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Jones matched a career high with 15.5 sacks in the 2022 regular season (highest among DTs), also tacking on another two during the playoffs on the way to his second Super Bowl ring. For his efforts, PFF ranked Jones as the best interior defender in the league, and he was rewarded for his play with his fourth-consecutive Pro Bowl selection and a third-place finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting.

Parsons has been the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up in each of his two seasons, winning Defensive Rookie of the Year in his first campaign. Considering the numbers he’s put up and his ability to line up in multiple positions, it’s no wonder Parsons has accumulated so many accolades in his short career. Parsons ranked top-10 in sacks (13.5), QB hits (26) and forced fumbles (3) in 2022, with all three matching or setting career highs.

Since Allen joined the Bills, Buffalo has had a string of successful seasons not seen by the franchise since the '90s, and in 2022, he led his team to a 13-3 record and yet another AFC East crown. Individually, Allen had his third straight season of at least 4,000 passing yards and became the only player in NFL history to record at least 35 passing and five rushing touchdowns in three different seasons, per NFL Research.

The Cheetah switched teams ahead of the 2022 season, and the sunny beaches of Miami seemed to suit him nicely. He led the sixth-ranked Dolphins offense with his 1,710 receiving yards, averaging just over 100 yards per game. That total was a career high for Hill by a margin of over 230 yards and placed him second in the league in receiving yards.

Burrow remains one of the best young quarterbacks in the game, finishing top-five in most major passing categories and placing second in completion percentage (68.3), TDs (35) and passing yards per game (279.7). All this earned Burrow his first Pro Bowl nod and a fourth-place finish in Most Valuable Player voting. Cincinnati is expected to reward his play handsomely with an imminent extension that could put him among the highest-paid at his position.

In his 10th year, Kelce continued to reach new heights and cement his status as one of the greatest tight ends to play the game. Kelce broke the record for most games with 100+ receiving yards with 35, became only the fifth TE all-time to have 10,000 career receiving yards, and set new records for career postseason receptions (133) and TDs (16) by a TE on the way to his second Super Bowl win.

Bosa was named the Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 and finished sixth in MVP voting (highest among defensive players), well-deserved accolades considering his performance. He was the league leader in sacks (18.5) and QB hits (48) and finished second in tackles for loss (19). Still only four years into his career, Bosa continues to build momentum as one of the top pass rushers in the league.

In his second season as starter, Hurts led his Eagles to the best record in the league and a Super Bowl appearance, while putting up individual stats that earned him the runner-up spot in MVP voting. As one of the top rushing QBs in the league, Hurts finished with 760 yards and 13 TDs, the latter fourth among all positions. His poise under pressure and mobility shot Hurts to the top of this year’s list.

Jefferson just keeps getting better and better in his short career. His league-leading marks in 2022 already place him sixth and seventh, respectively, all-time for receiving yards (1,809) and receptions (128) in a single season. With one of the greatest seasons by a WR ever, Jefferson was named Offensive Player of the Year and finished fifth in MVP voting, the highest placing for a non-QB this year. And he’s still just 24 years old.

What else is there to say about Mahomes? We all know the stats, the records broken, the MVP awards won. He took his growing legend to a new level in 2022 by leading his Chiefs to a second Super Bowl victory on a sprained ankle, making his No. 1 ranking on this list a deserved accomplishment, though just one of many he added to his résumé last season.