It's that time of year again. This week, we released our annual NFL Rank list -- a projection of the top 100 players for the 2021 NFL season. The voting, carried out by more than 50 of our analysts and reporters, was geared toward the upcoming season and expectations, not prior success.
But not everyone was going to agree with the final list, and that includes a panel of our own experts. Six of them weigh in here and make their cases for why some notable snubbed names should have made this year's ranking. Despite 13 quarterbacks making the top 100, one analyst picks a signal-caller as his biggest snub. They also identify the most underrated and overrated players in the ranking and pick out those who should be on the 2022 list after a big season -- including a pair of rookies. To top it all off, the experts give us their best ranking "hot takes" and bold claims -- one of which questions Giants running back Saquon Barkley not making the top 100.
Let the debating begin, and be sure to check out our full top-100 list.
Jump to:
Snubs | Underrated | Overrated
2022 locks | Hot takes
See more: 2021 NFL Rank
Rookies for next year
Which NFL player got snubbed from our top-100 list this year?
Matt Bowen, NFL analyst: Demario Davis, LB, New Orleans Saints. A top-five stack linebacker with natural instincts, Davis has the coverage traits to impact the pass game, plus the second-level range to find the ball. And in Dennis Allen's defense, he can also be schemed on pressures. This is a big miss to leave Davis off the top 100.
Domonique Foxworth, NFL analyst at The Undefeated: Derek Carr, QB, Las Vegas Raiders. Unlike many QBs in the league, Carr is not reliant on play-action, and he had the sixth-best QBR on third downs last season. The major knock on Carr was that he would rather take a short, safe completion than a downfield shot. But over the past two seasons, Carr has averaged almost 8 yards per attempt and completed 108 passes for 20-plus yards. Aaron Rodgers and Josh Allen -- who get a lot of credit for their big-play ability -- completed 109 each over the same period.
Kevin Seifert, national NFL reporter: Eric Kendricks, LB, Minnesota Vikings. Kendricks has been one of the league's most overlooked players during the course of his career, in part because he is a linebacker who isn't asked to rush the passer. But he is a sure tackler, exceptional in coverage and healthy again after missing five games in 2020 due to a calf injury.
Mike Tannenbaum, NFL analyst: Duane Brown, OT, Seattle Seahawks. While Brown's best days are clearly behind him, he is a difference-making pass protector. Seattle would be completely ineffective in its passing game without him.
Seth Walder, analytics writer: Brandon Linder, C, Jacksonville Jaguars. Linder is underrated. He was the pass block win rate leader among all centers last season, albeit over only nine games. But it was no fluke. In 2019, Linder finished fourth in both pass block win rate and run block win rate, per ESPN blocking metrics that use NFL Next Gen Stats data.
Field Yates, NFL analyst: Jonathan Allen, DT, Washington Football Team. By virtue of the position he plays, Allen isn't going to crack lists like these just by examining his box score statistics. But from the rugged work he does that goes beyond the box score, Allen deserves to be there. Not only is he a force against the run, but he also consistently disrupts the integrity of the interior of the pocket as a pass-rusher, too. And he is a great leader for Washington.
Which player was the most underrated on this year's top-100 list and should have been higher?
Bowen: DeForest Buckner, DT, Indianapolis Colts (No. 51). Outside of Aaron Donald, Buckner is the NFL's most disruptive interior defender. The Colts defensive tackle, who posted 9.5 sacks last season, is ranked far too low.
Foxworth: Jaire Alexander, CB, Green Bay Packers (No. 34). This is egregious. Alexander was nearly unbeatable last season. And in the playoffs, he was even better, intercepting two of Tom Brady's passes in the NFC Championship Game. Alexander is a top-two player at the most important defensive position, and he is deserving of much better than No. 34.
Seifert: Derwin James Jr., S, Los Angeles Chargers (No. 81). Injuries have certainly dimmed James' light. He has missed all but five games over the past two seasons. But he is healthy now, and because he is still young at 25 years old, it's just a guess to predict future injuries. Absent them, James is one of the top 20 players in the league.
Tannenbaum: Jaire Alexander, CB, Green Bay Packers (No. 34). I'm agreeing with Foxworth here. Alexander can match up man-to-man on opposing teams' best receivers and easily handle them. In my opinion, he is the best corner in the game.
Walder: David Bakhtiari, OT, Green Bay Packers (No. 33). Bakhtiari is the best tackle in the NFL, and he should be up in the Myles Garrett/Travis Kelce zone -- not down in the 30s.
Yates: Jessie Bates III, S, Cincinnati Bengals (No. 83). To anyone who has listened, they know I'm an advocate for placing Bates in the conversation for the best safety in the NFL. He has a rare ability to play center field for a defense with the range and instincts to chop down explosive passing plays. Bates has excellent ball skills and is a smooth operator who simply finds the right place to be at all times. He is a star and deserves to be higher than 83rd on this list.
Which player was the most overrated on this year's top-100 list and should have been lower?
Bowen: Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers (No. 38). Herbert's physical traits at the position are on par with those of Bills quarterback Josh Allen, and I do see Herbert as a rising star in this league. But after just one pro season, ranking Herbert at No. 38 -- in front of the likes of Khalil Mack, Alvin Kamara, Mike Evans, Marlon Humphrey and more -- is a little steep at this point.
