The 2022 NFL season is three months away, and teams are currently wrapping up minicamp before they take some time off before training camp begins. The Los Angeles Rams will enter the 2022 season as the defending Super Bowl champions and basically have the same team coming back, including Aaron Donald. NFL fans know that Donald is a top player in the league. But where exactly does he rank among his peers this year?
Pete Prisco of CBS Sports recently released his list of the 100 best players of the NFL season, and it is loaded with Los Angeles players. Prisco said nine players for the Los Angeles Chargers made the list while the Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Francisco 49ers each had six. The Rams ended up with five along with the Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals. Prisco also said that six times had no players on the list, including the New England Patriots, New York Giants, New York Jets, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions. Here’s a look at CBS Sports’ 10 best players heading to the new season.
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1. DT Aaron Donald – Los Angeles Rams
Aaron Donald might be one of the five best defensive players in NFL history. He’s an eight-time Pro Bowler, a seven-time First-Team All-Pro selection and a three-time Defensive Player of the Year winner. Donald helped the Rams win the Super Bowl back in February.
2. QB Aaron Rodgers – Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers is the reigning MVP of the NFL and has won the award four times, the second-most in NFL history. In his career, Rodgers has thrown 449 career touchdown passes and only 93 interceptions. He’s also a member of the 2010s All-Decade Team.
3. QB Patrick Mahomes – Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes is enting his fifth season as a starter for the Chiefs and is close to putting together a Hall of Fame career. He won the MVP award in 2018, led the Chiefs to a Super Bowl win and was named Super Bowl MVP the following year and has been selected to the Pro Bowl four times.
4. QB Josh Allen – Buffalo Bills
The Bills are one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl, and Josh Allen is a big reason why. Last year, the Wyoming alum threw for 4,407 yards and 36 touchdowns while rushing for 763 yards and six touchdowns.
5. WR Cooper Kupp – Los Angeles Rams
No wide receiver had a better 2021 season than Cooper Kupp. He led the league in receptions (145) and yards (1,947) and was named Super Bowl MVP after catching two touchdown passes in the big game. And now that he signed a big contract extension, Kupp is ready to take off in 2022.
6. QB Tom Brady – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tom Brady might be 44 years old, but the seven-time Super Bowl champion is outplaying the majority of QB in the league. Last year, Brady threw for 5,316 yards and 43 touchdowns, and both totals led the NFL.
Rest of the Field
7. OLB T.J. Watt – Pittsburgh Steelers
8. OL Trent Williams – San Francisco
9. DE Myles Garrett – Cleveland Browns
10. CB Jalen Ramsey – Los Angeles Rams
Watt finished the 2022 season with 22.5 sacks which tied Michael Strahan’s single-season NFL record. Williams has been named to the Pro Bowl nine times including last year. Garrett was named to the All-Pro First Team last year after recording 16 sacks. Ramsey was also named to the All-Pro First Team after posting four interceptions and 16 passes defended.
