r/NFL Top 100 Players of the 2021 Season - #5-1

Welcome to the reveal for players ranked 5-1 for the r/NFL Top 100 Players of the 2021 Season!

Players whose average rank landed them in places 5-1 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 5-1 in the r/nfl Top 100 Players of the 2021 Season!

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#5 - Trent Williams - San Francisco 49ers - Offensive Tackle

Previous Ranks

2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012
19	N/A	N/A	N/A	16	70	87	42	N/A​

Key Stat

Highest ever graded season by PFF (96.6)

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Written by: u/scmsf49

In 2014, Trent Williams met with a team doctor after discovering a growth he feared could be a tumor. He was told it was a cyst and he didn’t really need to worry about it and he decided not to get it removed. The growth got bigger over time, and Williams inquired about it with the team doctor on numerous occasions, being told the same thing each time. In early 2019 it became clear that the cyst was, in fact, a tumor. After a few tests, Williams' doctors reached out and told him they needed to see him immediately. He went into that meeting scared that he was going to be told he had to stop playing football, but realized the severity of the situation when he saw nurses with tears in their eyes unable to look directly at him while he was waiting for the doctor. He left that meeting with the instruction to get his affairs in order, now wondering who he was going to ask to raise his daughters when he was gone.

When the cancer (Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans) was removed, doctors said Williams was only weeks away from it metastasizing through his skull. His life was in genuine danger because of how long this had been allowed to develop. Williams was nevertheless relentless in his pursuit to return to football, though he was unable to physically exert himself at all during his recovery. Getting through this entire ordeal and returning to the game of football was far less assured than anyone might realize. Williams playing his best football (and some of the best the game has ever seen) at age 33 despite all of that is nearly unbelievable. To put into perspective how ridiculous that is even without accounting for the cancer, Trent’s biggest competition for the title of best tackle of his era retired at 33. It doesn’t even seem possible for him to play any better than this next season, but no one expected him to somehow play better this season after signing a monster contract last offseason.

There is no single season record for an offensive lineman to shatter. There’s no 2000 rushing yards equivalent or 20 sack threshold. To appreciate the dominance of Trent Williams, you really have to watch him do his job. Williams is one of the best players in the NFL today and is coming off as close to a perfect season, particularly as a run blocker, as we’ll probably ever see. This is how effective the 49ers were at running the ball with a running back in a given direction. That’s what Trent Williams does for this football team.

Williams is an offensive lineman with a highlight reel. This includes things like a 2 for 1 special against the AFC Champions, something Williams was regularly able to do- take one guy out of the play and immediately move on to a new target. Here’s Williams throwing a full-sized human being. another regular occurrence. If you look hard enough, there are even single game highlight reels like this 5 play montage against the Seahawks(h/t @BrandonThornNFL). One of the more memorable developments this season for Williams was his new role as an offensive tackle in motion, something that feels like overkill but it sure does look cool. Something to watch for in the future is Williams adding a receiving touchdown to this highlight reel, since he did technically receive an endzone target this year in a blowout.

He’s already proven his loyalty to Trey Lance by killing a man to set up Lance’s first career rushing touchdown in what was an extremely gutsy call - going for the TD as time expires down 17 knowing you receive the ball after the half, but that’s the kind of thing you can do when Trent Williams is your left tackle. That play is over when Williams is able to get into open space, there's no stopping him there. He said he mostly spaced out for this play and was just taking out his anger over the previous play, when he felt he was the reason Garoppolo got hit on an incompletion and he didn’t even realize what happened until Trey handed him the ball. Speaking of Trey, the quarterback change should be exciting for fans of offensive lineman highlights and plays like this that combine Lance’s mobility with the unfair speed of Trent Williams are sure to happen on a regular basis. An isolated defender in the kill range of the one they call Silverback has no chance for survival.

A player overlooked for major awards his entire career is finally getting his flowers in the form of what is somehow his first ever first team all-pro selection, the highest individual player grade in the history of Pro Football Focus (among all positions) and a 138 million dollar contract he has all intentions of playing out. Kyle Shanahan told Williams when the deal was signed he wanted him to go out and earn that sixth year (33 million dollars). After this season, I’m not doubting that. If an offensive lineman is going to be worth 33 million dollars in their age 38 season, it’s this one. As an added bonus, Trent Williams was the first offensive lineman to join the 99 clubl in Madden. All of this is warranted. Hell, it’s probably still underselling him. Williams had a phenomenal career in Washington, but he’s looking to make his post-30, post-cancer San Francisco tenure even more impressive, and he’s off to a hell of a start.

