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#11. Khalil Mack
#12. DeAndre Hopkins
#13. Jalen Ramsey
#14. Russell Wilson
#15. Calais Campbell
#16. Cameron Jordan
#17. Harrison Smith
#18. Fletcher Cox
#19. Drew Brees
#20. Carson Wentz
Just outside my top ten lands Khalil Mack. He might not be the type of fluid, bendy edge guy Von Miller is, but boy is he whupping people. He is a terror in the run game and takes offensive tackles back for a ride into the quarterback’s lap routinely.
D-Hop has emerged as one of the premiere receiving threats in the game, and there is no doubt about it. In the last four years with a combination of nine different quarterbacks, he has averaged 1266 yards and nine TDs per year, but he just punked defenders last season.
It is only fitting to put his arch nemesis and division rival Jalen Ramsey right behind him. I was extremely high on Ramsey coming out of FSU, but not even I could have imagined him being the league’s top corner coming into just his third season.
Wilson might be the most valuable player in the NFL if you really look at what he means to his team. He hasn’t had a somewhat competent offensive line in front of him in a couple of years now, he has never had a true outside weapon and he still carries them to nine or ten wins every season.
The Jaguars already had a lot of talent, but once Calais Campbell came into town, he changed the culture and helped their defense become a dominant unit, as he recorded a total of 73 pressures, rushing inside and out.
Cam Jordan might have just been the most underrated player in the entire league heading into 2017, and I’m still not sure if he gets the credit he deserves. This was his third straight year of more than 50 pressures and he took his game to a new level with 74 a piece, 12 batted passes, and a touchdown.
The blame game continues. Can someone please explain to me how Harrison Smith was not voted into the Pro Bowl? At least he still made the trip as an alternative and was named first-team All-Pro. Smith is the most complete safety in the league and received PFF’s highest grade ever at the position.
While I believe Aaron Donald is the unquestioned premiere interior D-lineman, Cox would reign supreme without him. While he is not quite as quick as Donald, Cox is the most powerful force on the inside. He excels in both the run and pass game.
Next up are my last two quarterbacks in my top five. Drew Brees is still among the elite in the game, completing 72 percent of his passes with a 3:1 TD-to-INT rate and a QB rating of 103.9.
With a more run-centric offensive approach his totals went down a little, but when his team really needed him, like they did against the Redskins last season, he can still take over games.
Wentz was my league MVP through week 13 last year. I was as surprised as anybody about how the Eagles train just kept on going all the way to a Lombardi trophy, but don’t let that fool you about Wentz’s greatness.
His numbers were off the charts, but the situational excellence and ability to extend plays were even better.
