Detroit Lions — Matthew Stafford, QB
The newly-minted highest paid quarterback in NFL history has been pretty much the entire Detroit offense, especially since Calvin Johnson retired. A 4,000-yard passer for the sixth consecutive season, Stafford has learned how to take care of the ball and cut down on his interceptions, too, and he has a huge arm to make big plays. He is the best quarterback the Lions have had in decades.
Green Bay Packers — Aaron Rodgers, QB
There is no bigger home run play in the NFL than the Hail Mary, and Rodgers has mastered the art. That’s just one asset that one of the league’s elite quarterbacks brings to the table. Rodgers is coming off a season in which he threw a league-best 40 touchdowns. And even if you think you have him stopped, Rodgers is an impressive scrambler and even rushed for four scores a season ago.
Houston Texans — J.J. Watt, DE
After a season in which Watt barely played due to injury, it’s easy to forget just how good he is. Few in the league are better when it comes to sacking quarterbacks and blowing up plays in the backfield. Watt has two 20-sack seasons to his name, and he even saw some action as a goal-line receiver in 2014. Nobody is more important to the Texans than Watt.
Indianapolis Colts — T.Y. Hilton, WR
As great as quarterback Andrew Luck is, Hilton is one of the NFL’s best deep threats. His 1,448 receiving yards led the NFL in 2016, and he added six touchdowns to go with it. Skilled and speedy, Hilton is a big-play threat every time he lines up out wide, and has developed a very good rapport with Luck.
Jacksonville Jaguars — Allen Robinson, WR
Leonard Fournette and Jalen Ramsey may yet become elite playmakers for the Jaguars, but for now, Robinson is the most accomplished skill player on the team. He suffered in 2016 as opponents zeroed in on him, but his 2015 stands as a testament to what he’s capable of — 1,400 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns.
Kansas City Chiefs — Tyreek Hill, WR
When you think of big playmakers in the NFL, Hill is an athlete who may come to mind first these days. As a rookie last season, he scored 12 touchdowns, impressively finding the end zone in almost every way. He had six touchdown catches, three rushing TDs, two punts returned for a score and one kickoff return for a touchdown. One of the fastest athletes in the league, Hill is a threat to take it to the house any time he touches the ball.
Los Angeles Chargers — Philip Rivers, QB
The Chargers have added a lot more talent in the offensive skill positions recently, but their linchpin remains their veteran quarterback. 2016 was Rivers’s eighth 4,000-yard season and fifth 30-touchdown season. And while he’s 35 now, the Chargers are still as reliant on him as ever. Someday that will have to change, but for now, the Chargers will and should ride Rivers, who is the best they’ve got.
Los Angeles Rams — Aaron Donald, DT
To be clear, the Rams will need Donald to eventually show up if he’s going to justify his spot on this list. If he does, though, he’ll be one of the NFL’s elite defensive linemen. He has 28 sacks in his first three NFL seasons. So long as he’s on the field, there is every reason to believe he will continue to improve.
Miami Dolphins — Cameron Wake, DE
All Wake did at the age of 34 was return from an injury and rack up 11.5 sacks in only 11 starts. He was the standout on a slowly improving Miami defensive line. The challenge for him now will be keeping up a high level of play after turning 35. He still has the skills, he just needs to stay healthy.
Minnesota Vikings — Everson Griffen, DE
One of Minnesota’s most reliable defensive presences, Griffen is both effective against the passing and running games. His sack total was down a bit in 2016 to just eight, but he’s still an extremely disruptive defender who earns the nod here until the team adds more offensive playmakers — or gets Teddy Bridgewater back.
New England Patriots — Tom Brady, QB
Tom Brady is the Patriots, and the Patriots are Tom Brady. It has never much mattered who he has around him, who gets hurt, who’s left, who arrived. He remains remarkably consistent, and he’s coming off a 2016 season in which he threw 28 touchdowns and just two interceptions in 12 games. There’s no reason to think he’ll be slowing down anytime soon, even if the Patriots are thing at the receiver position.