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#4 - Aaron Rodgers - Green Bay Packers - Quarterback

Previous Ranks

2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012
1	73	95	N/A	11	29	2	26	3​

Key Stat

Over the past two seasons, he has thrown 38 Touchdowns and 0 interceptions against NFC North opponents

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Written by: u/futur3perfect

Introduction

The man. The myth. The legend. Aaron Rodgers has been performing at a high level for 17 years now. He is also the only member of the 2005 NFL draft class who is still under contract. The fact that he is playing so well, at the same age when Peyton Manning fell off a cliff into his second Super Bowl ring, would be astounding in and of itself if it wasn’t for some guy named Tom Brady.

Entering the 2021 season, the Packers had put together back-to-back 13-3 seasons under new head coach Matt LaFleur, winning the NFC North each year but flaming out in the NFC Championship Game. Rodgers was also coming off of his first MVP season since 2014. Would this be the season where he defended his MVP and finally got over the Super Bowl hump?

Season

It was a memorable season, both on and off the field. It certainly didn’t start out well. Perhaps resting starters during the pre-season has some downsides, as the week 1 game against Jameis Winston and the Saints was a disaster. You didn’t have to squint to tell who looked like the better QB. Rodgers was 15/28, threw 2 interceptions, and had only 133 yards as the Packers lost 38-3. Jameis threw 5 TDs. After the game, people starting questioning whether Rodgers was finally showing his age. Aaron, in his post-game comments, said it was only one game. That proved prophetic, as after week 1 Rodgers looked like his old self with bounce back games against Detroit (22/28, 255 yards, 4 TDs) and SF (23/33, 261 yards, 2 TDs).

Week after week, Rodgers lit up the efficiency stats. His yardage numbers were not eye-popping, but he kept on throwing TDs, avoiding interceptions, and the team kept winning. There was a small hiccup in week 9, when an“immunized” but unvaccinated Rodgers was out for COVID. The Packers started Jordan Love and scored a total of 7 points in a 13-7 loss to Mahomes and the Chiefs. Unfortunately, we have still not seen Patrick Mahomes vs. Aaron Rodgers (outside of the golf course) as Pat missed their match-up in 2019.

After coming back from COVID (and showing the world his feet), Rodgers had an iffy start in week 10. He went 23/37 for 292 yards and threw an uncharacteristic interception with 0 TDs. No worries, though, as the Packers rolled the Seahawks 17-0. And in week 11, despite losing to Minnesota, Rodgers had one of his best games of the season, throwing for 385 yards and 4 TDs.

If there's one way to describe how Rodgers play, it's that he makes it look easy. He's the Federer of football, poetry in action. He throws from the pocket. He throws on the run. Despite his age, he can still move, like when he juked out Jalen Ramsey in the Pack's week 12 win over the future Super Bowl champions. He has elite vision and a cannon for an arm. Check out this throw to Tonyan through traffic in week 2. Seriously, if you watch nothing else, watch that highlight. It's unreal how he zips that ball in there.

If you didn’t see him week in and week out, you might think that Rodgers is too conservative. People think he doesn’t take enough shots down field due to his low INT numbers and his reputation for throwing the ball away. But they're wrong. He repeatedly throws deep and puts the ball into windows so small that they’d feel at home on a doll house. It's just that he makes it look so easy, it can be hard to recognize how difficult it is. By the end of the season, Rodgers and the Packers were 13-4 (Rodgers went 13-2 when he played the whole game) and kings of the NFC North once again. This regular season success was all the more impressive based on the amount of injuries they had to overcome: superstars Za'Daruis Smith, David Bakhtiari, and Jaire Alexander missed practically the entire season. Both Robert Tonyan and Elgton Jenkins missed over half of the season. But Rodgers' fantastic play and mind-meld with Davante Adams helped overcome a challenging year.

Final stats for Rodgers’ 2021 season are as follows:
4115 yards (10th)
68.93% completion percentage (3rd)
111.9 passer rating (1st)
69.1 QBR (1st)
89.6 PFF grade (4th)
37 TDs (4th)
4 INTs (1st)

Remember that 2 of those INTs were in the week 1 debacle against the Saints. After that point, he threw 37 TDs to 2 INTs. As other MVP candidates faltered down the stretch, Rodgers kept on producing and went on to win his 2nd MVP award in a row. People like to bring up Brady, who had a fantastic season as well, but what Rodgers lacked in volume he more than made up for on a play-by-play basis and advanced metrics. As this article from Bill Huber details, if Rodgers had the same number of attempts as Brady, he would have thrown for 5,572 yards and 50 touchdowns!

