Welcome to the 70-61 Rankings for the r/NFL Top 100 Players of the 2022 Season!
Link to Previous Post (80-71)
Players whose average rank landed them in places 70-61 are on this portion of the list revealed today. Players are associated with the team they finished playing for at the end of the 2022 season
Below you will see some write-ups from the rankers summarizing the players’ 2022 season and why they were among the best in 2022. Additionally, their ranks from previous years are available for y’all to see
METHODOLOGY
Link to more detailed writeup on our methodology
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Step 1: A Call to Rankers right after the Conference Championship games
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Step 2: Rankers from each team nominated players to rank, with a 11 game minimum threshold. Players are associated with the team they played for in 2022
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Step 3: The Grind. We instructed users to tier positions groups into T25, T50, etc based on 2022 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.
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Step 4: Users submitted their own personal Top 125 lists.
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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
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Step 6: The Reveal… where we are now!
And without further ado, here are the players ranked 70-61 in the r/NFL Top 100 Players of the 2022 Season!
#70 - Za’Darius Smith - Minnesota Vikings - EDGE Rusher
Previous Ranks
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 42 | 26 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Key Stat:
Smith and Danielle Hunter are the first pair of Vikings to have 10 sacks each since Kevin Williams and Lance Johnstone in 2004
Written by: u/SoDakZak
The Vikings D had a dry year, so before I get into it, here is a pic of Smith (making his one year with the Vikings worth it) to satiate your thirst.
Za’Darius Smith lives up to his name:
Za’Darius: King or kingly (ViKING)/one who is wealthy: ($67 million made so far through 2022)
Smith: forging through heating, and hammering….the opposition, especially the quarterback or a reliable run stopper on short yardage situations. Remember, our defense was led by the since-fired DC Ed Donatell played so badly… we were historically bad. Seems “Forge” to Ed was “Forge-t about rushing the QB, you’re gonna be on the field 40 minutes of the game and we will do the same next week.”
Despite all of that, and being used in coverage with that “scheme” Za’darius stayed laser focused on the target: the QB. He managed 10 sacks (his 3rd double digit season in his career) and 5 passes defended at the line. Through 7 games he was even leading the NFL with 8.5 sacks and 13 TFL. While the Za’Darius Smith/Danielle Hunter tandem definitely could have been used more aggressively, they both did their part to give a 13-win Viking team some spark on defense. Za’Darius managed to put up 37 pressures 24 QB Hits and 44 tackles this season, bouncing back from an injury-riddled 2021, made the Pro Bowl, and even received 4 Comeback Player of the Year votes.
69 - Justin Simmons - Denver Broncos - Safety
Previous Ranks
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 59 | 55 | 24 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Key Stat:
Joins Champ Bailey and Tyrone Braxton as the only Broncos to lead the NFL in interceptions
Written by: u/BlindManBaldwin
2022 was a disappointing year for the Denver Broncos. The team's high profile acquisition of Russell Wilson failed to deliver the expected results on offense. New head coach Nathaniel Hackett became the first one-and-done coach in team history (a feat not even Josh McDaniels could do). Frequent injuries made a bad situation worse. Despite everything, Justin Simmons put together another high-level season that ranks him among the best at his position.
Now the longest tenured Bronco, Justin Simmons finished 2022 with his third second-team All-Pro selection. Things weren’t looking great for Simmons at the start of the season after a Week 1 injury in Seattle. Simmons hadn’t missed a game since the 2017 season, and at one point played over 3200 consecutive snaps. By the time he returned to the active roster, the Broncos fell to 2-3 and were quickly becoming the laughing stock of the NFL. Could the return of their defensive stalwart provide a spark to get things rolling again for the team?
No.
While the Broncos limped to a 5-12 finish (3-9 in games featuring Simmons), the defense remained the lone bright spot during the season. Thanks in no small part to the play of Simmons, who finished tied for the league-lead in interceptions. Reunited with former head coach Vance Joseph (now defensive coordinator under Sean Payton), Simmons will need to continue his usual consistent quality play if the Broncos are to make the playoffs for the first time in his career.
#68 - Javon Hargrave - Philadelphia Eagles - Interior Defensive Lineman (IDL)
Previous Ranks
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Key Stat:
2nd straight season with a PFF pass rush grade above 90
Written by: u/scmsf49
One of the best pass rushers in the league shocked everyone by opening this year’s free agency window with a move from one NFC powerhouse to another. Hargrave is coming off a season where he manned the middle for one of the best pass rushing defenses in NFL history, drawing double teams and helping a trio of edge rushers hit double digit sacks. He got in on some of that action himself, recording 57 pressures of his own and directly accounting for 11 of the Eagles' 70 sacks.
