Top 25 NFL players under 25 Patrick Mahomes takes top spot Saints lead all teams with three stars

Wiki Article

It's never easy moving on from the heroes we grew up watching, the ones who might've made us fall in love with football or furthered our pa sion for the sport, but with the arrival of , , and , the future of football is here. It wasn't so Yao Ming Jersey long ago that the idea of , , , , and Ben Roethlisberger reaching the final stages of their illustrious careers would've been terrifying, but with the arrival of the aforementioned quarterbacks, saying goodbye to aging Hall of Famers isn't so scary anymore. The future of football is already here, and it's just as bright as what came before. , I'm asked to a semble a list of the top 25 NFL players under the age of 25. Every year, the exercise provides a reminder that the NFL is oversaturated with young talent. It's not just the aforementioned trio of quarterbacks, two of whom have won MVP trophies in the past two seasons, one of whom has already captured the first Lombardi Trophy of his career. It's also the 22 other players who made their way onto the list. Unfortunately, the exercise isn't just a reminder of how stacked the NFL is with young talent. It's also a taxing proce s that requires leaving off 20 or so players under the age of 25 who deserve to be on the list, but just couldn't fit. This year's list is no different. There are more than 25 great players who are under the age of 25. From (a bad 2019 season that wasn't entirely his fault) to (just not enough volume in the ' offense) to (a torn ACL) to (the edge rusher who just had 10.5 sacks, not the quarterback), a ton of worthy players were snubbed. I'll be the first to admit that. There are only 25 spots on this list and there are undoubtedly more than 25 great young players in today's NFL. Tough decisions had to be made. As for how the list came to be, let's go over the rules. As I wrote a year ago ...The list is not a draft. This is not a situation where every player under the age of 25 was placed in a pool and then redrafted into the league. If the list was a draft, there'd be far fewer running backs on the list because running backs just aren't valuable enough to justify their selection in a draft with this many good players who play far more important positions. I am not Dave Gettleman. So then, what is the list based on? What they've done so far:How well has the player played to this point in their career? Recent succe s matters more than past succe s, but past succe s still matters. Availability also matters. That's why someone like Chubb, who tore his ACL in Week 4, mi sed out. It's not his fault he got hurt, but I couldn't put him on the list after his second season ended with only one sack in four games.Future projection:What is this player's ceiling? This isn't just a list about prior accomplishments. It's also about the future too. Positional value:It's not a draft, but positional value is a factor -- just not the only factor. You'll find plenty of running backs on this list, because it's not their fault they play the least valuable position on either side of the ball and because they should be rewarded for how dang good they are at playing their position. But you won't find them that high up the list because they do happen to play the least valuable position on either side of the ball. It's a balance.What disqualifies a player from the list? Age:Being 25 years old or older. I repeat: If a player is already 25 as of Thursday, May 21, he is disqualified.Experience:Being a rookie, since we have no way of knowing how good or how bad or how mediocre they'll be in the NFL. You won't find or on this list. If they perform well in the upcoming season, they'll be on next year's list. But first, we need to see it.At the end of the list, you'll find a list of notable omi sions -- these are the players I desperately wanted to find a spot for, but just couldn't. If you think that one of the notable omi sions deserved to make it over someone on the list, I don't blame you. They were all tough decisions. Finally, some quick facts about the list: Nineteen of the 25 players alsoFourteen of the 25 players are offensive players.Out of the 14 offensive players, four are quarterbacks, six are running backs, three are receivers, and one is an offensive lineman. No tight ends made the list, although Mark Andrews of the Ravens came awfully close. Out of the 11 defensive players, three are edge rushers, one is a defensive lineman, one is a linebacker, two are cornerbacks, and four are safeties. So, every position on defense is covered.One team had three players selected: the .Four teams had two players selected: the , , Ravens, and .The Colts were the only team to have two players in the top 10, with the Chargers barely mi sing out.The AFC outnumbers the NFC, 14-11.Even though there are only four quarterbacks, the top three spots all belonged to quarterbacks.Even though there are six running backs, only one finished in the top half of the list -- mainly because of positional value. There were 13 carryovers from last year's list. Out of the 12 players who did not make the cut this year after ranking in the top 25 a year ago, seven of them were disqualified due to age. Out of those seven 25-year-olds, two wouldn't have made the list even if they were still under the age of 25, namely due to their performances in 2019. Those two players? and . The five players who mi sed the list due to performance and/or injury reasons? Bradley Chubb (), (), (took a slight step back in 2019), JuJu Smith-Schuster (a bad 2019 season that wasn't entirely his fault), and (a mediocre 2019 season).Without further delay, the list itself ... 