Ranking the Top 200 NFL players for 2022: Part 3
We’re preparing to enter the top 100 of my list of the top 200 NFL players entering the 2022 season
We’re preparing to enter the top 100 of my list of the top 200 NFL players entering the 2022 season. This edition covers Tiers 6 and 5, taking us from player No. 113 to No. 57. The fourth and final article in this series will cover the league’s top players hours before opening kickoff in Los Angeles on Thursday, Sept. 8 as the Los Angeles Rams face the Buffalo Bills.
Part 1: Nos. 200-143 l Part 2: Nos. 142-114
Every player picked for this list is accompanied by their position, team, and rank at their position (in parentheses). I’ve included the positional rankings to give readers a better understanding of how players stack up against their competition.
The positional rankings used for the top 200 came from a position-by-position breakdown I conducted over the past two months. You can find those rankings at the links below.
Quarterbacks l Running Backs l Wide Receivers l Tight Ends l Offensive Tackles l Guards l Centers l Edge Rushers l Interior Defensive Linemen l Linebackers l Cornerbacks l Safeties
I factored in past success, age and regression, injuries, supporting cast, and scheme to generate these rankings. There was some projecting involved during this process. Breakdowns occur at the end of each tier.
It’s worth noting that some injuries occurred after I put these rankings together, so players like Ryan Jensen and Tyron Smith will still appear even if they’ll miss most of the year.
All statistics come from NFL.com, Pro Football Focus, and Pro Football Reference. Please direct any comments or concerns to @Sam_Teets33 on Twitter or the comment section.
*Indicates rookie
Tier 6: Stars in Limbo
113. D.K. Metcalf, WR (15) Seattle Seahawks
2021 Top 200 Rank: 62
112. Dallas Goedert, TE (5) Philadelphia Eagles
2021 Top 200 Rank: 160
111. Brandon Scherff, G (6) Jacksonville Jaguars
2021 Top 200 Rank: 59
110. Grady Jarrett, IDL (9) Atlanta Falcons
2021 Top 200 Rank: 71
109. Za'Darius Smith, EDGE (16) Minnesota Vikings
2021 Top 200 Rank: 86
108. De'Vondre Campbell, LB (7) Green Bay Packers
2021 Top 200 Rank: NR
107. Jason Kelce, C (3) Philadelphia Eagles
2021 Top 200 Rank: 176
106. Ronnie Stanley, OT (10) Baltimore Ravens
2021 Top 200 Rank: 40
105. Brian Burns, EDGE (15) Carolina Panthers
2021 Top 200 Rank: 97
104. Jack Conklin, OT (9) Cleveland Browns
2021 Top 200 Rank: 90
103. Jessie Bates III, S (12) Cincinnati Bengals
2021 Top 200 Rank: 42
102. Corey Linsley, C (2) Los Angeles Chargers
2021 Top 200 Rank: 96
101. Harrison Smith, S (11) Minnesota Vikings
2021 Top 200 Rank: 52
100. Minkah Fitzpatrick, S (10) Pittsburgh Steelers
2021 Top 200 Rank: 47
99. Jordan Poyer, S (9) Buffalo Bills
2021 Top 200 Rank: 115
98. Chandler Jones, EDGE (14) Las Vegas Raiders
2021 Top 200 Rank: 58
97. Trevon Diggs, CB (12) Dallas Cowboys
2021 Top 200 Rank: NR
96. Stephon Gilmore, CB (11) Indianapolis Colts
2021 Top 200 Rank: 79
95. Keenan Allen, WR (14) Los Angeles Chargers
2021 Top 200 Rank: 74
94. DeMarcus Lawrence, EDGE (13) Dallas Cowboys
2021 Top 200 Rank: 85
93. Jeffery Simmons, IDL (8) Tennessee Titans
2021 Top 200 Rank: 118
92. Terry McLaurin, WR (13) Washington Commanders
2021 Top 200 Rank: 142
91. Michael Thomas, WR (12) New Orleans Saints
2021 Top 200 Rank: 80
90. Joe Thuney, G (5) Kansas City Chiefs
2021 Top 200 Rank: 101
89. Micah Hyde, S (8) Buffalo Bills
2021 Top 200 Rank: 162
88. Chris Godwin, WR (11) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2021 Top 200 Rank: 129
87. Danielle Hunter, EDGE (12) Minnesota Vikings
2021 Top 200 Rank: 63
86. Marlon Humphrey, CB (10) Baltimore Ravens
2021 Top 200 Rank: 50
85. Shaquil Barrett, EDGE (11) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2021 Top 200 Rank: 91
84. Rashan Gary, EDGE (10) Green Bay Packers
2021 Top 200 Rank: NR
83. Marshon Lattimore, CB (9) New Orleans Saints
2021 Top 200 Rank: Honorable Mention
82. Budda Baker, S (7) Arizona Cardinals
2021 Top 200 Rank: 109
81. Dak Prescott, QB (10) Dallas Cowboys
2021 Top 200 Rank: 81
80. Demario Davis, LB (6) New Orleans Saints
2021 Top 200 Rank: 87
79. Lamar Jackson, QB (9) Baltimore Ravens
2021 Top 200 Rank: 68
78. Robert Quinn, EDGE (9) Chicago Bears
2021 Top 200 Rank: NR
77. Bobby Wagner, LB (5) Los Angeles Rams
2021 Top 200 Rank: 29
Tier 6 consists of 37 players who have earned All-Pro consideration in the past and are positioned to compete for those selections in 2022. This is where we start to see elite talent and multi-time All-Pros still in their primes. Tier 6 players have high upward and downward mobility and are often among the ten best players at their positions.
