It's that time of year again, when 小蓝视频players cast their votes to identify the best in the league heading into the 2022 小蓝视频season. Check out the results of this year's voting to see where your favorite players rank.
A team change worked wonders for Conner in 2021. After four seasons with both diminishing returns and health in Pittsburgh, Conner鈥檚 first year on the Cardinals resulted in his second overall appearance on the Top 100 list and first since 2019. Conner rewarded Arizona鈥檚 faith in him by becoming the thunder to the now-departed Chase Edmonds鈥 lightning and emerging as one of the league鈥檚 premier goal-line options. Conner finished the season with 15 rushing scores, tied for second-most behind Jonathan Taylor.
The Chargers have found an unquestioned cornerstone of the franchise in Slater. The 2021 No. 13 overall pick immediately stepped in and reached the Pro Bowl as Justin Herbert鈥檚 blindside protector. Slater allowed only five sacks and committed six penalties during his rookie campaign. His PFF pass-blocking grade (80.3) was almost identical to his grade as a run blocker (80.2), providing the perfect balance to a Los Angeles offense built around one of the league鈥檚 most dangerous QB-RB duos.
If Joe Burrow is the heartbeat of the Bengals offense, then Hendrickson is the steady pulse on the opposite side. The former Saint, who Bucky Brooks ranked as 2021鈥檚 top free-agent signing, contributed a team-high 14 sacks to a unit that ranked third overall last season with 55. Hendrickson was a constant menace in the opposing backfield, and he added another 3.5 sacks during Cincinnati鈥檚 stunning postseason run to become the AFC鈥檚 Super Bowl representative.
鈥淏ig Play鈥 Slay lived up to the moniker in his second season with the Philadelphia Eagles, adding three defensive touchdowns -- one pick-six and two fumble recoveries -- to a nine-year career that previously only had one end zone trip on the r茅sum茅. At 31, Slay fulfills the role of elder statesman in a Philly secondary bolstered by offseason additions like James Bradberry. His veteran leadership will be counted on once again to guide a team with surging expectations.
Burns finally received national recognition last year with his first Pro Bowl nod. More widespread awareness of the rangy defender鈥檚 proclivity for impact plays has been hampered by Carolina鈥檚 struggles as a whole, but the Florida State product has been a model of consistency, posting nine sacks in each of the last two seasons following a 7.5-sack rookie campaign. Now entering his prime, Burns is the unquestioned anchor of a unit that ranked second in yards allowed in 2021.
After starting every game as a rookie in a Super Bowl-winning year, Winfield elevated himself to being a Pro Bowl-caliber player as an encore. The secret to his success lies in a leaps-and-bounds improvement in pass coverage. Winfield Jr. played 62.4% of his snaps in coverage in 2021 compared to 58.1% the year prior, and earned a PFF coverage grade of 87.6 -- a 30.4-point improvement from 2020. The safety had a reputation coming into the 小蓝视频as a stout run defender. Now, he's the total package.
If Davis lost a step in his 10th season, it only barely registered on the stat sheet. The Saints鈥 quarterback on defense posted his fifth-straight year with over 100 tackles and double-digit tackles for loss. The off-ball linebacker possesses savvy matched by a precious few, and his marriage with New Orleans has proven to be heaven-made since he joined the team in 2018. Whatever the 33-year-old has left in the tank, it鈥檒l likely be more than enough to propel the Saints鈥 defense to a third-straight top-five year.
Patterson has been a weapon since he entered the NFL. Last year, he became the weapon for the Atlanta Falcons. In his fifth home -- the fourth in five seasons -- Patterson finally sparkled as more than just a game-breaking returner. Patterson scored a third of his 15 career receiving touchdowns and nearly half (six) of his career rushing TD total (14). He was seemingly everywhere defenders weren鈥檛, and he earned every bit of a second contract with Atlanta as it braves the post-Matt Ryan era.
The first member of last year鈥檚 Top 100 thus far to improve upon his ranking in the 2022 list, Diggs has taken his game to a new level since being shipped midseason to Seattle as a casualty of Detroit鈥檚 Matt Patricia era. A Pro Bowler in each of his two full seasons with the Seahawks, the safety has meshed seamlessly with fellow trade acquisition Jamal Adams. Diggs will look to fully bounce back from injury in the coming season after suffering a dislocated ankle and broken fibula in Week 18 of last year.
Kelce may have handpicked his successor in April鈥檚 draft, but the second-ranked center on this year鈥檚 list is still plugging away on the gridiron. Kelce hasn鈥檛 missed a game for Philadelphia since 2014 and has earned All-Pro honors in four of the last five seasons. There are few players who embody the franchise they play for more than the 34-year-old Kelce, whose boisterous personality is surpassed only by the tenacity with which he defends his quarterbacks.