25. Saints S (23) Despite snagging 10 interceptions during his first three seasons ( ), it still feels like Williams is underrated. This past season, he posted a career high in pa ses defended with 13 (he had 10 in his previous two seasons combined) and finished as Unfortunately for Williams, his involvement incontinues to overshadow just how good of a player he's been since the Saints took him 42nd overall in the 2017 draft. 24. RB (24) Finally, after a couple of injury plagued seasons, it all came together for Cook in 2019, when he totaled 1,654 yards and 13 touchdowns in a 14-game season. 2019 was the first season where we saw just how great Cook can be if he can stay entirely healthy. In his entire career, he's averaging 5.4 yards per touch. For Cook, it's all about staying healthy. He's mi sed 19 games in three seasons. 23. WR A.J. Brown (22) First, it's important to note that Brown is due for regre sion in 2020. That's not an indictment of Brown, but rather a testament to how remarkable Brown was during his rookie season. He caught 52 pa ses for 1,051 yards and eight touchdowns, meaning he averaged an incredible 20.2 yards per catch. That number is bound to regre s in 2020. But even if the regre sion monster comes for Brown, he should remain the focal point of the Titans' pa sing game and one of the best young wideouts in all of football. While his efficiency numbers might decline, don't be surprised if his skills as a receiver improve. He's only entering Year 2. 22. WR (24) Over the past two seasons -- the entire duration of Sutton's career to this point -- the Broncos have started the following quarterbacks: , , , and . So, what Sutton has already accomplished at this stage of his career is even more impre sive. Despite playing with those aforementioned quarterbacks, all of whom are not very good (with the notable exception of Lock, who still has a chance be good), Sutton is averaging 57 catches, 908 receiving yards, and five touchdowns per season. This past season marked his breakout. Despite playing with three of those four quarterbacks, Sutton posted career highs in catches (72), receiving yards (1,112), and touchdowns (six). As the Broncos fill out their offense around Sutton and as Lock matures, Sutton should continue to ascend in Denver. 21. DL (24) Is Clark still underrated? It certainly feels that way. He's the type of interior defensive lineman who's capable of both plugging the run and generating pre sure. Over the past three years, he's averaged 5.5 sacks, 33 solo tackles, 7.3 quarterback hits, and 7.7 tackles for lo s per season. Like all interior defensive linemen, Clark's contributions are often overlooked as edge rushers around him rack up more sacks. But Clark is an elite player at his position group. He's tied with Chris Jones (too old for the list), who entered the NFL the same year, in career approximate value. He deserves recognition for his dominance in the trenches. 20. Browns RB (24) Chubb is yet another example of how teams don't really know how to evaluate players in the draft. In the 2018 NFL Draft, the Browns grabbed Chubb with the third pick in the second round. Which means Chubb was the fourth running back off the board. The three running backs taken before him? , , and . Only Barkley is a better player than Chubb, but considering where they were drafted (No. 2 overall compared to No. 35), it's Chubb who represents better value. Put another way, the Giants would've been better off drafting someone else (they had a ton of options) at No. 2 and then getting Chubb at No. 34. Through two seasons, Chubb has totaled 2,917 yards and 18 touchdowns from scrimmage while averaging 5.3 yards per touch. , he ranks fifth in yards from scrimmage among all running backs. 19. QB (22) Fresh off an that included 3,722 pa sing yards, 20 pa sing touchdowns, 12 interceptions, an 87.4 pa ser rating, 544 rushing yards, and four touchdown runs, Murray appears to be one of the next great NFL quarterbacks. But he still has a little ways to go until he reaches the heights that the three quarterbacks ranked atop this list have already hit, something that is confirmed by the advanced metrics. By DYAR, he ranked 21st -- only one spot ahead of . By DVOA, which measures value per play, he also ranked 21st. And by QBR, which takes into account his rushing contributions, However, given the circumstances -- he was a rookie starting for the worst team in football, behind a bad offensive line, with a rookie coach, and against the league's toughest division -- he was brilliant. After the Cardinals engineered the trade of the offseason to acquire , Murray should only continue to ascend. Murray ranks this high because he's primed for an even better sophomore season after an already impre sive rookie season -- remember, future projection matters too. Also, he plays quarterback, the most valuable position in the sport. That gave him a boost. 