The NFL season is right around the corner and while all 32 franchises are trying to make their final roster decisions, I wanted to take a different approach to roster building. Inspired in part by the annual NFL Top 100 players list, voted on by the players in the league, I wanted to know who the top 100 players would be to start a team with in 2022.
There are a variety of factors that went into creating this list. Let me lay out the criteria.
First, age played a major role in determining which players made this list. Only six players over the age of 30 made the list. Positional value was the other big driving force behind these rankings. There is no doubt that Jonathan Taylor is one of the best young players in the game right now, but you wouldn’t pick him first overall to start an NFL franchise from scratch. The positional value of running backs is simply not high enough to warrant that. Neither is the longevity of the position on average. You most likely want to find a player who is going to last a long time to build your franchise around. There are a few notable exceptions to that rule. With that in mind, I prioritized quarterbacks, offensive tackles, cornerbacks, edge rushers and wide receivers. There are plenty of instances where a more talented player slid down the board a little further simply because they played a less valuable position.
There were a few other factors I considered, including years remaining on contract, contract structure and salary commitments. There is a reason why rookie contracts are so valuable, especially when you hit on a star. That player is now on a team friendly deal with several years of team control built in.
With all of that in mind, let’s kick off our countdown to No. 1. Check back Tuesday for players 95 to 91.
100. Christian Wilkins, DT, Miami Dolphins
Age: 26
Years remaining on contract: 2
2022 cap hit: $4.91 million
There is still value in run stuffers. Christian Wilkins is one of the best in the league when it comes to that department. He posted the second-highest run stuff win rate in the league in 2021. At just 26 years old, he is in his prime and is trending towards being a perennial Pro Bowl player. Additionally, he still has two years of team control left on his current contract. His 2022 cap hit is at just under $5 million. His 2023 cap number, the fifth-year option on his rookie contract, sits at $10.7 million. Coming off a year where he posted a career-high 4.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss, I’m willing to bet on Wilkins continuing to develop into a game-wrecking defensive tackle.
99. Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets
Age: 22
Years remaining on contract: 5
2022 cap hit: $3.73 million
The value of a talented receiver on a rookie contract seems to be going up. We’ve seen a massive surge in spending at the position this offseason. Instead of having to pay top dollar for a playmaker, finding a receiver in the draft could help save your team a ton of money. Wilson’s deal runs through 2026 with the potential to exercise his fifth-year option for 2027. The value of his contract over the next four years is $20.4 million. There are 10 receivers making money than that on an annual average at this point with plenty more to follow. Obviously, taking a player who has never taken a snap in the NFL is a risk, but Wilson has the potential to be a quality NFL starter for the next decade. It would not be a surprise to see him emerge as the Jets No. 1 option this season. That type of value is great to jump on when trying to put together a roster.
98. Jevon Holland, S, Miami Dolphins
Age: 22
Years remaining on contract: 3
2022 cap hit: $1.98 million
I didn’t count on having two Dolphins in my first five players. That’s just how good Jevon Holland was as a rookie though. He did a little bit of everything in that Miami secondary. He recorded two interceptions, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and 69 total tackles. At 22 years old, Holland is well ahead of schedule in terms of production. Also, as a former second-round pick, his cap hit is ridiculously low, staying below three million dollars for the remainder of his rookie deal. Unfortunately, he will not be eligible for a fifth-year option as a trade off, but the potential of signing him to a second contract at the age of 25 is an appealing one. With most of these players, projection will be required, but after a promising start, I am more than willing to roll the dice on Holland’s long-term upside and versatility.
97. Ryan Ramczyk, OT, New Orleans Saints
Age: 28
Years remaining on contract: 5
2022 cap hit: $8.48 million
The NFL has become a league where you need to have two quality tackles to contend. While left tackle is still perceived as the more valuable position in large part due to him protecting the quarterback’s blindside, right tackles are seeing the financial windfall of this shift in the league. Ramczyk signed a five-year, $96 million contract extension last July. His cap hit is going to be heavy going forward, but he has proven to be worth the money so far. He recorded the highest pass-block win-rate of any offensive tackle in the league last year. He is a three-time All-Pro in his career and likely would have been again in 2022 if not for a nagging knee injury that cost him the final seven games of the season. At 28 years old, he is nearing the end of his prime, but we are also seeing more players able to extend their careers well into their 30s. The next two tackles on the pass-block win-rate list were 31-year-old Lane Johnson and 40-year-old Andrew Whitworth.
96. Antoine Winfield Jr., S, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Age: 24
Years remaining on contract: 2
2022 cap hit: $1.99 million
His dad was really good. Winfield Jr. might wind up being even better. The soon-to-be 24-year-old earned a Pro Bowl nod in just his second season. It took Antoine Winfield Sr. until his age-31 season to reach his first Pro Bowl, although he also earned All-Pro honors that year. He holds up well enough in pass coverage, but really makes his impact as an open-field tackler and blitzer. He tallied two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and a pair of sacks in 2021. It was a season that built off a solid rookie season. It would be great to see him take the next step in pass coverage, but he has the range and defensive instincts needed to impact the game at a high level for a while to come. Not to mention, he is under contract for the next two seasons with cap hits of $1.9 million and $2.3 million. Hard to beat the kind of value for a Pro-Bowl caliber player.
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