Legacy

Aaron Rodgers is a sure-fire hall-of-famer and has been for years. His place as a top 5 QB of all-time should not be in question. He is the first player to win back-to-back MVPs since Peyton Manning in 2008-2009. If he three-peats next year, he would be the only player to do it in the entire history of the NFL other than the last hall of fame Packer QB…Brett Favre. He would also tie Peyton’s record with his 5th overall. That is something to play for. Along with his TD and efficiency numbers, this would give him an almost unassailable case as the most talented QB of all time and, in my opinion, put him solidly #2 behind Tom Brady in the GOAT debate.

But he will have an uphill battle for a 3rd MVP in a row. His defense is good, probably even great, which is not something that has been true for most of his career. But the offense has big question marks. The departure of Davante Adams puts a huge spotlight on a wide receiver room that has no true cut #1, and maybe not even a true #2. The recent placing of David Bakhtiari on the PUP list makes you wonder if the all-pro LT will ever see the field again. So if Rodgers can put up similar numbers as he did the last two years, based on the level of difficulty, he should win his 3rd MVP in a row. But that is a BIG if.

More important for his legacy, perhaps, is getting that second ring. Despite his excellence, Rodgers’ run of incredible regular seasons has only been matched by the disappointment he has found in the postseason. Back in 2010, it seemed inevitable that he would be back in the Super Bowl before too long. But the years kept rolling by and despite some amazing plays the playoff frustrations continued. Rodgers is not the reason for many of the heartbreaking losses over the years, though he should shoulder some of the blame for merely being good instead of great. But he has, undoubtedly, been good enough to make a couple more Super Bowls. Compare his numbers to Brady in the 2021 NFC Championship Game:

Brady. 20-36, 280 YDS, 3 TD, 3 INT.

Rodgers. 33-48, 346 YDS, 3 TD, 1 INT.

Without knowing more, it would be easy to assume the Packers, and not the Bucs, won. But we all know how it ended.

Now that the Jorden Love fiasco is over and the Packers re-committed to Rodgers this offseason and made him the highest-paid player in the NFL (aav is just over $50 million a year), it seems likely he will finish his career in GB. So the main question becomes: can he get that elusive second ring? If he wins another one, there’s a distinct chance he could retire on top. Either way, when the end comes, it will be a sad day. Year in and year out, Rodgers has been a baaad man and does things with the football that I’ve never seen anyone else do. So sit back, enjoy the ride, and whatever happens, don’t forget to that Rodgers still owns the Bears.

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#3 - T.J. Watt - Pittsburgh Steelers - EDGE Rusher (EDGE)

Previous Ranks

2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012
4	9	72	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A​

Key Stat

First person to lead the league in sacks in consecutive seasons since Reggie White in 1987-88

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Written by: u/KyleC66

Trent Jordan Watt continues to be one of the most underrated and disrespected players in the NFL even after having an all-time great season. He was the Defensive Player of the year and tied the NFL sack record (22.5 sacks) while only playing in 15 games. His 2021 campaign was full of ups and downs coming off multiple hamstring injuries that nagged him all season while continuing to produce at a nearly unstoppable pace. TJ has put himself in the grasp of becoming the Steelers all-time sack leader and is cementing his legacy in Pittsburgh, where defenses have reigned supreme. He is now the 7th player in franchise history be awarded DPOY following in the footsteps of Steelers greats like Joe Greene (2-time), Mel Blount, Jack Lambert, Rod Woodson, James Harrison, and Troy Polamalu. With the kind of pedigree and motor that TJ possess I expect him to continue to grow and cement himself in the history books over the next 3-6 years as another all-time great Steeler.

It all started when TJ was passed up by 29 other teams coming out of the University of Wisconsin in the 2017 draft where he was drafted 30th overall by Kevin Colbert & Co. Listed at 6’4, 252lbs, many were worried he was not a twitchy athlete and his lack of snaps at OLB, which he had only played for 2 seasons at Wisconsin after being recruited as a TE. His 2017 campaign was nothing to sniff at for a rookie with 7 sacks, 1 interception (in his first game) and 1 forced fumble. His growth continued, making his first Pro Bowl in 2018 after recording 13 sacks and 6 forced fumbles, this is when he started to perfect his patented punch. In 2019 he got his first All-Pro, while also ranking 3rd in DPOY and receiving his 2nd Pro Bowl after logging 14.5 sacks, 2 int, and logging an NFL leading 8 forced fumbles. 2020 it is arguable that he should have won DPOY instead of Aaron Donald, leading the NFL with 15 sacks and 23 TFL and forcing 2 fumbles. In 2020 he also recorded his 2nd straight All-Pro and 3rd Pro Bowl appearance. TJ has continued to grow every year in his somewhat short career and at the age of 27 has not even scratched the surface of how dominant he could become.