18. Saints RB (24) If Kamara wasn't a running back, he'd rank far higher on this list. Even still, Kamara is the perfect running back for the modern NFL. For one, he was drafted by the Saints in the third round, proving yet again that teams can find great running backs at a tremendous value. Two, he can do a bit everything. As a runner, he's averaging 802.7 yards and nine touchdowns per season, and 5.0 yards per carry. As a pa s catcher, he's averaging 81 catches, 689.3 yards, and 3.3 touchdowns per season, and 8.5 yards per catch. In New Orleans, where he's been catching pa ses from Drew Brees in Sean Payton's offense, Kamara has found a perfect home. In turn, the Saints have the perfect running back for the modern NFL and Payton's offense. 17. RB Saquon Barkley (23) Barkley . In that sense, he's done almost all that he can to justify the Giants' decision to draft him No. 2 overall two years ago. He's racked up 3,469 yards and 23 touchdowns from scrimmage while averaging 5.6 yards per touch. The problem is, despite Barkley playing out of his mind during the past two seasons, the Giants have posted a 9-23 record. Barkley really is the perfect example of how running backs simply don't matter the way other position groups do. It's not Barkley's fault the Giants have sucked the past two seasons. But there's nothing he can really do to drag them out of the gutter. 16. Saints CB (24) This marks Lattimore's third straight year making an appearance on this list. While he peaked on this list after his rookie season, for which he won, he's still been remarkably consistent since the Saints drafted him 11th overall in 2017 with eight interceptions, 44 pa Eric Gordon Jersey ses defended, and 168 combined tackles. Earlier this offseason, the Saints picked up his fifth-year option, which shouldn't come as a surprise. Letting him leave as he enters the prime of his career would be colo sally stupid. The Saints should sign him to a long-term deal at some point in the next year. At best, he's been a star (2017). At worst, he's been a consistently good starter (2018-19). 15. RB (24) Since he entered the league in 2016, Zeke by a wide margin with 7,024 yards. In second place? with 6,200 yards. Given the trajectory of Gurley's career, he's unlikely to ever catch Elliott, who is coming off a 1,777-yard, 14-touchdown season. Like all running backs, Elliott's value is limited. Players like and hold far more value to the Cowboys. But Elliott had done everything in his power to help justify the Cowboys' decision to draft him at No. 4 in the 2016 draft over the likes of and , neither of whom qualified for this list. (Note: They still should've drafted Ramsey or Buckner). 14. Ravens CB (23) Lamar Jackson's MVP-level brilliance overshadowed just how well the Ravens' defense performed in 2019, when they finished the season as . Consider that the ' defense finished only one spot ahead of the Ravens, but because the Steelers' defense was constantly bailing out and , they drew all the acclaim. For the most part, the Ravens' defense was under-appreciated because they were never the most impre sive aspect of their team thanks to Jackson and the rest of the offense. But the Ravens' defense was great in 2019 and for that, they owe a lot to Humphrey, a 2017 first-round pick who blo somed in Year 3 with three interceptions (bringing his career total to seven), 14 pa ses defended, 65 combined tackles (a career high), and two defensive touchdowns. According to PFF, he produced an incomplete pa s on 22.5 percent of his targets, 13. DE (22) Heading into the 2019 NFL Draft, some argued that the Cardinals should just give another year as their starting quarterback and take Nick Bosa with the first-overall pick. While the Cardinals' decision to draft Murray was entirely justified given his presence on this list after only one season, Bosa's dominant rookie season with the 49ers, who took him at No. 2, also demonstrates why so many pundits thought he was worthy of the top pick. Like his brother before him, Bosa immediately emerged as a premier edge rusher with nine sacks, 16 tackles for lo s, and 25 quarterback hits. In the 49ers' Super Bowl lo s to the , , according to Pro Football Focus, which was tied for the most pre sures in a single playoff game since 2006. In three playoff games, he recorded four sacks. Per PFF, he was , trailing only T.J. Watt and , neither of whom are eligible for this list. Don't be surprised when Bosa ranks in the top 10 a year from now. 12. S (24) If the Jets do continue to take offers for Adams, they could score a hefty ransom for one of the game's best safeties. It's