r/NFL Top 100 Players of the 2021 Season - #80-71

Welcome to the reveal for players ranked 80-71 for the r/NFL Top 100 Players of the 2021 Season!

Players whose average rank landed them in places 80-71 are on this portion of the list revealed today. Players are associated with the team they finished playing for in 2021

Below you will see some write-ups from the rankers summarizing the players’ 2021 season and why they were among the best in 2021. Stats for each player are included below. Additionally, their ranks from previous years are available for y’all to see

METHODOLOGY

Link to more detailed writeup on our methodology

• Step 1: A Call to Rankers right after the Super Bowl

• Step 2: Rankers from each team nominated players to rank, with a 10 game minimum threshold. Players are associated with the team they played for in 2021

• Step 3: The Grind. We instructed users to tier positions groups into T25, T50, etc based on 2021 regular season play only. This took several weeks as the rankers tiered each position group and discussed them. There were no individual player threads and no arbitrary position caps. Just questions and rankings.

• Step 4: Users submitted their own personal Top 125 lists.

• Step 5: User lists were reviewed by myself, u/mattkud , and u/MikeTysonChicken . The rankers were expected to answer questions about their lists. They were allowed to make any changes to their list, and were not forced to make any changes

• Step 6: The Reveal… where we are now!

And without further ado, here are the players ranked 90-81 in the r/nfl Top 100 Players of the 2021 Season!

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#80 - Tyler Lockett - Seattle Seahawks - Wide Receiver

Previous Ranks

2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012
N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A​

Key Stat

Highest passer rating this season when targeted against man coverage in the NFL

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Written by: u/MattyT7

Before the 2021 season began, I would not have predicted Tyler to be the best offensive player for the Seahawks on the season. While part of that may have something to do with the Seahawks struggles on the year, it cannot be emphasized enough how good Tyler Lockett is at doing his job.

At a glance, Lock had one of the best seasons of his career, grabbing 73 passes for 1175 yards (career high) and 8 touchdowns despite having less targets and receptions than his previous two seasons, returning to his 16+ yards/reception form. He is second to none in tracking the ball while in the air, a trait perfectly put on display in his electric performance in week 1 against the colts. He followed up that 100 yard/2 TD performance with a 178 yard/1 TD performance against the titans, again showing off his tracking ability and knack for getting open and making plays. Detractors often point at Lockett’s game logs without watching the games and say “but he disappears so often!” Well hey, detractor, listen up! I’m talking to you! Game logs do not tell full stories, as evidenced by the first Rams game. Lock was interfered with on one 50+ yarder and then NARROWLY MISSED by Russ on, yup you guessed it, another 50 yard strike! (not to mention having a touchdown called back on what was, if I recall, a suspect holding call). He is such an explosive, dangerous threat that must be accounted for or he will make you pay. While I will very much miss the Russ-Tyler moonball connections, Tyler has shown time and time again that he is elite at getting open and making plays. His releases and routes are absolutely nasty, and he will have no problem giving whomever the Seahawks line up under center an open target. He often and easily shakes defenders on release, and if they manage to hang with him, he’ll end up losing them somewhere on his route. The question now becomes whether or not Geno Smith/Drew Lock will be able to hit water falling out of a boat (pain). If the Seahawks don’t screw things up with DK, this duo will continue to be electric and the bright spot of this team going forward.

Tyler Lockett is an incredible wide receiver and often flies under a lot of people’s radars. His connection with Russell Wilson will be sorely missed, but he possesses all of the tools to continue to put up numbers for this offense. He can get open against the best of them and will absolutely dominate the average of them.

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#79 - Kenny Clark - Green Bay Packers - Interior Defensive Line (IDL)

Previous Ranks

2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012
N/A	49	48	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A​

Key Stat

T4 among IDL’s in QB Hits with 10, 2nd in hurries with 51, 4th in pass rush win rate 16.2%

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Written by: u/futur3perfect

It's hard to believe but Kenny Clark has played in 89 games over six seasons for the Packers, starting in all of them as a nose tackle since his sophmore season. For most of that time he has been a force on the inside of the line. After a bit of a down year in 2020, he came roaring back in 2021 and re-stablished himself as one of the best interior linemen in all of football, earning his second pro bowl. That made him only the third Packer defensive tackle to make multiple pro bowls over the course of his career.

