Top 100 NFL Players of 2016: 20-11

20. LT. Joe Thomas

At this point there isn’t much doubt that Joe Thomas is going to be a Hall-of-Famer, the only question now is whether or not he’ll be 1st ballot. He’s played 9 seasons and has played 16 games in all 9 seasons. He’s made 9 pro bowls, making it each year of his career. He’s also been selected to 8 All-Pro teams, 6 of them 1st team. He still remains the best pass blocking tackle in the league. It’s such a shame he’s rotting away in Cleveland where his tremendous talent is being wasted.

19. OG. Marshal Yanda

One could definitely make a case that Yanda is the best overall offensive lineman, but he’s definitely the best guard. I think one of the best thing he offers is versatility. Most guards in the NFL, even the great ones, will struggle if their team has to move them to tackle for injury reasons but whenever Baltimore has to slide Yanda out to tackle its never really a problem. He’s an elite run blocker, pass blocker, he’s simply the best guard in the NFL and has been for years now.

18. LT. Tyron Smtih

Tyron Smith has blossomed into the best offensive tackle in football. He’s 6’5, 320 pounds, and is one of the best athletes at his position. The athleticism and strength have always been there – it’s why he was a high 1st round pick. But the development of his footwork has been the most impressive of all the improvements to his game. He’s the best run blocking tackle in the NFL and his ability to pass block isn’t lagging that far behind.

17. DT. Fletcher Cox

Cox might be the most underrated player in the NFL all together. I don’t think people outside of Philadelphia really get how good this dude is. Zach Martin was my 2nd-rated guard and I watched Cox absolutely man handle him last year. He has mastered the art of 2-gapping and even though the new regime in Philly is switching to a 4-3 defense, he will be more than fine playing as a 3-technique. As a matter of fact, I expect his sack production to go up in their new scheme.

16. DE. Michael Bennett

Michael Bennett just might be the most violent defensive lineman in football. The attitude and aggression he plays with week in and week out is unmatched. Bennett has the versatility to be able to play inside or outside. There are times when the Seahawks line him up as a 3-tech defensive tackle and he still wreaks havoc. Bennett has become a hands master and used them both in pass rush and as a run stopper. Against the run, Bennett is extremely effective at maintaining his gap and then shedding blockers to go chase down ball carriers. As a pass rusher, nobody executes power rush moves better. I’ve seen him knock tackles to the ground with a simple club move, he’s that powerful. The Seahawks have a lot of star players but in 2015 a strong case can be made that Bennett was their best player.

15. OLB. Justin Houston

Justin Houston got hurt in 2015 and was only able to play in 11 games, but he was well on his way to yet another double-digit sack season and I saw plenty that suggested he still is 1 of the elite defensive players in the NFL. Like the 2 guys ahead of him, Houston is elite as a pass rusher and versus the run. Houston is one of the strongest players in the league and combine that with his near 11 inch hands and it explains why he boasts 1 of the most powerful punches in the game. Houston’s powerful hands are probably his best asset as he uses them to set the edge in the running game with authority and he utilizes them most effectively with his power rush moves.

14. CB. Patrick Peterson

Peterson is the league’s best cornerback. You can talk all you want about Josh Norman and Sherman, but neither of those guys have the ability to defend man to man anywhere on the field the way Peterson can. Peterson is 6’1, 220 pounds, has 4.3 speed, elite leaping ability, blazing agility, and recovery speed as well. He has really cleaned up his overall technique since coming into the league and he had the best season of his career last season.

13. S. Tyrann Mathieu

Is he a corner, is he a safety? The simple answer is he’s both. In today’s NFL, whether it’s Khalil Mack playing defensive end and outside linebacker, or J.J. Watt going inside to outside, we’re moving to a new NFL where players don’t just play 1 position throughout an entire game. Mathieu’s versatility is what makes him special. Over the years, I’ve seen lots of defensive backs that can play both corner and safety, but typically there’s some kind of drop off if a corner goes to safety or vice versa. That’s not the case with Mathieu. He’s elite at both positions. Mathieu has phenomenal quickness and agility and works really well in open space which is why he was a shut down corner defending in the slot this past year. You’d think a safety of his size would be a average run defender or worse. Not Mathieu, he plays the run well too. I think he’s developed into the best overall defensive back in the NFL.

12. WR. Julio Jones

Julio Jones had the best season of his career and that was despite one of the worst seasons from his QB Matt Ryan. 6’3, 220-pound men just aren’t suppose to be as fast as Julio is. He’s one of the fastest receivers in the NFL, but unlike guys like Ted Ginn or Mike Wallace he actually possesses great hands and elite size for the position, which makes him a nightmare match-up for defenses. I thought Julio made the biggest strides in his game last year with his route running. He’s always been a big time deep threat and a guy that can go up and snag it out of the air. But in 2015, I saw a more complete receiver in Jones. He got it done at all levels of the field and carried the Falcons offense without much support from anyone else during the final half of the season.

11. QB. Aaron Rodgers

It’s very possible that Rodgers could be back near or at number 1 after next season, but as much as I like Rodgers personally, I have to be objective about what I’ve seen from him not just last regular season but the last few years in the playoffs. I know the Packers lost Nelson, but when I look at how good Brady looked no matter who got hurt last year and how Cam dominated even without Benjamin, I can’t give Rodgers a complete pass for having a down year just because he lost 1 receiver. If he was as great as I thought he was, he could have found a way to still be big time in spite of Nelson going down. One could make a case that Rodgers should be lower on this list and I wouldn’t put up a strong argument against that notion. However, for the purposes of my list I would say that when I think about how great he has been in the past and because I do not believe his incredible skill set to be diminished I still have him in the top 15.

Twitter: @The_Coach_Buck