been three seasons since Adams entered the NFL as the sixth-overall pick in a 2017 draft that produced some notable busts near the top, and in those three seasons, Adams has racked up 273 combined tackles, 12 sacks, 23 quarterback hits, 28 tackles for lo s, and two interceptions -- one of which he took back to the house. According to Pro Football Focus, there have only been . Both belong to Adams. Since his career began in 2017, 11. Chargers S (23) It's a testament to James' rookie season that he's still ranked this high, because in 2019, James was only available for five games due to . But about that rookie season in 2018: James immediately emerged as the league's best hybrid safety, recording 3.5 sacks, three interceptions, and 105 combined tackles -- enough for him to be named first-team All-Pro. Obviously, by ranking him this high after an injury-wrecked season, the expectation is that he'll pick up right where he left off in 2020. 10. Steelers S (23) If you thought the Steelers gave up too much when they sent (Minkah, not Ryan) last season, Fitzpatrick proved you (and me) wrong in a single season. The Steelers managed to win eight games without because of their defense, which and led the league in takeaways with 38. And their defense was as great as it was largely because of Fitzpatrick, who contributed five interceptions, one touchdown, one forced fumbled, two fumble recoveries, and 57 combined tackles in a 14-game season with the Steelers. Suddenly, it seems like the Steelers got an absolute steal by landing Fitzpatrick for only one first-round pick. Put another way, it's unlikely they would've found a better player than Fitzpatrick in the first round of this year's draft. 9. WR (24) After two promising seasons to begin his career, Godwin emerged as one of the league's best receivers in 2019, catching 86 pa ses for 1,333 yards (15.5 yards per catch) and nine touchdowns, all of which are career highs. Together with , Godwin forms the best receiver duo in all of football. Now, he gets to work with Tom Brady. Even though Brady is a huge upgrade over , don't be surprised if Godwin's numbers take a slight dip in 2020. Brady is better, but he's also more cautious than Winston. 8. RB (23) Trust me, it wasn't easy putting a running back in the top 10 given their lack of value, but that's how good McCaffrey has been since the Panthers made him a first-round pick three years ago. In those three seasons, McCaffrey has totaled (the most in that span) and (the second-most in that span) from scrimmage. He's coming off an insane 2,392-yard and 19-touchdown season that landed him But McCaffrey's awesome 2019 season is also the perfect example of how little running backs can impact a team. Despite his heroics, the Panthers won five games. It certainly wasn't McCaffrey's fault, but even with him playing at his peak, he couldn't change the Panthers' fate. McCaffrey's individual brilliance is why he's ranked in the top 10. But the position he plays is why he's ranked eighth as opposed to third or fourth. 7. Colts LB (24) Fun fact about Leonard: In 2018, after an incredible 163-tackle campaign,he captured both and first team All-Pro honors, but he did not make the Pro Bowl. In that sense, the most important contribution of Leonard's career hasn't been all of his tackles ( ), sacks (12), or interceptions (7), it's been his 2018 season serving as further proof that using Pro Bowls as a measuring stick is as flawed as using a Rotten Tomatoes audience score as proof of a movie's quality. But the Pro Bowl thing aside, Leonard has already emerged as the best young linebacker in the NFL. He can do a bit of everything: tackle, rush the pa ser, and cover downfield, giving him tremendous value in the modern NFL. 6. Browns DE (24) Through the first 37 games of Garrett's career, Garrett's registered 30.5 sacks, which means he's averaging 0.82 sacks per game. For the sake of comparison, the leader in sacks over the past three seasons, , is averaging 1.02 sacks per game. Garrett happens to rank , when he entered the league as the top-overall pick. Out of the 10 players listed above him, only Jones, , and have averaged more sacks per game in that span. It goes overlooked because of but Garrett was on pace to finish with 16 sacks -- or one sack per game. 5. Chargers DE (24) Like Garrett, Bosa's overall sack numbers would be up if he hadn't mi sed so many games over his career. He's played in only 51 of 64 po sible games since the Chargers selected him with the third-overall pick in 2016. But he's still managed to bring down opposing quarterbacks 40 times for an average of 0.78 sacks per game. He has three double-digit sack seasons in four years -- and in that lone season with a single-digit sack total, he was on pace to finish with more than 12 sacks. For Bosa, it's all about staying on the field. If he does, he has a chance to become the best edge rusher in the league. But to this point in his career, that's yet to happen. 