Clark's best asset is in applying pressure to the QB. He has insane acceleration for someone who weighs in at over 300 pounds. Check out this sack of Justin Fields where he explodes up the middle. While he only had 4.0 sacks on the year, down from his high of 6.0 in both 2018 & 2019, they don't tell the whole story. Per PFF he had 62 pressures, which puts him top 5 at his position with an 8.2% pressure rate. This is comparable to fellow top 100 players Aaron Donald (8.3%), Javon Hargrave (8.4%), and Jonathan Allen (8.7%). He may not always get the sack, but his presence is definitely felt by the opposing team and QB, such as when his pressure on Joe Burrow led to an interception.

Clark could still improve his run-stopping ability, as he only recorded 28 stops on the season and had a PFF grade in that area of 54. But he was still able to make big plays in this area despite his inconsistency. His size and speed allowed him to fight through double-teams and stop runs in the backfield. He also played clean and finished the season with 0 penalties.

In a world where the QB is king, watch out. Kenny Clark is coming for that crown.

#78 - Mike Evans - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Wide Receiver

Previous Ranks

2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012
90	48	51	N/A	19	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A​

Key Stat

21st century players with multiple 1000 yard seasons with more than a sixth of their catches being touchdowns: Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Mike Evans

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Written by: u/MysticTyph00n

2021 was yet another all around solid season for Mike Evans, which saw him meet some pretty significant career & franchise records. First off, he extended his own NFL record of 1000 yard seasons to begin a career to 8, a streak I'd imagine a lot of Bucs fans would love to see extended further especially with the up-and-coming young receiving talent these past few years in the draft. Next, he claimed the franchise record for touchdowns scored surpassing the great Mike Alstott who had 71.

Oh, and who could forget this moment.

His most significant stat this season however had to be his 14 rec. TD stat line (redzone threat bby) that was good for 2nd in the league behind Cooper Kupp and tied with Deebo Samuel. It also is yet another franchise record broken that was held by ......now let me see.... ah, Mike Evans. (Spoiler, Mike Evans holds the top 4 TD seasons in franchise history)

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I could gush on and on about Big Mike. I think he's cemented himself as the best player on offense to ever play for the franchise, and just every year it's the consistency that shows. At only 28 years of age, he's placed himself firmly among the upper echelon of talent displayed in the league, and with little to no diva qualities to show or signs of slowing down.

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#77 - Budda Baker - Arizona Cardinals - Safety

Previous Ranks

2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012
47	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A​

Key Stat

1 of 3 players with 2+ sacks and 2+ interceptions each of the last two seasons

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Written by: u/Beehay

It was a warm summer night in June the year of our Lord 2021. A shadowy figure sat in a chair smoking a cigar watching the television in his poorly lit condo. The replay stops, rewinds, and then plays again. The process repeats itself for an undefined amount of time, could be hours or could be days. The figure leans forward finally after putting out his final cigar and mutters to himself "I really should stop smoking these fucking things."

Fast forward a few months and the Budda Baker Revenge Tour™ gets under way. He comes in playing the same 100 MPH Take-No-Prisoner's type of ball that he is known for so well now. But something goes awry. In back-to-back games against Cleveland and Houston he only posts 4 Total tackles. The defense is dominating in all aspects and Budda isn't relied on as much and benched early in the Houston blowout. After two more dominating performances (except AJ Green), the Cardinals are 8-1 and a young man in Arizona is dreaming a silly dream of the Super Bowl.

Of course, the Cardinals implode. You've seen this film before. But after a Herculean effort against the Colts in week 15, the Cardinals offense stalls and the team dies out like an ember. After all is said and done, Budda turns in a solid statistical season, with a career high in interceptions and an uptick in pass rush usage. Overall, it wasn't last season and his ranking reflects it, but he still earned a first team All-NFC and second team All-Pro. The tackles were down because the defense was better. Now let's hope he cuts out the cigars and comes back next year for the Budda Baker Revenge Tour Ultra+ Extreme Edition™.

