NFL'S TOP UNDER-25 TALENT:
PROSPECT RANKINGS: 1-10 | 11-25 | ORGANIZATIONAL RANKINGS
In the translated words of Scottish poet Robert Burns, "The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry." Such was the case with last year's ranking of the 32 NFL teams according to their assembly of talent 25 years old or younger. Five of our top 10 teams (Carolina, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit and Houston) had their seasons irreparably derailed by injury. The good news, however, is that three of the other five (Atlanta, Baltimore and Kansas City) finished 2010 with a combined record of 35-13. Therefore, barring unpredictable events like the reigning sack champion suffering a season-ending training camp injury for the first time in the free-agency era, we're confident this is a worthwhile endeavor.
In developing this year's rankings, we focused mainly on factors we could quantify. Among these factors were:
• The number of games in 2010 started by players under the age of 25
• Whether or not a team's young starters last season were simply injury replacements
• The number of 25-or-younger first-team All-Pros that a team has on its roster
• The extent to which a team's 25-and-under talent plays impact positions in the passing game
• Whether or not a team has a talented, young quarterback
• The amount of value a team added in the 2011 draft
• A team's recent track record of developing and retaining young talent
Once we had our objective rankings, discussion amongst the crew at Football Outsiders tweaked the list, and resulted in the final version that you see here.
As you peruse our rankings, you'll notice several themes. First, for a variety of reasons, many teams have seen big changes in their rankings. Indeed, comparing the two years, the average change is approximately nine spots. Second, we can't resist talented young quarterbacks. Third, several teams were incredibly difficult to evaluate. Finally, we had an unexpected visit from a Super Bowl champion of the past.
Without further ado, here are our organizational rankings for this season (Note: All ages are as of Sept. 8, 2011).
32. New York Jets
The Jets may have been an 11-win team in 2010, but those 11 wins were courtesy of a starting lineup almost entirely composed of players who will be 26 or older in 2011. The obvious exception, of course, is Mark Sanchez, who happens to play the most important position on the field. It should be said, however, that Sanchez finished 2010 as the 18th-most valuable quarterback according to our DYAR metric, behind several other signal-callers of similar age. Therefore, the extent to which quarterback is the most important position for the Jets, specifically, is debatable.
Aside from Sanchez, left guard Matt Slauson was the only other young player to start double-digit games last season. Having chosen five-technique defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson with its only pick in the first two rounds, New York also didn't use April's draft to add much in the way of young talent at impact positions.
31. Dallas Cowboys
The loss of Tony Romo most impacted the Cowboys' fortunes last season, but their dearth of 25-and-under talent will have a much bigger impact in the long run. With a relatively healthy season outside of Romo's injury, Dallas still had a total of only 30 games started by young talent, 40 percent of which were courtesy of tight end Martellus Bennett. Felix Jones, Dez Bryant and first-round pick Tyron Smith are poised to become full-time starters in 2011, so that total should increase. However, if Smith, who played right tackle at Southern California, doesn't develop into the left tackle that the Cowboys envision, and Bryant's targets are limited by the presence of Miles Austin and Jason Witten, Dallas will be as unlikely as any NFL team to find Pro Bowl-caliber contributions from its young players.
30. Atlanta Falcons
Last year, Atlanta ranked seventh on our list due to a roster that included 25-and-under contributors like quarterback Matt Ryan, left tackle Sam Baker, linebacker Curtis Lofton and defensive end Kroy Biermann. Ryan and Baker will enter 2011 at 26 years old, so this year's low ranking ends up being partially due to a technicality. However, on the matter of substance, aside from their selection of Julio Jones in April, the Falcons have been unable to build on the success of their 2008 draft class. Not to mention that, given the underwhelming track record of first-round wide receivers, it remains to be seen whether or not the Jones pick will be considered a success three years from now. Therefore, of the Falcons who are 25 years old and under, Lofton and Biermann (both 25) remain the only ones who stand out, and that's not enough to move them higher in the rankings.