4. Colts G (24) The lone offensive lineman on this list, Nelson has already garnered two first-team All-Pro selections in as many NFL seasons. After an impre sive rookie season, Nelson found a way to improve in 2019, dropping his penalty count from nine to three with zero pre-snap penalties after getting called for three false starts in 2018. Nelson isn't just the best young offensive lineman in the NFL. There's an argument to be made he's the best guard acro s the entire league. 3. QB Deshaun Watson (24) If not for the rise of Lamar Jackson, Watson would've ranked second on this list behind only Patrick Mahomes. But Jackson's rise did happen, which means Watson goes from the second-best player under the age of 25 to the third-best. No player, besides , continually does more with le s than Watson. As a rookie, he went 3-3 as the Texans' starting quarterback in a season where Texans starting quarterbacks not named Deshaun Watson went 1-9. In 2018, he led the Texans to an 11-5 record by throwing for 4,165 yards and 26 touchdowns while rushing for 551 yards and five touchdowns, even though he was playing behind the league's worst offensive line. This past season, he once again dragged the Texans to the playoffs while throwing for 3,852 yards and 26 touchdowns and rushing for 413 yards and seven touchdowns in a 15-game season.In 2020, his task will be to take the Texans to the playoffs for a third straight season, this time without his best playmaker in DeAndre Hopkins, who was traded to the Cardinals this offseason for an overpaid running back and a second-round pick. It's almost like the Texans are trying to make Watson's life as difficult as po sible. Based on his first three seasons, Watson will likely find a way to overcome Bill O'Brien's questionable personnel decisions. 2. Ravens QB Lamar Jackson (23) The reigning MVP is more than just Michael Vick reincarnated. While in 2019, finishing with 1,206 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, what sometimes can go overlooked is how phenomenal he was at throwing the ball (almost like he's always been best suited to play quarterback in the NFL ). Jackson completed 66.1 percent of his pa ses for 3,127 yards, 36 touchdowns, six interceptions, and a 113.3 pa ser rating.While you might be underwhelmed by the number of yards he threw for, keep in mind that he averaged 7.8 yards per attempt, which ranked 13th (nearly identical to Watson's average yards per attempt), and led the league in touchdown pa ses and touchdown rate (9 percent). For the sake of comparison, Jameis Winston finished second in touchdown pa ses with 33. To do so, he needed to attempt 626 pa ses. So, Jackson threw for three more touchdowns while attempting 225 fewer pa ses than Winston -- not to mention, Jackson also threw 24 fewer interceptions. , he ranked fifth. By DVOA, he ranked second. By total QBR, he ranked first.What's scary about Jackson is that 2019 was his first full season as a starter. It's quite po sible he could continue to ascend as he acquires more experience. Unlike so many other young quarterbacks, Jackson has the benefit of playing for one of the league's best coaches and smartest teams. 1. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (24) The only right answer. Mahomes isn't just the best player under the age of 25. He's the best player in football. The 2018 regular season MVP and the MVP of Super Bowl LIV, Mahomes is capable of erasing a 24-point deficit in the span of a single quarter, and one of only two quarterbacks in NFL history to have thrown for 5,000-plus yards and 50-plus touchdowns in a single season. Mahomes is The Prince That Was Promised.Let's put his greatne s into perspective. Including the playoffs, he owns a win-lo s record of 28-8 as a starting quarterback, good enough for a winning percentage of 0.78. For the sake of comparison, Tom Brady's winning percentage (including the Chris Clemons Jersey playoffs) is 0.77. Over the past two seasons, even though he's mi sed two full games in that span, he ranks first in touchdown pa ses -- Even though his touchdown rate predictably plummeted in 2019 from 8.6 percent to 5.4 percent due to the unstoppable force of nature known as regre sion, what's notable about his 2019 season is that he cut his interception rate in half (2.1 percent to 1.0 percent).Mahomes might not ever throw for 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns again, but he's still getting better. That's what so scary; at the age of 24, after only two full seasons as a starting quarterback, he's the best player in football and he's only getting going. It might be early, but Mahomes has a chance to become the best quarterback in NFL history. Just mi sed the cut:49ers WR , 49ers LB Fred Warner, LB Roquan Smith, RB , LB , Broncos OLB Bradley Chubb, Cardinals S Budda Baker, Cowboys LB Leighton Vander Esch, Jaguars WR D.J. Chark, DE Josh Allen, Packers CB , Panthers WR D.J. Moore, Ravens TE Mark Andrews, Ravens OT , WR , WR D.K. Metcalf, Steelers WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, Titans CB .
https://israelmwjw36891.celticwiki.com/318473/injuries_tyrod_taylor_cleared_from_concussion_protocol
Click here Click here