Last night, the NFL finished their countdown of the best players in the league as voted by their peers. For New England, fans were treated with the final player finishing in the top 10. The Patriots had four players in the Top 100 for 2019, but should they have had more? Let’s take a look at the four who made it and at who has a gripe for being snubbed.
#90 WR Julian Edelman
Edelman was suspended for the first four games of the 2018 campaign. He came back and put up his second-highest yards/game of his career (70.8) and his second-highest touchdown total (6). Obviously, where the then 32-year-old thrived was in the playoffs once again. He brought in 35 receptions for 388 yards in the three postseason games on his way to winning Super Bowl MVP. His clutch play in times of need is exactly why he’s ranked in the Top 100.
Should he be higher?
I think this is probably about right considering he missed a chunk of time. If he played all 16 games at the same level he probably would’ve climbed the list, perhaps passing Jarvis Landry and Robert Woods in terms of WRs.
#89 FS Devin McCourty
McCourty had another strong season last year that included an 84-yard pick-six.
A lot of D-Mac’s impact isn’t found on the stat sheets. He’s tasked with making sure the defense recognizes plays before they happen and limiting the number of big plays. Last year wasn’t New England’s best year in terms of limiting plays. They allowed nine plays of 40+ yards (11th-most) and 57 plays of 20+ yards (10th-most).
At this point in his career, I’m not sure the 31-year-old is a top-five safety in the league as others voted. With the younger safeties continuing to rise to the top of the league, McCourty will likely continue to slip. However, it’s great to see him getting some recognition.
#22 CB Stephon Gilmore
Gilmore took a jump last year to one of the best CBs in the entire NFL. When he signed with New England in the 2017 offseason, there were a lot of people (including myself) who doubted his ability. The acquisition surely meant the departure of Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler. With many Pats fans, that didn’t sit well.
Since then, Gilmore has ascended to heights that I never believed possible. He was named to the All-Pro First-Team as well as the Pro Bowl in 2018. Those who’ve been following for a while know that I’m not a huge believer in everything PFF does. Last year, they gave Gilmore a 90.7 CB grade, the best grade in the NFL. I feel like that makes sense. The #22 ranking in this Top 100 was the highest for any CB. His play was top notch and is deserving of this spot.
#6 QB Tom Brady
How many times have we heard this story? Tom Brady and the Patriots “underachieve” during the regular season and then make a push to the Super Bowl. This time Brady took home his sixth Lombardi. While he did certainly make that push, he was below his normal “best QB in the league” standards. The 41-year-old put up 4,355 yards, 29 TDs, and 11 INTs. For QBs starting at least 12 game,s those stats rank seventh, tenth, and t-tenth respectively. He was still good enough to win, but he wasn’t the top QB we’re used to seeing.
In the postseason, Brady didn’t put on the best display either. For the three games, he threw for 953 yards, two TDs, and three INTs with an 85.8 passer rating. However, when his team needed it, Brady managed the game and performed in the clutch to set his team up for the win. It’s hard to put the Super Bowl winning QB lower than sixth, so I understand this rating, but I could certainly see people arguing that he’s ranked too high.
Who Could’ve Been In?
Shaq Mason
Mason has slowly become one of the best interior offensive linemen in the NFL. The problem is that with the position comes a lot of criticism and not praise. On this Top 100 list, there was only one guard (Zack Martin) and one center (Jason Kelce). Due to the nature of the position, it’s likely only other OL that vote for these guys or their teammates. PFF ranked Mason the top guard in the NFL last season (82.7). His athleticism and ability to pull on the run has been extremely impressive. Watching his improvement from year to year, he has become one of the league’s top guards.
James White
When it comes to receiving backs, there are few better than James White. Last year, he recorded 1,176 total yards, 87 receptions, and 12 total TDs. He won’t get the recognition because he does a lot more receiving than rushing, but he’s one of the most important RBs to his team in the league. Derrick Henry, who ranked 99th on this list, put up the same amount of TDs and 19 fewer all-purpose yards. However, because Henry did most of it on the ground he got the recognition that White didn’t. The New England RB with the argument to be the Super Bowl 51 MVP could’ve made an appearance on this list.