29. Washington Redskins
Outside linebacker Brian Orakpo and left tackle Trent Williams were the only two Redskins under the age of 25 who both began and finished 2010 as full-time starters. As they play impact positions in the passing game, that's a good thing. Unfortunately, other than first-round outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, who we projected as the third-best pass-rusher in the draft, that's the extent of the Redskins' 25-and-under talent with respect to the passing game. Twenty-five-year-old Ryan Torain, one of Mike Shanahan's favorite things, started nine games, but drafting Nebraska's Roy Helu and Penn State's all-time leading rusher, Evan Royster, confirms that Shanahan's absolute favorite thing is an interchangeable ball carrier.
28. Baltimore Ravens
With right tackle Jared Gaither on injured reserve, and much of their younger talent in the 26- to 28-year-old range, the Ravens had only two full-time starters in 2010 who were 25 or younger: Michael Oher and Ray Rice. After selecting Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith with their first-round pick, that total will increase by (at least) one this season. 2010 second-round pick Terrence Cody, as expected, understudied behind veteran nose tackle Kelly Gregg. However, with age, injuries and decreased production beginning to set in for Gregg, the transition to Cody may take place earlier than initially believed.
27. New Orleans Saints
The Saints were tied with Baltimore for fewest number of players under the age of 25 to start at least one game last season, with only Super Bowl hero Tracy Porter and breakout free safety Malcolm Jenkins serving as primary starters. On offense, New Orleans has high hopes for second-year tight end Jimmy Graham, who had five touchdown receptions despite missing most of the season with a high ankle sprain; so much so that they released veteran Jeremy Shockey just prior to the lockout. In the running game, the team seemingly used its first-round pick to replace an injured young running back, Chris Ivory, with a healthy one, Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram.
26. Tennessee Titans
Tennessee had only two under-25s, cornerback Alterraun Verner and defensive tackle Jason Jones, start double-digit games in 2010. Breakout wide receiver Kenny Britt could have joined Verner and Jones, but he was stuck on the depth chart behind Justin Gage to start the season, and then lost four midseason games with a torn hamstring. Now, he's potentially found a new way to miss starts: being suspended.
With the No. 8 pick in the draft, the Titans found their quarterback of the future in Washington's Jake Locker, but the question is whether Locker can find his receivers. In the second round, the Titans chose UCLA linebacker Akeem Ayers, but it's unclear what position Ayers is going to play. The team plans to use him at defensive end on passing downs, but Ayers' build (6-foot-3, 255 pounds) and experience (he exclusively played 4-3 outside linebacker in college) suggest his biggest contribution will be teaming with 25-year-old outside linebacker Gerald McRath -- speaking of suspensions -- to help maintain Tennessee's status as a top-10 run defense.
25. San Diego Chargers
Last year, we had the Chargers ranked 30th on our list, with a higher spot pending the development of cornerback Antoine Cason and running back Ryan Mathews. It turns out, however, that although Cason did end up leading the team in interceptions, it was Mike Tolbert, not Mathews, who had the breakout season.
In another case of "right position, wrong guy," Antwan Applewhite was just OK after another 25-year-old, Larry English, got hurt in his bid to replace Shawne Merriman at right outside linebacker. With Applewhite facing a potential suspension or release for his offseason DUI, the health of English's left foot takes on added significance. Another injury of note is that of 22-year-old inside linebacker Donald Butler, whom San Diego drafted in 2010 to replace either of its aging starters.
24. Buffalo Bills
With 16 players under the age of 25 having started at least one game in 2010, Buffalo would be near the top our rankings if they were based on quantity alone. However, quantity still has yet to translate to quality, and what quality exists hasn't manifested the kinds of characteristics that help teams win. For instance, the Bills' best young player, Steve Johnson, was one of the most productive wide receivers in the league last season. Despite this production, however, Johnson was one of the least efficient No. 1 wide receivers, and the Bills were one of the least efficient pass offenses. The same could be said for the Bills' pass defense, which dropped from third to 25th last season despite having 2009 interception-leader Jairus Byrd as its starting free safety. Beyond Johnson and Byrd, the best of the rest include C.J. Spiller (more a returner than running back thus far), guards Eric Wood and Andy Levitre (both 25) and third-overall pick Marcell Dareus.
