It's that time of year again, when NFL players cast their votes to identify the best in the league heading into the 2022 NFL season. Check out the results of this year's voting to see where your favorite players rank.
The highest-ranking undrafted player in this year’s Top 100, Jackson is getting the recognition he deserves coming off his first Pro Bowl season. Jackson, 26, collected eight interceptions (one pick-six) and tallied a league-high 23 passes defensed in his fourth season. His 25 INTs since entering the league in 2018 lead the NFL, justifying his self-proclaimed “Mr. INT” nickname. Quarterbacks throwing Jackson’s way garnered a 48.4 passer rating and posted a completion percentage allowed under expectation of -8.9% in 2021, per Next Gen Stats. With the league-wide appreciation following his fourth season came a hefty payday for Jackson, whose ballhawking services were attained by the Chargers on a five-year, $82.5 million contract.
Samuel’s debut in the Top 100 comes on the heels of a breakout season that left defensive coordinators scratching their heads. While posting career highs in receptions (77), receiving yards (1,405) and receiving touchdowns (six) in 2021, Samuel added 365 yards and eight scores as a rusher to finish third in the league in total scrimmage yards. Samuel’s threat out of the backfield added an extraordinary dynamic to the 49ers offense and unquestionably spurred San Francisco’s late-season run to the NFC Championship Game. Earning All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods for the first time, Samuel led the league in yards per reception (18.2) and notched a 6.2-yard per rush average to emerge as one of the most unique playmakers in the NFL.
Leonard continues to build his reputation as one of the NFL's premier defensive playmakers following his third All-Pro season. In 2021, the Colts linebacker produced 122 tackles, four interceptions, eight passes defensed, three fumble recoveries and reached new heights with a league-high eight forced fumbles. What Leonard lacks in size, he makes up for in spirit, energizing his teammates on and off the field, having the fortitude to play through injury and maintaining that intensity with the ball in his hands. Earning his highest ranking in the Top 100 after his fourth season, Leonard has never been ranked outside the top 50 since his inception into the league.
The third-youngest player featured on the Top 100, Jefferson, 23 years old and three weeks younger than the player at No. 16, followed up his stellar rookie campaign with 108 receptions for 1,616 yards and 10 touchdowns to improve his ranking 36 spots (second-best improvement on the 2022 Top 100). Possessing an uncanny ability to find open space and the athleticism to run some of the smoothest routes in the league, Jefferson’s exuberance on the football field not only sets him apart from his contemporaries but makes him the poster child for Generation Z. To think the Vikings’ young star is still improving after consecutive Pro Bowl seasons is chilling, especially as he approaches his first season with an offensive-minded coach in 2022.
Parsons, the reigning AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, burst onto the scene with an unforgettable rookie season that only previews what the Cowboys linebacker can do. Parsons turned in 84 tackles, 13 sacks, 20 tackles for loss, 30 QB hits and three forced fumbles in 2021, becoming the only rookie in the past 25 seasons with 80-plus tackles and 10-plus sacks. How he did it all makes it all that more impressive. Parsons started out as a blossoming off-the-ball linebacker until injuries along the Cowboys’ defensive front found the defender equally excellent at rushing the quarterback, culminating in Parsons receiving All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors before his 23rd birthday.
Regarded as one of the NFL’s fastest players, Hill’s consistent production earns him consecutive No. 15 rankings after he put up a career-high 111 receptions (1,239 yards, nine touchdowns) during his final season in Kansas City. Hill’s capabilities around the football field are a dreamscape for creative offensive coordinators, and his manic quality when possessing the ball beguiles both defenders and viewers alike. Hill has yet to end a season without being on a Pro Bowl roster. His persistent threat on the field and on the stat sheet has rookie head coach Mike McDaniel racking his brain in Miami after acquiring the league’s fastest cat this offseason.
Williams is the highest-ranking offensive lineman in the Top 100 coming off what was strangely enough his first All-Pro season. The nine-time Pro Bowler anchors the run and pass blocking of a 49ers offense that is oftentimes allowed to be complex because of their stalwart left tackle. Leading the league at his position with a 96.6 player grade from Pro Football Focus in 2021, Williams became the highest-paid OL in NFL history before the season and the 34-year-old delivered his best year in return, improving 28 spots in the Top 100.
Allen falls out of the top 10 despite continuing his role as one of the league’s most exciting quarterbacks. Allen followed up his breakout season in 2021 with 409 completions (franchise record) for 4,407 passing yards and 36 touchdowns (15 interceptions) while adding 763 rushing yards (franchise record for a QB) and six more scores on the ground. The 26-year-old vastly improved the accuracy of his cannon arm in his fourth season, completing 28 of 68 deep attempts (passes of 20-plus air yards) for 954 yards with a 100.7 passer rating, per Next Gen Stats. With the Bills locking in their franchise QB with a $258 million contract extension last offseason, Buffalo’s favorite son will be providing big-play moments for many years to come.
Although the sequel to King Henry’s historic 2,000-yard rushing season was plagued by injury, there’s an esteemed reputation that precedes Tennessee’s bruiser. Henry nearly eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark despite being limited to eight games in 2021 (937 rushing yards) and still managed to find the end zone 10 times. Stopping the 6-foot-3, 247-pounder is a daunting task for any opposing defense, and he’s one of the few RBs in today’s NFL who can take over the temperament of a game with his throwback rushing style.
With a career-high 16.0 sacks in 2021, Garrett produced a double-digit sack total for the fourth consecutive season and earned consecutive All-Pro honors to boot. Garrett’s knack for wreaking havoc off the edge shows from last year’s 33 QB hits, 43 hurries and 17 tackles for loss, and it was wonderfully displayed within a dominant 4.5-sack performance in Week 3 and an epic strip-sack touchdown return in Week 12. With the 28-year-old entering the prime of his career, Garrett is poised to enter rarified territory in Browns history and maintain his presence within the Top 100’s highest-rated players.