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#76 - Bobby Wagner - Seattle Seahawks - Off-Ball Linebacker (LB)

Previous Ranks

2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012
24	42	10	7	13	97	41	81	98​

Key Stat

Wagner and Reggie White are the only two defenders with 8 straight seasons with an Approximate Value of 14 or higher

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Written by: u/MattyT7

Entering a decade in the league, Bobby Wagner remains in the upper echelon of NFL linebackers. He was the last holdover from the vaunted legion of boom defense, and it truly breaks my heart that he will be donning a RAMS uniform next season.

Bobby led a very young linebacker corps for the Seahawks defense in 2021, and he did so expertly. Although he may not be the same elite defensive beast he was a couple years ago, he was still a dominant force for a rather lackluster Seahawks defense. He was third in the league in total tackles with 170 (behind his mentee Jordyn Brooks with 184) with a missed tackle percentage of a mere 6.65% according to Pro Football Reference. He was still capable of flying all over the field, making tackles you’d watch beforehand and think “there’s no way Bobby is making this stop,” and getting into backfields causing havoc for running backs before they even reach their blockers. While his lone interception on the season may be more of a nod to Jimmy G’s incompetence, you can still see the instincts that have made him the cream of the crop for his entire career, recovering quickly on the play action to drop back and be in easy position for a rough Jimmy throw. He set the franchise record for tackles in a game with 20 against the Titans (first time this has been done in 5 years), breaking his own previous mark of 19. The Titans game also brought him his only sack of the season, reaching Tannehill in less than 3 seconds.

The Seahawks are incredibly fortunate to have had Bobby for an entire decade, and under his tutelage, Jordyn Brooks hopes to be the next great Seahawks linebacker. For a rebuilding team, it made sense to save on the money and cut ties. But it was a bitter end for Seahawks fans and it will be disgusting to see him lining up with Aaron Donald and the Rams going forward.

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#75 - Dalvin Cook - Minnesota Vikings - Running Back

Previous Ranks

2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012
18	54	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A​

Key Stat

2nd in runs of 10+ Yards in 2021 with 36

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Written by: u/SoDakZak

How To Cook

Move over Russ, the real chef is here to show us a fan-favorite gameday snacc.

Dalvin Cook comes in as the 75th best player from 2021. Delicacies from this last season include Cooked Panther (a Challenge!), Half-Baked Woerthlessburger, and seared Bear-meat: a discrete elite treat like a Sears Tower sweet

This Recipe for Success has a few key instructions when working in the kitchen:

1. Make sure while your put in work, your oven fan is working like a propellered Jet.

2. Take your least favorite cheese, and cut off the edge. If you’re dangerously dedicated to your delicious daily dairy diet, declare: “¿Por qué no los dos?” Mama Mia, thats-a gouda!

3. A little golden nugget from the Cook: a well-thymed toss of the bread will ensure your snack gets aired out properly before serving.

4. Don’t forget to thank the big men in the kitchen for giving you space to Cook. Hey Kirk, who needs aluminum when well-torched steel leaves these rare medium-runs well done?

5. While traditional, a Cook doesn’t just need to wear a chef’s hat. In fact, our successful Cook wears many hats to lay his solid foundation. His rounded skillset helps build success on and off the field.

6. Always, always ALWAYS read the Nutrition Fax before entering the kitchen.

*Cook’s Note: Only played 13 games yet was on pace for 1,500+ rushing yards and 1,800+ All-Purpose Yards. Imgur

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#74 - Marcus Williams - New Orleans Saints - Safety

Previous Ranks

2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012
N/A	N/A	N/A	92	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A​

Key Stat

Marcus Williams played 1037 snaps without being called for a single penalty

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Written by: u/Ronon_Dex

Most of the elite safeties of today are hybrid chess pieces, guys capable of playing a variety of roles on any given snap. Marcus Williams is one of the few who does not fall into that category, yet he is still elite. He doesn’t rush the passer, he’s not capable of playing that box S position that has become so popular in recent years, and he rarely ever mans up TEs or plays the slot. What Williams does do is play deep CF, read the QB, and prevent deep plays. It’s not flashy, but it’s quite an important role in many defensive schemes. And he does this exceptionally well - which is why the Ravens paid him like an elite safety a few months ago.

Williams’ stats don’t jump off the page - 70 tackles, 10 missed tackles, 5 run stops, 2 INTs, 5 PDs, 1 TD against, and 0 penalties (that one does kinda stand out). That is mostly because of his position - Williams played 1037 snaps in 2021, 922 of which came at FS. PFF charted him with only 16 targets for the entire season (the least of any S nominated), so you can infer why his stat sheet is pretty bare, although it’s a solid line given the context.