23. Indianapolis Colts
The Colts were a tough nut to crack. It's not that their young talent is on the bench -- it's that most of their young talent has been starting because of injury. It's not that their young talent is unproductive -- it's that we can't tell whether or not any warm body would be as productive given the Colts' history of interchangeable parts. It's not that the Colts don't develop and retain young talent -- it's that their aversion to free agency is so strong that we wonder whether or not most of their homegrown players have been retained simply on general principle. In the end, the Colts' success over the past decade has hinged on five players: Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, Jeff Saturday, Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. The problem is that all of them will be at least 31 years old when the season starts.
22. Minnesota Vikings
Last season, the Vikings had only three players under the age of 25 who started 10 or more games: Percy Harvin, Phil Loadholt and Asher Allen. Sidney Rice would have been a fourth had he not missed the first 10 games with a hip injury. However, with Rice leaving via free agency, and Allen returning to nickelback pending Cedric Griffin's health, only Harvin and Loadholt return as full-time starters. Fortunately for the Vikings, Loadholt's subpar sophomore season can be partially attributed to his slow recovery from offseason shoulder surgery, and Harvin has developed into one of the best all-around wide receivers in the NFL. Given that both would benefit from improved quarterback play, Minnesota drafted Florida State's Christian Ponder in the first round. The knock on Ponder is that he has the lowest ceiling of the 2011 quarterback class. However, as the most NFL-ready of the group, he'll probably be the one least affected by the lockout. Also, with Adrian Peterson in the backfield, a low-ceiling quarterback may be the preferred option.
21. Oakland Raiders
Al Davis' Raiders have been bucking the NFL trends for decades, and it shows in their 25-and-under talent. Some combination of track stars Louis Murphy, Jacoby Ford and Darrius Heyward-Bey (all 24) started all 16 games, but the one who started most consistently was the underperforming No. 7 pick (Heyward-Bey). Murphy and Ford have potential, but Davis' addiction for mediocre, retread quarterbacks in the golden age of passing means they might not reach it. Whereas most teams' best run-blocking tackle plays on the right side, Oakland's is left tackle Jared Veldheer. Whereas most first-round running backs succeed immediately, it took more than two years for Darren McFadden to finally live up to his 2008 draft status. On defense, Rolando McClain had only 75 tackles, and was the most efficient pass-defending linebacker in the league, despite starting in the middle of a 4-3. It really is bizarre out in Oakland.
20. Arizona Cardinals
With the addition of first-round pick Patrick Peterson, the consensus top cornerback in the draft, Arizona has another talented 25-and-under defender to go with defensive end Calais Campbell, inside linebacker Daryl Washington and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (although he may soon be traded to Philadelphia). The problem for the Cardinals, of course, is that much of their nosedive in 2010 can be traced to a lack of production from two of their young offensive players: Max Hall, who failed to improve on the ineffectiveness of Derek Anderson, and John Skelton, who only marginally improved on the ineffectiveness of Hall. With such poor play at quarterback, it's hard to judge the lack of production from Early Doucet, Tim Hightower and Beanie Wells.
19. Carolina Panthers
With a league-high 22 players under the age of 25 who started at least one game, we weren't kidding when we said last year that the team intended "to throw a lot of young talent at the wall and see what sticks." Among the young talent that stuck was Jonathan Stewart, Mike Goodson, David Gettis, right guard Geoff Schwartz, defensive end Charles Johnson and strong safety Charles Godfrey; the latter two of which led the 2010 Panthers to a top-10 ranking in pass defense DVOA. On offense, it's been reported that offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski wants to use Stewart, Goodson, Schwartz and No. 1 overall pick Cam Newton to return the Panthers to a "physical style of offensive football." How appropriate from Ron Rivera, a head coach who, like Leslie Frazier in Minnesota, was one of the 1985 Bears.
