It's that time of year again, when NFL players cast their votes to identify the best in the league heading into the 2021 NFL season. Check out the results of this year's voting to see where your favorite players rank.
One of the prettiest runners in the NFL, Cook possesses a quick first step, a gear that can outrun anyone downfield and footwork that can stop on a dime like no other. Between the tackles or headed toward the sidelines, Cook’s shifty running style is a joy to watch for any running back purist and his threat forces defenses to bite hard in play-action. In Year 4, Cook logged career-high numbers with 1,557 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns off 312 carries (5.0 yards per attempt) and added 361 receiving yards to nearly eclipse the 2,000-yard mark from scrimmage.
Baker’s tremendous 2020 not only earned him his first All-Pro season at safety but the mainstream recognition as one of the league’s most thrilling enforcers. His breakout year consisted of 118 tackles (90 solo) with two sacks, two interceptions and a highlight reel that can be put on repeat. The 5-foot-10 projectile is as sure-handed a tackler as they come and he can be found making plays at the line of scrimmage or deep downfield. The highest-ranking safety on the Top 100, Baker’s 78-spot improvement from last year is also categorized as the list’s best.
The NFL’s passing champion in 2020, Watson put up career-high numbers in virtually every passing category available: 4,823 yards, 33 touchdowns, 301.4 passing yards per game, 382 completions, 544 attempts, 70.2 completion percentage, 221 first downs thrown, 12.6 yards per completion and did it all while throwing a career-low seven interceptions. He even added 444 yards and three TDs on the ground. A magician in the pocket, Watson was often a one-man show in Houston.
Howard led the league with 10 interceptions and 20 passes defensed in 2020, which easily earned him a first-team All-Pro nod. The five-year veteran returns to the Top 100 after an injury-plagued 2019, but Howard’s reputation in coverage is well-known. The lockdown corner hasn’t allowed a deep touchdown since becoming a full-time starter in 2017, picking off seven passes on deep throws and allowing just four receptions for 186 yards on 35 deep targets since 2018, per Next Gen Stats, which named Howard as its No. 1 coverage player in 2020.
Notching double-digit sack totals for the third consecutive season, Garrett earned his first first-team All-Pro bid with 12 sacks (18 QB hits), 48 tackles (33 solo, 10 TFL), four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. At 6-foot-4, 272-pounds, Garrett’s combination of size and speed is a major burden for even the elite offensive tackles in the league and he’s often found being the catalyst of Browns’ takeaways that aren’t found on a standard stat sheet. The 25-year-old improves 64 spots on the Top 100 and enters a contract year in 2021 with an improved Browns defense.
Hill set career-high marks in receptions (87) and receiving touchdowns (15) while gaining 1,276 yards and adding two more scores on the ground in 2020. After five playoff-rich seasons, the 27-year-old is starting to prove his consistency when it matters most. In three playoff games last year, Hill caught 21 balls for 355 yards and was a major factor in getting the Chiefs to their second consecutive Super Bowl. Regarded as the fastest player in the NFL, the 5-foot-10 ball of fire reigns as an elite downfield threat who requires the attention of more than one opposing defensive back. Hill improves seven spots in the Top 100 for his highest ranking yet.
To put it simply, Kamara is the ideal running back in the new-age NFL. The Saints’ star established his most productive season with a career-high 1,688 scrimmage yards off 932 rushing yards (187 attempts) and 756 receiving yards (83 receptions) all while scoring 21 total touchdowns (16 rushing, five receiving). Kamara has never fallen short of 80 receptions a season and has materialized into a red-zone bruiser with a tremendous sense of balance and power. In each of his four seasons, Kamara has made the top half of the Top 100 and is poised for another big season approaching a looming payday in 2021.
Ramsey continues to be the league’s premier shutdown cornerback. According to Pro Football Focus, after allowing eight receptions in Week 1, Ramsey allowed just 24 receptions for the remainder of the season while giving up fewer than 25 receiving yards in 11 of those games. Ramsey earned his second First-Team All-Pro honor in his first full season with the Rams. Naturally, the stats have waned as quarterbacks are reluctant to look his way, but Ramsey is also tasked with defending the offense’s toughest assignment week in and week out. The highest-rated CB on the Top 100, Ramsey, 26, portends to be the NFL’s top CB for a long time.
Wilson had a career-high 40 touchdown passes in 2020 and was seven yards short of doing the same in passing yards (4,212). A poster child for consistent success, Wilson has never missed a game during a nine-year career that’s seen the playoffs eight times, and he has yet to allow the Seahawks to have a losing season during his tenure. With an uncanny ability to calmly evade chaos in the pocket and the knack for completing impossible throws, Wilson’s play in crunch time is a credit to the wild Seahawks victories that come perennially. The 32-year-old drops 10 spots from his No. 2 ranking in 2019 despite a big year numbers-wise.
Diggs’ first season in Buffalo was a revelation, leading the league in receptions (127) and yards (1,535), which broke both of Eric Moulds’ single-season Bills records. The 27-year-old also found the end zone eight times in 2020 and gave the league a proper look at what he can do as a No. 1 receiver. The six-year veteran earned his first first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors while improving 43 spots from his No. 54 ranking last year.