It became much more difficult to properly rank players for this tier. Please consult the positional rankings below if you see a selection you want more information on.
Quarterbacks l Running Backs l Wide Receivers l Tight Ends l Offensive Tackles l Guards l Centers l Edge Rushers l Interior Defensive Linemen l Linebackers l Cornerbacks l Safeties
Lamar Jackson and Dak Prescott are the only quarterbacks in Tier 6. Jackson was a top 20 player following his MVP season, but that was two years ago. Injuries caused him to miss five games last season, and he finished the year with uninspiring passing numbers. This season will decide whether Jackson gets back into the top 50 or drops out of the top 100 completely.
Prescott is an impressive quarterback that many franchises would love to employ. However, he stops short of the position’s elite tier.
Keeping linebacker De'Vondre Campbell outside of the top 100 while Demario Davis and Bobby Wagner are in the top 80 was a questionable decision on my part. Campbell was a First-Team All-Pro in 2021, but I’m worried about him regressing toward the mean of his usual play. Wagner turned 32 this offseason, and his play is beginning to slide. However, he’s still an impactful defender at a thin position across the NFL.
Six safeties found their way into Tier 6. Frankly, most of them should be significantly higher. This elite group includes current and former All-Pros Budda Baker, Jessie Bates III, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer, and Harrison Smith. These players deserve higher spots, which is why so many are crammed toward the bottom of the top 100.
The safety grouping and positioning in Tier 6 is likely the biggest flaw in my top 200 list this year. Safety is one of my favorite positions in the league, but I struggled to evaluate this group against players at “premium” positions with question marks like Trevon Diggs, Chandler Jones, Michael Thomas, etc.
Outside of safety, the edge and wide receiver positions were well-represented in Tier 6. Five wide receivers fell in the tier, including former All-Pros Chris Godwin, D.K. Metcalf, and Michael Thomas. This is the last season where I’ll include Thomas in the top 100 based on his prior accomplishments. One more injury-shortened season and he’s out of there.
Some people might argue in favor of moving Godwin or Metcalf up the ranking. There are too many high-level wide receivers for Godwin, who tore his ACL and MCL late last year, to crack the top ten. Metcalf is an elite physical talent, but he failed to surpass 1,000 yards last season. I doubt that changes with Drew Lock and Geno Smith at the helm.
Eight edge rushers appeared in Tier 6, including the duo from Minnesota. Danielle Hunter and Za'Darius Smith are two of the league’s most productive sack artists (and former Second-Team All-Pros) when healthy, but they’ve both missed significant time recently.
Rashan Gary was the only edge rusher besides Maxx Crosby to top 80 pressures in 2021. Meanwhile, Robert Quinn’s 18.5 sacks ranked second in the league, trailing T.J. Watt’s 22.5.
We also need to talk about the cornerback situation before discussing Tier 5. Four cornerbacks appear in Tier 6, including 2021 interception leader Trevon Diggs and former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore. Despite mounting injuries and age concerns, Gilmore is still an effective cornerback when healthy.
Diggs falls this far down the board because of his high-variance play. It’s doubtful he’ll reach double-digit interceptions in back-to-back seasons, and a reduction in interceptions would be a critical blow to his value.
