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Mostert entered 2023 at 31 years old, an age by which most running backs start to fall off. Instead, Mostert had by far his best year as a pro, recording his first 1,000-yard season and making his first Pro Bowl. He also couldn’t be kept out of the end zone, tying for the league lead in rushing touchdowns (18) and total touchdowns (21), both more than his career totals up to that point.

For Wagner, 2023 marked a return to his first NFL home in Seattle, and with it a return to vintage Wagner. He made his ninth Pro Bowl and led the NFL in tackles (183) for the third time as a pro, extending his career-long streak of years with 100-plus tackles. Wagner doesn’t look to be slowing down even after a dozen seasons, and he’ll look to bring that playmaking ability and veteran experience to Washington.

After four solid years, Wilkins broke out in 2023 as a key piece of the Dolphins’ lethal pass rush, which ranked third with 56 sacks. For his part, Wilkins had nine sacks, double his previous career high and also set new highs with 62 QB pressures, per Next Gen Stats, and 23 QB hits. Peaking at the perfect time to capitalize on free agency after playing on his fifth-year option, Wilkins signed a four-year, $110 million deal with the Raiders to take his talents out west.

Simmons earned his second Pro Bowl appearance and first since 2020 behind eight passes defensed, 70 tackles and a couple forced fumbles. Though he couldn't replicate his impressive six-interception total from 2022, Simmons’ three INTs brought his career total to 30, more than anyone else since he joined the league in 2016. All this makes him one of the top free agents left on the market after being cut for cap space.

Diggs’ final year in Buffalo involved much discussion of off-field drama, but when he’s on the field one cannot deny his impressive ability to produce year after year. Diggs recorded his sixth consecutive season with 1,000-plus receiving yards, having hit the benchmark in each of his four years as a Bill, and tacked on eight touchdowns. His time in Buffalo might be over, but Houston is receiving a player still putting up WR1 numbers entering his 10th year in the league.

Even through the Panthers’ struggles in 2023, Burns remained a stalwart on the defense, leading the team with eight sacks to go with 18 quarterback hits, 16 tackles for loss, two passes defensed and a forced fumble. He has never had fewer than 7.5 sacks in any of his five seasons and has 46 total since entering the league. Now after a trade to the Giants, the player who calls himself Spider-Man will take his pass rush talents to New York.

Allen earned his third consecutive appearance on this list after recording 5.5 sacks and 19 QB hits, bringing his career total for the former up to 39. Though that’s a bit of a down year for him, he’s also valued by his team and fellow players for his leadership and intangibles, evidenced by the seven-year vet being retained by Dan Quinn to help lead the Commanders into a new era while other pieces were parted with.

Martin has been arguably one of the best guards in the league since he was drafted in 2014, impressing year after year with his consistency. Building a name as an incredibly clean player, Martin’s stat sheet reveals the astounding figure that he has more Pro Bowl nods (nine) than holding penalties in his career (eight). He had just one total penalty in 2023, a false start, on his way to the aforementioned ninth Pro Bowl and a seventh first-team All-Pro selection.

The other mainstay of the Broncos’ secondary in 2023 alongside Simmons was their promising young cornerback Surtain. He has only been in the NFL for three years, but already has seven interceptions, 36 passes defensed, two Pro Bowls, a first-team All-Pro selection and two appearances on this list to his name. Impressively, he also played in all 17 games and 99% of snaps on defense this last year, a bright spot on a defensive unit that largely struggled in 2023.

At times in 2023 it felt as if Allen might have been the only wide receiver on the field catching passes for the Chargers, such was his dominance and status as Justin Herbert's preferred target. Allen had 1,243 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, both the second-best totals in his career. His 150 targets and 108 receptions were double those of any of his teammates and both ranked top 10 in the league.