Foxworth: Stephon Gilmore, CB, New England Patriots (No. 26). Last season was a down year for Gilmore, as he was nowhere near the standard we have come to expect. He wasn't even the best cornerback on his team last season. That distinction belonged to J.C. Jackson, who didn't make the top-100 list.
Seifert: Julio Jones, WR, Tennessee Titans (No. 35). The Falcons' difficulty in finding an offseason trade partner speaks to the caution most of the league has on his future. There is wide agreement that Jones has declined physically, albeit from a much higher peak than most players. Still, I expect many receivers who were ranked below him -- Justin Jefferson, Mike Evans and Calvin Ridley among them -- to be better than Jones in 2021.
Tannenbaum: Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams (No. 24). Greatness is defined by lifting those around you, and Stafford simply hasn't done it in his career. Zero playoff wins for a player who was drafted at No. 1 in 2009 demonstrates that he is a good but not great QB.
Walder: Nick Bosa, DE, San Francisco 49ers (No. 15). Listen, I think Bosa is going to be great. But No. 15 is awfully rich for a player with one nine-sack season who is also coming off a torn ACL. That puts him ahead of Stefon Diggs, Tom Brady and Lamar Jackson. I can't buy that.
Yates: Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons (No. 58). The reality is that none of the players on this list are overrated, Ryan included. He has had a long, distinguished career that includes a much deserved MVP award. Choosing anyone is difficult, but unlike other quarterbacks who rank on this list, Ryan is neither an ascending young talent nor a player who has sustained his peak like Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.
Which player missed this year's list but is a lock to make it in 2022?
Bowen: Darnell Savage, S, Green Bay Packers. It's the versatility with Savage, and I'm looking at his range in the post and the coverage traits to spin down over the slot. He also has an urgent play-style that puts him in a position to create on-the-ball production. He's one of my favorites to watch on tape.
Foxworth: Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Cleveland Browns. Beckham is still one of the most talented wide receivers in the game. I'm betting that his recent stretch of disappointing and injury-plagued seasons will come to an end in 2021. He will punish defenses that commit to slowing the Browns' strong running attack.
Seifert: Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons. Pitts has a rare combination of size and speed that made him the first non-quarterback selected in the 2021 draft. Reports out of the Falcons' camp this summer have done nothing to dissuade me that he will be a special player -- and quickly. With Matt Ryan at quarterback and coach Arthur Smith calling plays, Pitts will be an easy top-100 vote next year.
Tannenbaum: Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals. This one is simple. If healthy, Burrow is going to be a topflight QB. I'm not sure if he is a top-five quarterback, but he is certainly one of the best 100 players in the NFL.
Walder: Trey Lance, QB, San Francisco 49ers. Rushing ability translates fastest from the college to the pros, so I think Lance would have had a solid rookie year anywhere. But add in playing for Kyle Shanahan? Yeah, Lance is going to be on this list a year from now.
Yates: CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys. Wide receiver is arguably the deepest position in the NFL right now, but I've got Lamb earmarked as the breakout player at the position in 2021. There is not a limitation to his game, as he has an athletic skill set that includes a catch radius approximately the size of a small country. It wouldn't surprise me if he finishes with 1,300-plus yards this year.
Give us your best 'hot take' or bold statement about this year's ranking and explain it.
Bowen: Panthers defensive end Brian Burns will crack the top 30 next season. He checked in at No. 80 on this year's list and is an ascending talent, with the pass-rushing traits to jump into the league's upper tier of edge defenders.
Foxworth: Bills wideout Stefon Diggs should be the highest-ranked wide receiver. No other receiver's impact can be as clearly seen as Diggs'. His ability to beat man coverage is a big reason Bills QB Josh Allen went from not on the top-100 list last preseason to in the top 10 this year.
Seifert: It's wild that Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey is close to the top third of this ranking (No. 39), but the Giants' Saquon Barkley didn't make the top 100 at all. Both are high-end running backs working their way back from injuries who rushed for 1,000 yards in their most recent full seasons. But Barkley is younger and has a full year less of wear and tear on his body. This is probably a case of McCaffrey being overranked, but the distance between them is jarring.
Tannenbaum: Washington edge rusher Chase Young is at No. 31 this year, but I think he could be in the top five next year and considered the second-best defensive player in the NFL behind Aaron Donald. He is a long, explosive and disruptive pass-rusher coming off of a productive rookie year with a lot of talent around him. This sets him up perfectly to be a top-five player and the premier edge pass-rusher in the league.
Walder: Arizona's Kyler Murray ahead of Baltimore's Lamar Jackson is absurd. Jackson, who was the league's MVP two years ago, ranked seventh in QBR in his "down" year last season, while Murray ranked 14th. Jackson's work on the ground -- which factors into QBR on scramble plays -- is well documented, but Murray isn't even the better passer. When we remove sacks and scrambles, Jackson still had the edge in QBR last year, 13th to 19th. And again, those numbers are from 2020; Jackson led the whole league in QBR in 2019.
Yates: The gap between the 49ers' Fred Warner (No. 30) and the Colts' Darius Leonard (No. 88) is too large. To start, I'm not sure there is a gap between these two inside linebackers at all. Each is indispensable as the quarterback of his defense. Each does everything you could possibly want in an inside linebacker. They were even extended within weeks of each other, with Leonard having the chance to earn a bit more over the five new years of their deals. You won't find me arguing about Warner's value, but these two should be within a few slots of each other, not 58 spots apart.