18. Miami Dolphins
Despite several of their best young players now landing in the 26-to-28 age range, and projected starting defensive end Jared Odrick missing all but one game, the Dolphins still had eight players under the age of 25 start at least half of the 2010 season: Brian Hartline, Davone Bess, right guard John Jerry, cornerbacks Vontae Davis and Sean Smith, free safety Chris Clemons, outside linebacker Koa Misi and defensive end Kendall Langford. As a testament to how young this team truly is, only two of Miami's 22 primary starters (right tackle Vernon Carey and strong safety Yeremiah Bell) will begin 2011 in their 30s. As most Dolphins fans will attest to, the problem last season was more a matter of predictability on offense than a lack of development from their young talent. Unfortunately, new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll is basically just a younger version of Dan Henning.
17. San Francisco 49ers
The past three drafts of the Nolan-Singletary era produced no fewer than eight players whose primary impact is in the running game: 2010 first-round offensive linemen Mike Iupati and Anthony Davis and second-rounder Chilo Rachal; coverage-challenged strong safeties Reggie Smith and Taylor Mays; running back Anthony Dixon; and inside linebackers NaVorro Bowman and Scott McKillop.
Not seeking to be yet another modern-day version of the 1985 Bears, Jim Harbaugh used the team's first four draft picks on players who will have more of an impact on the passing game: quarterback Colin Kaepernick, outside linebacker Aldon Smith, running back Kendall Hunter and cornerback Chris Culliver. With only Alex Smith ahead of him on the depth chart, and Harbaugh's track record of developing young signal-callers, Kaepernick -- who we projected as this year's third-best quarterback prospect -- has a good chance to start as early as this season. What would help Kaepernick -- and Smith, for that matter -- is if Harbaugh can turn the 49ers' most talented young holdover, Michael Crabtree, into a wide receiver commensurate with his 2009 draft status.
16. Chicago Bears
If we were focusing exclusively on offense, the Bears would be much higher on our list. Matt Forte bounced back with the best rushing average of his career after regressing in 2009. Johnny Knox had a breakout season in 2010 and fellow under-25er Earl Bennett will be a de facto starter in Mike Martz's pass-happy offense. Along the line, young talent at tackle has Chicago well positioned to improve its league-worst sack rate of 10.7 percent. 2011 first-rounder Gabe Carimi and 2010 seventh-round surprise J'Marcus Webb will be the starters, with Carimi's development dictating which side of the line he's on. Unfortunately, aside from Oregon State defensive tackle Stephen Paea, who the team drafted to replace Tommie Harris, they have no defensive starters younger than 28.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers
Earlier we mentioned that the Bills were more quantity than quality in terms of 25-or-younger talent. Pittsburgh is one of two teams in our rankings that represent the opposite. In 2010, only eight Steelers under the age of 25 started at least one game. However, the four primary starters in the group were major contributors to Pittsburgh's Super Bowl run: Mike Wallace, Rashard Mendenhall, Pro Bowler Maurkice Pouncey and inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons. Second to DeSean Jackson in yards per reception by a wide receiver, Wallace is the perfect downfield complement to Hines Ward or whichever possession receiver succeeds him. Pouncey was so good in his rookie season that his brother, Mike, seemingly moved up draft boards based on name recognition alone.
14. Denver Broncos
The Broncos are another team, like the Colts, for whom evaluating their 25-and-under talent is unduly difficult. First and foremost, does the new regime consider Tim Tebow to be the team's franchise quarterback? He played well in spots last season, but Josh McDaniels turned even Kyle Orton into a stud. Is Eddie Royal's future as a wide receiver or as a return man? Should we even count Demaryius Thomas when he seems to suffer a major injury every February? Will Knowshon Moreno develop into a feature back? Is second-overall pick Von Miller, who could combine with Elvis Dumervil to form the best pass-rushing duo of any 3-4 defense, going to be hamstrung by John Fox's switch to the 4-3?
The only things we can say with any degree of certainty are that (A) the Broncos finally used the draft to get younger on defense, and (B) they have arguably the best combination of youth and talent of any offensive line in the NFL.
13. New York Giants
The Giants are our second quality-over-quantity team. Like the Steelers, they had only eight players under the age of 25 start at least one game. However, more of their 25-or-under talent is at impact positions in the passing game. Specifically, Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham both had more than 900 yards receiving last season, while strong safety Kenny Phillips started 15 games as part of the NFL's third-ranked pass defense despite the Giants' front office thinking his 2009 knee injury might be career-threatening. In the running game, Ahmad Bradshaw gained more than 1,500 yards from scrimmage, and Jonathan Goff started all 16 games after winning a training camp battle for the right to replace Antonio Pierce at middle linebacker. The impressive thing going forward is that Nicks, Manningham and Bradshaw were as productive as they were, despite combining to start only 31 out of a possible 48 games.
