NFL1000: Final Regular-Season Breakdown of the League's Top Players

After 17 weeks of grading, noting injury replacements and position switches, and arguing among ourselves as to which particular attributes are most important at every position, the NFL1000 team has come to the end of its first regular season in this particular iteration.

It's been an amazing journey—the ability to assemble a team of 17 scouts to analyze and grade every player in every game has given us (and hopefully you, dear reader) unique insight into how football is played, coached and schemed.

Throughout the year, we've done comprehensive write-ups every week with our player grades and explanations of those grades. But for the regular-season finale, and in the work-up to the postseason (because we're not nearly done yet), it's time to hand out the awards for the best players overall. We have come up with cumulative grades, and you can now see which players we deemed to be the best at their positions and the best overall.

Our top two overall players show the extreme value of quarterback protection. Washington Redskins left tackle Trent Williams was graded as the best overall player, though he missed four games with a league-mandated suspension. There is no blocker in the NFL with Williams' combination of strength, agility and meanness.

The Dallas Cowboys offensive line is the centerpiece of its current success, and left tackle Tyron Smith graded second overall league-wide. No surprise there—Smith has been dominant for the last few years, as pass-rushers can rarely get around him.

Two Philadelphia Eagles offensive linemen ranked in the top six—left tackle Jason Peters and right tackle Lane Johnson, the latter of whom's absence demonstrated his importance. Johnson missed 10 games after being suspended for a performance-enhancing-drug violation, but he was so dominant when he played that it's fair to wonder whether the Eagles would have made the playoffs had he been active all season. Philly's backups never measured up.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers ranks third overall—again, no surprise there. While he may lose the NFL Most Valuable Player award to the Atlanta Falcons signal-caller Matt Ryan, and he did have bouts of inconsistency in 2016, Rodgers was on fire during the second half of the season, showing his rare combination of accuracy, mobility and arm talent. When he's on, he's the best quarterback in the league (and one of the best ever). His grades reflected that throughout the season.

We had specific criteria for entry into the year-end NFL1000 lists: Players had to play at least five games. There are instances in which players switched positions throughout the year (Green Bay receiver/running back Ty Montgomery is a prime example), and for the most part, we graded those players at all of the positions they played and kept them there for the review. We saw scheme changes with the Oakland Raiders and New York Jets defense over the season and switched them from their original 3-4/4-3 designations, so you'll see examples of Jets and Raiders players in our grades for both kinds of ends and linebackers.

As it has been through the season, there is no predetermined narrative with these grades. No mysterious "clutch factor." No tweaked-out quarterback ratings that defy explanation. Our grades are based on pure scouting, and lots of it. We grade the key criteria for each position based on a series of attributes and add in a score for positional importance.

In the case of a tie, our scouts ask, "Which player would I want on my team?" and adjust accordingly.

Is it a subjective process? Of course—that's what scouting is, and as we like to say, ties are no fun.

Each player is evaluated and graded by our crack team of scouts, who possess more than 100 combined years of experience in playing, front-office work, coaching and media. Cian Fahey, John Middlekauff, Marcus Mosher, Mark Schofield, Duke Manyweather, Ethan Young, Joe Goodberry, Justis Mosqueda, Charles McDonald, Zach Kruse, Derrik Klassen, Jerod Brown, Ian Wharton, Kyle Posey, Mark Bullock, Chuck Zodda and Doug Farrar have watched tape for months to bring you these grades.

Here are the final NFL1000 player grades for the 2016 NFL regular season.

All advanced stats are courtesy of Pro Football Focus.

Methodology

Grant Halverson/Getty Images

The NFL1000 team of scouts was given a series of important attributes to grade for every player in their positional review. Using a grading scale starting at 0 and going up to anywhere from five to 50 based on the position and the attribute, our scouts grade each player based on their own expertise and countless hours of tape review over the years. Our evaluators are given specific positional assignments based on their proven fields of expertise.

• Doug Farrar: Lead scout/centers
• Cian Fahey: Quarterbacks
• John Middlekauff: Running backs/fullbacks
• Marcus Mosher: Wide receivers/tight ends
• Mark Schofield: Wide receivers/tight ends
• Duke Manyweather: Offensive tackles
• Ethan Young: Offensive guards
• Joe Goodberry: AFC defensive ends
• Justis Mosqueda: NFC defensive ends
• Charles McDonald: Defensive tackles
• Zach Kruse: 3-4 outside linebackers
• Derrik Klassen: 4-3 outside linebackers
• Jerod Brown: Inside linebackers
• Kyle Posey: Cornerbacks
• Ian Wharton: Cornerbacks
• Mark Bullock: Safeties
• Chuck Zodda: Special teams

Every NFL player with snaps in offensive and defensive roles is observed and graded based on a multitiered process that marks specific attributes per position. As we're combing through All-22 footage to assess each performance, there are additional factors to consider.

We adjust for opponent based on the obvious notion that the cornerback we're grading is doing a better job if he's shutting down Antonio Brown than if he's negating the efforts of a seventh-round rookie receiver.

We also adjust for players with multiple responsibilities in the course of a game and over the course of time. Think of guys like Mike Daniels and Michael Bennett on the defensive line—how they seamlessly switch from gap to gap. Or how cornerbacks such as Chris Harris Jr. and Tyrann Mathieu dominate outside and in the slot. Or how receivers such as Doug Baldwin and Larry Fitzgerald bedevil cornerbacks from multiple field positions.

That's more important than ever in today's NFL, and we pay attention to it.

We do not adjust for injuries. If a player is underperforming because of an injury, that's part of his performance, fair or unfair, and it needs to be graded accordingly.

Grading any player is a subjective process, but with a series of attributes per position and a specific direction as to what to grade and how, we work to make it as definitive as possible.

Editor's note: We rounded many scores to fit more neatly within the tables, so please be aware that the rounded versions of the scores may not always appear to add up perfectly. Rest assured that they do within our full spreadsheet. 

Top 50 Overall

Tom Dahlin/Getty Images

One of the best parts of the NFL1000 project is how it brings deserved exposure to underrated players. Take Miami Dolphins safety Reshad Jones, who isn't talked about enough among the elite at his position. He was on pace to repeat his stellar 2015 campaign before an October shoulder injury prematurely ended his season. He played just six games but made the cut for our final rankings, and Miami will benefit from his excellence once again next year.

Seattle's Earl Thomas is one of the NFL's best safeties, and after he broke his left leg in Week 13, the Seahawks' generally stellar defense has fallen apart. According to ESPN.com's Bill Barnwell, they had 10 interceptions and allowed seven touchdowns and a 77.8 opponent passer rating when Thomas was on the field. Without him? They've allowed nine touchdowns with one pick and an opponent passer rating of 99.5.

One reason Aaron Rodgers was able to come around in the second half of the season is a lot of great pass-blocking. Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari, one of the favorites of offensive tackle scout Duke Manyweather, ranks ninth overall in our grades. Bakhtiari allowed four sacks in 1,055 regular-season snaps, but no hits and just 16 hurries. He also didn't give up any sacks since Week 13.

Another formerly under-the-radar lineman is Kansas City Chiefs right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, who hasn't allowed a sack since Week 12 after giving up five in the first two weeks of the season. Schwartz has sealed up his technique and his screen blocking has helped to revitalize Kansas City's offense, which relies heavily on screens to Travis Kelce (our top-ranked tight end this season) and various other short passing concepts. Schwartz will play a vital role in the Chiefs' playoff success.

Finally, while the Baltimore Ravens offense was underwhelming throughout the year, that wasn't on fullback Kyle Juszczyk. He helped in every possible way—blocking, running and receiving. Juszczyk making the top 50 and Denver Broncos rookie Andy Janovich just missing the cut seems to indicate that the fullback position might not be dead just yet.

NFL1000 End-of-Season Top 50 Overall

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	End-of-Season Avg.
1	Trent Williams	LT	WAS	83.1
2	Tyron Smith	LT	DAL	83.0
3	Aaron Rodgers	QB	GB	81.5
4	Lane Johnson	RT	PHI	81.0
5	Aaron Donald	DT	LA	80.9
6	Jason Peters	LT	PHI	80.6
7	Reshad Jones	SS	MIA	80.5
8	Le'Veon Bell	RB	PIT	80.3
9	David Bakhtiari	LT	GB	79.9
10	Joe Thomas	LT	CLE	79.7
11	Luke Kuechly	ILB	CAR	79.5
12	David Johnson	RB	ARI	79.2
13	Cordy Glenn	LT	BUF	78.9
14	Jadeveon Clowney	3-4 OLB	HOU	78.9
15	Bryan Bulaga	RT	GB	78.7
16	Ezekiel Elliott	RB	DAL	78.5
17	Jamie Collins	ILB	NE/CLE	78.3
18	Marcus Gilbert	RT	PIT	78.1
19	Jerrell Freeman	ILB	CHI	77.9
20	Von Miller	3-4 OLB	DEN	77.9
21	Donald Penn	LT	OAK	77.3
22	Chris Harris Jr.	CB	DEN	77.3
23	Devin McCourty	FS	NE	77.1
24	Marshal Yanda	OG	BAL	77.0
25	Geno Atkins	DT	CIN	77.0
26	Tom Brady	QB	NE	76.9
27	Mitchell Schwartz	RT	KC	76.9
28	LeSean McCoy	RB	BUF	76.7
29	Harrison Smith	FS	MIN	76.6
30	Kam Chancellor	SS	SEA	76.5
31	Zach Strief	RT	NO	76.3
32	Fletcher Cox	DT	PHI	76.3
33	Ty Nsekhe	LT	WAS	76.2
34	Ndamukong Suh	DT	MIA	76.2
35	Andrew Luck	QB	IND	76.1
36	Kyle Juszczyk	FB	BAL	76.1
37	Taylor Lewan	LT	TEN	76.1
38	Joe Staley	LT	SF	76.0
39	Josh Sitton	OG	CHI	76.0
40	DeMarco Murray	RB	TEN	75.9
41	Andrew Whitworth	LT	CIN	75.9
42	Sam Bradford	QB	MIN	75.8
43	A.J. Green	WR	CIN	75.8
44	Ryan Schraeder	RT	ATL	75.6
45	Cam Newton	QB	CAR	75.6
46	Riley Reiff	RT	DET	75.5
47	Eric Berry	SS	KC	75.5
48	Earl Thomas	FS	SEA	75.5
49	Jake Matthews	LT	ATL	75.4
50	Melvin Ingram	3-4 OLB	SD	75.4

Quarterbacks

Leon Halip/Getty Images

Aaron Rodgers was the top-ranked quarterback at midseason, and he only pulled further away over the second half of the campaign. His Week 16 outing against Minnesota was the best performance of any quarterback all year, and his 300-yard, four-touchdown game against Detroit in Week 17 wasn't far off. Rodgers may not win the MVP—he can thank his receivers for that—but he deserves it more than any other signal-caller. 

The likely MVP winner at this point appears to be Atlanta's Matt Ryan, whose numbers have been inflated by an outstanding supporting cast. Julio Jones has been brilliant when available, but more importantly, coordinator Kyle Shanahan's play-calling—combined with an impressive offensive line and pair of great running backs—has put Ryan in position to throw from wide-open pockets of space into wide-open pockets of space. Ryan was also lucky with bad throws that could (or should) have been interceptions.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady didn't play until the fifth game of the season, but since making his debut, he has been consistently impressive. Though Brady hasn't played at the peak of his powers like in previous seasons, he consistently stood out against weaker opposition. His best game of the year his 406-yard, three-touchdown outing against the Ravens, even though he had one terrible interception.

Sam Bradford's 2015 season with the Philadelphia Eagles was a battle over the first eight games or so, as he struggled to set his feet coming off the second ACL tear of his career. A last-minute trade to the Minnesota Vikings heading into 2016 threatened to disrupt his preparation once again, but Bradford was a stud. Playing behind the worst pass-blocking line in the league with unreliable receivers and often problematic play-calling, Bradford consistently threw receivers open while playing against pressure. Despite those less-than-ideal conditions, he led the league in completion percentage and rarely put the ball at risk of being intercepted.

Injuries also adversely affected Seattle's Russell Wilson in 2016. During the first half of the season, he had multiple lower-body ailments that prevented him from setting his feet comfortably or being his usual elusive self behind the line of scrimmage. Wilson had some great stretches of play this year, but his season as a whole was marred by not being 100 percent.

In the same NFC West division as Wilson, Los Angeles Rams rookie Jared Goff proved to be a disaster, while the player selected immediately after him, Philadelphia's Carson Wentz, wasn't that much better.

Dallas' Dak Prescott outshone both players, as although he has obvious flaws in his ball placement and doesn't offer the same value Tony Romo does, he has consistently done enough to help the Cowboys win. It hasn't all just been the offensive line, either. Prescott's acumen to diagnose coverages and change plays, combined with his poise, has made him an extremely valuable player in Dallas.

Top Scorers

• Top Quarterback: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
• Worst Quarterback: Blaine Gabbert, San Francisco 49ers
• Most Accurate: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
• Least Accurate: Blaine Gabbert, San Francisco 49ers
• Best Arm: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
• Worst Arm: Ryan Fitzpatrick, New York Jets
• Best Under Pressure/Run Threat: Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
• Worst Under Pressure/Run Threat: Gabbert
• Best Decision-Maker: Tom Brady, New England Patriots
• Worst Decision-Maker: Blaine Gabbert, San Francisco 49ers

Grading Scale

• Acc: Accuracy (Graded out of 25)
• Arm: Arm Strength (Graded out of 25)
• Press: Pressure/Run Threat (Graded out of 20) (Pressure weighted at 15, run threat at 5)
• Dec: Decision-Making (Graded out of 20)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

NFL1000 End-of-Season Quarterback Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Acc	Arm	Press	Dec	Pos	Ovr
1	Aaron Rodgers	GB	20.0	22.6	14.4	14.6	10	81.5
2	Tom Brady	NE	18.6	19.5	14.2	14.7	10	76.9
3	Andrew Luck	IND	17.7	21.5	13.9	13.0	10	76.1
4	Sam Bradford	MIN	17.9	20.7	13.5	13.7	10	75.8
5	Cam Newton	CAR	16.1	22.1	14.3	13.0	10	75.6
6	Drew Brees	NO	17.6	19.7	14.3	13.8	10	75.3
7	Philip Rivers	SD	17.1	19.1	14.9	14.1	10	75.1
8	Ryan Tannehill	MIA	17.5	20.5	13.4	13.1	10	74.5
9	Carson Palmer	AZ	16.9	20.9	13.7	12.9	10	74.3
10	Matt Ryan	ATL	16.9	19.0	14.1	14.2	10	74.1
11	Ben Roethlisberger	PIT	16.6	20.5	13.6	12.9	10	73.6
12	Marcus Mariota	TEN	16.7	19.6	13.9	13.3	10	73.5
13	Dak Prescott	DAL	15.8	19.3	13.8	13.8	10	72.6
14	Tyrod Taylor	BUF	15.3	20.0	14.3	12.7	10	72.4
15	Matthew Stafford	DET	15.4	20.8	13.6	12.5	10	72.4
16	Russell Wilson	SEA	16.9	19.9	12.2	13.4	10	72.3
17	Derek Carr	OAK	16.1	21.1	11.8	12.9	10	71.9
18	Eli Manning	NYG	15.7	19.6	13.3	12.8	10	71.4
19	Alex Smith	KC	15.7	18.2	12.7	13.1	10	69.7
20	Colin Kaepernick	SF	14.6	19.2	13.5	11.8	10	69.1
21	Jay Cutler	CHI	15.0	20.8	11.8	11.0	10	68.6
22	Jameis Winston	TB	13.4	18.4	13.2	12.9	10	67.9
23	Trevor Siemian	DEN	15.1	18.1	12.3	11.9	10	67.4
24	Andy Dalton	CIN	14.8	18.3	11.3	12.4	10	66.8
25	Brian Hoyer	CHI	15.0	17.2	11.5	12.7	10	66.3
26	Kirk Cousins	WAS	15.1	17.9	11.7	11.6	10	66.3
27	Joe Flacco	BAL	14.1	19.1	11.2	11.8	10	66.1
28	Robert Griffin III	CLE	12.2	18.0	13.2	12.0	10	65.4
29	Carson Wentz	PHI	13.6	17.9	12.2	11.4	10	65.1
30	Matt Barkley	CHI	13.6	17.4	12.1	11.9	10	65.0
31	Cody Kessler	CLE	14.9	17.3	11.2	11.0	10	64.4
32	Matt Moore	MIA	14.3	17.5	11.3	11.3	10	64.3
33	Case Keenum	LA	14.0	17.6	11.3	10.8	10	63.7
34	Blake Bortles	JAX	12.6	17.7	11.7	10.3	10	62.3
35	Ryan Fitzpatrick	NYJ	13.1	16.3	10.6	10.7	10	60.7
36	Brock Osweiler	HOU	12.6	17.1	10.2	10.5	10	60.3
37	Jared Goff	LA	12.0	16.7	10.9	10.7	10	60.3
38	Blaine Gabbert	SF	10.8	16.3	10.2	8.5	10	55.8

Notable Omissions (Due to Insufficient Games Scored)

• Jimmy Garoppolo
• Geno Smith
• Nick Foles
• Tom Savage
• Tony Romo
• Drew Stanton
• EJ Manuel
• Josh McCown
• Bryce Petty
• Paxton Lynch
• Trevone Boykin

Running Backs

Joe Sargent/Getty Images

In 2016, star running backs made a re-emergence, while a couple of young guys established their worth as great players in the NFL.

Despite being suspended the first three games of the season, Pittsburgh's Le'Veon Bell was the highest-graded running back in this year's NFL1000. He averaged almost five yards per carry on the ground to go along with 75 catches. He carried the Steelers at times when Ben Roethlisberger struggled. He is a Hall of Fame talent who should break the bank this spring in free agency. 