Tier 5: Fighting for Elite Status
76. DeForest Buckner, IDL (7) Indianapolis Colts
2021 Top 200 Rank: 34
75. Vita Vea, IDL (6) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2021 Top 200 Rank: 48
74. Darius Slay, CB (8) Philadelphia Eagles
2021 Top 200 Rank: NR
73. Denzel Ward, CB (7) Cleveland Browns
2021 Top 200 Rank: 123
72. A.J. Brown, WR (10) Philadelphia Eagles
2021 Top 200 Rank: 35
71. Mike Evans, WR (9) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2021 Top 200 Rank: 76
70. Tyrann Mathieu, S (6) New Orleans Saints
2021 Top 200 Rank: 46
69. Austin Ekeler, RB (7) Los Angeles Chargers
2021 Top 200 Rank: 167
68. Tre'Davious White, CB (6) Buffalo Bills
2021 Top 200 Rank: 70
67. Darren Waller, TE (4) Las Vegas Raiders
2021 Top 200 Rank: 65
66. Matthew Stafford, QB (8) Los Angeles Rams
2021 Top 200 Rank: 163
65. Von Miller, EDGE (8) Buffalo Bills
2021 Top 200 Rank: 94
64. Alvin Kamara, RB (6) New Orleans Saints
2021 Top 200 Rank: 30
63. Kenny Clark, IDL (5) Green Bay Packers
2021 Top 200 Rank: 149
62. Cameron Jordan, EDGE (7) New Orleans Saints
2021 Top 200 Rank: 75
61. Rashawn Slater, OT (8) Los Angeles Chargers
2021 Top 200 Rank: NR
60. Justin Simmons, S (5) Denver Broncos
2021 Top 200 Rank: 51
59. Terron Armstead, OT (7) Miami Dolphins
2021 Top 200 Rank: 53
58. Marcus Williams, S (4) Baltimore Ravens
2021 Top 200 Rank: 98
57. Antoine Winfield Jr., S (3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2021 Top 200 Rank: NR
Tier 5 selections are all ranked among the top ten players at their positions. These are proven All-Pro caliber players with elite physical profiles or production. Several Tier 5 selections are aging veterans with Hall of Fame cases, and many of these players will have several years of “generational” play.
The interior defensive line cluster is well represented in Tier 5 with three selections. DeForest Buckner, who was nearly a top-30 player last year, and Vita Vea lost ground in the latest rankings. Buckner failed to follow up his 2020 All-Pro run with an equally impressive campaign, and I adjusted my view of Vea’s value given his skill set and role.
Kenny Clark was a massive winner for the defensive line. He leapfrogged Buckner and Vea by posting the fourth-most pressures by an interior defensive lineman in 2021.
Safety also had another strong showing as four players cracked Tier 5 and three ranked in the top 60. Justin Simmons, Marcus Williams, and Antoine Winfield Jr. earned spots at the top of Tier 5 for their consistent high-level play. Williams and Winfield have never earned All-Pro selections from the Associated Press, but that could change very soon.
Tyrann Mathieu is the lowest-ranking safety in this tier. The three-time All-Pro recently turned 30 years old, and he’s not as impactful as he was a few years ago. However, Mathieu remains one of the game’s most versatile defensive backs.
Several of Mathieu’s colleagues in the NFC South earned spots in Tier 5. His teammates Cameron Jordan and Alvin Kamara earned top-70 selections, while Mike Evans joined Vea and Winfield for Tampa Bay. Evans is the definition of consistency. Even with nagging injuries and Tom Brady spreading the ball around, he always finds a way to reach 1,000 yards while posting big touchdown numbers.
Some of the rarer positions also found their way into this tier. Matthew Stafford and Darren Waller are the only players from their positions in Tier 5. Austin Ekeler is the only running back in either tier we’ve covered today outside of Kamara.
The three cornerbacks and two tackles in this tier were difficult to rank. Rashawn Slater is a newcomer to the Top 200 who earned Second-Team All-Pro honors in 2021. Terron Armstead is the more experienced player, but he has a massive list of past injuries that could limit his availability in Miami.
Cornerbacks Darius Slay, Denzel Ward, and Tre'Davious White are all in the same bucket for me. Slay quickly plummeted down the cornerback ranks before he revived his career with a phenomenal 2021 campaign. However, it’s difficult to predict if the 31-year-old will continue his elite play or sink back into his 2019-2020 mediocrity.
Ward is the Tier 5 player I’m projecting for the most. He hasn’t had an All-Pro season yet, although he’s flirted with postseason accolades during his impressive four-year career. Ward also carries an injury history that has cost him 13 games since he entered the league.
White is a perennial All-Pro candidate when healthy. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL last season and will miss at least the first four games in 2022 as he continues recovering.
The last players we haven’t mentioned from Tier 5 joined new teams this offseason. Tennessee traded A.J. Brown to Philadelphia, and Von Miller signed with the Buffalo Bills. Brown and Miller have elite physical traits, but they’re prime candidates to drop in next year’s rankings.
Philadelphia’s suspect passing attack has several mouths to feed, and Brown already wasn’t a high-volume receiver in Tennessee. He might never produce the numbers needed to crack the top 50 annually. He’s also building a worrisome injury history.
Miller played well but not great with Denver early last year before taking a time machine back to 2015 with the Rams. He was lights out late in the year and in the playoffs. The Bills could preserve Miller’s 33-year-old legs by rotating their plethora of edge rushers. However, age and Buffalo’s rotations could limit Miller’s production.