12. Jacksonville Jaguars
Seven Jaguars under the age of 25 started at least 10 games last season, which was tied for second most in the league. Six out of the seven played impact positions in the passing game, including three-quarters of their starting secondary: cornerback Derek Cox, free safety Don Carey and strong safety Courtney Greene. The problem? The Jaguars' youth in the secondary didn't translate to good performance -- the team had the 31st-ranked pass defense -- although some of their inefficiency can be traced to the loss of pass-rusher Aaron Kampman at midseason.
On offense, the Jaguars got a breakout season from Mike Thomas, and have a franchise left tackle in 2009 first-rounder Eugene Monroe. Finally, after several years of searching, Jack Del Rio found a young, talented pair of defensive tackles -- Terrance Knighton and Tyson Alualu -- to anchor the run defense a la the days of John Henderson and Marcus Stroud. Again, youth didn't translate to success in 2010 -- their run defense was ranked 28th -- but the pieces are in place for improvement in 2011 and beyond.
11. Seattle Seahawks
From an overall efficiency standpoint, Seattle was the worst division champion since 1992. However, the combination of luck and a great first round in the 2010 draft has moved the Seahawks 10 spots higher in our rankings. On the luck side, Seattle was basically handed two young starters for free: Marshawn Lynch and Kentwan Balmer. It really is amazing that Buffalo would be so eager to get rid of a 25-year-old, two-time 1,000-yard running back, but perhaps that's one more reason we discussed the Bills 13 teams ago.
In the 2010 draft, Seattle followed a first-round blueprint we can appreciate, selecting left tackle Russell Okung to help its pass offense and free safety Earl Thomas to help its pass defense. Both players didn't disappoint, with Thomas leading the team in interceptions, and Okung's presence helping to solidify Seattle's offensive line. In this year's draft, the Seahawks used their top pick on Alabama's James Carpenter, who will immediately start at right tackle, barring injury.
10. Houston Texans
Last year, Houston was ranked No. 1 on our list mainly due to the Pro Bowl-caliber young talent it had assembled on defense. In what may turn out to be a "Best Organizations List" curse, two of the players we mentioned, DeMeco Ryans and Connor Barwin, suffered season-ending injuries before the bye week. Other mentions, like stud pass-rusher Mario Williams, strong safety Bernard Pollard and outside linebacker Zac Diles, will be entering 2011 at a non-qualifying 26 years old, as will Ryans. The 3-4 installed by new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips will likely be a boon to the team's remaining 25-and-under defenders: Barwin, Brian Cushing, Kareem Jackson and Glover Quin, plus rookie end J.J. Watt. Of course, the one player who we didn't mention last year, Arian Foster, ended up being the best under-25 player on the entire roster, and perhaps in the entire league.
9. Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals -- yes, the Bengals -- have promising young talent on both offense and defense. After the 2011 draft, the conversation begins with A.J. Green and Andy Dalton, who we projected as the best quarterback prospect available. With Carson Palmer vowing to never play another down for Cincinnati, and Terrell Owens' knee making a similar declaration, the Bengals got considerably younger at two impact positions in about 24 hours. Add Jermaine Gresham and Jordan Shipley to their early picks, and the Bengals are likely to build on their 11th-ranked pass offense over the long term.
Cincinnati also hopes to improve its 25th-ranked run defense by starting three linebackers at 25 years old or younger: Keith Rivers, Rey Maualuga and Michael Johnson. The only things preventing the Bengals from a higher ranking are that (A) they waited until the third round to draft help for their 30th-ranked pass rush, and (B) they have no 25-or-younger running backs to replace Cedric Benson's production should he be suspended or leave in free agency.