2021 was a year for the record books, in which the NFL sack record should have been broken but due to some sketchy refereeing it was only tied, and it was almost broken with only 15 games played. TJ’s stats speak for themselves, He led the league with 22.5 sacks and 21 TFLs, while also recording 5 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries; and in the playoff loss against the Chiefs his first defensive touchdown. These stats do not tell the entire story of how much of an impact TJ provided to the Steelers. His nose for game changing plays is what truly made this a special season for Watt. For example, lets take a look during this overtime thriller against the Seattle Seahawks, TJ brings down Geno Smith and forces a fumble on the play putting the Steelers in FG range to end the game. Against the Ravens in Week 13, on a crucial 2 point conversion, TJ forced a poor throw from Lamar Jackson to end the game. These are a few moments where Watt just is an absolute monster and imposes his will on others. His production over the last 3 years is nearly unmatched and the amount of game changing plays are what makes Watt not just productive but truly a force to be reckoned with. It is hard to say how many sacks Watt could have had this season due to his injuries, but he was averaging 1.2 per game. It’s almost impossible to think Watt wouldn’t have gotten at least a half sack against the Chargers, Bengals, or half the Lions game. TJ could have had 25+ sacks this year if he was healthy all year.

At the young age of 27, Watt still realistically has 8 more years of high-level play and with 72 career sacks and 22 forced fumbles he could easily end up in the top 10 in either. With the continuation of growth on this Steelers team it’s likely that Watt will have a team around him that will allow him to thrive and grow even more. TJ will continue the legacy of amazing 3-4 pass rushers and exemplify what it is to bleed black and gold!

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#2 - Cooper Kupp - Los Angeles Rams - Wide Receiver

Previous Ranks

2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012
N/A	82	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A​

Key Stat

First player since 1992 to lead the league in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving TD’s with no ties

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Written by: u/PhAnToM444

Introduction

The scrappiest of players. Brings a lunch pail so big it bullies your lunch pail for money. He's not a gym rat, he is the gym. Not the first in or last out, because sleeps under Sean McVay's desk. The kind of guy you'd want to date your daughter, but too late he already did.

Cooper Kupp did something so transcendent that we're lucky to get two of these types of seasons in the NFL per decade. Not only is he the fourth player in the modern era to take home a triple crown, and the third WR to ever win OPOY, and the ninth to win Super Bowl MVP, he shattered records on the way. In the same way that you did when you watched 2007 Tom Brady, or 1983 Eric Dickerson, or 2006 LT, Cooper Kupp stuck out like a sore thumb in every game. It was just immediately apparent that “oh he’s just better than all of the other guys and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop it.” Everyone knew exactly where the ball was going, and it didn’t matter.

Now, playoffs aren't a part of these rankings, but they simply have to be brought up here. He somehow separated himself from the field even further. The previous total yards record including the postseason was 1,977, set by Larry Fitzgerald in 2008. Cooper Kupp had 2,425. The previous record for total receptions was 156 set by Michael Thomas in 2019. Cooper Kupp had 178. This was the best overall WR season in NFL history, and if you ask me, it's not even particularly close. Most of the previous WR records were very “spiky” seasons, with one category being very impressive but the others more mediocre. Or a large amount of volume came from a handful of outlier games. Or they didn’t continue to contribute into the postseason.

Kupp’s 2021 was consistently dominant across the board, and will be one for the history books. And to think he did it taking most of his snaps from the slot, it’s unbelievable. If you showed me that game log before the season, I’d have thought it was someone’s 99 Davante Adams in Madden Rookie mode.

I look forward to another season that makes enemy combatants say things like:

“I know people don’t believe Kupp is a top 5 WR but that’s because they smoke crack”

“Well, that's how he gets open. He reads defenses better than most QB's. Got it.”

And “It pisses me off how good he is”

Legacy

So where does this leave Kupp moving forward — aside from forever cemented as a Rams legend, an inevitable 30 for 30 episode, and one of the greatest displays of football skill to ever grace the gridiron? It's actually kind of hard to say. Even though Kupp has always been very good, and extremely underrated… how do you project a player’s future after that massive of an outlier season?