Hargrave has deceptive speed for a nose tackle, illustrated here where he collects one of the easiest looking sacks you’ll ever see when the Eagles rush 5 and he can’t be doubled. On a similar play against the Bears, Hargrave abuses a guard for a quick sack, again demonstrating his ability to get outside of a guard and seemingly run right past them. On a crucial third down inside the 5, the Eagles again rush 5 and the center is able to get Hargrave onto the turf but he’s relentless and gets a sack on his way down anyway. Hargrave's speed makes for some fun highlights, but you can't really discuss a 300 lb interior lineman without mentioning his strength. On this play Hargrave brings his man with him to the quarterback on a 4 man rush when the Texans decide to double Fletcher Cox instead of him.
Hargrave’s Twitter handle is Jay_MostWanted, and that was pretty evidently the case for San Francisco when they chose to dole out 80 million dollars to him and shore up the biggest weakness on the defense with one of the most impactful players in the league at that position.
#67 - Roquan Smith - Baltimore Ravens - Off-Ball Linebacker (LB)
Previous Ranks
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 98 | 65 | N/A | N/A |
Key Stat:
5th player since 1970 to receive AP All-Pro 1st team while being traded midseason
Written by: u/Yedic
It was a tale of two halves for Roquan Smith in 2022. After a shaky first half of the season as part of a poor Bears front-seven, the Ravens traded for Smith in the leadup to Week 9, and he immediately made his mark on a defense that was sorely needing a leader at the LB position. Here, 6 minutes into his first game with the Ravens, Roquan stands Alvin Kamara up for a stop on 3rd and 1.
The acquisition allowed Patrick Queen to slide over to his more comfortable weak-side position, and the Ravens defense proceeded to allow fewer than 17 points in 7 out of the 9 regular season games with Roquan, after doing so in only 1 out of 8 games previous. Here's a neat play where he sifts through three linemen in order to make a tackle on a screen (h/t Huddle It Up Films for the clip). This year, Roquan's motor was always on display, and he helped anchor a Ravens defense that was instrumental in dragging an injured offense into the playoffs.
#66 - Trevor Lawrence - Jacksonville Jaguars - Quarterback
Previous Ranks
| 2021 |
|---|
| N/A |
Key Stat:
Key stat: 3 wins after trailing by 2 or more scores, only Kirk Cousins and Justin Herbert had more this year
Written by: u/Christy427
This was an offense designed around his strengths to spread the ball around to whichever receiver had the best match up, Trevor was not one to get hung up on a certain read or lock onto a single receiver. He also knew how to quickly identify key match ups that he could exploit such as well-timed jump balls to Marvin Jones and Evan Engram when he knew they had an edge there. The offense utilized a lot of mesh and crossers to get players the ball on the run using his ball placement to keep them running forward. The Jaguar receivers had few spectacular catches as he threw such great balls. It heavily utilized his ability to make quick decisions and his brilliant accuracy and weighting of mid-level passes over a first line defense and into the receiver. Overall, to pick one play to highlight his ability to make quick decisions and be accurate under serious pressure I think this 4th and 5 with the game on the line shows it off beautifully.
If the above broke down then receivers knew to keep running, Trevor had great pocket presence under pressure and kept his eyes downfield when scrambling looking for the pass but also opening space by the threat of his running ability. This running ability was used sometimes on scrambling but also in the red zone using his 6’6” frame in sneaks or in a more traditional QB run.
He posted a 66.3% completion rate and over 4000 yards with a receiving core generally near the top of dropped passes lists, though those lists are always subjective. He had just over 3 to 1 TD to Int ratio with a team that didn’t have any pro bowlers on the initial selection so while the Jags had decent players he was not surrounded by superstars to help him out.
Why isn’t he higher? After all that, why isn’t he higher up the list? For all the good games he had a few down games. The 4 fumbles in the Eagles game. In both the Texans and the Broncos game he threw similar interceptions. Interceptions happen but there were a few critical moments he needed to learn from a bit quicker if he wanted to be classed with the absolute greats for this season. Combined with high level but not elite level stats give Lawrence his place in the top 100.
#65 - Michael Onwenu - New England Patriots - Offensive Guard
Previous Ranks
| 2021 | 2020 |
|---|---|
| N/A | 86 |
Key Stat:
Played all 1033 snaps at right guard in 2022 after splitting time between LG (402 snaps), RG (187 snaps), LT (892), and as a 6th linemen (92) in 2020 and 2021
Written by: u/KingDing-a-Ling13
For the 5th season in a row, a Patriots guard has made the top 100, and after Shaq Mason and Joe Thuney claimed two of those seasons apiece, there is new(ish) blood breaking into the guard scene. Sort of. Drafted in the 6th round in 2020, Michael Onwenu was an afterthought to most, but quickly showed he may be the heir apparent to the Patriots 6th round dynasty. After limited game time in the first two weeks of the season, Onwenu was elevated to starting right tackle, and as a 6th round rookie, he did not miss a single snap for the rest of the season. His impressive campaign led to Onwenu making the list, placing at 86. However, midway through his sophomore season, Onwenu was somewhat inexplicably relegated from a starting role into a jumbo package sub, and the future looked murkier. Then, in a classic Bill Belichick move, Shaq Mason was traded away, opening up the right guard spot for Onwenu, and as good as Onwenu was as a rookie right tackle, he showed that his real position was at right guard all along. And so, despite a somewhat unorthodox path there, Onwenu is the next man up in a long line of top Patriots OGs.
