The NFL’s Top Five Position Players
As the National Football League slowly prepares itself for the start of the 2010 season, many people theorize the top players at each position for betting and fantasy purposes. Here are the top five position players in the NFL.
Quarterback: The NFL is a heavily pass-oriented League and the quarterback is perhaps the single most important individual on the field. That being said, it is impossible to consider anyone other than Drew Brees as the NFL’s best quarterback.
The era of Peyton Manning superiority is over. Brees outgunned his opposition thoroughly in the Super Bowl and was voted the MVP based on a 32 completion performance. In a pass-heavy league, Brees is the best passer on the best team.
The New Orleans Saints have retained most of their receiver corps and the circumstances are perfect for Brees to continue his supremacy.
Running Back: There are a lot of talented running backs in the NFL and a debate about the best often boils down to Adrian Peterson and Chris Johnson. Both are elite talents, but last season Johnson proved himself to be the most dominant running back in the NFL.
Johnson broke the 2,000 yard mark last season and averaged an impressive 5.6 yards per carry. Johnson was also awarded Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year award. Other backs like Adrian Peterson and Ray Rice are impressive assets to teams, but Johnson is just playing in a league of his own.
In addition to running the ball, Johnson is also a capable receiver and added another 500 yards on the year via 50 receptions. Johnson’s epic season set a new NFL record for scrimmage yards in a season.
Considering this is going to be Johnson’s third year in the NFL, it is amazing to imagine what other accolades the back is capable of earning.
Wide Receiver: Wide receivers are often the flashiest and most recognizable players on a team. Yet, the best receiver in the NFL is perhaps the most humble and ‘standard’ of the lot. Larry Fitzgerald is still the strongest, smartest, most productive receiver in the NFL.
Fitzgerald essentially prolonged Kurt Warner’s career through his immaculate receptions and can produce results in any system, under any passer. The versatile University of Pittsburgh alum had a career-high 13 touchdowns last season and the true mark of his talent will be keeping that total up with a different quarterback at the helm.
Tight End: The Atlanta Falcons’ Tony Gonzalez more or less revolutionized how tight ends are used offensively. The ten-time Pro Bowler currently holds almost every record for tight ends. Gonzalez is so great that no one has been able to catch up to his tight end prowess.
Gonzalez is a single reception shy of the 1,000 mark. Gonzalez had almost 900 yards in his first year with the Falcons and his consistency is why he is the best at his position.
Offensive Lineman: Being an offensive lineman is a thankless job, but these are the guys that allow all the other players to produce. Without a good offensive line, even Drew Brees wouldn’t be able to succeed.
This year’s best offensive line belongs to the newly revamped New York Jets. The Jets have subtly grown into a contending monster in the AFC East and have done so upon the foundation of their offensive line. The Jets even fielded the same exact line for 32 straight games, something no other team in the NFL has done.
While it is important to praise the entire line as a whole, the star lineman for the Jets is undoubtedly Nick Mangold. The 26-year-old is a vocal leader on the line and was the main reason the Jets succeeded relying mainly on the run while protecting rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez.
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