Arizona's David Johnson established himself as the league's second-best running back in 2016, demonstrating an ability to carry an average team when quarterback Carson Palmer struggled. Johnson had a health scare against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 17 when he was rolled up on, but he should be 100 percent healthy heading into 2017. He might even be a better receiver than Bell, as he caught 80 balls and possesses the speed to run go routes for the Cardinals. He is an exceptional player, and Arizona should build its offense around him moving forward.

A couple of runners who had a poor 2015 season also bounced back with exceptional years. Buffalo's LeSean McCoy was dominant when he wasn't battling injuries, looking like the player who was a star years ago in Philadelphia. He finished with his highest average per carry of his career (5.4), had his quickness back and was often the most explosive player on the field.

Another former Eagles, DeMarco Murray of the Titans, also had a resurgent season. He helped Tennessee make a playoff push by dominating on the ground in one of the league's most physical running attacks. There might not have been a better downhill runner in 2016. Murray's ability to put his foot in the ground and get north and south is special. In addition, he's a complete back as a blocker and pass-catcher.

Injuries also played a huge role in 2016. The Vikings' Adrian Peterson missed the majority of the season with a torn meniscus. Jamaal Charles of the Chiefs endured multiple setbacks as he worked his way back from a second ACL tear. Miami's Arian Foster retired because of injuries. Some younger players, like the Detroit Lions' Ameer Abdullah and Packers' Eddie Lacy, missed the majority of the year because they could not stay healthy.

Dallas rookie Ezekiel Elliott established himself as a superstar, leading the league in rushing and helping carry the Cowboys to the best record in the NFC. The Chicago Bears look to have found an impact starter in fifth-round pick Jordan Howard, who finished second in the league in rushing behind Elliott.

Top Scorers

• Top Running Back: Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers
• Worst Running Back: Bobby Rainey, New York Giants
• Best Inside Runner: Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers
• Worst Inside Runner: Bobby Rainey, New York Giants
• Best Outside Runner: Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys
• Worst Outside Runner: Andre Ellington, Arizona Cardinals
• Best Receiver: David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals
• Worst Receiver: Kenyan Drake, Miami Dolphins
• Best Blocker: Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers
• Worst Blocker: Bobby Rainey, New York Giants

Grading Scale

• In: Inside Running (Graded out of 25)
• Out: Outside Running (Graded out of 25)
• Rec: Receiving (Graded out of 20)
• Blk: Blocking (Graded out of 20)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

NFL1000 End-of-Season Running Back Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	In	Out	Rec	Blk	Pos	Ovr
1	Le'Veon Bell	PIT	20.2	18.8	17.8	17.4	6	80.3
2	David A. Johnson	ARI	19.6	18.7	17.9	17.1	6	79.2
3	Ezekiel Elliott	DAL	20.1	18.9	16.3	17.2	6	78.5
4	LeSean McCoy	BUF	19.2	18.3	16.7	16.5	6	76.7
5	DeMarco Murray	TEN	18.9	17.3	16.6	17.2	6	75.9
6	Devonta Freeman	ATL	18.8	17.4	16.6	16.3	6	75.0
7	Spencer Ware	KC	18.9	16.9	16.4	16.5	6	74.6
8	Melvin Gordon	SD	18.6	17.0	16.8	16.1	6	74.4
9	C.J. Anderson	DEN	18.3	16.3	16.6	16.7	6	73.9
10	Eddie Lacy	GB	20.0	16.2	15.4	16.2	6	73.8
11	Lamar Miller	HOU	18.1	17.5	16.3	15.9	6	73.8
12	Theo Riddick	DET	16.6	17.4	17.6	15.9	6	73.5
13	Jordan Howard	CHI	18.4	17.1	15.9	16.1	6	73.5
14	Carlos Hyde	SF	18.5	16.7	15.8	15.9	6	73.0
15	LeGarrette Blount	NE	18.8	16.7	15.1	16.2	6	72.8
16	Jonathan C. Stewart	CAR	18.1	16.6	15.2	16.6	6	72.5
17	Jay Ajayi	MIA	18.2	16.9	15.8	15.6	6	72.5
18	Todd Gurley	LA	17.5	16.6	16.3	16.1	6	72.4
19	Latavius Murray	OAK	17.6	16.8	16.0	16.0	6	72.4
20	Mark Ingram	NO	17.6	16.3	16.3	16.2	6	72.4
21	Doug Martin	TB	17.9	16.1	15.8	16.6	6	72.4
22	Ty Montgomery	GB	17.8	16.4	16.7	15.3	6	72.2
23	Tevin Coleman	ATL	17.1	16.3	16.8	15.8	6	72.0
24	Dion Lewis	NE	17.3	17.0	16.3	15.3	6	72.0
25	Ryan Mathews	PHI	17.8	16.5	15.7	15.9	6	71.9
26	Giovani Bernard	CIN	16.5	16.7	16.6	16.1	6	71.9
27	Isaiah Crowell	CLE	17.6	16.1	16.1	15.9	6	71.8
28	Frank Gore	IND	17.4	15.0	16.3	16.9	6	71.6
29	Darren Sproles	PHI	17.0	16.2	16.7	15.7	6	71.5
30	Jeremy Hill	CIN	17.5	16.3	15.7	16.0	6	71.5
31	DeAngelo Williams	PIT	17.1	16.0	16.1	16.0	6	71.3
32	Bilal Powell	NYJ	16.7	16.2	16.4	15.9	6	71.1
33	Thomas Rawls	SEA	17.1	16.1	15.8	16.0	6	71.0
34	Matt Jones	WAS	18.0	15.7	15.3	16.0	6	71.0
35	Christine Michael	SEA/GB	17.3	15.9	15.5	16.1	6	70.9
36	Duke Johnson	CLE	16.1	16.4	16.9	15.4	6	70.8
37	Robert Kelley	WAS	17.9	15.7	15.1	15.9	6	70.6
38	Kenneth Dixon	BAL	17.3	16.0	15.7	15.5	6	70.5
39	Terrance West	BAL	17.0	16.1	15.9	15.5	6	70.5
40	Derrick Henry	TEN	17.2	15.8	15.7	15.7	6	70.5
41	Rashad Jennings	NYG	16.8	15.2	15.9	16.2	6	70.2
42	James White	NE	15.6	16.1	16.9	15.6	6	70.1
43	Matt Forte	NYJ	17.1	15.7	16.2	16.1	6	70.1
44	Charles Sims	TB	16.1	15.6	16.4	15.9	6	70.0
45	Chris Thompson	WAS	15.4	16.8	16.5	15.2	6	69.9
46	C.J. Prosise	SEA	16.2	16.4	16.8	14.4	6	69.8
47	DeAndre Washington	OAK	17.1	16.0	15.5	15.0	6	69.6
48	Chris Ivory	JAX	16.7	15.3	15.6	15.9	6	69.5
49	Jerick McKinnon	MIN	16.2	16.4	16.2	14.7	6	69.5
50	Jacquizz Rodgers	TB	17.2	15.6	15.4	15.1	6	69.3
51	Jalen Richard	OAK	16.7	16.2	15.6	14.8	6	69.3
52	Mike Gillislee	BUF	16.7	16.3	15.2	15.1	6	69.2
53	Zach Zenner	DET	16.7	14.6	15.7	16.1	6	69.1
54	James Starks	GB	16.1	15.1	15.8	16.0	6	69.0
55	Tim Hightower	NO	16.4	15.8	15.5	15.2	6	68.9
56	Wendell Smallwood	PHI	17.0	15.7	15.2	15.0	6	68.9
57	Alfred Blue	HOU	16.6	15.5	15.2	15.5	6	68.8
58	T.J. Yeldon	JAX	16.4	14.8	15.6	15.8	6	68.5
59	Charcandrick West	KC	15.7	15.6	15.8	15.3	6	68.5
60	Matt Asiata	MIN	16.3	14.6	15.6	15.8	6	68.3
61	Devontae Booker	DEN	16.6	15.3	15.4	15.1	6	68.3
62	Paul Perkins	NYG	16.3	15.7	15.8	14.5	6	68.3
63	Jeremy Langford	CHI	15.8	15.0	15.3	16.2	6	68.3
64	Alfred Morris	DAL	16.4	15.2	15.4	15.2	6	68.1
65	Fozzy Whittaker	CAR	15.3	16.1	15.7	14.9	6	68.1
66	Alex Collins	SEA	16.1	14.6	15.7	15.3	6	67.7
67	Ben Cunnungham	LA	15.1	15.4	15.6	15.3	6	67.4
68	Damien Williams	MIA	15.5	15.1	15.8	15.0	6	67.3
69	Kenyan Drake	MIA	15.1	16.4	14.8	14.9	6	67.2
70	Justin Forsett	BAL/DET/DEN	15.8	14.9	15.2	15.2	6	67.1
71	Dwayne Washington	DET	15.9	14.9	14.9	15.3	6	67.0
72	Denard Robinson	JAX	15.2	16.0	15.2	14.6	6	67.0
73	Peyton Barber	TB	15.8	15.0	15.2	14.8	6	66.8
74	Robert Turbin	IND	15.5	14.6	15.5	15.1	6	66.7
75	Kenjon Barner	PHI	15.0	15.5	15.3	14.8	6	66.7
76	Jonathan Grimes	HOU	15.5	14.5	15.1	15.1	6	66.3
77	Shaun Draughn	SF	15.4	14.6	15.2	15.1	6	66.2
78	Travaris Cadet	NO	14.4	14.6	16.2	15.0	6	66.2
79	Josh Ferguson	IND	14.6	14.6	15.3	15.7	6	66.1
80	Andre Ellington	ARI	15.0	14.5	15.6	15.0	6	66.1
81	Lance Dunbar	DAL	14.8	14.7	15.5	14.5	6	65.5
82	Bobby Rainey	NYG	14.1	14.6	16.1	14.3	6	65.1

Notable Omissions (Due to Insufficient Games Scored)

• Ameer Abdullah
• Danny Woodhead
• Shane Vereen
• Jamaal Charles
• Rex Burkhead
• Darren McFadden
• Adrian Peterson
• Arian Foster
• Chris Johnson
• DuJuan Harris
• Jonathan Williams
• Reggie Bush
• Kenneth Farrow
• Terron Ward
• KaDeem Carey
• Ronnie Hillman

Fullbacks

Joe Sargent/Getty Images

Fullbacks are somewhat of a dying breed in the NFL, but several teams still utilize the position well.

Ravens fullback Kyle Juszczyk has established himself as the most dynamic player at the position. He was Balitmore's best offensive player in 2016, with the ability to run, block and catch. He did everything he could to keep their playoff hopes alive in Week 16 against the Steelers, even chipping in his sole rushing score of the season, but the rest of his team couldn't stave off Pittsburgh. In the near future, he could become the highest-paid fullback in league history as he heads into free agency. 

Jamize Olawale had a breakout season for the Raiders, helping them elevate their offense. His versatility in the run and pass game helped offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave lead one of the league's best dual-threat units. His speed changes the game for the Raiders, and he made a number of explosive plays that helped them earn their first playoff berth since 2002.

Green Bay also found a versatile chess piece in Aaron Ripkowski, who helped them go on their run to the playoffs. He is an excellent runner and has operated like a true running back at many points this season. Keep an eye on him heading into the postseason.

Many fullbacks also established themselves as solid lead blockers this season.

Atlanta's Patrick DiMarco helped lead a dynamic running attack all season. The Bills' Jerome Felton was great at opening holes for LeSean McCoy. Jay Prosch of the Houston Texans has been a steady rock clearing space for Lamar Miller, helping bring some balance to a bad passing offense. Kansas City's Anthony Sherman has been consistent in a limited role for one of the league's more powerful run games. 

A couple of rookies also had impressive years. While Denver's Andy Janovich ended up on injured reserve, he was awesome early in the season, immediately becoming one of the league's most physical lead blockers. The Chargers' Derek Watt also helped Melvin Gordon have a breakout season.

Top Scorers

• Top Fullback: Kyle Juszczyk, Baltimore Ravens 
• Worst Fullback: Cory Harkey, Los Angeles Rams
• Best Blocker: Kyle Juszczyk, Baltimore Ravens
• Worst Blocker: Cory Harkey, Los Angeles Rams
• Best Runner: Kyle Juszczyk, Baltimore Ravens
• Worst Runner: Cory Harkey, Los Angeles Rams
• Best Receiver: Kyle Juszczyk, Baltimore Ravens
• Worst Receiver: Cory Harkey, Los Angeles Rams

Grading Scale

• Blk: Blocking (Graded out of 50)
• Run: Running (Graded out of 25) 
• Rec: Receiving (Graded out of 15)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

NFL1000 End-of-Season Fullback Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Blk	Run	Rec	Pos	Ovr
1	Kyle Juszczyk	BAL	44.6	16.8	10.8	4	76.1
2	Andy Janovich	DEN	43.9	16.1	9.7	4	73.7
3	Aaron Ripkowski	GB	43.2	16.7	9.2	4	73.1
4	Malcolm Johnson	CLE	43.4	15.6	9.7	4	72.7
5	John Kuhn	NO	43.3	15.9	9.4	4	72.7
6	Jamize Olawale	OAK	42.9	16.0	9.6	4	72.4
7	Patrick DiMarco	ATL	44.0	14.9	9.4	4	72.4
8	Jay Prosch	HOU	43.7	15.1	8.7	4	71.6
9	Derek Watt	SD	43.2	15.3	8.9	4	71.4
10	Jerome Felton	BUF	43.3	15.0	9.1	4	71.3
11	James Develin	NE	43.4	14.9	8.8	4	71.1
12	Zach Line	MIN	42.6	15.5	9.0	4	71.1
13	Mike Tolbert	CAR	42.6	15.3	9.1	4	71.0
14	Jalston Fowler	TEN	43.5	14.9	8.5	4	71.0
15	Keith Smith	DAL	42.9	15.3	8.6	4	70.8
16	Will Tukuafu	SEA	43.3	14.3	8.2	4	69.9
17	Anthony Sherman	KC	43.3	14.6	8.7	4	69.7
18	Michael Burton	DET	42.8	14.6	8.3	4	69.7
19	Paul Lasike	CHI	42.7	14.2	8.4	4	69.3
20	Cory Harkey	LA	41.6	14.0	7.6	4	67.1

Notable Omissions (Due to Insufficient Games Scored)

• Marcel Reece
• Dan Vitale
• Roosevelt Nix

Wide Receivers

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Same ol', same ol' in the NFC this year as the stars continued to shine. Odell Beckham Jr., Julio Jones and Mike Evans all had fantastic years. And Dez Bryant thrived in the second half of the year with rookie Dak Prescott. Jordy Nelson started the year off slowly after returning from his ACL injury, but he was red-hot in the second half of the season. Nelson's ability to separate versus some of the league's best cornerbacks is a reason why he and the Packers found success in their last six games. 

One of the more surprising performances in the NFC was third-year player Davante Adams. After a miserable start to his career, Adams broke out with nearly 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Another surprise was Cameron Meredith for the Chicago Bears. After the Bears lost Kevin White to injury and Alshon Jeffery to suspension, Meredith was able to step in and perform like a No. 1 receiver when called upon. His combination of size, speed and ability to win in the air quickly earned him more snaps, and he finished with 888 receiving yards and five total touchdowns.

Michael Thomas led all rookies in catches, yards and touchdowns and played like a player who should've been drafted higher than the sixth WR in the 2016 draft. His ability to create quick separation combined with his strong hands allowed him to quickly become one of Drew Brees' favorite targets.

Over in the AFC, some familiar names dominated the skies for their teams. Julian Edelman turned in another solid performance this year, catching passes from three different quarterbacks. It certainly helps when Tom Brady is one of those QBs, but Edelman's ability to run nearly the entire route tree—and to operate both in the middle of the field and on the sidelines—makes him a critical component of the New England offense.

In similar fashion, Antonio Brown is the central component of what Pittsburgh does on offense, and his ability after the catch is a big reason why. The Steelers like to get him involved and get him touches early in games, often using screens and short passes to get him going. In addition, the play strength he displayed on the game-winning touchdown against the Ravens on Christmas night was most impressive.

T.Y. Hilton enjoyed the best season of his career in 2016, leading the league in receiving yards. He caught 91 passes for 1,448 yards and six touchdowns and was effective against both zone and man coverage. Hilton is a good route-runner, quick out of his breaks and generally sound both at the catch point and after the reception. While the Broncos failed to return to the playoffs a year after winning the Super Bowl, both Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders were strong in 2016.

Down in Miami, Jarvis Landry, DeVante Parker and Kenny Stills formed a formidable trio for the Dolphins, helping Miami get back to the playoffs. The three players worked well in concert and provided Miami with a number of options in the passing game. Finally, after a hot start, the Oakland Raiders slowed down with the injury to Derek Carr, but Amari Cooper remains one of the better route-runners in the league, and Michael Crabtree is dangerous every time he catches the ball in space.