Before I dive into what makes Onwenu so great, I would just like to say that NFL+ is an absolutely terrible service that didn’t recognize that I had a subscription, so I was unable to get clips from All-22 for this write-up. It is incredible how the league has progressively made Gamepass/NFL+ worse every season, but enough of that. Any discussion about Onwenu’s game starts with his size. At 6’3”, Onwenu is on the shorter side for an NFL guard, but he packs a massive 350 pounds on that frame. In fact, according to PFR, Onwenu is the second heaviest guard in the league, and tied 10th across any position. Now, weight can only take you so far without having a rock solid base, but you can bet Onwenu has that. Watch him (RG #71) take on Quinnen Williams, one of the best DTs in the league, in pass protection on this play. Quinnen tries to put his head down and bull rush through Onwenu, who absorbs the initial contact like it’s nothing, resets his base, and flushes Quinnen around the outside of the pocket. PFF assigned Onwenu with only 14 allowed pressures all season, fewer than Zack Martin. A 350 pound behemoth shouldn’t have the technique needed to be an elite pass blocker, yet Onwenu does. In the run game, he is an absolute rock, and helped pave the way for Rhamondre Stevenson’s excellent campaign. Look at this play when the Patriots are backed up against their own goal line. Onwenu engages with great hand technique, keeps his base strong, and absolutely bullies the DT backwards five yards, giving Rhamondre a gaping hole to hit for a big gain. This play highlights Onwenu’s sheer size and also his awareness. His assignment is initially to double team the DT, who is quickly neutralized. Onwenu then looks to the hole on his left, where the LB is trying to shoot the gap. Despite the LB having a head of steam and Onwenu standing relatively still, Onwenu simply stonewalls him, knocking the LB backwards in a beautiful display elastic collision. Onwenu’s quick feet also allows him to excel as a pulling guard, used to great effect throughout the season. If you’re looking for holes in his game, you’re going to be looking for a long time.
Michael Onwenu was the anchor for a Patriots o-line that struggled with injuries and consistency all season. He didn’t miss a snap until the 4th quarter of the final game of the season, when he tragically suffered an injury and missed his only six snaps all year. Onwenu underwent ankle surgery earlier this offseason, and missed voluntary OTAs. As the Patriots look to bounce back from a down year, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, his health will be a critical factor. If he recovers without complication, though, Onwenu will continue paving his way towards recognition as one of the top offensive guards in the entire league.
#64 - Marlon Humphrey - Baltimore Ravens - Cornerback
Previous Ranks
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 70 | 53 | 94 | N/A |
Key Stat:
PFF's highest graded corner in man coverage
Written by: u/Yedic
After a slight down year in 2021, Marlon Humphrey was back to his usual lockdown self in 2022. He's been known as a tough, physical, man coverage corner in the past who plays a ton both in the slot and outside. This year was a little different with our new DC, as he played a much higher percentage of snaps outside and in zone. He showed off his versatility as even with the changes, he put together a great season as the only dependable corner on the roster. Check out this play where Humphrey runs Devante Parker's route for him and comes down with a redzone pick in the 4th quarter of a one-score game (h/t Huddle It Up Films for the clip).
According to PFF's charting, Marlon didn't give up a single TD reception all year. Talking about game-to-game consistency, he didn't allow more than 5 receptions in a single game, with 7 games allowing 2 or fewer receptions, including 2 games not allowing a single reception. In this play, he lines up in the slot and ends up fooling old friend Baker Mayfield for the 4th quarter pick.
He had a single bad game this past year, and other than that was a sorely-needed rock that we could depend on for the whole season. We even got to see a vintage Fruit Punch, reminding us of 2020! (shoutout Peanut Tillman)
#63 - Austin Ekeler - Los Angeles Chargers - Running Back
Previous Ranks
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Key Stat:
Ekeler, Marshall Faulk, Harlon Hill, and Don Hutson are the only players in NFL history to lead the league in scoring touchdowns in back to back seasons with 5+ receiving touchdowns in both seasons
Written by: u/Shion314
Undervalued and underutilized. Two words that sum up this past year for Austin Ekeler.
