JKNFLFOOTBALL Top 100 Players for 2022: 20-11

 The top 20 is here! The annual list is coming near a close as we've reached our second to last installment of the year. These 20 players are truly the very best of the best and there is sure to be some major controversy of how they stack up. Today we will see 20-11 as we prepare for the final installment in the coming days after this in which you will find out our TOP 10! Without further adue, let's get into it...

20. Justin Jefferson, Wide Receiver, Minnesota Vikings | LAST YEAR: #48 |

2021 stats: 108 receptions for 1,616 yards, 10 TDs receiving

After a rookie season for the ages in which Justin Jefferson set the All-Time receiving record for a rookie, expectations for year 2 were THROUGH THE ROOF. With that insanely high bar, many wondered if he could really outdo it in his second year. That he did. Jefferson caught 20 more passes for an extra 200+ yards and 3 TDs to hit over 100 catches for more than 1,600 yards and double digit TDs! Through just two seasons, Justin Jefferson has shattered nearly every record there is. After having the most receiving yards for a rookie ever he added another page to the record books after the conclusion of this season as he now holds the record for most rec. yards through a players first TWO seasons in the league as well! That's right, EVER! More than Randy Moss and Jerry Rice. Through two seasons, an argument can be made that Jefferson *could* be on pace to finish his career as the best to ever play the position. Justin Jefferson is nearly unguardable. While when you hear his name you don't instantly think of him as one of the best of the best in terms of route running, it's hard to find many guys who do so better than he does. Despite being somewhat of a thin frame, Jefferson also seemingly comes down with every one on one contested catch as well. What makes him just so damn good is his explosiveness. Aside from maybe Tyreek Hill, there isn't anyone more explosive than he is at the WR position in my opinion. If he gets a ball in the open field, good luck tracking him down. Even with suspect QB play, Justin Jefferson has been the most productive WR in NFL history to this point in his career. He was a top 50 player after his rookie season and now a top 20 player after two, next year could he be inside the top 10? Probably.

19. Ja'Marr Chase, Wide Receiver, Cincinnati Bengals | LAST YEAR: N/A |

2021 stats: 81 receptions for 1,455 yards, 13 TDs receiving | 25 receptions for 368 yards, 1 TD in PLAYOFFS

BANG! A rookie inside the top 20! In what was the toss-up of all toss-ups, I decided to put Ja'Marr Chase one spot higher than his former college teammate Justin Jefferson on my top 100. While Jefferson has had an extra year in the NFL and by that regard is arguably more proven, Chase is coming off of one of the greatest rookie performing seasons ever, and I have to ride with that wave. Jefferson's rookie receiving record didn't hold up for long. It took all of one season to be broken by his former WR corp mate Ja'Marr Chase. The Bengals were a bottom feeder once again in 2020 which allowed them to have the opportunity to select Chase with the 5th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. They decided between him and a premier OT like Penei Sewell or Rashawn Slater. They made the right call. The second Chase stepped out on the NFL gridiron, it was showtime. He and Joe Burrow (who was his QB in college at LSU) picked right back up where they had left off as Chase went for over 100 yards and a TD in his first career game. That was the beginning of something beautiful. Chase was electric his entire rookie year as he finished with 1,455 yards receiving (the record) and 13 TDs en route to winning rookie of the year and seemingly being the missing piece the Bengals had lacked in terms of being that bottom feeder and suddenly bursting onto the scene to make a Super Bowl run. In the magical post-season run, Chase racked up nearly 400 more receiving yards and a TD as Cinncy fell just short of their first ever Lombardi trophy. However, all is not lost at all. The Bengals look set up to be a juggernaut for years to come with Burrow and Chase leading the way. Chase is already an easy top 5 wideout in the game and is nowhere near his prime. It's going to be crazy to look back in 10-15 years and realize that Chase and Jefferson came from the same college offense and could go down as two of the best WRs ever! #19 ain't too shabby for a rookie...