Top Scorers

• Top Wide Receiver: A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals
• Worst Wide Receiver: Bradley Marquez, Los Angeles Rams
• Best Route-Runner: A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals
• Worst Route-Runner: Lucky Whitehead, Dallas Cowboys
• Best Hands: A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals
• Worst Hands: Bradley Marquez, Los Angeles Rams
• Best After the Catch: Ty Montgomery
• Worst After the Catch: Bradley Marquez, Los Angeles Rams
• Best Blocker: Seth Roberts, Oakland Raiders
• Worst Blocker: Tavon Austin, Los Angeles Rams

Grading Scale

• Route: Route Running (Graded out of 25)
• Hands: Hands (Graded out of 25)
• YAC: Yards After Catch (Graded out of 20)
• Blk: Blocking (Graded out of 20)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

NFL1000 End-of-Season Wide Receiver Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Route	Hands	YAC	Blk	Pos	Ovr
1	A.J. Green	CIN	21.2	20.4	13.8	11.6	9	75.8
2	Julio Jones	ATL	19.9	19.4	14.4	12.6	9	75.1
3	Odell Beckham Jr.	NYG	19.7	18.6	14.5	11.8	9	73.4
4	Julian Edelman	NE	19.3	18.8	14.0	12.1	9	73.1
5	Antonio Brown	PIT	19.7	19.5	13.5	11.1	9	72.7
6	T.Y. Hilton	IND	19.7	18.9	13.2	11.3	9	72.0
7	Mike Evans	TB	18.9	18.8	13.5	11.8	9	71.9
8	Dez Bryant	DAL	18.9	18.6	13.4	11.9	9	71.7
9	Demaryius Thomas	DEN	18.8	19.1	12.3	12.6	9	71.6
10	Jarvis Landry	MIA	18.4	18.1	13.4	12.9	9	71.6
11	Larry Fitzgerald	ARI	18.1	18.4	12.8	13.3	9	71.6
12	Jordy Nelson	GB	18.8	17.9	13.6	12.0	9	71.1
13	Emmanuel Sanders	DEN	19.1	18.9	12.2	11.7	9	70.7
14	Michael Thomas	NO	18.2	18.5	13.5	11.4	9	70.5
15	Doug Baldwin	SEA	18.3	17.8	13.4	11.8	9	70.1
16	Michael Crabtree	OAK	18.9	18.6	12.6	10.9	9	70.0
17	Stefon Diggs	MIN	18.2	18.1	13.2	11.6	9	69.9
18	Amari Cooper	OAK	18.3	17.9	13.1	11.7	9	69.9
19	Golden Tate	DET	17.9	17.6	14.3	11.1	9	69.8
20	Steve Smith Sr.	BAL	17.9	18.6	12.2	12.2	9	69.7
21	Terrelle Pryor	CLE	18.3	18.2	12.2	12.1	9	69.7
22	DeAndre Hopkins	HOU	19.1	18.5	12.2	11.0	9	69.7
23	Brandon Marshall	NYJ	18.9	18.1	12.1	11.4	9	69.4
24	Mike Wallace	BAL	18.3	18.1	13.2	10.9	9	69.3
25	Alshon Jeffery	CHI	17.6	17.7	13.2	11.9	9	69.2
26	Cole Beasley	DAL	18.4	17.4	13.8	10.4	9	68.9
27	Quincy Enunwa	NYJ	17.6	17.6	12.0	12.9	9	68.9
28	Pierre Garcon	WAS	17.6	17.4	13.7	11.3	9	68.8
29	Brandon LaFell	CIN	17.9	17.5	11.9	12.4	9	68.5
30	Danny Amendola	NE	17.8	17.6	12.6	11.8	9	68.5
31	Sammy Watkins	BUF	18.0	17.6	11.5	12.6	9	68.5
32	DeSean Jackson	WAS	17.7	17.2	14.3	10.3	9	68.4
33	Marqise Lee	JAX	17.9	18.0	12.3	11.1	9	68.3
34	Jamison Crowder	WAS	17.5	17.2	13.9	10.8	9	68.3
35	Brandin Cooks	NO	17.8	17.2	13.5	10.8	9	68.2
36	Mohamed Sanu	ATL	17.3	17.0	13.4	11.5	9	68.0
37	Tyrell Williams	SD	17.7	17.7	12.3	11.3	9	68.0
38	Allen Robinson	JAX	18.2	17.1	12.2	11.6	9	67.9
39	Jeremy Maclin	KC	17.5	17.4	12.4	11.7	9	67.8
40	Kenny Britt	LA	17.3	17.1	13.2	11.3	9	67.8
41	Willie Snead	NO	17.5	17.0	13.4	10.9	9	67.6
42	Davante Adams	GB	17.4	17.2	13.2	10.9	9	67.6
43	Kelvin Benjamin	CAR	16.4	17.4	13.0	11.7	9	67.4
44	Marvin Jones	DET	16.9	17.2	12.9	11.5	9	67.3
45	Randall Cobb	GB	17.2	17.2	13.2	10.8	9	67.3
46	Rishard Mathews	TEN	17.4	17.9	11.6	11.5	9	67.3
47	Ty Montgomery	GB	16.5	15.8	15.8	10.5	9	67.3
48	Robert Woods	BUF	17.5	16.8	11.8	12.2	9	67.1
49	Sterling Shepard	NYG	17.3	16.9	12.8	11.1	9	67.0
50	Jordan Matthews	PHI	17.4	16.9	12.4	11.4	9	67.0
51	Ted Ginn	CAR	17.1	16.9	13.8	10.3	9	66.9
52	Seth Roberts	OAK	16.4	15.8	12.1	13.8	9	66.9
53	Adam Thielen	MIN	17.1	16.9	12.8	11.3	9	66.9
54	Travis Benjamin	SD	17.3	17.0	12.4	11.4	9	66.9
55	Donte Moncrief	IND	17.5	17.3	11.9	11.4	9	66.9
56	Cameron Meredith	CHI	16.9	16.1	13.1	11.8	9	66.7
57	DeVante Parker	MIA	16.7	17.7	11.8	11.4	9	66.5
58	Dontrelle Inman	SD	17.1	17.2	11.6	11.6	9	66.4
59	Tavon Austin	LA	16.9	16.3	14.3	10.1	9	66.3
60	Anquan Boldin	DET	16.2	17.2	11.9	12.1	9	66.3
61	Allen Hurns	JAX	17.5	16.6	12.2	11.1	9	66.2
62	Will Fuller	HOU	17.1	16.9	12.1	11.1	9	66.1
63	Eddie Royal	CHI	16.0	16.3	13.9	11.0	9	66.0
64	Chris Hogan	NE	16.9	16.0	11.8	12.3	9	65.9
65	Eli Rogers	PIT	17.0	17.1	11.3	11.6	9	65.8
66	Kenny Stills	MIA	17.2	16.8	11.7	11.3	9	65.8
67	Corey Coleman	CLE	16.3	16.8	11.8	11.9	9	65.6
68	Tyreek Hill	KC	16.4	16.4	12.8	11.1	9	65.6
69	Taylor Gabriel	ATL	15.9	16.2	13.5	10.8	9	65.4
70	Marquise Goodwin	BUF	16.4	16.2	12.1	11.6	9	65.4
71	Adam Humphries	TB	16.8	16.3	12.6	10.7	9	65.3
72	Michael Floyd	ARI/NE	16.5	16.2	11.9	11.7	9	65.2
73	Tajae Sharpe	TEN	16.8	16.8	11.7	10.9	9	65.1
74	Tyler Boyd	CIN	16.8	16.3	11.4	11.3	9	64.6
75	Chris Conley	KC	16.5	16.0	11.4	11.8	9	64.6
76	John Brown	ARI	16.2	15.8	12.4	11.2	9	64.5
77	Terrance Williams	DAL	16.4	15.8	11.9	11.5	9	64.4
78	Breshad Perriman	BAL	15.9	16.4	11.5	11.8	9	64.4
79	Cordarrelle Patterson	MIN	15.4	15.6	13.4	11.0	9	64.4
80	Tyler Lockett	SEA	16.7	15.7	12.8	10.3	9	64.3
81	Andrew Hawkins	CLE	16.4	16.1	11.3	11.6	9	64.3
82	Robby Anderson	NYJ	16.4	16.7	11.2	10.9	9	64.2
83	Sammie Coates	PIT	16.7	16.0	11.6	11.1	9	64.2
84	Phillip Dorsett	IND	16.1	15.9	11.7	11.4	9	64.1
85	Jeremy Kerley	SF	15.8	15.9	12.4	11.0	9	64.0
86	Victor Cruz	NYG	16.1	15.9	12.1	11.1	9	64.0
87	Cobi Hamilton	PIT	15.7	15.5	11.0	12.7	9	64.0
88	Jaron Brown	ARI	16.0	16.3	11.6	11.4	9	64.0
89	J.J. Nelson	ARI	16.7	15.8	12.4	10.2	9	63.9
90	Brian Quick	LA	15.8	15.9	12.6	10.8	9	63.9
91	Malcolm Mitchell	NE	15.8	15.6	11.6	11.7	9	63.5
92	Bryan Walters	JAX	16.3	15.7	11.3	11.1	9	63.4
93	Jermaine Kearse	SEA	15.9	15.6	12.1	10.8	9	63.3
94	Quinton Patton	SF	15.9	15.3	11.8	11.3	9	63.1
95	Jalin Marshall	NYJ	16.3	15.7	11.0	11.3	9	63.1
96	Dorial Green-Beckham	PHI	15.8	15.0	12.7	10.6	9	63.0
97	Nelson Agholor	PHI	15.9	15.4	11.9	10.8	9	62.9
98	Russell Shepard	TB	14.9	16.2	11.9	10.9	9	62.8
99	Devin Funchess	CAR	15.4	15.5	11.9	11.1	9	62.8
100	Jordan Norwood	DEN	16.1	14.8	11.1	11.9	9	62.7
101	Kendall Wright	TEN	15.8	15.7	11.3	10.9	9	62.7
102	Kamar Aiken	BAL	15.9	15.2	11.3	11.4	9	62.6
103	Aldrick Robinson	ATL	14.8	15.0	12.4	11.2	9	62.5
104	Cecil Shorts	TB	15.7	15.9	11.3	10.7	9	62.4
105	Torrey Smith	SF	15.5	15.6	11.3	11.2	9	62.3
106	Albert Wilson	KC	15.5	15.3	11.2	11.4	9	62.3
107	Andre Johnson	TEN	15.8	16.3	10.4	11.1	9	62.3
108	Deonte Thompson	CHI	14.7	14.8	12.6	11.1	9	62.2
109	Chester Rogers	IND	16.0	15.3	11.2	10.8	9	62.2
110	Justin Hardy	ATL	14.8	15.1	12.1	11.3	9	62.2
111	Braxton Miller	HOU	15.2	15.5	11.2	11.4	9	62.1
112	Andre Holmes	OAK	14.6	14.9	11.3	12.1	9	61.7
113	Ricardo Louis	CLE	15.8	14.8	11.2	11.0	9	61.7
114	Jaelen Strong	HOU	15.0	15.6	10.3	12.0	9	61.6
115	Cody Core	CIN	15.1	15.0	11.1	11.4	9	61.6
116	Harry Douglas	TEN	15.2	15.1	11.0	11.5	9	61.5
117	Darrius Heyward-Bey	PIT	15.9	14.5	11.5	10.6	9	61.4
118	Brice Butler	DAL	14.9	14.9	11.4	11.3	9	61.3
119	Josh Huff	PHI/TB	15.0	14.8	12.0	10.6	9	61.1
120	Charone Peake	NYJ	15.3	14.8	11.3	10.7	9	61.0
121	Justin Hunter	BUF	15.3	14.9	11.0	10.8	9	61.0
122	Griff Whalen	SD	14.8	14.6	11.2	11.4	9	61.0
123	Arrelious Benn	JAX	14.7	15.0	11.4	10.9	9	60.9
124	Cody Latimer	DEN	14.9	14.5	10.9	11.5	9	60.7
125	Keith Mumphery	HOU	14.6	14.5	10.9	11.7	9	60.7
126	Philly Brown	CAR	14.1	14.6	12.0	10.9	9	60.4
127	Brandon Coleman	NO	14.4	14.9	10.9	11.3	9	60.4
128	Charles D. Johnson	MIN	14.6	14.5	11.6	10.7	9	60.3
129	Jordan Taylor	DEN	14.7	14.7	10.9	10.9	9	60.2
130	Bennie Fowler	DEN	14.5	14.5	10.9	11.1	9	60.0
131	Brandon Tate	BUF	14.5	14.8	11.3	10.4	9	60.0
132	Walter Powell	BUF	14.6	14.8	10.5	11.1	9	60.0
133	Chris Moore	BAL	14.5	14.1	11.1	11.4	9	59.9
134	Josh Bellamy	CHI	14.8	13.4	11.9	10.8	9	59.8
135	Leonte Carroo	MIA	14.5	14.3	10.7	11.3	9	59.7
136	Rod Streater	SF	14.5	14.3	11.3	10.6	9	59.6
137	Paul Richardson	SEA	14.5	14.4	11.4	10.3	9	59.5
138	Freddie Martino	TB	14.3	14.3	11.1	10.7	9	59.4
139	James Wright	CIN	14.6	14.4	10.5	10.9	9	59.4
140	Rashard Higgins	CLE	14.1	14.6	11.0	10.6	9	59.2
141	Johnny Holton	OAK	13.3	13.4	11.7	11.7	9	59.1
142	Pharoh Cooper	LA	14.3	14.2	11.3	10.2	9	59.1
143	Mike Thomas	LA	14.4	14.0	11.3	10.1	9	58.9
144	Alex Erickson	CIN	14.1	14.1	10.7	10.9	9	58.9
145	De'Anthony Thomas	KC	14.1	13.9	11.0	10.9	9	58.9
146	Roger Lewis	NYG	15.0	14.2	10.3	10.3	9	58.8
147	Tanner McEvoy	SEA	13.4	13.7	10.9	11.4	9	58.4
148	Ryan Grant	WAS	14.0	13.8	10.8	11.0	9	58.4
149	Rashad Greene	JAX	13.7	14.3	11.3	10.3	9	58.3
150	Trevor Davis	GB	14.1	14.0	10.3	10.7	9	58.1
151	Andre Roberts	DET	13.4	14.3	11.4	10.1	9	58.1
152	Lucky Whitehead	DAL	12.9	13.0	10.5	12.2	9	57.5
153	Aaron Burbridge	SF	13.3	13.5	10.9	10.8	9	57.4
154	Matt Slater	NE	13.4	13.2	11.0	11.0	9	57.4
155	Bradley Marquez	LA	13.0	12.8	10.1	11.6	9	56.4

Notable Omissions (Due to Insufficient Games Scored)

• Keenan Allen
• Eric Decker
• Kevin White
• Geronimo Allison
• Vincent Jackson
• Josh Doctson
• Markus Wheaton
• Jeff Janis
• Bryce Treggs
• Laquon Treadwell
• DeAndre Smelter

Tight Ends

Reed Hoffmann/Getty Images

On the AFC side of the ledger, Travis Kelce was the main story at the tight end position. The third-round draft pick from the University of Cincinnati enjoyed a career season, catching 85 passes for 1,125 yards and four touchdowns. He remains a difficult matchup for defenses, and the Chiefs exploit his ability in space. They often line him up isolated one side of the field, where they can get him the football on the perimeter to take advantage of his ability after the catch. 

Delanie Walker enjoyed a solid year for the Titans, serving as a safe outlet option for quarterback Marcus Mariota and later Matt Cassel. Walker is adept at a number of routes in the passing tree and showed some ability after the catch particularly with play strength. He was a good blocker for the Titans in their running game and when Tennessee would line up using 13 personnel.

Two other tight ends showed quality development in the AFC—Jack Doyle with the Colts and Charles Clay with the Bills. Clay became a focal point of the Buffalo offense down the stretch, and Doyle was everywhere for the Colts, often lining up in the backfield to serve as a lead blocker. And Andrew Luck trusted Doyle as a receiver. His touchdown catch to beat the Jaguars in the closing minutes of the season exemplifies that.

In San Diego, Antonio Gates enjoyed another productive year, but Hunter Henry might be the player to watch going forward. The rookie caught 36 passes for 478 yards but also caught eight touchdowns, highlighting his ability in the red zone. With the 36-year-old Gates near the end of his career, it seems the Chargers have their tight end of the future in Henry.

In the NFC, Jordan Reed was on his way to a career year before getting injured. The Washington tight end is a mismatch in every game, as he has the quickness and the receiving ability of a wideout but the body of a tight end. His ability to make plays after the catch separates him from the rest of the league.

By the end of the 2016 season, Zach Ertz was playing as well as just about any tight end in the league. He had four games this season where he caught at least eight passes and gave rookie quarterback Carson Wentz a reliable option in the middle of the field. Despite not being a well-rounded blocker, Ertz put on a second-half performance that has to be encouraging for the Eagles.

Veterans Greg Olsen and Jason Witten both had nice years as do-it-all players in their respective offenses. Jimmy Graham found his way in the Seahawks offense this year, as the former Miami (Fla.) product set a career high in yards per catch (14.2). Graham made numerous plays down the field and was able to explode after the catch. He also improved as a blocker, which has been a weakness of his.