With that said, this doesn’t feel like a flash in the pan. Nothing about what Kupp did last season felt unsustainable or particularly lucky. It seemed to be a result of wildly improved QB play, a revitalized offensive system, and a bona fide leap in skill that took him to his full potential. Barring a disaster, Kupp should continue to carry a lot of fantasy teams, act as one of the most reliable receivers in the league, and keep building on a mid-career push for the Hall.

The Rams locked Kupp up this offseason through 2026, so we’ll have plenty of time to watch what could become the most dominant QB/WR connection continue to develop and flourish for years to come. Start making the cast for the bronze statue now. I can’t wait.

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#1 - Aaron Donald - Los Angeles Rams - Interior Defensive Line (IDL)

Previous Ranks

2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012
2	3	1	1	1	2	43	N/A	N/A​

Key Stat

Despite being double teamed on 66% of his snaps, still had a 26% pass rush win rate highest in the NFL among DTs

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Written by: u/Projinator

Another year has passed, and we're a year closer to Aaron Donald being universally considered for the greatest defensive player of all time. While plenty of people, myself included, have him in that conversation already there are still folks out there who think he's in a tier below. AD is the beacon of consistency, and I don't feel that it's appropriate to leave this write up as just a synopsis of just this season. His seasons are all largely similar. He remains far and away the most productive defensive lineman in the league, doubled at the highest rates in the league while leading the league in pressure rates. He once again makes his supporting cast a tier better, even 1st ballot HOFers in Von Miller who struggled with injuries and some dip in production had an immediate resurgence after playing next to Donald. No, instead of droning on about things we already know, I'm going to be making my case on what Donald needs to do to be the greatest defensive player of all time.

For starters, lets take a gander at the above listing of accolades. His 7th selection to the AP All-Pro 1st team puts him 3 selections behind tying Jerry Rice and Jim Otto for the record. At the age of 31, he has a real shot at getting this record. He just needs one more selection to tie the record for the most 1st team selections for a defensive player, joining Bruce Smith, Reggie White, Lawrence Taylor, Joe Schmidt, and Bill George as the current defensive leaders with 8 selections. His 8th consecutive selection to the Pro Bowl is tied with new teammate Bobby Wagner for the longest active streak in the NFL, however he still needs 6 more consecutive appearances to tie the record with fellow Ram Merlin Olsen at 14, and a 7th additional appearance would have him tie the record for most Pro Bowl appearances at 15 with Tom Brady (unless that bastard keeps playing well).

Last year during this write up, I made some assumptions that Donald would need to accomplish over the next three years to become the undisputed (or as undisputed as reasonably possible) GOAT. Those assumptions were that he'd maintain his average of 11 sacks per year, which he exceeded by 1.5 by nabbing 12.5 for the year. I also made the assumption that he'd make the All-Pro and Pro Bowl teams, both of which occurred. The only item he wasn't able to accomplish last year was win the Defensive Player of the Year, something that took a defensive end tying the sack record to take away from him. A 4th DPOY award would break the tie and give him the record for the most such awards in NFL history.

As we're all aware, Donald checked the last missing accolade of his list in 2021, winning the Super Bowl. Though he was not given the Super Bowl MVP, it's inarguable that he wasn't just as deserving of it as Kupp and managed to seal the game away in its final moments, a moment that will forever be iconic and will be the first play mentioned during his HOF induction. Donald getting a ring while in the back half of his prime is something that has cemented his name in the conversation amongst GOATs. It was the one thing that separated him from Lawrence Taylor and Reggie White, and now that he has that chip the only remaining question is this; does Donald want to keep playing? Shortly after winning the Super Bowl the conversation shifted around Donald as his threat of retirement became real. The picture at least is more clear with his new raise, but he only remains under contract for the next three years.

Your guess is as good as mine, but I think Donald is the type of player that will keep playing until he physically can't anymore, and being within marginal distance of being the greatest of all time has to be a motivating factor, and lets face it; it's an accomplishment that is well within reach. A defensive tackle with 10 1st Team All-Pros, 15 Pro Bowl Appearances, 1 SB ring, 4 DPOYs, and 150+ sacks will be extremely hard to argue against being the GOAT, and if Aaron Donald remains healthy over the next three seasons while playing an additional two seasons at sub-prime levels, all these accolades are will within reach.

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Join us next week for the post-mortem thread, where we’ll release the complete list from every ranker, breakdown the composition of the full list, and more

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