Ranking the Top 200 NFL players for 2022: Part 2
Tier 7 consists of 29 players who generally fall under Pro Bowl consideration at this point in their careers but rarely challenge for All-Pro selections
This is the second part of my top 200 series for the 2022 NFL season. If you haven’t already, please take a moment to check out part one. This will be the shortest article in the series, but that leaves more time to discuss the rankings. Today, we’ll examine the seventh tier of my nine-tier list and get close to cracking the top 100.
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 7: Rising Pro Bowlers
142. David Onyemata, IDL (12) New Orleans Saints
2021 Top 200 Rank: 159
141. Roquan Smith, LB (10) Chicago Bears
2021 Top 200 Rank: 113
140. Jamal Adams, S (15) Seattle Seahawks
2021 Top 200 Rank: 56
139. Carlton Davis, CB (14) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2021 Top 200 Rank: 156
138. Penei Sewell, OT (15) Detroit Lions
2021 Top 200 Rank: NR
137. Marcus Peters, CB (13) Baltimore Ravens
2021 Top 200 Rank: 136
136. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB (9) Cleveland Browns
2021 Top 200 Rank: NR
135. Jordan Mailata, OT (14) Philadelphia Eagles
2021 Top 200 Rank: NR
134. Taylor Moton, OT (13) Carolina Panthers
2021 Top 200 Rank: 110
133. D.J. Reader, IDL (11) Cincinnati Bengals
2021 Top 200 Rank: NR
132. Laremy Tunsil, OT (12) Houston Texans
2021 Top 200 Rank: 111
131. Najee Harris, RB (9) Pittsburgh Steelers
2021 Top 200 Rank: 179
130. Derek Carr, QB (13) Las Vegas Raiders
2021 Top 200 Rank: 107
129. Trey Hendrickson, EDGE (18) Cincinnati Bengals
2021 Top 200 Rank: NR
128. Kirk Cousins, QB (12) Minnesota Vikings
2021 Top 200 Rank: 139
127. Allen Robinson, WR (18) Los Angeles Rams
2021 Top 200 Rank: 54
126. Chase Young, EDGE (17) Washington Commanders
2021 Top 200 Rank: 83
125. Eric Kendricks, LB (8) Minnesota Vikings
2021 Top 200 Rank: 45
124. La'el Collins, OT (11) Cincinnati Bengals
2021 Top 200 Rank: 138
123. Adrian Amos, S (14) Green Bay Packers
2021 Top 200 Rank: 67
122. Kyler Murray, QB (11) Arizona Cardinals
2021 Top 200 Rank: 152
121. Christian Wilkins, IDL (10) Miami Dolphins
2021 Top 200 Rank: NR
120. Frank Ragnow, C (4) Detroit Lions
2021 Top 200 Rank: 106
119. CeeDee Lamb, WR (17) Dallas Cowboys
2021 Top 200 Rank: 155
118. Jevon Holland, S (13) Miami Dolphins
2021 Top 200 Rank: NR
117. D.J. Moore, WR (16) Carolina Panthers
2021 Top 200 Rank: 161
116. Kyle Pitts, TE (6) Atlanta Falcons
2021 Top 200 Rank: 128
115. Joe Mixon, RB (8) Cincinnati Bengals
2021 Top 200 Rank: 150
114. Shaq Mason, G (7) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2021 Top 200 Rank: 108
Tier 7 consists of 29 players who generally fall under Pro Bowl consideration at this point in their careers but rarely challenge for All-Pro selections. A few players in this tier returning from disappointing or injury-shortened campaigns have high upward mobility and could find themselves in next year’s top 100.
There are a handful of players in Tier 7 who have earned All-Pro nods in the past, including Jamal Adams, Eric Kendricks, Marcus Peters, Frank Ragnow, and Roquan Smith. Those five players missed 37 games combined in 2021. With his sack production gone, Adams’ value tanked in Seattle. Kendricks had some uncharacteristic struggles in coverage. Meanwhile, Peters missed the whole season with a torn ACL, and Ragnow missed 13 games with a foot injury.
Smith was the only member of the five to appear in all 17 games. However, the All-Pro requirements for linebackers are lower than other spots, considering the lack of high-end players at the position. Smith still has plenty of flaws he needs to address, especially in run defense.
Seven of the players in Tier 7 didn’t make the top 200 last year, including second-year rising stars Najee Harris, Jevon Holland, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Kyle Pitts, and Penei Sewell. If you read the first edition of this series, you’d know the 2021 NFL Draft is already well represented in the top 200. Tier 7 brings the total to 12 second-year players in the top 200.
Harris, Holland, Owusu-Koramoah, Pitts, and Sewell all have paths to the top 100 by the end of the season. However, there’s just as much hope for CeeDee Lamb, Jordan Mailata, D.J. Moore, or Christian Wilkins making the leap. All of those players had breakout seasons in 2021, except for Moore, who remains one of the NFL’s most consistent receivers despite horrendous quarterback play.
Allen Robinson also has top 100 potential now that he’s in Sean McVay’s offense and taking over for Odell Beckham Jr. as Matthew Stafford’s second option. Robinson was a top 60 player and the No. 8 wide receiver on last year’s rankings before scraping together just 410 yards in 12 appearances.
There’s an interesting mix of quarterbacks in Tier 7. I suppose we can call this the most controversial bunch of quarterbacks in the league, considering it contains Derek Carr, Kirk Cousins, and Kyler Murray, three quarterbacks who frequently draw the ire of fans. Sometimes they deserve it, but Carr, Cousins, and Murray are easily above-average quarterbacks who belong in the top 200. They might’ve all made the top 100 if I favored positional value when building the top 200.
Adrian Amos, La'el Collins, Trey Hendrickson, Shaq Mason, David Onyemata, and D.J. Reader are some of the lesser-known members of Tier 7. These are veteran players with multiple seasons of high-end, Pro Bowl-worthy play under their belts. Unfortunately, this group never gets enough credit from everyday football fans because of their roles or the teams they play for.
Chase Young was a top 100 player entering the 2021 season, but he severely underperformed before suffering a torn ACL, which will cut into his 2022 season. I recently re-watched some of Young’s Ohio State tape, which reignited my belief that he can be a top pass rusher in the NFL. Hopefully he takes 2022 to get back on track and comes out on fire in 2023.
Offensive tackle was the most popular position in Tier 7. Five tackles made appearances. We’ve already touched on Collins, Mailata, and Sewell, but Taylor Moton and Laremy Tunsil deserve mentions. Tunsil is one of the NFL’s best pass blockers, but he’s not as sturdy in the running game. The two-time Pro Bowler is returning from a torn UCL.
Moton hasn’t made a Pro Bowl yet, but it’s growing harder to overlook the right tackle. He hasn’t missed a start since his rookie season in 2017. The Panthers finally got him some help this offseason in the forms of Austin Corbett and Ikem Ekwonu, but for years Moton was the equivalent of Jon Snow standing alone against a charging army.
Carlton Davis and Joe Mixon are the only players from Tier 7 I haven’t mentioned yet. Davis isn’t an All-Pro-caliber cornerback, but he’s the top option on one of the league’s best defenses. Mixon certainly made a nice jump up the rankings this year. He was No. 15 among running backs in 2021 compared to No. 8 this summer. Mixon averaged 95 yards from scrimmage per game over the past four years, including at least 70 rushing yards per game during that span.