Top Scorers

• Top Tight End: Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
• Worst Tight End: Gavin Escobar, Dallas Cowboys
• Best Route-Runner: Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
• Worst Route-Runner: Khari Lee, Detroit Lions
• Best Hands: Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
• Worst Hands: Niles Paul, Washington Redskins
• Best After the Catch: Jordan Reed, Washington Redskins
• Worst After the Catch: Gavin Escobar, Dallas Cowboys
• Best Blocker: Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota Vikings
• Worst Blocker: Clay Harbor, New England Patriots

Grading Scale

• Route: Route Running (Graded out of 20)
• Hands: Hands (Graded out of 25)
• YAC: Yards After Catch (Graded out of 20)
• Blk: Blocking (Graded out of 25)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

NFL1000 End-of-Season Tight End Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Route	Hands	YAC	Blk	Pos	Ovr
1	Travis Kelce	KC	16.1	19.0	13.6	17.8	6	72.5
2	Rob Gronkowski	NE	15.6	18.8	13.6	18.4	6	72.4
3	Jordan Reed	WAS	15.7	18.3	15.0	17.0	6	72.1
4	Jimmy Graham	SEA	15.6	18.2	13.9	17.3	6	70.9
5	Greg Olsen	CAR	15.4	18.4	13.4	17.4	6	70.7
6	Kyle Rudolph	MIN	14.9	17.2	12.9	18.7	6	69.7
7	Martellus Bennett	NE	14.2	17.5	13.1	18.2	6	68.9
8	Eric Ebron	DET	15.3	17.2	14.0	16.3	6	68.8
9	Jason Witten	DAL	14.7	17.3	12.6	17.9	6	68.5
10	Tyler Eifert	CIN	14.0	18.1	12.3	18.1	6	68.5
11	Zach Ertz	PHI	14.9	17.6	13.4	16.4	6	68.4
12	Zach Miller	CHI	14.3	17.3	12.6	17.8	6	68.0
13	Charles Clay	BUF	14.3	17.3	11.9	18.1	6	67.7
14	Antonio Gates	SD	14.3	17.4	12.5	17.5	6	67.6
15	Cameron Brate	TB	14.3	17.1	13.1	16.9	6	67.4
16	Dennis Pitta	BAL	13.9	17.9	12.1	17.0	6	66.9
17	Delanie Walker	TEN	14.1	17.5	12.3	16.9	6	66.9
18	Jack Doyle	IND	13.4	17.1	11.8	18.2	6	66.5
19	Vernon Davis	WAS	14.1	15.5	12.9	17.6	6	66.0
20	Jared Cook	GB	13.8	15.9	13.3	17.0	6	66.0
21	C.J. Fiedorowicz	HOU	13.6	17.1	11.3	17.8	6	65.8
22	Hunter Henry	SD	13.7	16.8	11.3	17.7	6	65.5
23	Clive Walford	OAK	13.3	16.0	12.1	17.9	6	65.4
24	Will Tye	NYG	13.3	16.5	12.4	17.1	6	65.3
25	Coby Fleener	NO	14.1	16.6	12.3	16.4	6	65.3
26	Ladarius Green	PIT	12.8	16.8	12.2	17.3	6	65.2
27	Lance Kendricks	LA	14.1	15.8	12.1	17.1	6	65.1
28	Virgil Green	DEN	13.1	16.0	11.8	18.2	6	65.1
29	Jacob Tamme	ATL	13.4	16.0	12.1	17.4	6	65.0
30	CJ Uzomah	CIN	13.0	16.7	12.0	17.2	6	64.9
31	Jesse James	PIT	13.3	15.8	11.5	18.3	6	64.9
32	Gary Barnidge	CLE	13.5	16.3	11.4	17.6	6	64.8
33	Vance McDonald	SF	13.5	15.8	12.3	17.1	6	64.7
34	Ryan Griffin	HOU	13.3	16.4	11.5	17.4	6	64.7
35	Dwayne Allen	IND	13.5	16.5	11.9	16.6	6	64.5
36	Austin Seferian-Jenkins	TB/NYJ	12.8	15.4	12.1	17.3	6	63.8
37	Julius Thomas	JAX	13.2	16.2	11.4	16.8	6	63.7
38	Richard Rodgers	GB	13.5	15.3	12.1	16.6	6	63.5
39	Daniel Brown	CHI	13.5	15.5	12.3	16.2	6	63.5
40	Dion Sims	MIA	12.4	15.4	11.2	18.0	6	63.0
41	Larry Donnell	NYG	13.1	15.0	11.3	17.3	6	62.7
42	Luke Willson	SEA	12.6	14.5	12.0	17.3	6	62.4
43	John Phillips	DEN	12.6	14.6	11.1	17.8	6	62.2
44	Brent Celek	PHI	12.6	14.7	11.5	17.3	6	62.2
45	Crockett Gillmore	BAL	12.7	14.7	10.4	18.0	6	61.9
46	Marcedes Lewis	JAX	12.5	15.2	11.3	16.8	6	61.8
47	Ben Koyack	JAX	11.8	14.8	10.9	18.1	6	61.6
48	Josh Hill	NO	12.6	15.0	11.6	16.3	6	61.5
49	Anthony Fasano	TEN	11.7	14.4	11.0	18.3	6	61.4
50	Jerell Adams	NYG	12.8	15.1	11.7	15.9	6	61.4
51	Jermaine Gresham	ARI	12.6	14.9	11.6	16.3	6	61.3
52	Garrett Celek	SF	12.6	14.4	11.6	16.6	6	61.3
53	Trey Burton	PHI	13.2	14.6	11.6	15.7	6	61.2
54	Demetrius Harris	KC	12.1	14.7	11.1	16.8	6	60.8
55	Xavier Grimble	PIT	12.2	14.9	11.2	16.3	6	60.7
56	Kellen Davis	NYJ	12.1	14.4	11.0	17.0	6	60.5
57	Austin Hooper	ATL	12.1	14.4	11.1	16.9	6	60.4
58	Tyler Kroft	CIN	11.4	14.7	10.6	17.6	6	60.4
59	Levine Toilolo	ATL	11.4	13.6	11.1	18.2	6	60.3
60	David Johnson	PIT	11.6	14.3	11.1	17.1	6	60.1
61	Nick O'Leary	BUF	11.9	14.1	10.7	17.5	6	60.1
62	Jeff Heuerman	DEN	11.7	14.5	10.7	17.1	6	60.1
63	Mychal Rivera	OAK	12.0	14.8	10.8	16.5	6	60.1
64	Ed Dickson	CAR	12.3	14.4	11.1	16.3	6	60.1
65	Alex Ellis	JAX	11.2	14.2	11.0	17.7	6	60.0
66	Geoff Swaim	DAL	11.5	13.8	10.5	18.1	6	59.9
67	Stephen Anderson	HOU	12.1	14.8	11.4	15.5	6	59.8
68	Ryan Hewitt	CIN	11.5	14.1	10.6	17.3	6	59.5
69	Brandon Bostick	NYJ	11.5	14.1	10.9	16.9	6	59.5
70	Marqueis Gray	MIA	12.0	14.3	10.8	16.4	6	59.5
71	Seth DeValve	CLE	11.7	14.8	10.9	16.1	6	59.4
72	Eric Tomlinson	NYJ	11.0	13.8	11.0	17.5	6	59.3
73	Matt Lengel	NE	11.3	14.5	11.0	16.5	6	59.3
74	AJ Derby	NE/DEN	11.6	14.6	10.8	16.2	6	59.1
75	Darren Waller	BAL	11.3	14.3	10.8	16.8	6	59.1
76	Erik Swoopes	IND	11.9	14.4	10.7	16.1	6	59.1
77	Nick Vannett	SEA	11.8	13.8	11.0	16.3	6	59.0
78	Darren Fells	ARI	11.6	13.9	11.1	16.3	6	58.9
79	Phillip Supernaw	TEN	11.4	13.6	10.6	17.2	6	58.9
80	Tyler Higbee	LA	11.5	14.0	10.9	16.4	6	58.8
81	Luke Stocker	TB	10.9	13.3	11.0	17.6	6	58.8
82	Rhett Ellison	MIN	11.2	13.7	10.7	17.0	6	58.6
83	Dominique Jones	MIA	11.4	14.4	10.6	16.2	6	58.6
84	Ben Braunecker	CHI	11.8	14.6	11.0	15.2	6	58.6
85	Nick Boyle	BAL	11.1	13.9	10.6	16.6	6	58.3
86	Sean McGrath	SD	11.4	13.5	10.9	16.3	6	58.1
87	Randall Telfer	CLE	11.1	13.8	10.5	16.5	6	57.8
88	Brandon Myers	TB	11.3	13.3	10.7	16.4	6	57.7
89	Brandon Williams	SEA	11.2	13.3	10.5	16.5	6	57.5
90	Niles Paul	WAS	11.0	12.7	10.7	17.0	6	57.4
91	Logan Paulson	CHI	10.9	13.1	10.4	16.9	6	57.3
92	James O'Shaughnessy	KC	10.7	13.9	10.6	16.1	6	57.3
93	Khari Lee	DET	10.3	13.2	10.3	17.0	6	56.8
94	Justin Perillo	GB	11.1	13.4	10.9	15.1	6	56.6
95	Clay Harbor	NE	11.0	13.2	10.6	14.4	6	55.2
96	Gavin Escobar	DAL	10.9	12.9	10.3	14.8	6	54.9

Notable Omissions (Due to Insufficient Games Scored)

• Lee Smith
• Jace Amaro
• Jordan Cameron
• Matthew Mulligan
• Derek Carrier
• David Morgan II
• Maxx Williams
• MyCole Pruitt
• Blake Bell
• Cory Harkey

Left Tackles

Al Bello/Getty Images

The 2016 regular season saw familiar names sit atop the NFL1000 left tackle rankings, but some not-so-common names emerged as well. As mentioned midseason, when we think about the state of the league's offensive line play and specifically left tackle, there are four elite players who come to mind: Cleveland's Joe Thomas, Philadelphia's Jason Peters, Washington's Trent Williams and Dallas' Tyron Smith. But you could make the argument to add a fifth name to the mix: Green Bay's David Bakhtiari.

Bakhtiari has been arguably one of the most impressive performers of the 2016 season, specifically because of his flawless pass protection. To put his effort into perspective, in 16 games, Bakhtiari only surrendered four sacks and 16 quarterback hurries. His dynamic season was enough to have him named as a first alternate to the Pro Bowl. 

Smith and Williams are reaching the tops of their games and have not yet turned 30 years old. Both NFC East left tackles dominated when on the field and are two of three NFC East tackles selected to the 2017 Pro Bowl.

Meanwhile, the 32-year-old Thomas and 34-year-old Peters have played 10 and 13 seasons, respectively, but have yet to show any signs of overall decline and were both named to the Pro Bowl. Oakland's Donald Penn turned in an outstanding season, surrendering only one sack in 16 games. Penn's 2016 regular-season efforts earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl as an AFC representative.

Tennessee Titans 2014 first-round pick Taylor Lewan had a good season and has cemented himself as an emerging star of the position. Lewan was solid in all aspects, specifically playing with a controlled edge that drives him to finish every play with a purpose in both pass protection and in the running game. Lewan's breakout campaign resulted in the Michigan Man being named to his first Pro Bowl in just his third season.

Rookies Ronnie Stanley of the Baltimore Ravens and Taylor Decker of the Detroit Lions both continued to build their games and improve weekly, showing consistency in technique and play speed. The two first-round selections look like mainstays for their respective ballclubs.

Top Scorers

• Top Left Tackle: Trent Williams, Washington Redskins
• Worst Left Tackle: Bradley Sowell, Seattle Seahawks
• Best Pass-Blocker: David Bakhtiari, Green Bay Packers
• Worst Pass-Blocker: Bradley Sowell, Seattle Seahawks
• Best Run-Blocker: Tyron Smith, Dallas Cowboys
• Worst Run-Blocker: Bradley Sowell, Seattle Seahawks
• Most Powerful: Trent Williams, Washington Redskins
• Least Powerful: George Fant, Seattle Seahawks
• Most Agile: Joe Thomas, Cleveland Browns
• Least Agile: Chris Hairston, San Diego Chargers

Grading Scale

• Pass: Pass Protection (Graded out of 25)
• Run: Run Blocking (Graded out of 25)
• Power: Power (Graded out of 20)
• Agl: Agility (Graded out of 20)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

NFL1000 End-of-Season Left Tackle Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr
1	Trent Williams	WAS	19.7	19.8	17.8	17.8	8	83.1
2	Tyron Smith	DAL	19.7	20.4	17.6	17.3	8	83.0
3	Jason Peters	PHI	19.4	19.3	17.2	16.8	8	80.6
4	David Bakhtiari	GB	20.4	18.9	15.6	16.9	8	79.9
5	Joe Thomas	CLE	19.9	18.4	15.1	18.4	8	79.7
6	Cordy Glenn	BUF	19.4	19.5	16.6	15.5	8	78.9
7	Donald Penn	OAK	19.0	19.4	16.2	14.6	8	77.3
8	Ty Nsekhe	WAS	19.4	19.0	14.8	15.0	8	76.2
9	Taylor Lewan	TEN	18.5	18.8	15.3	15.4	8	76.1
10	Joe Staley	SF	18.2	19.1	15.5	15.2	8	76.0
11	Andrew Whitworth	CIN	19.1	18.5	15.5	14.8	8	75.9
12	Jake Matthews	ATL	18.5	18.8	15.4	14.8	8	75.4
13	Taylor Decker	DET	18.3	18.6	15.0	15.4	8	75.4
14	Terron Armstead	NO	19.7	16.3	15.0	16.0	8	75.0
15	Russell Okung	DEN	18.2	18.7	14.8	15.2	8	74.9
16	Eric Fisher	KC	17.9	18.9	15.4	14.7	8	74.8
17	Duane Brown	HOU	18.0	18.6	15.8	14.4	8	74.8
18	Nate Solder	NE	18.4	18.5	15.1	14.5	8	74.5
19	Ronnie Stanley	BAL	18.4	17.9	14.3	15.4	8	74.1
20	Cyrus Kouandjio	BUF	18.1	17.9	14.6	15.1	8	73.7
21	Jared Veldheer	ARI	17.5	17.6	15.1	14.6	8	72.9
22	Andrus Peat	NO	17.4	18.1	15.1	13.8	8	72.4
23	Mike Remmers	CAR	17.2	18.2	15.1	13.8	8	72.2
24	Anthony Castonzo	IND	17.4	17.6	14.4	14.7	8	72.1
25	Branden Albert	MIA	17.8	17.0	14.1	15.0	8	71.9
26	King Dunlap	SD	17.5	17.8	14.3	14.2	8	71.8
27	Charles Leno Jr.	CHI	17.2	16.9	14.3	15.3	8	71.6
28	Alejandro Villanueva	PIT	17.3	17.6	13.9	14.6	8	71.4
29	Kelvin Beachum	JAX	17.3	17.3	14.6	13.9	8	71.1
30	Ereck Flowers	NYG	16.3	17.4	15.4	14.0	8	71.1
31	Donovan Smith	TB	16.6	17.3	15.6	13.6	8	71.1
32	Greg Robinson	LA	16.2	16.9	16.0	13.6	8	70.8
33	Ryan Clady	NYJ	16.9	16.5	13.9	14.6	8	69.9
34	Chris Clark	HOU	15.8	17.4	14.4	13.6	8	69.2
35	Ben Ijalana	NYJ	16.4	17.0	14.6	13.0	8	69.0
36	John Wetzel	ARI	16.9	16.7	13.7	13.7	8	69.0
37	TJ Clemmings	MIN	14.9	16.8	14.2	13.0	8	66.9
38	George Fant	SEA	15.3	16.1	12.5	14.2	8	66.1
39	Chris Hairston	SD	15.2	16.4	13.4	12.6	8	65.6
40	Bradley Sowell	SEA	14.5	16.0	13.2	13.7	8	65.3

Notable Omissions (Due to Insufficient Games Scored)

• Luke Joeckel
• Laremy Tunsil
• Cedric Ogbuehi
• Vadal Alexander
• DJ Humphries
• Rodger Saffold
• Michael Oher
• Jake Fisher
• Jason Spriggs
• Matt Kalil
• Jake Long
• Dennis Kelly

Right Tackles

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

There were a handful of consistently outstanding performers at right tackle during the 2016 regular season. Despite not having the sexy tag of "left tackle", you could argue the top four or five right tackles are very good to elite-level players and among the best tackles in football regardless of right or left designation.

Green Bay Packers tackle Bryan Bulaga played tremendous football all season.  He stayed fairly healthy this season, something he has struggled to do in his seven seasons as a pro. 

Kansas City's Mitchell Schwartz graded out as the top performer at right tackle multiple times. Schwartz played through injury the entire first half of the season but didn't miss any action. When he was finally healthy down the stretch, the Chiefs were the beneficiaries.

Lane Johnson was the best right tackle in the NFL until he was suspended 10 games for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Johnson returned for the final two games of the season and picked up right where he left off, which had to have been an encouraging sign for the Eagles.

Tennessee Titans right tackle Jack Conklin was the top rookie right tackle this season. He had his moments, but the Titans coaching staff has been smart to scheme to help him in protection. When left on an island, he proved to be stout in pass protection by picking his spots to set aggressively and stop pass-rushers before they get started.