8. Philadelphia Eagles
In 2010, the Eagles had the fourth highest number of under-25 players start at least one game. Despite only four of the 16 being major contributors, Philadelphia's high ranking comes by virtue of the fact three of those four are already stars in the passing game. Pro Bowler DeSean Jackson continues to be the most versatile and dynamic offensive player in the NFL. His 22.5 yards per catch led the league, he has a career rushing average of nearly 7.5 yards and he single-handedly won a do-or-die game against the rival New York Giants late last season. With a 13.8 yards-per-reception average and seven of his 10 touchdowns measuring 20 yards or fewer, Jeremy Maclin emerged as the possession and red zone receiving complement to Jackson. In his first season as the starter, LeSean McCoy finished 2010 as the sixth-most valuable running back in the league, and spearheaded the Eagles' No. 1 rushing attack.
On defense, our praise is less effusive mainly because of injury concerns. Free safety Nate Allen won Defensive Rookie of the Month honors in September before tearing his patellar tendon in December. Defensive end Brandon Graham still has yet to fulfill his first-round expectations, and now has to deal with recovery from microfracture surgery, which will likely land him on the PUP list to start the 2011 season.
7. Green Bay Packers
The average age of Green Bay's roster last season (26.3 years old) was younger than any other Super Bowl champion of the past two decades. Although several major contributors to the Packers' title don't qualify for our rankings (e.g., Aaron Rodgers, Greg Jennings and Nick Collins), there's still plenty of 25-and-under talent that does. Contributing to the league's No. 4 pass rush, All-Pro Clay Matthews finished fourth in the league with 13.5 sacks, and nose tackle B.J. Raji added 6.5 sacks -- not common from a 3-4 defensive lineman.
On the back end, having a nickelback as talented as Sam Shields proved invaluable for the Packers, especially in their final two games. With 2010 first-rounder Bryan Bulaga starting 12 games as an injury replacement, and the team using the 32nd pick in this year's draft to select Mississippi State's Derek Sherrod, Green Bay accelerated the timeline for replacing aging offensive tackles Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher. However, easily the most talented young player on offense is Jermichael Finley, who finished 2010 as the NFL's 11th-best tight end despite missing 12 full games.
6. Cleveland Browns
Since the arrival of Mike Holmgren last year, the Browns have been on a mission to rebuild the roster. Among his first moves were trading a JUGS machine for Peyton Hillis, selecting cornerback Joe Haden with the seventh pick of the 2010 draft and investing the 85th pick of that draft on Colt McCoy. These three players -- along with second-year holdovers Brian Robiskie, Mohamed Massaquoi and Pro Bowl center Alex Mack -- form a 25-and-under nucleus among the best in the NFL. With West Coast offense devotee and quarterback guru Pat Shurmur now the team's head coach, and a pair of rookie defensive linemen to accommodate Dick Jauron's switch to the 4-3, one could reasonably argue that the rebuilding process is nearing completion.
Considering that Cleveland also has several talented players in the 26- to 28-year-old range, and that -- statistically speaking -- the Browns were one of the unluckiest teams in the league last season, there could be big things in store for the Browns over the next few years.
5. Detroit Lions
With the addition of Auburn's Nick Fairley in the draft, and the healthy return of Matthew Stafford, Detroit has become a trendy pick for surprise playoff team of 2011 -- and with good reason. Albeit in only three games, Stafford improved considerably over his woefully inefficient rookie season. If he can avoid yet another injury to his throwing shoulder, Stafford can combine with Calvin Johnson, Jahvid Best and 2011 second-rounder Mikel Leshoure to form arguably the second-best group of young offensive skill position talent in the league (the best group tops our list). Fairley, All-Pro defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and middle linebacker DeAndre Levy will make it practically impossible for division rival Minnesota to have any semblance of offensive success against the Lions. Likewise, free safety Louis Delmas, cornerbacks Alphonso Smith and Amari Spievey, and the league's sixth-ranked pass rush are good enough to at least slow down the Packers' and Bears' pass offenses.