Williams' 2021 film is terrific. He has incredible range, disciplined eyes, great ball skills, and is a solid tackler. He may not be flashy or all that exciting, but a dependable, steady FS is key to any good defense that wants to use a single high. I want to highlight two plays in particular, one of which was maybe my favorite play that any safety made all season. First one¹ - the saints are in a cover 2 (looks like Tampa 2), and Devonta Smith runs a lovely fade route. Hurts makes a beautiful back shoulder throw, and all that’s left is for Smith to get his feet down. Williams times it perfectly though, reading the QB and staying disciplined, before arriving just as the ball gets there and knocking Smith OOB before he has a chance to land. This isn’t an especially impressive play, but I’m using it as an example because Williams makes this kind of play (read QB, close down with speed, force incompletion via PB or just too small a window to force a throw) constantly. Second one² - this is from the same game, but actually a drive before. There’s a scramble drill, and the guy covering Miles Sanders completely loses him. Sanders is as wide open as can be for a certain TD, Hurts throws it right to his belly…and out of nowhere Williams breaks it up. You’ll notice a couple of things. First, Williams comes from multiple steps beyond the opposite hash, about 40 yards away. Secondly, Williams actually starts moving that way before Sanders even breaks upfield. The instincts, smarts, range shown on this play are just bewildering. That’s what Williams brings to a defense, and any team would be thrilled to have him playing at the level he did in 2021.

¹ https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9ISUy1HWfWkhOXNx7cciwl8qnN8=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23274652/ezgif.com_gif_maker__6_.gif

² https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9dqS-XLc04_Bc_nb8W_QvBHSvDY=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23274695/ezgif.com_gif_maker__7_.gif

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#73 - Marshon Lattimore - New Orleans Saints - Cornerback

Previous Ranks

2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012
N/A	N/A	N/A	26	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A​

Key Stat

Lattimore's 7 forced incompletions against Washington in Week 5 is the most in a single game since 2016

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Written by: u/dontwantleague2C

Since coming into the league, Lattimore has consistently been one of the best man corners in the NFL, and 2021 was no exception. Lattimore is the prototypical CB1 man corner that every team is looking for. He’s not necessarily the second coming of Darrelle Revis; he’s not gonna be locking down an entire side of the field. But what he does do is play high quality coverage on some of the best WRs in the entire league.

A quick look at his stats would give you the wrong message. Allowing a 99.7 QB rating when targeted isn’t particularly impressive. But that was with him facing the opposing team’s number one receiver in man coverage on most snaps. Lattimore faced off against studs like Davante Adams, DJ Moore (twice), Mike Evans (twice), Terry McLaurin, DK Metcalf, AJ Brown, Stefon Diggs, Ceedee Lamb, Jaylen Waddle, and Kyle Pitts (twice). If you take the average of all of these players’ yards per game, accounting for division rivals twice, these players should have averaged about 68 yards per game against the Saints in these 13 games. However, these players only averaged 54 yards per game in these games, in large part due to being guarded by Lattimore.

Despite consistently being matched up against top receivers, Lattimore managed to win these matchups far more than he lost. Take the matchup against the Buccaneers at home in week 15 as an example. The Saints defense put up a fantastic performance against Brady and the Bucs offense, and Lattimore was a huge part of that, limiting his rival Mike Evans to 1 reception and 14 yards.

Lattimore’s elite play showed up on the stats sheet as well. Lattimore led the league with 19 forced incompletions. When targeted, he forced an incompletion on over 20% of targets, a feat no other player accomplished this year. He could be hit or miss at times in pass coverage, and when he did lose, he often lost bad, allowing 16 yards per reception, the highest of any corner nominated for this list. On the other hand, his run defense was remarkably consistent. His 85.2 PFF grade in run defense was 3rd among nominated players, with 1st being Jalen Ramsey with an 86 grade. He was a consistent tackler, having only two missed tackles on the season. And he was able to notch himself 3 interceptions in 2021.

