With the 2022 NFL season having got underway with the Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills clashing on Thursday Night Football, the excitement and buzz that American Football continues to provide sports fans all over the world is well and truly here!
Indeed, when it comes down to the action on the gridiron, it is always extremely interesting to see who some of the best players are competing on the field regularly. Naturally, statistics are one of the best ways to gauge how well a player is performing and with the help of Pro Football Focus, we have managed to find out who the top five individuals are ahead of the new season.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the best players in the NFL at the moment:
- Aaron Donald – Los Angeles Rams
For many, there is no player in the entire NFL that is better than the Rams’ Aaron Donald, and if you were to look at the stats, it would be impossibly hard to argue against that notion, too. Having recently been ranked the No.1 player in the league by his peers, the player’s legacy is one that is etched forever and he is a certified Hall of Famer in the future.
According to PFF, he led all defenders with a grade of 93.5 and he will be looking to have another incredible year as he looks to help the Rams defend their Super Bowl title following last year’s win against the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium.
2. Trent Williams – San Francisco 49ers
Staying in the NFC West, Trent Williams is statistically the second-best player in the NFL at the moment, with the San Francisco 49ers tackle able to finish with a PFF grade of 97.8 of 100. He dominated for the defense as he continued to put on clinics in run-blocking, while also showing he had all the necessary skill and technique to be a star. Oh, he was also an incredible pass blocker, too, as he only allowed 16 pressures in 15 games.
3. Aaron Rodgers – Green Bay Packers
The best quarterback in the NFL – and last year’s MVP winner – Aaron Rodgers was statistically the third-best player in the league last season. Let’s not forget, he was also the MVP the season before and there may be some that are interested in potentially wagering on him achieving that feat once again. It is already possible to get NFL odds on this happening, too, and given that he appears to be aging like a fine wine, there are not many that will be betting against the Green Bay Packers QB. He continues to be avoiding turnovers and still manages to throw the ball far down the field, thus making him just as dangerous when he was arguably in his prime.
4. Davante Adams – Las Vegas Raiders
One reason Rodgers was able to be so effective last season was because he had the best wide receiver in the league on his side. However, this year, Davante Adams will be turning out for the Las Vegas Raiders and will be looking to retain his status as the NFL’s top receiver while playing with Derek Carr; a QB he knows from his days at college.
PFF gave him the highest grade for a WR at 92.7 as he scored highly in a number of key categories for a wideout. He also had the most yards per route run with 2.88 as his average, thus making him a very lethal weapon for any team.
5. Patrick Mahomes – Kansas City Chiefs
Many will argue that the NFL is a QB-led league and Patrick Mahomes is one of those stars in the position at the moment. As a result, he ranks statistically as the fifth-best player in the league, despite having a poor season by his standards. While he still threw for more than 4,800 yards and had scored a total of 37 touchdowns (plus 13 interceptions), there will have been some personal disappointment despite some QBs in the league dreaming of putting up those kind of numbers.
Final Thoughts
There you have it, the five best players in the NFL ahead of the 2022 season based on the statistical data that has been made available by PFF. Each of them will need to have excellent seasons again if they are to help their franchise to challenge for the Super Bowl, and we can expect them to do exactly that as they have been consistent performers throughout their careers.