4. St. Louis Rams
St. Louis has one player to thank for its 21-spot jump in our rankings. Allaying concerns about his 2009 shoulder injury, Sam Bradford threw the most passes for the third-most yards and the fifth-most touchdowns of any rookie quarterback since the AFL-NFL merger. Nevertheless, despite his production, he was still one of the least efficient starters in the league. Of course, that's where experience, the tutelage of new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and a healthy receiving corps come in. The Rams' top six wide receivers heading into 2011 will be an average of 25.8 years old, with four being 25 or younger: Brandon Gibson, Danny Amendola, Mardy Gilyard and Danario Alexander. Up front, tackles Rodger Saffold and Jason Smith led a top-10 pass-protection unit last season, but Bradford's ability to get the ball out of his hands quickly probably factored into that, as well.
On defense, the Rams improved from 32nd to 20th against the run thanks in part to middle linebacker James Laurinaitis. Against the pass, cornerback Bradley Fletcher and a top-10 pass rush -- which added SackSEER enigma Robert Quinn via the draft -- helped St. Louis improve from 29th in 2009 to 21st in 2010.
3. New England Patriots
It's easy to find yourself in awe of New England's ability to constantly add new, young talent to the roster. This trait, which was a hallmark of the 49ers' dynasty of the '80s and early '90s, is the fuel for New England's 21st-century equivalent. In 2010, they had both quantity (16 under-25s who started at least one game) and quality (Pro Bowl cornerback Devin McCourty and All-Pro inside linebacker Jerod Mayo). Furthermore, much of their young talent was in the passing game (McCourty, Brandon Tate, Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, Kyle Arrington and Pat Chung), and they added more of it in this year's draft (first-rounder Nate Solder and second-rounder Ras-I Dowling).
Ironically, the only reason we don't have them in our top two is the one constant on the roster since 2000: Tom Brady. As was the case with the Colts, one shudders to think what this team might be without its aging superstar quarterback. Granted, the Patriots got signature draft value with free falling Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett, but one wonders whether the Matt Cassel experience in 2008 can be duplicated without quarterback magician Josh McDaniels running their offense.
2. Kansas City Chiefs
In last year's rankings, we predicted big things for Kansas City based on an impressive assembly of young talent. After a division title in 2010, there's no reason to temper our expectations. The defensive back quartet of Eric Berry, Brandon Flowers, Brandon Carr and Javier Arenas represents one of the best combinations of youth and talent since the 49ers' secondary of the early 1980s. On offense, Dwayne Bowe may no longer qualify for our list, but Tony Moeaki and Dexter McCluster combine to adequately take his place.
However, the cornerstone of Kansas City's resurgence is Jamaal Charles, who enters 2011 at only 24 years of age. Last season, Charles' 6.38 yards per carry was a single-season record among qualifying running backs since the merger. The law of averages suggests that his average is likely to come down to earth going forward, but the fact it was achieved over 230 carries means Charles was by no means a one-year wonder.
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
In our estimation, the Bucs have the NFL's best group of talented young players at offensive skill positions. 2009 first-rounder Josh Freeman, 2010 fourth-rounder Mike Williams and waiver-wire coup LeGarrette Blount were the driving forces behind the team's improvement from 26th to ninth in offensive efficiency. In only his second year, Freeman developed into one of the league's 10 most efficient quarterbacks. Having a player that young and that good at the most important position on the field is the main reason the Bucs top our list. The talent doesn't stop there, though.
On defense, Tampa Bay got incredible value in the second round when it selected Clemson defensive end Da'Quan Bowers to improve its 31st-ranked pass rush. Even with the injury concerns, we projected him as a mid-to-late first-round pass-rushing prospect. In the secondary, the Bucs are leaning toward promoting 24-year-old E.J. Biggers into the starting lineup pending the suspension or release of Aqib Talib. Of course, if Talib is able to avoid the reaper somehow, then we can add to the Bucs' assembly of young talent a 25-year-old cornerback who had six interceptions in 11 games.
Finally, although Tampa Bay finished dead last in run defense efficiency last season, the addition of first-rounder Adrian Clayborn, and another year in Raheem Morris' system for Gerald McCoy, Roy Miller and Geno Hayes is likely to turn things around in short order. It can't be overstated how good of a job general manager Mark Dominik has done restocking Tampa Bay's cupboard over the past two years.
Danny Tuccitto is assistant editor at Football Outsiders. You can follow him on Twitter here.