18. Justin Herbert, Quarterback, Los Angeles Chargers | LAST YEAR: #33 |

2021 stats: 5,014 yards, 38 TDs, 15 INTs passing | 302 yards, 3 TDs rushing

Justin Herbert has gotten off to a pretty good start to his career one could say, eh? After entering the league as the 6th overall pick in 2020, expectations were high for the man who figured to replace the great Phillip Rivers in LA. He did that instantly. His 31 TD rookie season broke records and won him the rookie of the year award over fellow record breaker Justin Jefferson (#20). After that rookie season for the ages, expectations were SKY HIGH this season as it looked like the Chargers were poised to return to the post-season behind their new franchise signal caller. While they fell just short, it was in no way the fault of the wonderkid Justin Herbert. Herbert took his game up another notch as he tossed a whopping 38 TDs (3rd in the NFL) and over 5,000 yards (2nd in the NFL). His poise, pocket awareness, and big arm were marvels to watch all season long. While the Chargers had a win and in week 18 scenario (that they lost), Herbert may have played his best game of the season. He went for nearly 400 yards along with 3 TD passes and an INT. The most impressive part of that game was his conversions on 4th down. Time and time again with the game and season on the line did Herbert complete 4th and longs to keep the Bolts alive. He converted SIX 4th downs in that game. Going into his third season, Herbert should only continue to get better. He debuted inside the top 35 after one season and now is easily top 20 after two. I could see him rising inside of the top 10 if he continues to play this well and finally breaks the Chargers into the playoffs this season! It feels as if this could be his MVP season...

17. Micah Parsons, Outside Linebacker, Dallas Cowboys | LAST YEAR: N/A |

2021 stats: 84 total tackles, 13 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 3 pass deflections, 12 stuffs

The Defensive Rookie of the Year checks into his first top 100 ever at no. 17! That is the highest we've EVER rated a player following their rookie year in the history of this site. That's how damn good Micah Parsons was as a rookie. It is rare that a rookie is in the talks for not only DROY, put also the overall DPOY (in which Parsons received some votes for). How did this guy fall outside the top 10? I'm still scratching my head. At Penn State, Parsons was a freak of nature. At 6'3, 245 pounds, Parsons profiles in as an LB but he plays like an edge rusher. This ability and athleticism allows him to do BOTH and do both at a high level. Even with a surplus of good LBs in Dallas, the Cowboys simply couldn't pass on the talent that is Parsons when he fell into their laps at 12. They haven't looked back. Parsons was their best player as a rookie. Instantly. He racked up close to triple digit tackles, had the 6th most sacks in the NFL with 13, and also forced 3 fumbles which is elite production in that regard as well. Teams could not figure out how to scheme for a guy that would be the biggest rushing threat on some downs but also a factor in the passing game on other downs. It's crazy to think a guy with the physical profile of Parsons also has 4.3 speed and can do virtually anything asked of him on the defensive side of the ball. Going into year 2, Parsons has some high expectations for himself. He wants to win DPOY and also be known as not only the best LB in football, but the best overall rusher and defensive player. Given what he did as a rookie, I'm not ruling anything out for a guy who I can ALREADY see being a potential future hall of famer!

16. Aaron Rodgers, Quarterback, Green Bay Packers | LAST YEAR: #5 |

2021 stats: 4,115 yards, 37 TDs, 4 INTs passing | 101 yards, 3 TDs rushing

Yeah yeah, I know a bunch of shade is about to come my way for this ranking. "How is the MVP not even top 10?" To remind people AGAIN, this list is not only based off of last season, but also predictions and projections for this coming season. While I acknowledge that Aaron Rodgers was the best regular season player in the NFL last season, he was not close to that in the playoffs, and I expect at least a slight drop-off this coming year, all contributing to this ranking. During the regular season there was no doubt, Aaron Rodgers was the MVP again. 37 TDs to just FOUR INTs. Those are video game numbers. I'm not sure when the last time I saw a TD to INT ratio that good was before Rodgers in 2021. All of that being said, Rodgers choked when it mattered once again, failing to beat a Jimmy Garopollo led 49er team in the snow at Lambeau field during the playoffs. This kind of thing has become a truly unfortunate pattern for Rodgers and it is going to define his career if he cannot break through before he's too old. Rodgers is going into his age 38 season after arguably the most shocking upset loss in his playoff career AND with the fact that his perennial WR1 and All-Pro level talent Davante Adams is now in Las Vegas. His top receivers now are Allen Lazard, Randal Cobb, and second round rookie Christian Watson. None of this stuff bode well for Rodgers three-peating MVP, or even being an SB contender in 2022. There is no denying Rodgers as one of, if not the, most talented QBs ever in NFL history, but I believe the best is behind him, and this season will be the first of regression for the future Hall of Famer. Rodgers is ELITE, but it may be the time we see a step back in his play.