Top Scorers

• Top Right Tackle: Lane Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles
• Worst Right Tackle: Ty Sambrailo, Denver Broncos
• Best Pass-Blocker: Lane Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles
• Worst Pass-Blocker: Ty Sambrailo, Denver Broncos
• Best Run-Blocker: Lane Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles
• Worst Run-Blocker: Ty Sambrailo, Denver Broncos
• Most Powerful: Trenton Brown, San Francisco 49ers
• Least Powerful: Ty Sambrailo, Denver Broncos
• Most Agile: Lane Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles
• Least Agile: Ty Sambrailo, Denver Broncos

Grading Scale

• Pass: Pass Protection (Graded out of 25)
• Run: Run Blocking (Graded out of 25)
• Power: Power (Graded out of 20)
• Agl: Agility (Graded out of 20)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

NFL1000 End-of-Season Right Tackle Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr
1	Lane Johnson	PHI	20.3	20.7	16.0	17.0	7	81.0
2	Bryan Bulaga	GB	20.1	19.8	16.3	15.6	7	78.7
3	Marcus Gilbert	PIT	19.8	19.6	16.0	15.7	7	78.1
4	Mitchell Schwartz	KC	19.5	19.5	15.3	15.7	7	76.9
5	Zach Strief	NO	18.7	20.4	16.1	14.1	7	76.3
6	Ryan Schraeder	ATL	18.4	19.3	15.9	15.0	7	75.6
7	Riley Reiff	DET	17.9	19.8	16.0	14.9	7	75.5
8	Morgan Moses	WAS	18.5	18.9	15.6	15.1	7	75.1
9	Demar Dotson	TB	18.5	17.8	14.8	16.0	7	74.1
10	Derek Newton	HOU	17.4	18.8	15.2	15.2	7	73.6
11	Trenton Brown	SF	17.7	18.7	16.3	13.7	7	73.3
12	Jack Conklin	TEN	17.6	19.0	15.8	14.0	7	73.3
13	Doug Free	DAL	17.5	19.2	15.5	13.8	7	72.9
14	Marcus Cannon	NE	17.9	18.2	15.3	14.5	7	72.8
15	Ben Ijalana	NYJ	17.6	18.1	15.0	14.6	7	72.4
16	Bobby Massie	CHI	17.7	17.4	14.9	14.9	7	71.9
17	Jermey Parnell	JAX	17.4	17.6	14.8	14.7	7	71.5
18	Ja'Wuan James	MIA	17.1	18.0	14.8	13.9	7	70.8
19	Jordan Mills	BUF	17.1	18.2	14.9	13.6	7	70.8
20	Rob Havenstein	LA	17.3	17.7	14.8	13.9	7	70.7
21	Ricky Wagner	BAL	17.6	17.7	14.5	13.9	7	70.6
22	Eric Winston	CIN	17.8	17.5	14.3	13.8	7	70.5
23	Joe Barksdale	SD	16.9	17.9	14.4	14.1	7	70.3
24	Austin Howard	OAK	16.7	18.2	15.3	13.0	7	70.2
25	Daryl Williams	CAR	17.4	17.3	14.7	13.6	7	70.0
26	Halapoulivaati Vaitai	PHI	17.0	17.5	14.8	13.7	7	70.0
27	Austin Pasztor	CLE	16.6	17.9	14.5	13.9	7	69.8
28	Donald Stephenson	DEN	16.7	16.8	14.8	14.4	7	69.8
29	Bobby Hart	NYG	17.4	16.8	13.4	14.7	7	69.3
30	D.J. Humphries	ARI	16.5	16.7	13.9	14.4	7	68.5
31	Joe Reitz	IND	16.0	17.6	14.4	13.4	7	68.4
32	Garry Gilliam	SEA	16.1	16.3	14.2	14.6	7	68.2
33	Brent Qvale	NYJ	16.5	17.0	14.3	13.3	7	68.2
34	Chris Clark	HOU	16.3	17.5	13.9	13.0	7	67.6
35	Cedric Ogbuehi	CIN	15.7	16.1	13.6	14.6	7	66.9
36	Joe Haeg	IND	15.9	17.0	13.6	13.3	7	66.7
37	Jeremiah Sirles	MIN	15.9	17.0	13.7	13.0	7	66.6
38	Ty Sambrailo	DEN	14.4	15.8	13.4	12.8	7	63.4

Notable Omissions (Due to Insufficient Games Scored)

• Senio Kelemete
• Mike Remmers
• Rodger Saffold
• Menelik Watson
• Jake Fisher
• Allen Barbre
• Cam Fleming
• Cam Erving
• Vadal Alexander
• Trai Turner
• Earl Watford
• Marshall Newhouse
• Breno Giacomini
• Andre Smith Jr.
• Jason Spriggs
• Isaac Seumalo
• Bradley Sowell
• Gosder Cherilus
• James Hurst
• T.J. Clemmings
• Ulrick John

Offensive Guards

Larry French/Getty Images

Baltimore's Marshal Yanda was the MVP among offensive guards this season. The veteran battled through some injuries, but he only missed three games. Yanda's dominance and his consistency in pass protection are unmatched. He didn't lead the league in eye-popping knockbacks, but his hand placement and footwork allow him to counter almost anything opposing defenders try to throw at him.

Not only that, but his versatility was huge for the Ravens. When Yanda returned from his injury in Week 11, the Ravens had a huge hole at left guard. So they flipped Yanda there from his usual right guard spot. This allowed Vladimir Ducasse to stay at right guard, where he was playing pretty well. The Ravens kept the pair there for the rest of the season, even after Alex Lewis—Week 1's left guard—got healthy.

Between his mastery of technique and his upper-body strength, Yanda is a versatile and vital piece in the Ravens offense, and his consistency is impressive. 

Top Scorers

• Top Offensive Guard: Marshal Yanda, Baltimore Ravens
• Worst Offensive Guard: Alvin Bailey, Cleveland Browns
• Best Pass-Blocker: Marshal Yanda, Baltimore Ravens
• Worst Pass-Blocker: Germain Ifedi, Seattle Seahawks
• Best Run-Blocker: Marshal Yanda, Baltimore Ravens
• Worst Run-Blocker: Alvin Bailey, Cleveland Browns
• Most Powerful: Trai Turner, Carolina Panthers
• Least Powerful: Joe Thuney, New England Patriots
• Most Agile: Joel Bitonio, Cleveland Browns
• Least Agile: Jahri Evans, New Orleans Saints

Grading Scale

• Pass: Pass Protection (Graded out of 25)
• Run: Run Blocking (Graded out of 25)
• Power: Power (Graded out of 20)
• Agl: Agility (Graded out of 20)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

NFL1000 End-of-Season Offensive Guard Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr
1	Marshal Yanda	BAL	18.7	18.4	17.6	15.0	7	77.0
2	Josh Sitton	CHI	18.0	18.0	17.5	15.5	7	76.0
3	Zack Martin	DAL	17.6	18.3	17.3	15.2	7	75.4
4	Joel Bitonio	CLE	17.8	16.6	16.2	17.2	7	75.0
5	Kyle Long	CHI	17.6	17.3	16.0	16.9	7	74.7
6	Richie Incognito	BUF	17.7	18.1	17.7	14.3	7	74.7
7	Kelechi Osemele	OAK	17.1	18.1	17.8	14.2	7	74.2
8	T.J. Lang	GB	17.8	17.0	16.7	15.3	7	74.0
9	Andrew Norwell	CAR	17.0	17.5	17.1	14.8	7	73.0
10	Brandon Brooks	PHI	17.2	16.5	16.3	16.4	7	73.0
11	Justin Pugh	NYG	17.4	16.9	16.3	15.8	7	73.0
12	Allen Barbre	PHI	16.9	17.1	15.6	16.3	7	72.9
13	Jack Mewhort	IND	17.5	16.6	16.7	14.7	7	72.5
14	David DeCastro	PIT	16.9	16.3	16.2	16.1	7	72.4
15	Andy Levitre	ATL	17.3	16.9	16.9	14.1	7	72.0
16	Ali Marpet	TB	16.3	16.6	16.3	16.2	7	72.0
17	Gabe Jackson	OAK	16.7	17.4	17.3	14.0	7	72.0
18	Brandon Scherff	WAS	16.6	16.4	16.4	15.2	7	72.0
19	Mike Iupati	ARI	17.5	16.6	17.1	14.0	7	72.0
20	Trai Turner	CAR	16.0	17.2	17.9	14.1	7	72.0
21	Kevin Zeitler	CIN	16.9	16.4	17.1	14.4	7	72.0
22	John Greco	CLE	16.1	17.1	16.5	14.7	7	71.0
23	Ronald Leary	DAL	16.4	17.1	16.7	14.1	7	71.2
24	Ramon Foster	PIT	17.1	16.4	17.1	13.5	7	71.0
25	John Miller	BUF	15.5	17.3	16.9	14.4	7	71.1
26	Laremy Tunsil	MIA	16.5	16.2	15.3	16.1	7	71.1
27	Larry Warford	DET	16.2	16.6	17.0	13.8	7	71.0
28	Clint Boling	CIN	16.6	16.1	16.5	15.0	7	71.0
29	Quinton Spain	TEN	15.9	17.9	17.4	13.2	7	71.0
30	Alex Boone	MIN	16.1	16.0	16.5	15.2	7	71.0
31	James Carpenter	NYJ	16.6	16.6	16.9	13.4	7	70.4
32	Orlando Franklin	SD	15.9	16.9	17.4	13.1	7	70.4
33	Lane Taylor	GB	17.1	15.3	15.3	15.6	7	70.4
34	Andrew Tiller	SF	16.4	17.1	16.9	13.0	7	70.4
35	Alex Lewis	BAL	17.4	15.2	15.2	15.4	7	70.0
36	Eric Kush	CHI	16.0	16.6	16.6	14.0	7	70.2
37	Chris Chester	ATL	15.6	16.9	16.5	13.9	7	70.0
38	Shaq Mason	NE	15.3	16.3	16.1	15.2	7	70.0
39	Laurent Duvernay-Tardif	KC	16.5	14.8	14.4	16.9	7	69.6
40	Andrus Peat	NO	14.6	16.8	15.6	15.4	7	69.4
41	Josh Kline	TEN	16.3	16.0	15.9	14.0	7	69.2
42	Max Garcia	DEN	15.9	16.5	16.8	13.0	7	69.2
43	Kevin Pamphile	TB	16.1	15.9	16.3	13.8	7	69.2
44	Xavier Su'a-Filo	HOU	14.5	16.5	16.1	15.0	7	69.1
45	Mark Glowinski	SEA	14.6	15.8	15.6	16.0	7	69.0
46	Rodger Saffold	LA	16.0	15.5	15.9	14.6	7	69.0
47	Vladimir Ducasse	BAL	16.3	16.3	16.4	13.0	7	69.0
48	Chris Reed	JAX	15.8	16.0	16.4	13.8	7	69.0
49	Joe Thuney	NE	15.4	15.3	14.3	16.9	7	68.8
50	Tim Lelito	NO	15.4	16.4	16.0	13.8	7	68.6
51	Graham Glascow	DET	15.8	15.6	15.9	14.3	7	68.5
52	Stefen Wisniewski	PHI	16.1	15.9	16.0	13.5	7	68.5
53	Brian Winters	NYJ	16.0	14.8	15.7	14.9	7	68.5
54	Laken Tomlinson	DET	15.6	15.0	15.6	15.1	7	68.4
55	Senio Kelemete	NO	14.9	16.5	16.5	13.4	7	68.3
56	Jahri Evans	NO	16.0	16.1	16.6	12.6	7	68.0
57	Denzelle Good	IND	15.0	15.9	16.8	13.5	7	68.2
58	Shawn Lauvao	WAS	15.3	15.9	16.6	13.4	7	68.1
59	D.J. Fluker	SD	15.1	16.1	16.7	13.4	7	68.0
60	Zane Beadles	SF	15.6	15.2	15.2	15.1	7	68.0
61	Zach Fulton	KC	15.7	15.9	16.3	13.0	7	67.9
62	Ted Larsen	CHI	15.9	15.6	15.7	13.7	7	67.9
63	John Jerry	NYG	15.8	15.3	16.3	13.4	7	67.8
64	Jeff Allen	HOU	14.7	16.1	16.9	12.7	7	67.5
65	Spencer Drango	CLE	14.8	15.5	16.1	14.1	7	67.5
66	Joe Haeg	IND	14.9	14.8	14.6	16.1	7	67.3
67	A.J. Cann	JAX	14.7	15.9	16.4	13.3	7	67.3
68	Jermon Bushrod	MIA	14.8	14.9	15.9	14.5	7	67.1
69	Michael Schofield	DEN	15.5	14.6	14.7	15.1	7	67.0
70	Jonotthan Harrison	IND	14.5	15.6	16.9	12.9	7	67.0
71	Joshua Garnett	SF	14.5	15.3	16.4	13.5	7	66.7
72	Brandon Fusco	MIN	15.2	14.5	15.2	14.6	7	66.5
73	Cody Wichmann	LA	15.7	14.4	14.7	14.7	7	66.5
74	Patrick Omameh	JAX	15.2	15.3	15.8	13.0	7	66.3
75	Jamon Brown	LA	14.0	15.3	16.1	13.4	7	65.9
76	Germain Ifedi	SEA	13.1	15.9	16.4	12.8	7	65.2
77	Earl Watford	ARI	13.8	15.2	16.2	13.0	7	65.2
78	Alvin Bailey	CLE	13.8	14.0	15.4	14.6	7	64.8

Notable Omissions (Due to Insufficient Games Scored)

• B.J. Finney
• Derek Newton
• Evan Mathis
• Joe Berger
• Evan Boehm
• Chance Warmack
• Dakota Dozier
• Jonathan Cooper
• Jeremiah Sirles
• Ryan Jensen
• Ted Karras
• Brian Schwenke
• Andrew Donnal
• J'Marcus Webb
• Marshall Newhouse
• Jason Spriggs
• Isaac Seumalo
• Chris Scott
• Brent Qvale
• John Urschel
• La'el Collins
• Parker Ehinger
• Oday Aboushi
• Arie Kouandjio
• John Wetzel

Centers

George Gojkovich/Getty Images

Even after a slight dip in play late in the year, Dallas' Travis Frederick ended up running with the center MVP award. We have talked about Frederick and the Cowboys offensive line at length which has been dominant all season.

This year's top rookie at center is the Colts' Ryan Kelly. Indianapolis appears to have hit a home run with the first-round pick. His dominant natural traits are clear when you turn on the tape. But his ability to handle and command a constantly changing Colts offensive line is what impressed me as the year went on. If anybody has a chance at reaching Frederick's level of play in the next few years, it is Ryan Kelly. 

Top Scorers

• Top Center: Travis Frederick, Dallas Cowboys
• Worst Center: Anthony Steen, Miami Dolphins
• Best Pass-Blocker: Travis Frederick, Dallas Cowboys
• Worst Pass-Blocker: Cameron Erving, Cleveland Browns
• Best Run-Blocker: Travis Frederick, Dallas Cowboys
• Worst Run-Blocker: Anthony Steen, Miami Dolphins
• Most Powerful: Travis Frederick, Dallas Cowboys
• Least Powerful: Anthony Steen, Miami Dolphins
• Most Agile: Mitch Morse, Kansas City Chiefs
• Least Agile: Nick Mangold, New York Jets

Grading Scale:

• Pass: Pass Protection (Graded out of 25)
• Run: Run-Blocking (Graded out of 25)
• Power: Power (Graded out of 20)
• Agl: Agility (Graded out of 20)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

NFL1000 End-of-Season Center Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr
1	Travis Frederick	DAL	18.3	18.5	17.6	14.9	6	75.2
2	Ryan Kalil	CAR	17.8	17.6	16.3	15.8	6	73.4
3	Ryan Kelly	IND	17.3	17.1	16.4	16.5	6	73.0
4	Alex Mack	ATL	17.0	17.6	16.7	15.4	6	72.6
5	Rodney Hudson	OAK	17.3	17.1	17.3	14.8	6	72.4
6	Maurkice Pouncey	PIT	17.1	16.7	16.4	15.8	6	71.9
7	Eric Wood	BUF	16.6	17.6	16.8	15.0	6	71.9
8	Travis Swanson	DET	17.3	16.8	16.6	15.2	6	71.8
9	Joe Berger	MIN	16.9	17.4	16.7	14.6	6	71.6
10	Matt Paradis	DEN	17.1	17.3	16.4	14.7	6	71.6
11	JC Tretter	GB	17.7	16.4	15.3	16.0	6	71.4
12	Mitch Morse	KC	16.8	16.9	14.7	16.9	6	71.3
13	Max Unger	NO	17.6	16.8	15.8	15.1	6	71.3
14	Cody Whitehair	CHI	16.7	17.0	15.2	16.3	6	71.2
15	Weston Richburg	NYG	17.4	16.7	16.3	14.8	6	71.1
16	Corey Linsley	GB	17.8	15.8	16.3	14.9	6	70.8
17	Brandon Linder	JAX	17.0	16.8	16.1	14.8	6	70.8
18	Jason Kelce	PHI	16.4	16.8	15.0	16.6	6	70.8
19	Ryan Groy	BUF	17.1	17.0	16.6	13.8	6	70.5
20	Mike Pouncey	MIA	16.5	16.3	15.8	15.8	6	70.5
21	Justin Britt	SEA	16.2	16.5	15.6	15.7	6	69.9
22	Greg Mancz	HOU	16.0	17.4	16.4	13.9	6	69.8
23	Wesley Johnson	NYJ	16.9	15.9	16.3	13.9	6	69.0
24	Matt Slauson	SD	16.4	16.3	16.2	14.1	6	68.9
25	Nick Mangold	NYJ	16.9	17.6	16.9	11.6	6	68.9
26	Jeremy Zuttah	BAL	16.6	16.1	15.7	14.3	6	68.8
27	David Andrews	NE	17.1	16.0	15.5	14.1	6	68.6
28	Ben Jones	TEN	16.5	16.5	14.9	14.4	6	68.3
29	A.Q. Shipley	ARI	16.3	15.9	15.0	14.7	6	67.9
30	Spencer Long	WAS	16.0	15.6	15.6	14.3	6	67.5
31	Daniel Kilgore	SF	15.5	15.2	15.6	14.8	6	67.2
32	Joe Hawley	TB	15.5	15.9	15.5	13.7	6	66.7
33	Cameron Erving	CLE	14.5	15.5	14.6	15.8	6	66.5
34	Nick Easton	MIN	15.3	15.2	14.2	15.7	6	66.3
35	Russell Bodine	CIN	15.8	15.6	15.9	12.8	6	66.1
36	Tyler Larsen	CAR	16.5	14.5	14.2	14.7	6	65.8
37	Tim Barnes	LA	15.3	14.8	15.6	13.1	6	64.8
38	Anthony Steen	MIA	15.6	14.4	13.9	14.1	6	64.0

Notable Omissions (Due to Insufficient Games Scored)

• B.J. Finney
• Tyler Shatley
• John Sullivan
• Luke Bowanko
• Gino Gradkowski
• Kory Lichtensteiger
• Graham Glasgow
• Evan Smith
• Kraig Urbik
• Zane Beadles
• Jonotthan Harrison

3-4 Defensive Ends

Tim Warner/Getty Images

In 2016, there were three 3-4 defensive ends in the NFC who stood out. The first is Calais Campbell, Arizona's star defensive lineman who is the poster boy for the prototypical body for the position.

The second is Mike Daniels, who plays more of a 3-technique role in Green Bay's aggressive defense than what you would think a 3-4 defensive end plays.

The third is DeForest Buckner, San Francisco's first-round rookie who picked up the slack when 2015 first-round pick Arik Armstead went down with a season-ending injury. Buckner was basically on the field for every defensive play of the season.