Lattimore can be inconsistent at times, and he’s no Jalen Ramsey. However, the Saints defense consistently relies on him to lock down the opposing team’s WR1, and when he is able to take away the opposing team’s WR1, a Saints victory is on the horizon. As a key piece of the Saints great defense in 2021, Lattimore had a great season, and I’m excited to see Lattimore continue to lock down opposing WRs for the Saints.

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#72 - Joe Thuney - Kansas City Chiefs - Offensive Guard

Previous Ranks

2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012
59	79	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A​

Key Stat

3rd least pressures allowed out of 40 guards with at least 500 pass blocking snaps, 1st in pass blocking efficency, 1st in pressurers allowed per snap min 500 snaps

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Written by: u/sanswagata

Joe Thuney was the latest Patriots offensive lineman to get a big deal to leave New England. Now it may not have worked for New York, Seattle, or Oakland, however, Kansas City saw Thuney and said but it might work for us when they gave him an 80 million dollar check. Joe Thuney in New England was always one of the better left guards in the NFL, but he played next to one of the best centers and for the greatest offensive line coach of all time so there were some doubts about whether he could repeat this success in a new situation. To be fair he somehow got an upgrade at the pivot in KC with rookie phenom Creed Humphrey, but Thuney showed that he could excel in a new situation and not join the list of former Patriots OL to disappoint in a new situation.

Well-respected OL analyst, Brandon Thorn, listed Joe Thuney as his first team all-pro left guard and it's easy to see why. While he's no slouch in the run game, Thuney might have been the best guard in pass protection across the NFL last year. Whether it's handling elite talent one-on-one, giving help when necessary, or communicating with his new teammates, he played at the highest level. The stats display this too as he only allowed 2 QB hits and 1 sack this season despite playing on the team with the second most pass attempts. It all starts with what he does to lift up his teammates. Orlando Brown might owe him 10% of his signing bonus with plays like this. Creed Humphrey and Joe Thuney were essentially playing for the WWE tag team title belt this past season as well. These highlight level plays are fun, but plays, where he had to work his communication and processing to an insane degree, are even more impressive. Then we can look at how he is able to hold his own against elite talent. Even when he loses initially, he can recover and turn what should be a loss into an emphatic win. Whether you look at it statistically or through film, Joe Thuney was an awesome guard this past season and well-deserving of his rank in the NFL top 100.

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#71 - Tre’Davious White - Buffalo Bills - Cornerback

Previous Ranks

2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012
41	10	N/A	53	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A​

Key Stat

Out of 77 corners with at least 400 coverage snaps, allowed the 3rd least yards with 305 yards allowed

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Written by: u/fadoofthekokiri

Looking at Tre’Davious White, the best goalie in the NFL, his totals went down from 2020 to 2021. The reason for that, of course, was a torn ACL against the Saints on Thanksgiving day. However, before that devastating injury, my man was close to the top of the league in catch percentage, average yards allowed, touchdowns allowed, and QB rating. It can be tough to measure or stack up a cornerback based on stats, though.

If you ask Bills fans who our best defensive player is, Tre White is going to be at or near the top of that list. Let’s take a look at the top receiver of every team he faced before that Saints game. Now, the Bills' defense doesn’t work that directly, but, this is still a pretty decent look at it.

Receiver	Catches, Yards, and Touchdowns
Juju SS	4/52/0
Jaylen Waddle	6/48/0
Terry McLaurin	4/62/0
Brandin Cooks	5/47/0
Tyreek Hill	7/63/0
AJ Brown	7/91/0
Jaylen Waddle	4/29/0
Marvin Jones	3/21/0
Elijah Moore	3/44/1
Michael Pittman Jr.	2/23/0

So, by my count, that’s about 4 or 5 catches a game, 48 yards a game, and .1 touchdowns per game for those teams’ best receiver in all of those games (just that game not overall). Tre was not covering every single one of them all the time, notably guys like Juju, Waddle, and Moore. On top of that, the Bills had a stellar defense through and through but from watching all the games last year, rewatching, rewatching again, and then rewatching one more time for this 100 ranking it was clear that Tre White’s impact against receivers and as a core piece in the best secondary in the league is unrelenting. Even just watching highlights, he is exactly where he needs to be, always making the right play on or off the ball, and it’s a rare feat when he gets beat out by anyone.

All I have left to say for Tre is prayers up for all the knees out there.

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