontrunner for MVP this season. With 17 sacks and 28 tackles for loss, he spent more time in the backfield than some quarterbacks this season. Offensive scheming for Buckner is a must when it comes to matching up against the Colts, because if you forget to, then there is no hope for you.
Jacksonville Jaguars
O-Eric Ebron
Eric Ebron has shown us that age is just a number. He led his team in reception yards and touchdowns, while also playing the most downs out of the WR/TE group. His longevity and endurance has enabled him to still be the threat that he was in Indianapolis. Teams have to gameplan for someone like Ebron, because he can run routes and block exceptionally well.
D-Shaquill Griffin
Shaquill Griffin hoisted 9 interceptions on the season. While doing this, he took 3 of them to the house. A CB with the ability to force fumbles is a CB that can be deadly in the pass and run game. Griffin also recorded a sack on the season, showing that he can be put in any situation and yield results.
Kansas City Chiefs
O-Tyreek Hill
Tyreek Hill not being on this list would be a disservice for the entire league. Teams have to base their entire gameplan on Tyreek, and it still isn’t enough. Hill had 16 receiving touchdowns and just short of 1500 yards on the season. Speed kills… The numbers do not lie.
D-Chris Jones
Chris Jones plugged up the middle of the field with ease. Tallying up 9 sacks and 16 tackles for loss, he led his team in both categories. Having a player of Jones’ caliber can do so much for a team’s defensive coordinator. From what it looks like, Jones just does his own thing and thrives in the trenches. He will be an interior force for years to come.
Las Vegas Raiders
O-Darnell Moss
Darnell Moss. Frontrunner for Offensive Player of the Year. WR of the Year. Do we need to say any more? Moss is the only WR in the league to surpass 2000 yards in the season. Along with that, he also had 21 receiving touchdowns.. The next best WR having 16. If you thought dealing with Tyreek Hill was bad, Darnell Moss is a whole other beast.
D- Casey Hayward Jr
Casey Hayward Jr has shown that coaches should give the veterans a chance to do their thing. 11 interceptions in his 12th year as a CB is not something to overlook. Not only did he get those interceptions, he also converted 5 of them into defensive touchdowns. Throwing to Hayward’s side is a death sentence, best to look somewhere else.
Los Angeles Chargers
O-Austin Ekeler
Austin Ekeler was an animal on the ground. He reached the endzone 22 times while tallying up 1600 yards on the ground. Combining his receiving yards and rushing yards, he had himself a decent 2000 yard season. Having someone that can create plays on the ground helps a lot for a young QB like Justin Herber.
D-Derwin James Jr
Derwin James Jr is a defensive threat in the air and on the ground. Hauling in 6 interceptions, he led his team in the category. He also led his team in forced fumbles with 3. A defensive back that can do both doesn’t pop up often, the Chargers would be smart to keep him around.
Miami Dolphins
O-Jaylen Waddle
Jaylen Waddle had quite the campaign in his rookie season. Almost surpassing the 1500 yard mark, he totaled 18 touchdowns in the air and 1 on the ground. He will be a top WR in the AFC East for the rest of his contract, keeping defensive coordinators up at night with his unique speed.
D-Andrew Van Ginkel
Andrew Van Ginkel is the ultimate package as an OLB. He totaled 13 sacks on the season, absolutely blowing everyone else on his team out of the water. With those sacks, he also registered 5 interceptions and took one back for a defensive touchdown. All OLB should be taking notes on this guy, because he literally does it all.
New England Patriots
O-James White
James White was a madman out of the backfield. With 14 rushing touchdowns plus 5 receiving touchdowns, he just broke the 1500 yard mark to close off a decent year. Out of all of the offense, he gets the most utilization and most teams have to gameplan for him or they face the consequences.
D-Stephon Gilmore
Stephon Gilmore once again proves how he earned Defensive Player of the Year a couple years ago. Leading his team in interceptions with 9, he accounted for an entire half of the field. If a QB was unlucky enough to be throwing in that half, Gilmore snagged it and brought it back to the house, which he also did 3 times.
New York Jets
O-Michael Carter
Michael Carter had a 1300 yard rushing season with 17 touchdowns to go along with the yards. Reeling in 4 receiving touchdowns also helped extend his campaign to surpass the 20 touchdown mark. Carter is the diamond in the rough over in New York, hopefully he continues to produce.
D-Marcus Maye
Marcus Maye is another one of those DB that does literally everything. Leading the league with tackles at 131, leading his team in interceptions at 10, and leading his team in forced fumbles at 7, he was a defensive powerhouse on the Jets. Along with those stats, he also scored 3 defensive touchdowns. Maye is the complete package.
Pittsburgh Steelers
O-Chase Claypool
Chase Claypool was practically the only WR in Pittsburgh that scored touchdowns. Leading the team with 13 reception touchdowns, he almost reached the 1400 yard mark. Claypool was known for getting those deep jump balls on streak plays, we will most likely be seeing him dominate in the air again next season.
D-Devin Bush
Devin Bush is one of those MLB that you can entrust with running your defense. He is a defensive coordinator’s dream, and an offensive coordinator’s nightmare. Bush accounted for 4 defensive touchdowns on the season, and led his team in tackles. He was also quick to the backfield, totaling to 17 tackles for loss. For a MLB, that is incredible.
Tennessee Titans
O- Derrick Henry
Derrick Henry is and always will be the top RB in the league up until he retires. The man is unstoppable on all cylinders. Very seldom do you see a team be able to hold him under 100 yards and a couple touchdowns. While on the subject, Derrick Henry ran for 36 touchdowns and caught 2 others. He also never fumbled the ball… That is impressive for anyone that gets 250+ touches a year. Also- he missed a game as well.
D-Janoris Jenkins
Janoris Jenkins had a great veteran year on the Titans. Leading his team with 8 interceptions, he showed that veteran knowledge can compensate for the loss of his youth. He even returned 3 turnovers for defensive touchdowns. The CB even recorded a sack. Anywhere that he could contribute, he did in a dominant fashion.