Two other players, Chicago's Akiem Hicks, who has been wandering around the league the last few seasons, and Washington's Chris Baker, are close to becoming household names.

The AFC featured a rookie in Joey Bosa, as he blew away every expectation and took the place of J.J. Watt as 2016's most dynamic and unblockable 3-4 defensive end. The Jets recouped their stars halfway through the year when they moved back to a traditional 3-4 defense, and the play of Sheldon Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson instantly improved. The AFC rookies of Chris Jones in Kansas City and Emmanuel Ogbah in Cleveland look like future stars. 

Top Scorers

• Top 3-4 Defensive End: Joey Bosa, San Diego Chargers
• Worst 3-4 Defensive End: Darius Philon, San Diego Chargers
• Best Snap Explosion: Joey Bosa, San Diego Chargers
• Worst Snap Explosion: Jamie Meder, Cleveland Browns
• Best Pass-Rusher: Mike Daniels, Green Bay Packers
• Worst Pass-Rusher: Darius Philon, San Diego Chargers
• Best Run Defender: Muhammad Wilkerson, New York Jets
• Worst Run Defender: Kendall Langford, Indianapolis Colts
• Best Tackler: Calais Campbell, Arizona Cardinals
• Worst Tackler: Darius Philon, San Diego Chargers

Grading Scale

• Snap: Snap Explosion (Graded out of 15)
• Rush: Pass Rush (Graded out of 25)
• Run: Run Defense (Graded out of 30)
• Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 20)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

NFL1000 End-of-Season 3-4 Defensive End Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Snap	Rush	Run	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Joey Bosa	SD	13.6	16.8	20.2	14.4	7	71.9
2	Calais Campbell	ARI	12.2	16.9	21.0	15.2	7	71.9
3	Mike Daniels	GB	12.1	17.2	20.1	14.3	7	70.3
4	Muhammad Wilkerson	NYJ	12.4	15.2	21.2	14.6	7	70.2
5	DeForest Buckner	SF	11.9	15.9	20.2	14.9	7	69.4
6	Emmanuel Ogbah	CLE	12.2	14.9	19.4	14.0	7	67.6
7	Akiem Hicks	CHI	11.2	16.3	19.3	13.9	7	67.3
8	Derek Wolfe	DEN	11.1	15.9	19.6	13.6	7	66.7
9	Cameron Heyward	PIT	12.1	15.4	19.7	13.1	7	66.7
10	Jurrell Casey	TEN	10.9	16.4	19.4	13.4	7	66.6
11	Chris L. Baker	WAS	10.8	15.9	19.6	13.6	7	66.5
12	Stephon Tuitt	PIT	11.4	15.5	19.6	13.3	7	66.3
13	Ronald Blair	SF	10.7	15.7	18.7	14.0	7	65.9
14	Jadeveon Clowney	HOU	13.0	15.7	18.3	12.7	7	65.8
15	Cornelius Washington	CHI	10.9	15.9	18.0	13.8	7	65.4
16	Ziggy Hood	WAS	10.9	15.0	18.7	13.9	7	65.1
17	Timmy Jernigan	BAL	10.7	14.8	19.3	13.4	7	64.8
18	Chris Jones	KC	11.5	15.3	18.6	12.5	7	64.7
19	Josh Mauro	ARI	10.6	15.0	18.1	13.9	7	64.4
20	Dean Lowry	GB	10.2	15.4	18.1	13.8	7	64.1
21	Jaye Howard	KC	10.1	14.8	19.5	13.3	7	63.9
22	Frostee Rucker	ARI	10.2	14.8	18.5	13.4	7	63.6
23	Corey Liuget	SD	10.6	14.1	19.3	12.9	7	63.5
24	Jared Crick	DEN	9.9	14.1	19.1	13.8	7	63.5
25	Tenny Palepoi	SD	9.4	14.4	19.8	13.2	7	63.4
26	Quinton Dial	SF	9.9	14.5	18.9	13.4	7	63.3
27	Robert Nkemdiche	ARI	11.4	14.4	17.4	13.0	7	62.8
28	Ricky Jean-Francois	WAS	9.8	14.4	18.4	13.6	7	62.8
29	Arik Armstead	SF	11.0	15.6	16.7	13.1	7	62.4
30	Jonathan Bullard	CHI	10.2	14.6	17.4	13.4	7	62.2
31	Karl Klug	TEN	11.4	14.5	17.3	12.5	7	62.2
32	Denico Autry	OAK	10.0	13.9	18.2	13.2	7	61.9
33	Mike Pennel	GB	10.0	14.0	17.2	14.0	7	61.8
34	Arthur Jones	IND	9.6	12.0	19.6	13.6	7	61.8
35	Carl Nassib	CLE	11.3	13.9	16.9	13.1	7	61.8
36	Joel Heath	HOU	9.8	13.2	18.6	12.8	7	61.4
37	Mitch Unrein	CHI	9.5	14.2	17.8	13.4	7	61.4
38	Leger Douzable	BUF	9.9	13.6	17.7	13.5	7	61.3
39	Xavier Cooper	CLE	10.4	13.9	16.9	12.9	7	60.5
40	Brent Urban	BAL	9.5	13.3	18.4	12.3	7	60.1
41	Henry Anderson	IND	9.8	13.4	17.8	12.4	7	60.0
42	Lawrence Guy	BAL	9.1	13.0	18.3	12.8	7	59.8
43	Jamie Meder	CLE	7.7	13.1	18.1	14.0	7	59.6
44	DaQuan Jones	TEN	9.5	13.2	18.1	12.2	7	59.5
45	Adolphus Washington	BUF	9.9	13.5	16.9	12.5	7	59.4
46	Antonio Smith	HOU	9.7	13.8	16.9	12.2	7	59.3
47	Kendall Reyes	WAS	9.2	13.2	16.9	12.8	7	59.0
48	Christian Covington	Hou	8.4	12.3	18.4	12.8	7	58.4
49	Ricardo Mathews	PIT	9.3	12.6	17.5	12.4	7	58.3
50	Billy Winn	DEN	9.1	12.3	17.4	12.3	7	57.6
51	Angelo Blackson	TEN	8.6	12.3	17.7	12.3	7	57.3
52	Kendall Langford	IND	7.8	13.2	15.8	12.7	7	55.5
53	Darius Philon	SD	8.0	11.8	16.2	11.6	7	53.8

Notable Omissions (Due to Insufficient Games Scored)

• Christian Ringo
• Rakeem Nunez-Roches
• J.J. Watt
• JT Walton
• Letroy Guion
• Zach Kerr
• Matt Ioannidis
• Mario Edwards
• Tony Jerod-Eddie
• Stephen Paea
• Devon Still
• Jihad Ward
• Allen Bailey

4-3 Defensive Ends

Peter Aiken/Getty Images

In the NFC, two squads clearly had the best 4-3 defensive end units in 2016. The Seattle Seahawks, who had three Pro Bowl-caliber talents playing in Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril and Frank Clark, had the conference's best pass rush, with a midlevel talent like Cassius Marsh only being an afterthought on that defensive line.

Minnesota's defensive ends, Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter, also tore up the league, though Hunter was used mostly off the bench in the Vikings' three-man rotation that featured heavy reps from everyone involved. Emerging stars in the conference were Vic Beasley, Atlanta's 2015 first-round pick who led the NFL in sacks after being labeled a "bust" by some, and Kerry Hyder, Detroit's best defensive end from 2016 who was on the roster bubble in the preseason.

The AFC featured fewer teams running a true 4-3. The best tandem was in Miami with Cam Wake, enjoying a fine comeback season, and the addition of Andre Branch, which ended up being a nice piece. The best 4-3 end was more of a tweaner LB/DE in Oakland's Khalil Mack. He could win Defensive Player of the Year on a largely bad defense. That's how good he was in 2016.

The AFC also featured Carlos Dunlap on many weeks as he batted passes and performed equally against the run and pass. Jacksonville's Yannick Ngakoue could lead this group in a couple of seasons. 

Top Scorers

• Top 4-3 Defensive End: Khalil Mack, Oakland Raiders
• Worst 4-3 Defensive End: Wallace Gilberry, Detroit Lions
• Best Pass-Rusher: Everson Griffen, Minnesota Vikings
• Worst Pass-Rusher: Jared Odrick, Jacksonville Jaguars
• Best Run Defender: Michael Bennett, Seattle Seahawks
• Worst Run Defender: Anthony Zettel, Detroit Lions
• Best Snap Explosion: Robert Quinn, Los Angeles Rams
• Worst Snap Explosion: Jared Odrick, Jacksonville Jaguars
• Best Tackler: Michael Bennett, Seattle Seahawks
• Worst Tackler: Margus Hunt, Cincinnati Bengals

Grading Scale

• Rush: Pass Rush (Graded out of 25)
• Run: Run Defense (Graded out of 25)
• Snap: Snap Explosion (Graded out of 20)
• Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 20)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

NFL1000 End-of-Season 4-3 Defensive End Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Rush	Run	Snap	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Khalil Mack	OAK	20.1	15.0	15.6	14.2	8	72.5
2	Everson Griffen	MIN	20.2	14.3	16.1	14.0	8	72.4
3	Brandon Graham	PHI	19.8	15.0	15.3	14.3	8	72.2
4	Cliff Avril	SEA	20.1	14.0	15.9	14.2	8	72.0
5	Michael Bennett	SEA	18.8	16.5	14.8	14.5	8	72.0
6	Frank Clark	SEA	19.5	14.1	15.7	13.7	8	71.0
7	Robert Quinn	LA	19.4	13.7	16.2	14.2	8	71.0
8	Danielle Hunter	MIN	19.6	13.8	15.5	13.9	8	70.6
9	Cameron Jordan	NO	19.4	14.5	14.3	13.9	8	69.9
10	Jason Pierre-Paul	NYG	19.1	14.7	14.7	14.0	8	69.8
11	Vic Beasley	ATL	19.1	13.2	16.1	13.8	8	69.8
12	DeMarcus Lawrence	DAL	19.7	13.3	14.6	13.9	8	69.2
13	Ezekiel Ansah	DET	19.0	13.1	14.9	14.1	8	69.1
14	Olivier Vernon	NYG	18.9	14.8	14.3	13.4	8	69.1
15	Cameron Wake	MIA	19.7	12.6	15.6	13.2	8	68.8
16	Wes Horton	CAR	19.1	12.7	14.1	14.1	8	68.2
17	Carlos Dunlap	CIN	20.2	14.3	13.4	12.6	8	68.0
18	Kerry Hyder	DET	18.8	14.3	13.2	13.9	8	67.9
19	Noah Spence	TB	18.0	12.9	14.7	13.6	8	67.0
20	William Hayes	LA	17.9	13.8	13.5	14.0	8	66.9
21	Ryan Russell	TB	18.4	13.0	13.6	13.9	8	66.9
22	Dwight Freeney	ATL	18.3	12.7	14.9	13.3	8	66.7
23	Brian Robison	MIN	17.9	13.6	13.8	13.6	8	66.6
24	Charles Johnson	CAR	17.4	14.5	13.5	13.5	8	66.5
25	Trey Flowers	NE	17.8	15.3	12.5	13.5	8	66.4
26	Adrian Clayborn	ATL	17.5	13.9	13.5	13.8	8	66.2
27	Jabaal Sheard	NE	18.0	14.1	13.3	13.1	8	66.1
28	Marcus Smith	PHI	17.4	13.4	13.9	13.6	8	66.1
29	Robert Ayers	TB	18.3	13.1	13.5	13.3	8	66.1
30	Devin Taylor	DET	17.1	14.2	13.5	13.5	8	66.0
31	Connor Barwin	PHI	17.4	13.5	14.0	13.3	8	65.9
32	Andre Branch	MIA	17.3	14.1	13.4	13.4	8	65.8
33	Yannick Ngakoue	JAX	18.1	12.8	14.5	12.5	8	65.7
34	Cassius Marsh	SEA	17.9	13.0	13.8	13.2	8	65.7
35	David Irving	DAL	18.0	13.0	13.8	13.2	8	65.6
36	Dante Fowler	JAX	17.6	13.6	13.8	13.0	8	65.6
37	Sheldon Richardson	NYJ	17.1	15.6	11.5	13.8	8	65.5
38	Armonty Bryant	DET	17.8	13.2	13.4	13.6	8	65.4
39	Brooks Reed	ATL	17.2	13.0	13.3	13.9	8	65.3
40	Tyrone Crawford	DAL	17.6	13.3	13.2	13.5	8	65.2
41	Muhammad Wilkerson	NYJ	16.6	15.3	12.2	13.5	8	65.1
42	Ryan Davis	DAL	17.0	13.3	13.2	14.0	8	65.0
43	Ethan Westbrooks	LA	17.7	13.6	13.1	12.9	8	64.9
44	Darryl Tapp	NO	17.5	13.2	13.2	13.3	8	64.9
45	Vinny Curry	PHI	17.1	13.2	13.2	13.6	8	64.8
46	Mario Addison	CAR	17.3	12.8	13.6	13.2	8	64.6
47	Jack Crawford	DAL	16.9	13.0	13.7	13.1	8	64.5
48	Chris Long	NE	17.1	14.1	12.9	12.8	8	64.4
49	Benson Mayowa	DAL	16.9	12.8	13.3	13.5	8	64.3
50	Ryan Delaire	CAR	16.7	13.7	13.2	13.0	8	64.2
51	Kony Ealy	CAR	16.9	13.1	13.1	13.3	8	64.1
52	William Gholston	TB	16.4	13.9	12.4	13.6	8	63.9
53	Paul Kruger	NO	17.2	13.0	12.9	13.1	8	63.9
54	Eugene Sims	LA	16.7	13.1	12.8	13.5	8	63.7
55	Romeo Okwara	NYG	16.7	13.2	12.6	13.2	8	63.5
56	Brandon Copeland	DET	15.4	14.0	12.8	13.6	8	63.2
57	Kasim Edebali	NO	16.8	12.7	13.1	12.7	8	63.0
58	Lorenzo Mauldin	NYJ	16.8	13.1	13.4	12.3	8	63.0
59	Davonte Lambert	TB	15.9	13.3	12.9	13.2	8	63.0
60	Anthony Zettel	DET	16.6	12.1	12.9	12.9	8	62.3
61	Matt Longacre	LA	15.2	14.0	12.8	12.8	8	62.2
62	Michael Johnson	CIN	15.8	13.5	12.1	12.2	8	61.1
63	Jared Odrick	JAX	14.7	15.0	10.7	13.3	8	61.0
64	Will Clarke	CIN	16.2	12.9	12.3	11.8	8	60.9
65	Mario Williams	MIA	15.9	13.6	11.8	11.8	8	60.7
66	Margus Hunt	CIN	15.9	13.9	11.4	11.6	8	60.4
67	Jason Jones	MIA	15.9	12.9	11.0	12.9	8	60.1
68	Wallace Gilberry	DET	15.2	12.7	10.8	12.4	8	58.7

Notable Omissions (Due to Insufficient Games Scored)

• Randy Gregory
• Derrick Shelby
• Owamagbe Odighizuwa
• Damontre Moore
• Tyson Alualu
• Shaq Lawson
• Morgan Fox
• Kerry Wynn
• Lavar Edwards
• Howard Jones
• Shilique Calhoun

Defensive Tackles

Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

Aaron Donald cemented his place as the best defensive tackle in football. He had his lowest rank among defensive tackles in Week 17 against the Cardinals, and it was still good enough to score him as the 22nd-best defensive tackle for the final week of the season. Before Week 17, Donald never finished lower than fourth.

Atlanta's Grady Jarrett, New York's Leonard Williams and New England's Malcom Brown had terrific sophomore campaigns. Brown and Williams are developing into premier defensive line talents, while Jarrett isn't too far behind. Jarrett would benefit more from a strong supporting cast on the defensive line—things Brown and Williams both have. Cleveland's Danny Shelton had a nice sophomore season as well developing into the forceful nose tackle the Browns believed they were taking with a first-round pick.

Sheldon Rankins and Kenny Clark, both selected in the first round, had strong rookie campaigns. Rankins missed the first seven games with a broken fibula, but he recorded four sacks in nine games while also being a force against the run.

Clark wasn't as productive as a pass-rusher, but he had strong play against the run when the Packers decided to feed him snaps. Relative to the area he was acquired to play, Baltimore's Michael Pierce may have had the most impressive rookie season among defensive tackles. Pierce wasn't that productive as a pass-rusher, but he followed the mold of former Baltimore defensive tackles Kelly Gregg, Sam Adams and Tony Siragusa by being a stalwart against the run.

Overall, this was a great year for defensive tackle play. Well-known guys such as Geno Atkins, Aaron Donald, Fletcher Cox and Kawann Short lived up to the high standards they set for themselves. Young players look poised to join that top group in the coming years.