15. Jonathan Taylor, Running Back, Indianapolis Colts | LAST YEAR: N/A |

2021 stats: 332 carries for 1,811 yards, 18 TDs rushing | 40 receptions for 360 yards, 2 TDs receiving

The biggest N/A last year riser yet! Jonathan Taylor took the NFL world by STORM in 2021. Taylor had a great rookie season in 2020 when he rushed for over 1,000 yards and 11 TDs, but no one thought of him in the tier of the best of the best. Sure he was a big and strong RB with great breakaway speed and a likely pretty good career ahead, but I don't think anyone anticipated the kind of season he just had to come ever, or at least not for a couple more years. Taylor absolutely exploded this season. When Derrick Henry went down with a pretty much season-ending injury near the mid-point in the season, Taylor seemed to kind of pick up the torch and never look back. JT was first in pretty much everything running related. Carries-first. Yards-first. TDs-first. He nearly ran for TWO THOUSAND yards. The statement game 0f his unreal season was late in the year at Buffalo when Taylor TOOK OVER to the tune of 185 yards and 4 TDs rushing on 32 carries PLUS another TD through the air. One of the best singular game performances I've ever seen as the Colts took a major upset win against those feisty Bills. While Taylor didn't win OPOY thanks to a historic season from Cooper Kupp in his own right, he was easily the best RB in the sport all year and was rightfully named the First Team All-Pro back. Expectations are sky high for Taylor going into 2022. At 23 he's approaching his true prime and should be a year better and also will benefit from an even better supporting cast around him (including a former MVP at QB). With CMC and Derrick Henry returning from injury, the battle for the rushing title might be the most interesting its been in years. 
(P.S. this is the guy who should be going no. 1 in every fantasy football draft!)

14. Travis Kelce, Tight End, Kansas City Chiefs | LAST YEAR: #13 |

2021 stats: 92 receptions for 1,125 yards, 9 TDs receiving

Not much movement from last year near the top for the league's perennial top Tight End. Travis Kelce has cemented himself as a clearcut top 3 TE in NFL history, and he's still chugging along. Kelce is 32 which may seem old for some positions, but with the way Kelce plays and also takes care of his body, he should be elite well into his late thirties. Kelce wows everyone with his speed and poise at a position with a lot of stiff big guys. I don't really know of another player at the position who can move in the ways Kelce can. It's not that he's so much faster than his peers or anything but he just plays with a swiftness and is so aware of his body in terms of positioning on the field that no one else really does. That may be what sets him apart from everyone each year. Kelce chugged on for his 6th straight 1,000 yard season despite seeing a bit less targets from 2020 (for whatever reason). Even though the Chiefs fell short of another Super Bowl berth, losing to the Bengals in OT of the title game, Kelce was nothing short of an animal in the 3 post-season games the Chiefs played. Kelce went for 108, 96, and 95 yards in the three games, with a TD in each. Keeping Kelce out of the endzone on any given week feels impossible. He salsas his way in every time. In 2022, Kelce could be in for a huge season. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are re-tooled and want to prove themselves after last season and while it may hurt the team as a unit (losing Tyreek Hill), it will open up EVEN MORE volume for Kelce in the middle of the field and endzone. Travis Kelce stays the best TE in football for another year and maybe the best in NFL history!

