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Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Donald and Travis Kelce are some of the best overall NFL players, but they are all at least 30 or older. Their era in the NFL is nearing its end, but the next crop of superstars in the league is nearly at the top of its game, with the players maturing into their roles as the faces of the NFL's future.
While young stars like Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Ramsey, Josh Allen and TJ Watt are a touch old for this list, they are still a part of the next generation of the NFL.
With the disclaimer out of the way, here's a look at the top ten players under 25 as we head into the 2021 season.
#10 OLB Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers, 24
Fred Warner might just be the lesser-known name on the list, which is a shame. Warner isn't an OLB, but he is a pure ILB who could be the centerpiece of the San Francisco 49ers defense.
The former third-round pick was a First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowler last season, with two INTs, six passes deflected, a sack, 125 tackles, five tackles for loss and seven QB hits.
Over the past three seasons, he has missed zero games or starts, and has had three INTs, 21 passes deflected, five forced fumbles, four sacks and 367 tackles. Warner was rewarded with a five-year, $95 million contract this year. He was ranked #21 in the NFL Top 100.
Also Read: What is Lamar Jackson’s Contract Breakdown?
#9 OT Tristan Wirfs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 22
Tristan Wirfs was the fourth OT taken in the 2020 NFL Draft, but looks to be the best in the class. At RT, Wirfs played at an elite level, never missed a single snap in 20 games, and allowed just a single sack.
He played a key role in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Super Bowl run and would have been ranked higher with a better performance with run-blocking. He will serve as the anchor for whichever QB the team replaces Tom Brady with. Wirfs is at #89 in this year's NFL Top 100.
#8 CB Jaire Alexander, Green Bay Packers, 24
Jaire Alexander is often left out of the conversation about the best lockdown CBs, along with Jalen Ramsey and Xavien Howard. He's extremely physical and can keep up with the fastest WRs in the league.
He was a Second-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowler in 2020 with an INT, a sack, 13 passes deflected, 51 tackles and two tackles for loss. Alexander allowed just 41 catches on 80 targets, and clocked in at #41 in the NFL Top 100.
#7 DE Chase Young, Washington Football Team, 22
Chase Young is the featured defender on Ron Rivera's defensive line and is a fabulous mix of power and speed. He had four passes deflected, four forced fumbles, 7.5 sacks, 44 tackles and ten tackles for loss as a rookie last year.
Young also won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year as the first player in over two decades to have 10+ QB hits and tackles for loss and at least three fumble recoveries in a season. Young could be a pivotal piece as the defense looks to carry the team once more.
#6 DE Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers, 23
Also a DROY, 2019 #2 pick Nick Bosa had an INT, two passes deflected, a forced fumble, nine sacks, 47 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and 25 QB hits last season.
He was much more productive than Chase Young in his rookie year, but his season-ending ACL injury two games into 2020 hurt his stock. We need to see how explosive and agile he is on the field this year as he comes off of rehab. Bosa is one of the players projected to win the DPOY award this year.
#5 WR DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks, 23
DK Metcalf has the frame of an NFL LB and possesses speed straight out of the track. He makes up for his average route-running with speed and physicality at the point of catch.
In the past two seasons, Metcalf has already had 2,203 receiving yards from 141 catches, 17 TDs and a 61.6% catch rate. He had his best season last year with 83 catches for 1,303 yards and ten TDs.
Metcalf is a proper steal from the second round in 2019, and holds the NFL record for most receiving yards in a playoff game as a rookie (163). His 1,303 receiving yards in 2020 is a franchise record with Seattle.
#4 FS Minkah Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh Steelers, 24
If Minkah Fitzpatrick had stayed in Miami, he might not have blossomed into one of the best safeties in the NFL. The Pittsburgh Steelers got the best possible player with the 2020 first-round pick they traded to the Miami Dolphins.
Fitzpatrick has been a Pro Bowl player and First-Team All-Pro the last two seasons with the Steelers, and has nine INTs, two TDs, two forced fumbles, 79 tackles and two tackles for loss in that span.
He has become an elite ball-hawk in the NFL, and always seems to be around the ball carrier. In 2020, he had the lowest completion rate (45.5%) when targeted. He was #52 in the NFL Top 100.
#3 QB Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals, 24
Despite his small stature, Kyler Murray plays well beyond his size, and is a game-changing dual-threat similar to a young Cam Newton or pre-injury Robert Griffin lll. He took college football by storm by winning the Heisman and going number one overall in 2019 after never taking up football before college.
He improved from his rookie season with an 8-8 record, 67.2% completion rate, 3,971 passing yards, 26 TDs, 12 INTs, 819 rushing yards and 11 TDs. He has continued to improve in his young career, and the team around him is stacked this year.
Murray was ranked at #39 in the NFL Top 100.
#2 QB Justin Herbert, LA Chargers, 23
Justin Herbert has one less year of experience than Kyler Murray as the sixth overall pick last year, but looks like a better QB already. Herbert was the 2020 OROY and has the intangibles you want in a QB: big arm, pocket awareness and decision-making.
He also holds the NFL rookie record for the most TD passes in a season (31) and the most 300-yard games in a season (8), and he racked up those numbers with a sub-par offense. Herbert is talented enough to keep his team hanging around as a playoff contender, and slots in at #56 in the NFL Top 100 this year.
#1 QB Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens, 24
Lamar Jackson is the best mobile QB in the NFL, and has improved as a passer with a solid offense (even though his stats dipped from 2019 to 2020). In 2018, he won the Heisman, and was drafted as the last pick in the first round.
Lamar Jackson is just 1-3 in the postseason while having a 30-7 record during the regular season. Going forward, his status as an elite QB will rely on his playoff success and proven results as a passer.
He had 36 passing TDs in 2019 and just 26 in 2020 while throwing for 1,206 yards and seven TDs in 2019, and 1,005 yards and seven TDs last year. Despite the slight regression in his production, Lamar Jackson is a one-man army in the NFL, similar to Russell Wilson.