Top Scorers

• Top Defensive Tackle: Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams
• Worst Defensive Tackle: David Parry, Indianapolis Colts
• Best Snap Explosion: Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams
• Worst Snap Explosion: David Parry, Indianapolis Colts
• Best Pass-Rusher: Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams
• Worst Pass-Rusher: Mike Purcell, San Francisco 49ers
• Best Run Defender: Roy Miller, Jacksonville Jaguars
• Worst Run Defender: David Parry, Indianapolis Colts
• Best Tackler: Roy Miller, Jacksonville Jaguars
• Worst Tackler: Mike Purcell, San Francisco 49ers

Grading Scale

• Snap: Snap Explosion (Graded out of 25)
• Rush: Pass Rush (Graded out of 25)
• Run: Run Defense (Graded out of 25)
• Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 15)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

NFL1000 End-of-Season Defensive Tackle Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Snap	Rush	Run	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Aaron Donald	LA	20.8	19.6	20.2	13.8	7	80.9
2	Geno Atkins	CIN	19.6	19.0	18.8	13.1	7	77.0
3	Fletcher Cox	PHI	19.1	18.6	18.9	13.1	7	76.3
4	Ndamukong Suh	MIA	19.1	18.1	19.3	13.2	7	76.2
5	Kawann Short	CAR	18.1	16.9	19.1	13.1	7	73.9
6	Gerald McCoy	TB	18.2	17.2	18.9	12.9	7	73.9
7	Kyle D. Williams	BUF	17.9	16.9	18.7	12.9	7	72.9
8	Malcom Brown	NE	17.4	16.8	18.8	13.1	7	72.6
9	Leonard Williams	NYJ	17.7	16.5	18.6	13.0	7	72.4
10	Nick Fairley	NO	18.3	16.8	17.8	12.7	7	72.3
11	Roy Miller	JAX	16.7	13.3	21.8	14.0	7	71.8
12	Grady Jarrett	ATL	18.0	15.9	18.4	12.9	7	71.8
13	Damon Harrison	NYG	16.7	15.2	19.9	13.0	7	71.4
14	Brandon Mebane	SD	16.9	14.6	19.8	13.5	7	71.1
15	Linval Joseph	MIN	16.9	14.9	19.5	13.1	7	70.9
16	Malik Jackson	JAX	17.5	17.6	16.9	12.2	7	70.9
17	Johnathan Hankins	NYG	16.9	15.9	17.8	12.5	7	69.7
18	Brandon J. Williams	BAL	16.4	14.4	19.4	12.7	7	69.4
19	Star Lotulelei	CAR	16.5	15.9	17.5	12.3	7	68.8
20	Michael Brockers	LA	15.9	15.5	18.1	12.1	7	68.3
21	Corbin Bryant	BUF	16.4	15.9	17.1	12.6	7	68.0
22	Alan Branch	NE	16.1	15.1	17.9	12.3	7	67.9
23	Eddie Goldman	CHI	16.5	15.2	17.3	12.2	7	67.8
24	Steve McLendon	NYJ	16.0	14.5	17.9	12.7	7	67.5
25	Dontari Poe	KC	16.8	15.1	16.9	12.0	7	67.5
26	Dominique Easley	LA	17.8	15.9	15.6	11.4	7	67.3
27	Sheldon Rankins	NO	16.4	15.4	16.8	11.6	7	67.1
28	Marcell Dareus	BUF	16.5	14.9	16.9	11.6	7	66.9
29	Terrell McClain	DAL	15.9	15.1	17.1	12.1	7	66.8
30	Bennie Logan	PHI	15.8	15.1	17.1	11.8	7	66.5
31	Michael Pierce	BAL	15.8	13.4	18.5	12.1	7	66.4
32	Kenny Clark	GB	16.3	14.8	16.5	11.7	7	65.9
33	Jarran Reed	SEA	15.5	14.7	17.1	11.8	7	65.8
34	Tom Johnson	MIN	16.6	16.2	14.7	11.6	7	65.6
35	Corey Peters	ARI	15.8	14.4	16.8	11.8	7	65.6
36	Danny Shelton	CLE	15.2	14.1	17.6	12.1	7	65.5
37	Caraun Reid	SD	15.6	14.6	17.0	12.1	7	65.3
38	Maliek Collins	DAL	16.3	14.9	15.8	11.7	7	65.3
39	Vincent Valentine	NE	15.7	14.5	16.4	11.7	7	65.0
40	Sen'Derrick Marks	JAX	16.9	14.8	15.1	11.2	7	64.9
41	Ra'Shede Hageman	ATL	15.9	14.3	16.2	11.8	7	64.7
42	Jordan Phillips	MIA	15.8	15.2	15.8	11.0	7	64.6
43	Vernon Butler	CAR	15.2	14.9	15.9	11.4	7	64.1
44	Tyson Alualu	JAX	15.7	14.9	15.3	11.6	7	64.0
45	Cedric Thornton	DAL	15.5	14.1	16.0	11.6	7	63.8
46	Earl Mitchell	MIA	15.2	15.0	15.6	10.9	7	63.6
47	Letroy Guion	GB	14.9	14.2	16.1	11.4	7	63.4
48	Haloti Ngata	DET	14.8	14.5	16.0	11.4	7	63.3
49	Ahtyba Rubin	SEA	14.4	14.3	16.1	11.9	7	63.3
50	Rakeem Nunez-Roches	KC	15.4	14.4	15.1	11.3	7	63.1
51	Clinton McDonald	TB	14.8	14.1	16.0	11.6	7	63.1
52	Stephen Paea	CLE	16.2	14.0	14.8	11.0	7	63.0
53	Tony McDaniel	SEA	14.8	13.8	16.1	11.4	7	62.8
54	Javon Hargrave	PIT	15.3	14.1	15.4	11.4	7	62.7
55	D.J. Reader	HOU	15.2	13.3	16.4	11.1	7	62.6
56	Jordan Philips	MIA	15.6	13.8	15.4	11.6	7	62.4
57	Rodney Gunter	ARI	14.7	13.8	16.1	11.1	7	62.2
58	Jay Bromley	NYG	14.7	14.1	15.5	11.3	7	62.1
59	Khyri Thornton	DET	15.1	14.1	14.7	11.1	7	62.0
60	Adolphus Washington	BUF	14.4	14.2	16.0	11.2	7	61.8
61	Deon Simon	NYJ	14.3	14.5	15.2	10.7	7	61.7
62	Domata Peko	CIN	14.4	13.6	15.8	11.2	7	61.6
63	Stacy McGee	OAK	15.1	14.1	14.8	11.3	7	61.5
64	Abry Jones	JAX	14.3	13.2	16.1	11.1	7	61.4
65	Vince Wilfork	HOU	14.5	12.7	16.0	11.6	7	61.3
66	Hassan Ridgeway	IND	15.5	13.6	14.4	11.0	7	61.1
67	Beau Allen	PHI	14.6	13.8	15.2	10.7	7	60.9
68	Darius Latham	OAK	14.7	13.4	14.7	11.5	7	60.8
69	Sheldon Day	JAX	15.3	14.0	14.1	10.7	7	60.8
70	Jonathan Babineaux	ATL	14.8	13.7	14.4	11.2	7	60.6
71	Akeem Spence	TB	14.1	13.3	15.3	11.1	7	60.4
72	Paul Soliai	CAR	13.7	12.3	16.4	11.2	7	60.2
73	Sylvester Williams	DEN	14.7	13.4	14.7	10.8	7	60.2
74	David Onyemata	NO	14.3	13.3	14.9	10.9	7	60.1
75	Kyle Love	CAR	14.4	13.0	15.1	10.8	7	60.1
76	Cam Thomas	LA	13.9	13.5	14.7	11.1	7	60.1
77	T.Y. McGill	IND	14.7	13.4	14.1	10.6	7	59.9
78	Courtney Upshaw	ATL	14.4	13.5	14.2	11.0	7	59.8
79	Tyrunn Walker	DET	14.2	13.9	14.2	10.6	7	59.6
80	Cullen Jenkins	WAS	14.9	13.4	14.0	10.6	7	59.5
81	Tyeler Davison	NO	13.9	13.3	14.7	10.9	7	59.5
82	Zach Kerr	IND	15.0	13.4	13.8	10.7	7	59.3
83	Glenn Dorsey	SF	15.3	12.6	14.1	10.3	7	59.3
84	A'Shawn Robinson	DET	14.1	13.4	14.0	11.0	7	59.1
85	Justin Ellis	OAK	13.9	13.1	14.5	11.0	7	59.1
86	Tyson Jackson	ATL	13.2	12.6	15.4	11.3	7	59.0
87	John Jenkins	NO	14.3	13.4	14.4	10.6	7	59.0
88	Shamar Stephen	MIN	14.0	13.1	14.2	10.8	7	58.7
89	Al Woods	TEN	14.3	12.4	14.7	10.7	7	58.6
90	Damion Square	SD	13.6	13.3	14.0	10.4	7	58.3
91	Will Sutton	CHI	14.4	12.6	14.3	10.4	7	58.2
92	Destiny Vaeao	PHI	13.9	12.8	14.0	10.2	7	57.9
93	Dan Williams	OAK	13.3	12.6	14.0	11.3	7	57.6
94	Pat Sims	CIN	12.9	12.1	14.9	10.6	7	57.1
95	Austin Johnson	TEN	13.1	12.0	14.6	10.4	7	57.0
96	Adam Gotsis	DEN	13.4	13.0	13.9	10.1	7	56.9
97	Jihad Ward	OAK	13.5	12.5	13.2	10.5	7	56.4
98	Mike Purcell	SF	13.8	11.9	13.2	9.9	7	55.2
99	David Parry	IND	12.9	11.9	12.3	10.4	7	54.0

Notable Omissions (Due to Insufficient Games Scored)

• Sharrif Floyd
• Jack Crawford
• Tyrone Crawford
• Akiem Hicks
• Jarvis Jenkins
• Stefan Charles
• Jordan Hill
• DeShawn Williams
• Daniel McCullers
• Julius Warmsley
• Jerel Worthy
• T.J. Barnes
• Sealver Siliga

3-4 Outside Linebackers

Tim Warner/Getty Images

Von Miller, Jadeveon Clowney and Melvin Ingram are elite edge-rushers. Miller was consistently the best player at the position, with 10 weeks finishing inside the top five and seven as the top overall 3-4 outside linebacker. Clowney finished with the position's top overall grade, but he only had eight weeks where he was graded at 3-4 outside linebacker.

Still, Clowney proved highly disruptive and occasionally unblockable when the Texans needed him to play on the edge. Ingram remains one of the NFL's most underappreciated and versatile defensive stars. He spent his 2016 season disrupting opposing offenses in a variety of ways, including as a rusher, against the run and in coverage. 

A few pass-rushing pairs were also among the standouts. Chandler Jones and Markus Golden combined for 23.5 sacks for the Cardinals, Ryan Kerrigan and Trent Murphy produced 20 for the Redskins, and Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan tallied 19.5 for the Titans.

The deepest teams at the position included the Broncos, with Miller, Shane Ray, DeMarcus Ware and Shaquil Barrett leading constant waves of pressure, and the Packers—a defense that received positive contributions from Nick Perry, Julius Peppers, Clay Matthews and Datone Jones. The weakest teams at 3-4 outside linebacker included the Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns.

The Bears' Leonard Floyd was the best rookie, although the ninth overall pick had an up-and-down season. He sandwiched a promising middle of the season with an underwhelming beginning and end, even if injuries were the main cause. The Ravens' Matt Judon and the Bills' Shaq Lawson had some moments, but neither was consistent enough at rushing the passer or setting the edge.

The worst 3-4 outside linebackers among those playing a significant number of snaps included Robert Mathis, Frank Zombo, Arthur Moats and Albert McClellan.

Top Scorers

• Top 3-4 Outside Linebacker: Jadeveon Clowney, Houston Texans
• Worst 3-4 Outside Linebacker: Curt Maggitt, Indianapolis Colts
• Best Pass-Rusher: Jadeveon Clowney, Houston Texans
• Worst Pass-Rusher: Lerentee McCray, Buffalo Bills
• Best Run Defender: Jadeveon Clowney, Houston Texans
• Worst Run Defender: Aaron Wallace, Tennessee Titans
• Best in Coverage: James Harrison, Pittsburgh Steelers
• Worst in Coverage: Robert Mathis, Indianapolis Colts
• Best Tackler: Jadeveon Clowney, Houston Texans
• Worst Tackler: Curt Maggitt, Indianapolis Colts

Grading Scale

• Rush: Pass Rush (Graded out of 25)
• Run: Run Defense (Graded out of 25)
• Cvg: Coverage (Graded out of 15)
• Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 25)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

NFL1000 End-of-Season 3-4 Outside Linebacker Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Rush	Run	Cvg	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Jadeveon Clowney	HOU	23.3	17.9	9.1	20.9	8	78.9
2	Von Miller	DEN	22.1	17.6	10.0	20.7	8	77.9
3	Melvin Ingram	SD	22.2	15.9	10.3	19.5	8	75.4
4	Whitney Mercilus	HOU	21.3	15.7	9.4	19.1	8	73.1
5	Chandler Jones	ARI	21.7	15.2	9.6	18.9	8	72.9
6	Markus Golden	ARI	20.9	15.7	9.3	19.0	8	72.4
7	Nick Perry	GB	20.3	16.4	9.1	19.1	8	72.4
8	Justin Houston	KC	22.0	13.8	9.0	19.2	8	72.0
9	Shane Ray	DEN	20.5	15.5	9.8	18.6	8	71.9
10	Lorenzo Alexander	BUF	20.2	14.8	10.2	18.2	8	70.9
11	Derrick Morgan	TEN	20.7	14.7	9.4	18.5	8	70.9
12	Brian Orakpo	TEN	20.5	14.5	10.1	18.3	8	70.9
13	James Harrison	PIT	19.4	14.9	10.5	18.4	8	70.7
14	Jerry Hughes	BUF	20.1	15.1	10.1	17.6	8	70.4
15	Trent Murphy	WAS	19.6	15.2	9.9	18.1	8	70.4
16	Ryan Kerrigan	WAS	21.3	14.2	9.3	18.1	8	70.4
17	Terrell Suggs	BAL	20.3	14.7	9.3	18.3	8	70.2
18	Pernell McPhee	CHI	21.2	13.7	9.0	18.1	8	69.9
19	John Simon	HOU	18.4	15.8	9.8	18.2	8	69.5
20	Shaquil Barrett	DEN	19.0	15.1	9.6	18.3	8	69.5
21	Leonard Floyd	CHI	20.3	13.8	9.9	17.8	8	69.3
22	Jamie Collins	CLE	18.8	13.5	9.1	19.6	8	69.0
23	Dee Ford	KC	20.1	13.9	9.5	17.8	8	68.9
24	DeMarcus Ware	DEN	20.8	13.6	8.9	17.8	8	68.9
25	Clay Matthews	GB	18.5	14.7	10.0	18.0	8	68.8
26	Willie Young	CHI	19.1	14.9	9.3	17.8	8	68.6
27	Preston Smith	WAS	19.3	13.8	9.7	17.8	8	68.1
28	Tamba Hali	KC	19.6	14.2	9.1	17.6	8	68.1
29	Julius Peppers	GB	19.7	13.8	9.1	17.8	8	68.0
30	Ahmad Brooks	SF	18.2	14.6	9.8	17.8	8	67.9
31	Jarvis Jones	PIT	17.2	15.1	9.5	18.6	8	67.8
32	Trent Cole	IND	19.6	13.6	9.3	17.4	8	67.6
33	Bud Dupree	PIT	20.2	11.8	9.3	18.2	8	67.5
34	Datone Jones	GB	18.9	14.1	9.0	17.5	8	67.3
35	Erik Walden	IND	18.8	14.1	8.9	17.4	8	66.9
36	Za'Darius Smith	BAL	17.8	14.5	9.2	17.3	8	66.3
37	Emmanuel Ogbah	CLE	16.3	15.7	9.9	17.4	8	66.3
38	Kyle Emanuel	SD	16.6	14.8	9.6	17.7	8	66.1
39	Jerry Attaochu	SD	17.7	14.7	9.0	17.4	8	66.0
40	Shaq Lawson	BUF	19.9	12.2	9.1	16.7	8	65.9
41	Elvis Dumervil	BAL	19.6	12.0	9.1	17.0	8	65.5
42	Matt Judon	BAL	18.1	13.3	9.3	16.9	8	65.3
43	Jayrone Elliott	GB	17.8	12.9	8.9	17.6	8	64.8
44	Cam Johnson	CLE	18.2	12.9	9.1	16.8	8	64.7
45	Albert McClellan	BAL	16.0	13.1	10.1	17.4	8	64.2
46	Aaron Lynch	SF	18.3	13.0	9.1	16.1	8	64.1
47	Alex Okafor	ARI	17.2	13.1	9.2	16.8	8	63.9
48	Anthony Chickillo	PIT	16.2	13.8	9.6	16.9	8	63.8
49	Eli Harold	SF	17.5	12.9	9.3	16.6	8	63.8
50	Sam Acho	CHI	16.2	13.8	9.7	16.6	8	63.7
51	Akeem Ayers	IND	16.6	12.5	10.3	16.5	8	63.5
52	Arthur Moats	PIT	16.1	13.3	10.1	16.4	8	63.3
53	Tank Carradine	SF	16.6	13.1	9.3	16.6	8	63.2
54	Corey Lemonier	CLE	16.3	13.3	9.2	17.0	8	63.2
55	Chris Landrum	SD	18.1	12.1	9.0	15.9	8	63.1
56	David Bass	TEN	15.7	14.5	8.9	16.6	8	63.1
57	Kyler Fackrell	GB	16.8	13.0	9.3	16.5	8	63.0
58	Kevin Dodd	TEN	15.6	14.4	9.2	16.6	8	63.0
59	Robert Mathis	IND	17.9	12.2	8.7	16.5	8	62.9
60	Aaron Wallace	TEN	18.2	11.3	9.0	16.2	8	62.5
61	Joe Schobert	CLE	15.1	14.1	9.9	15.9	8	62.4
62	Frank Zombo	KC	16.0	13.4	8.7	16.4	8	62.1
63	Tourek Williams	SD	15.2	14.0	8.9	16.3	8	61.9
64	Lerentee McCray	BUF	13.9	14.1	9.6	16.9	8	61.6
65	Curt Maggitt	IND	14.2	12.8	8.8	15.7	8	58.8

Notable Omissions (Due to Insufficient Games Scored)

• Nate Orchard
• Brennan Scarlett
• Kareem Martin
• Kamalei Correa
• Lamarr Houston
• Lorenzo Mauldin
• Dekoda Watson
• Lavar Edwards
• Christian Jones
• Akeem Dent
• Dadi Nicolas
• Tank Carder
• Brandon Spikes

4-3 Outside Linebackers

Rob Foldy/Getty Images

We have reached the end of the road. It's been a long season filled with ups and downs for teams and for individual players, especially at the linebacker position. Through it all, though, a few linebackers stand tall among the rest.