Much like 2021, Ekeler showed why he is one of the better do it all running backs in the league. He again led the league in scrimmage TDs at 18 this year as well as being the only RB with over 100 receptions (breaking LTs franchise record of 101) with a crazy 87% catch rate (highest in the league amongst backs with any notable volume). Averaging almost 4.5 yards a carry and over 95 scrimmage yards a game, Ekeler was often the only bright spot on offense outside of his QB.
His slight drop in rankings can be attributed to a 2022 similar to 2021 despite an extra game to try and push him over the 1000 rush yard mark. The offense under outgoing coordinator Joe Lombardi struggled at times to run the ball and often the run game was forgotten even in wins (Ekeler had one of the lowest rush attempts in the league with just over 200). Unfortunately this means his highlight reel was a little sparse this year (only two 100+ rush yard games) but just tasting bits of his dynamic playmaking ability is enough to see how he can shine.
Still one of the best multipurpose backs in the league, Ekeler gets a chance to show he can improve once again in a contract year with a new coordinator and return to a spot in the top 50.
#62 - Geno Smith - Seattle Seahawks - Quarterback
Previous Ranks
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Key Stat:
4286 passing yards last season, compared to 1346 passing yards the previous 7 seasons combined
Written by: u/hendrix67
I can remember the exact moment I began to have hope for the 2022 season. Week 1 against the Broncos, first drive of the game, 3rd and 2. Geno Smith drops back and is immediately under pressure from a linebacker up the middle. He evades the rusher and scrambles through traffic before tossing a dime to a wide-open Will Dissly who takes it in for the score. That moment proved to be a glimpse of what was to come. Throughout the season, Geno Smith provided not just consistent production on offense but highlight reel plays and clutch wins. In doing so, Geno and Co. dragged a 25th ranked defense to 9 wins and a playoff berth.
Geno Smith’s play this season speaks for itself. Highest completion percentage in the league. Top five in touchdown passes and passer rating. Set a new franchise record for passing yards in a season. Comeback Player of the Year. He did this against all reasonable odds, first winning the starter spot that was reportedly Drew Lock’s to lose. Despite getting only five starts over the previous six seasons, Geno came out looking like a seasoned vet. His chemistry with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett made for some fantastic highlights. Geno didn’t just surpass expectations; the bar was low enough that this would not have been too monumental a task. But he did so with flying colors, making Seahawks football fun and exciting in a way that few fans could have foreseen. He showed the NFL that you can’t write him off so easily.
#61 - Tariq Woolen - Seattle Seahawks - Cornerback
Previous Ranks
N/A
Key Stat:
No rookie in the last 30 years had more interceptions as a rookie taken in the 5th round or later
Written by: u/MattyT7
Entering his rookie season, Tariq Woolen didn’t have any sort of crazy expectations. A freshly minted fifth round pick in the 2022 draft, Woolen wasn’t even the first cornerback the Seahawks selected in the draft (Coby Bryant drafted 109th overall). Woolen began making noise even before making it into the NFL. At the 2022 combine, Woolen posted a 4.26 40 yard dash time, the fastest ever for a player over 6 feet. The Seahawks would soon find out what a blessing it would be to have Woolen fall into their laps in the fifth round.
Let’s begin with production. Woolen had one of the most productive rookie cornerback seasons in recent memory. He tied for the lead in interceptions for the season with 6 (returning one for a touchdown), which included a string of four consecutive games with an interception. Sure, one of the interceptions may have been on a pass from Leonard Fournette to Tom Brady, but that does not take away that he was still a magnet to the football. He finished tied for 4th on the year in passes defended with 16 and racked up 63 tackles. Woolen earned NFC Defensive player of the week honors in week 6 when the Seahawks defeated the Cardinals and he finished third in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. Simply put, Tariq Woolen made a hell of a splash entering the NFL.
One reason Tariq found success his rookie season is because of his downright freakish speed. Even if he is beaten early, opposing quarterbacks have to make quick decisions if they want to take advantage. Tariq Woolen already has maybe the best closing speed in the NFL. Here he is catching up on a ball thrown by the best quarterback in the league and recovering well enough to shut it down. Against the 49ers and expecting help over the top, Woolen manages to close on a massive gap and stop what should’ve been an easy touchdown. He is able to bait quarterbacks into making guys look more open than they actually are because of his elite speed and length. Woolen has great instincts and plays to them well. He is able to diagnose routes and defend them at a top tier level. He’s a very sticky defender when he wants to be, and uses his physical traits to his advantage. At 6'4 and weighing 210 with 4.26 speed, the dude is an ANIMAL.
Tariq Woolen’s rookie year was a great career beginning. But there is absolutely room to grow. The Seahawks drafted Devon Witherspoon with their first pick of the 2023 draft at 5th overall, so Woolen should have a nice, new running mate this season that will make locking down opposing offenses all the better. I expect Tariq to take a step forward his sophomore season, and improve upon an already impressive debut.
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