13. Jalen Ramsey, Cornerback, Los Angeles Rams | LAST YEAR: #8 |

2021 stats: 62 total tackles, 4 INTs, 16 pass deflections, 1 forced fumble

No list of the best corners, or even overall defensive players in the league for that matter, is complete without Jalen Ramsey. We've known since this guy entered the league that he was one of the greatest and most feared at one of the hardest positions in all of sports. Ramsey is one of those rare corners that I've mentioned from time-to-time amongst this top 100 that scares QBs so badly that they simply do not throw it in their direction at all. Ramsey has been that guy for much of his career which at times can make his numbers look minuscule and lackluster compared to other guys. Even in a year where QBs were rarely throwing his way, Ramsey was still able to rack up ELITE CB numbers en route to another First Team All-Pro appearance. All Ramsey's wanted to do since he entered the NFL was win. When he wasn't doing so with Jacksonville, he quickly requested a trade and landed with a winner in the LA Rams. While it took time, with Ramsey as a major reason, the Rams finally made it to the promise land and won a Super Bowl this season. Teams routinely were having to play down their top receiver with Ramsey glued on to them. Even in a year where Ramsey wasn't targeted as much as many other CBs, he still got his stats. That is the sign of true greatness. His 16 pass deflections were 6th most in the league and 4 picks ties a career high for him as well. The 27 year old is just entering his prime and now has a Super Bowl ring under his belt as well. Not bad for our number TWO corner in the league...

12. JC Jackson, Cornerback, Los Angeles Chargers | LAST YEAR: #72 |

2021 stats: 58 total tackles, 8 INTs (one returned for TD), 23 pass deflections, 1 forced fumble

HUGE RISER! JC Jackson was arguably one of the biggest breakout players of the 2020 season which landed him just inside the top seventy-five at 72 last season. When he built on that and took it to the next level in 2021, he now rises a whopping SIXTY spots inside our top 15 and is my NUMBER ONE corner in the league heading into next season. The Patriots were able to move off of former DPOY CB Stephon Gillmore with ease as they knew what they had with JC Jackson. The former undrafted talent has blossomed into the best corner in the league in front of our very eyes. Bill Belichick is a magician. How did he see this diamond in the rough? After a 9 INT, 14 PD 2020 season, Jackson picked off another 8 passes and batted down an unheard of TWENTY THREE passes. That was most in the league and the most I've ever seen in a single season (the record is held by Darrelle Revis who had 31 in 2009, but you get the idea). Jackson was sticky in press man but thrived in zone where he played ball-hawk which he is just so damn good at. At just 26 years of age, Jackson is only entering his prime. The Patriots were FOOLS to let him walk in free agency for only about $16 million annually which feels like the steal of all steals for the Los Angeles Chargers who just continue to build a juggernaut defense and overall roster. With Jalen Ramsey on one end of LA and Jackson on the other end, the battle for the top spot is just getting going! JC Jackson has had one of the craziest meteoric rises in just two years that I've ever seen...will he break the top 10 a year from now?

11. Davante Adams, Wide Receiver, Las Vegas Raiders | LAST YEAR: #10 |

2021 stats: 123 receptions for 1,553 yards, 11 TDs receiving

Not much movement for the former Packers superstar Davante Adams, sliding just 1 spot from 2021 to 2022. Adams is coming off yet another season for the ages. It felt like he set the league on fire in 2020 with his 1,300 yard/18 TD season. This year was even better, people just don't seem to realize because of what that receiver in LA did. Adams has never been better. He totaled over 1,500 yards for the first season of his future Hall of Fame career. His 123 receptions were also second most in the league. His 11 TDs is no measly total either. A lot of people are going to discount Adams in rankings right now, due to the way the Packers went out in the post-season and people like to use the move to the Raiders as some kind of cause for uncertainty. While Derek Carr is no Aaron Rodgers, he's still a damn good, top 10 QB. People seem to forget that Adams wanted to go to the Raiders all along, and for the sole reason of teaming back up with his former college QB at Fresno State, Carr. People that worry he won't get the reps that he got in Green Bay or have good balls to catch are crazy. Carr is elite. He knows Davante Adams. Raider HC Josh McDaniels is going to be able to work Adams into his scheme probably as well if not better than Matt LaFleur did in Green Bay. Adams is a top 3 route runner in the game, he's elusive as hell, and seemingly gets open on every single play. I'm not sure if there is a guy out there that can scatter a secondary more than Adams can. He just finds his way open. It's natural born talent that pretty much no one in the world but Adams, and a few others, have. While some may worry about a move to Vegas for Adams, I don't. Adams is an easy top 3 WR and will always be when he's healthy and in his prime. He will remind the world of that this year, once again.

The top 100 will conclude with THE TOP 10 in the coming days...