With the NFL offseason in full swing, here are my top 25 players in the NFL. This ranking is mostly based on the players' individual performance this past season. Team success will be taken into account in the way of the value they brought to their respective team this past season. I will also account for availability throughout the season, so injuries do matter!
Maxx Crosby
Christain Gonzalez
Brock Bowers
Micah Parsons
Trent McDuffie
Creed Humphery
Amon-Ra St. Brown
Kirby Joseph
George Kittle
Fred Warner
T.J. Watt
Penei Sewell
Zack Baun
Trey Hendrickson
Tristan Wirfs
Justin Jefferson
Now I know what you may be thinking... "Matt, he is the best WR in football! How is he only number ten?!". My answer is that he is...just not this year.
Don't get me wrong, Jefferson had a phenomenal year, and was one of the biggest reasons the Vikings surprised everyone this past season. Finishing with 103 receptions, 1533 yards, and 10 TDs is nothing to sneeze at, but I just felt he did not have the impact that the other 9 did on their respective teams.
Patrick Mahomes
I almost feel like this may be a little high for Mahomes, however his value is next to none. Mahomes did not put up the monster statistical year we were expecting (3,928 passing yards, 26 TDs, and 11 INTs), however every week he found a way to bring his team to victory. That cannot be ignored, and is why I have him at number 9 in my ranking.
Derrick Henry
I mean, what a year for King Henry! Henry exceeded the already high expectations in his first year in Baltimore, putting up 1,921 rushing yards and 16 TDs. It is hard to imagine him having a better year than he did, however, the reason he is at number 8 is because of how incredible the 7 before him are.
Joe Burrow
Since team success as a whole is not taken into account, Burrow easily makes the top 10 for me.
On paper, Burrow had a career year (4,918 passing yards, 43 TDs, and 9 INTs) however, the reason he is here is because there were certain times when his mistakes cost his team games, and he could not get the job done against the elite teams in the league. Was his defense historically bad? Yes, for sure. But the costly mistakes Burrow made across the season are why he cannot go any higher.
Myles Garrett
I think this year finally put to rest who the best pass rusher in the league was, and it was Myles Garrett.
Garrett is an absolute game-wrecker who can do everything you need him to at an elite level. Having 14 sacks (2nd in NFL) as well as 22 tackles for loss (led the NFL) just showed once again that Garrett, no matter how much you gameplan for him, is going to impact a game throughout all four quarters. The sky is the limit for him.
Patrick Surtain II
As the reigning DPOY, you have to put Patrick Surtain II in the top 5 and not think twice about it.
PS2 was absolutely incredible this past year. He shut down basically everyone he went up against, and ranked among the top in PFF coverage grade, passer rating allowed, and yards per reception allowed. Surtain II brought fear to any quarterback he faced, and showed that he can play anywhere on the field at a world-class level.
Ja'Marr Chase
I think people don't appreciate enough how good of a season Ja'Marr Chase had. It might end up going down as the quietest triple crown (meaning he led the league in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns) of all time. Yes, he was on a bad team with a horrible defense, but he did absolutely everything he could. Without Chase, this Bengals team would have been a lot worse than they were this past season. It is time to put some respect on Chase's name, and crown him as the best receiver in football.
Lamar Jackson
The top-3 for me was extremely hard to differentiate, but I decided to put Jackson at three because I thought the two guys above him brought a little more value than he did. Yes, the stats do say that Jackson should be over the other QB I have ahead of him, but I do think that was because of the team that was built around Jackson.
With all that being said, I mean no disrespect whatsoever, because I can absolutely see why people think he was better than the QB I have ahead of him, but the fact he did not win the MVP also is preventing me from putting him higher than number three on this list.
Josh Allen
Now when we talk about the value a player brings to a team, I think Allen takes the cake. Though many people disagreed, Allen won the MVP for a reason, which is why I have him at number two.
Without Allen, Buffalo would not be even close to the team they are now. Their defense is average at best, and the offensive weapons are much to be desired. However, Allen elevated the entire team this year, carrying them to another AFC Championship game. Sometimes, stats do not tell the whole story, which is why I believe he had a better year than Lamar Jackson.
However, there is only one man who deserves that number one spot on this list, and it is not Jackson or Allen...
Saquon Barkley
In my eyes, Saquon Barkley is the only player who truly deserves to be the number one player on this list, and crowned the best player in the NFL this past season.
After rushing for 2005 yards and 13 TDs, Barklety not only broke records, but made everyone reconsider the value a running back can bring to a team. He showed that a team can still create a winning culture when relying on a running back. Through his unparalleled quickness, football IQ, and ability to run and catch the ball, Barkley is the most lethal weapon the NFL has to offer.
So there you have it, those are, in my opinion, the 25 best players in the NFL from the 2024-25 season. Of course, it would not be a proper ranking if people did not disagree, so be sure to let me know what you think I can right, or what I got horribly wrong!
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Catch you next time!
-Matt Hylen
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