Bruce Irvin of the Raiders has been an unheralded star this season. Most notably, Irvin is a speedy edge-rushing presence, but he has become much more than that. He is quietly one of the most dominant run defenders in the league, which is especially impressive considering he is not a particularly heavy player (6'3", 250 lbs). Hopefully, Irvin will soon get the recognition he deserves.

Much like Irvin, Jaguars linebacker Telvin Smith improved this year and established himself as one of the best run defenders in the league. Few linebackers have his blend of speed, decisiveness and sneaky power. His biggest area of improvement is in coverage. Last year, the 25-year-old was a mess there (allowed 68 receptions on 86 targets), but this year, he graded better as a coverage player and looked more comfortable as one.

Not all went as expected, though. Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr regressed. Heading into the year, Barr was the top-graded player at this position, but in 2016, he looked like a different player. He was timid, unwilling to get dirty and less effective overall. It was unsettling to see such a drop-off. Many have speculated Barr has been dealing with an injury all season, which would make sense given his newfound fear of contact. More than likely, this year an aberration. But it was an off year for the young star nonetheless.

Top Scorers

• Top 4-3 Outside Linebacker: Bruce Irvin, Oakland Raiders
• Worst 4-3 Outside Linebacker: Jelani Jenkins, Miami Dolphins
• Best in Coverage: Nigel Bradham, Philadelphia Eagles
• Worst in Coverage: Dan Skuta, Jacksonville Jaguars
• Best Run Defender: Bruce Irvin, Oakland Raiders
• Worst Run Defender: Jelani Jenkins, Miami Dolphins
• Best Pass-Rusher: Bruce Irvin, Oakland Raiders
• Worst Pass-Rusher: Donald Butler, Miami Dolphins
• Best Tackler: K.J. Wright, Seattle Seahawks
• Worst Tackler: Jelani Jenkins, Miami Dolphins

Grading Scale

• Cvg: Coverage (Graded out of 25)
• Run: Run Defense (Graded out of 25)
• Rush: Pass Rush (Graded out of 15)
• Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 25)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

NFL1000 End-of-Season 4-3 Outside Linebacker Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	Run	Rush	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Bruce Irvin	OAK	17.3	19.9	10.8	19.4	6	73.4
2	Nigel Bradham	PHI	19.4	19.5	8.1	19.8	6	72.8
3	Thomas Davis	CAR	18.6	19.1	8.6	20.0	6	72.3
4	Sean Lee	DAL	18.9	19.5	7.9	19.5	6	71.9
5	Telvin Smith	JAX	17.9	19.8	7.8	20.0	6	71.5
6	K.J. Wright	SEA	17.8	19.6	7.9	20.1	6	71.3
7	Lavonte David	TB	17.3	18.4	8.8	19.4	6	69.9
8	DeAndre Levy	DET	18.8	17.6	7.4	18.8	6	68.6
9	Anthony Barr	MIN	17.2	17.6	9.4	18.3	6	68.4
10	Vontaze Burfict	CIN	18.2	18.2	7.6	17.6	6	67.6
11	Shaq Thompson	CAR	16.9	18.2	7.1	18.9	6	67.1
12	De'Vondre Campbell	ATL	17.1	17.8	7.7	18.4	6	67.0
13	Vincent Rey	CIN	17.1	17.2	7.4	18.0	6	65.7
14	Dannell Ellerbe	NO	16.0	16.7	8.9	17.7	6	65.2
15	Devon Kennard	NYG	15.5	17.9	7.8	17.6	6	64.9
16	Keenan Robinson	NYG	16.4	17.1	7.4	17.7	6	64.6
17	Karlos Dansby	CIN	16.2	16.8	7.4	18.1	6	64.4
18	Rob Ninkovich	NE	15.8	16.8	8.9	16.8	6	64.2
19	Chad Greenway	MIN	15.9	17.0	7.3	17.4	6	63.6
20	Darron Lee	NYJ	15.0	16.6	8.0	18.0	6	63.6
21	Jonathan Casillas	NYG	16.1	16.9	7.3	17.2	6	63.4
22	Mark Barron	LA	16.5	16.2	7.6	17.1	6	63.4
23	Josh Bynes	DET	15.6	15.8	7.4	17.6	6	62.3
24	Jordan Jenkins	NYJ	15.7	16.2	7.9	16.2	6	62.0
25	Myles Jack	JAX	16.2	15.8	7.4	16.6	6	61.9
26	Damien Wilson	DAL	15.5	16.4	7.3	16.7	6	61.8
27	Michael Morgan	SEA	15.4	16.5	7.1	16.8	6	61.8
28	Cory Littleton	LA	14.8	15.8	7.0	17.0	6	60.6
29	Mychal Kendricks	PHI	15.0	15.7	7.4	16.3	6	60.5
30	Mike Catapano	NYJ	14.5	15.6	8.4	15.8	6	60.3
31	Brandon Copeland	DET	15.2	15.6	7.2	16.2	6	60.2
32	Craig Robertson	NO	14.5	15.8	7.6	16.3	6	60.1
33	Daryl Smith	TB	15.0	15.8	7.5	15.7	6	60.0
34	Antwione Williams	DET	14.6	15.9	7.3	16.0	6	59.7
35	Shea McClellin	NE	14.8	15.1	8.2	15.7	6	59.7
36	Josh Forrest	LA	14.9	15.7	7.0	16.0	6	59.6
37	Justin Durant	DAL	14.7	15.6	7.6	15.7	6	59.4
38	Malcolm Smith	OAK	14.5	15.3	7.2	16.4	6	59.3
39	Philip Wheeler	ATL	14.4	15.4	7.6	15.9	6	59.3
40	Spencer Paysinger	MIA	15.4	15.1	7.4	15.2	6	59.2
41	Neville Hewitt	MIA	15.0	15.1	7.0	15.2	6	58.2
42	Kyle Van Noy	DET	13.7	14.8	8.0	15.4	6	57.9
43	Paul Worrilow	ATL	14.5	14.3	7.0	15.5	6	57.3
44	Dan Skuta	JAX	13.1	15.2	7.1	15.7	6	57.1
45	Donald Butler	MIA	14.5	14.4	6.9	15.2	6	57.0
46	Jelani Jenkins	MIA	14.9	14.2	7.6	14.3	6	57.0

Notable Omissions (Due to Insufficient Games Scored)

• Sean Weatherspoon
• Bruce Carter
• Kevin Pierre-Louis
• Brock Coyle
• Nate Stupar
• Andrew Gachkar
• Erin Henderson
• A.J. Klein
• Stephone Anthony
• Koa Misi
• Thurston Armbrister

Inside Linebackers

Grant Halverson/Getty Images

If Carolina Panthers star inside linebacker Luke Kuechly had remained healthy, he would have been the best inside 'backer in the game from Week 1 to Week 17. Unfortunately, a nasty concussion ended his season early and prevented him from going wire-to-wire as the top guy.

Behind Kuechly is a handful of above-average starters who can impact the game in any phase—players such as Minnesota Viking Eric Kendricks, Philadelphia Eagle Jordan Hicks, New England Patriot Dont’a Hightower and Seattle Seahawk Bobby Wagner. On any given down, these players can stop the run with relentless physicality at the line of scrimmage, cover tight ends and backs seamlessly and rush the passer against less athletic interior offensive linemen. Their skills, when fully utilized, make them some of the most valuable defenders to their respective teams. 

Ascending into the group of consistent dominance is Atlanta rookie Deion Jones. He is quickly growing into a top-notch player, utilizing his speed and his athleticism to mask other concerns throughout the Falcons defense. He's a steady riser among the inside linebacker ranks, and he'll be fun in the playoffs. If Jones continues to show the development he has in Year 1, there's no reason he can't be a top-five inside 'backer in 2017.

Largely overvalued players are at the bottom of the list. For all of the talk about passing offenses, a linebacker who can cover but can't stop the run is a liability. Miami Dolphins middle man Kiko Alonso is the perfect example of a player with sideline-to-sideline range but the poor ability to stop the interior run with consistency.

The overall group of inside linebackers in the NFL is average at best. Few players stand out each week, and finding one who affects an offense's game plan is rare. Toggling between adequate to slightly above-average players can be the difference between fielding an underwhelming defense and a dominant one.

Top Scorers

• Top Inside Linebacker: Luke Kuechly, Carolina Panthers
• Worst Inside Linebacker: Nick Bellore, San Francisco 49ers
• Best in Coverage: Jamie Collins, Cleveland Browns
• Worst in Coverage: Nick Bellore, San Francisco 49ers
• Best Run Defender: Luke Kuechly, Carolina Panthers
• Worst Run Defender: Nick Bellore, San Francisco 49ers
• Best Pass-Rusher: Jamie Collins, Cleveland Browns
• Worst Pass-Rusher: Josh McNary, Indianapolis Colts
• Best Tackler: Luke Kuechly, Carolina Panthers
• Worst Tackler: Nick Bellore, San Francisco 49ers

Grading Scale

• Pass: Pass Defense (Graded out of 25)
• Run: Run Defense (Graded out of 35)
• Rush: Pass Rush (Graded out of 15)
• Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 15)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

NFL1000 End-of-Season Inside Linebacker Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Rush	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Luke Kuechly	CAR	20.2	30.0	10.9	12.4	6	79.5
2	Jamie Collins	NE/CLE	20.6	28.7	11.1	11.9	6	78.3
3	Jerrell Freeman	CHI	20.0	29.3	10.7	12.0	6	77.9
4	Bobby Wagner	SEA	18.7	28.5	10.6	11.4	6	75.2
5	Danny Trevathan	CHI	18.4	28.4	9.6	11.7	6	74.1
6	Jordan A. Hicks	PHI	19.2	27.5	9.9	11.1	6	73.8
7	Eric Kendricks	MIN	19.1	27.4	9.9	11.3	6	73.7
8	Deion Jones	ATL	19.9	27.2	9.3	11.3	6	73.7
9	Benardrick McKinney	HOU	18.1	27.6	10.6	11.1	6	73.3
10	Brandon M. Marshall	DEN	18.9	27.3	9.6	11.5	6	73.3
11	C.J. (Clint) Mosley	BAL	18.9	27.4	10.1	10.6	6	73.0
12	Dont'a Hightower	NE	17.8	27.6	10.5	11.1	6	73.0
13	Su'a Cravens	WAS	20.3	25.3	10.1	11.2	6	72.9
14	Paul Posluszny	JAX	17.8	28.4	9.6	10.8	6	72.7
15	Deone Bucannon	ARI	19.5	26.8	9.7	10.6	6	72.6
16	Ryan Shazier	PIT	18.0	27.8	10.3	10.4	6	72.5
17	Derrick O. Johnson	KC	18.6	27.9	9.5	10.3	6	72.4
18	Jatavis Brown	SD	19.6	26.0	9.8	10.9	6	72.3
19	Denzel Perryman	SD	18.4	27.8	9.5	10.5	6	72.2
20	Zach Orr	BAL	17.0	27.5	10.4	11.1	6	71.9
21	Kevin Minter	ARI	17.8	27.3	9.9	10.7	6	71.7
22	Todd Davis	DEN	18.4	26.6	9.7	10.8	6	71.5
23	Zach Brown	BUF	18.0	26.8	9.6	10.8	6	71.2
24	Preston Brown	BUF	17.6	26.4	10.0	11.1	6	71.1
25	Will Compton	WAS	17.7	26.8	9.1	10.8	6	70.4
26	Brian Cushing	HOU	17.0	27.6	8.8	10.5	6	70.0
27	Ramik Wilson	KC	18.2	26.3	9.0	10.5	6	69.9
28	Avery Williamson	TEN	16.3	26.3	10.1	11.1	6	69.6
29	Lawrence Timmons	PIT	16.6	26.6	9.6	10.9	6	69.6
30	Max Bullough	HOU	17.7	26.3	8.7	10.9	6	69.6
31	Korey Toomer	SD	17.7	26.3	8.9	10.6	6	69.5
32	Chris Kirksey	CLE	17.1	26.4	9.6	10.4	6	69.5
33	Jake Ryan	GB	17.0	26.4	9.1	10.8	6	69.3
34	Kwon Alexander	TB	17.7	25.9	9.5	10.1	6	69.3
35	David Harris	NYJ	16.3	26.2	9.5	11.2	6	69.2
36	Justin Durant	DAL	18.2	25.4	8.8	10.8	6	69.2
37	Elandon Roberts	NE	17.0	26.0	9.4	10.8	6	69.1
38	D'Qwell Jackson	IND	17.3	26.4	8.8	10.4	6	68.9
39	Nick Kwiatkoski	CHI	16.5	26.0	9.8	10.6	6	68.9
40	Blake Martinez	GB	17.1	25.7	9.1	10.8	6	68.7
41	Mason Foster	WAS	17.2	25.9	8.5	11.0	6	68.6
42	Wesley Woodyard	TEN	16.4	26.3	9.3	10.5	6	68.6
43	Anthony Hitchens	DAL	16.3	26.3	8.8	11.1	6	68.4
44	Joe Thomas	GB	18.1	24.1	9.5	10.4	6	68.1
45	Joshua Perry	SD	16.8	26.0	8.6	10.6	6	68.0
46	Antonio Morrison	IND	16.8	25.6	9.0	10.3	6	67.7
47	Perry Riley	OAK	17.2	25.1	9.1	10.2	6	67.7
48	Gerald Hodges	SF	16.2	25.9	8.8	10.3	6	67.2
49	Justin March	KC	17.0	25.2	8.6	10.4	6	67.2
50	Sean Spence	TEN	17.2	24.6	9.2	10.2	6	67.2
51	Demario Davis	CLE	16.1	25.1	9.1	10.6	6	66.9
52	Nate Stupar	NO	17.0	24.8	9.0	10.0	6	66.8
53	Cory James	OAK	16.4	25.0	8.4	11.0	6	66.8
54	Sio Moore	IND	16.4	25.6	9.1	9.5	6	66.6
55	Corey Nelson	DEN	17.0	23.5	9.1	10.8	6	66.4
56	Alec Ogletree	LA	17.0	24.1	9.4	9.6	6	66.1
57	Kelvin Sheppard	NYG	15.8	25.2	8.7	10.4	6	66.1
58	Edwin Jackson	IND	16.4	23.7	9.3	10.2	6	65.6
59	Tahir Whitehead	DET	16.3	24.7	8.4	10.1	6	65.5
60	Kiko Alonso	MIA	17.1	23.3	8.8	9.9	6	65.1
61	Michael Wilhoite	SF	16.5	23.8	8.7	10.1	6	65.1
62	Rey Maualuga	CIN	16.3	24.2	8.4	10.1	6	64.9
63	A.J. Klein	CAR	16.2	23.4	9.2	9.8	6	64.6
64	Josh McNary	IND	17.2	23.2	8.0	9.8	6	64.2
65	Nick Bellore	SF	15.7	23.0	8.4	9.4	6	62.6

Notable Omissions (Due to Insufficient Games Scored)

• NaVorro Bowman
• Craig Robertson
• Ray-Ray Armstrong
• Vince Williams
• Albert McClellan
• Stephen Tulloch
• Bruce Carter
• Ben Heeney
• Manti Te'o
• Nick Vigil
• Erin Henderson
• James Laurinaitis
• Audie Cole

Cornerbacks

Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

This season, we learned that New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis is past his prime at 31 and may no longer be capable of playing the role he used to. His grades hovered around average most of 2016.

Revis did not age gracefully into an off-ball corner like older stars Jonathan Joseph (32 years old), Brent Grimes (33), William Gay (32) and Adam Jones (33) have in recent years. As Richard Sherman gets closer to 30, he's still a good press corner. But we saw him transition to more off-ball than ever this season. 

Another takeaway is the promising outlook of the position. Atlanta's Desmond Trufant, Minnesota's Xavier Rhodes, Kansas City's Marcus Peters, Jacksonville's Jalen Ramsey, Baltimore's Jimmy Smith, Dallas' Morris Claiborne and Detroit's Darius Slay are some of the elite tier. With passing attacks becoming more efficient every year, these stars are more valuable each season.

Cornerbacks who switched teams also collectively did well. Byron Maxwell had a solid season in Miami, and Casey Hayward was the best value in free agency for San Diego. Janoris Jenkins proved himself to the Giants after signing his five-year, $62.5 million deal. Sean Smith and Josh Norman had their ups and downs for Oakland and Washington, respectively, but were upgrades nonetheless.

Some of this year's free agents-to-be saw their stocks dramatically rise, but most did not have stellar contract seasons. A.J. Bouye was a big winner, showing he may be the best of a talented cornerback depth chart in Houston. But Los Angeles' Trumaine Johnson and Buffalo's Stephon Gilmore were relegated to off-ball corners, which greatly diminished their impact. Cincinnati's Dre Kirkpatrick was inconsistent, but he has value. He's still improving as his role has grown.

Top Scorers

• Top Cornerback: Chris Harris Jr., Denver Broncos
• Worst Cornerback: Johnson Bademosi, Detroit Lions
• Best in Coverage: Chris Harris Jr., Denver Broncos
• Worst in Coverage: Brandon Williams, Arizona Cardinals
• Best Reaction: Chris Harris Jr., Denver Broncos
• Worst Reaction: Brandon Williams, Arizona Cardinals
• Best in the Slot: Chris Harris Jr., Denver Broncos
• Worst in the Slot: Xavien Howard, Miami Dolphins
• Best Tackler: Xavien Howard, Miami Dolphins
• Worst Tackler: Ken Crawley, New Orleans Saints

Grading Scale

• Cvg: Coverage (Graded out of 30)
• React: Reaction/Recovery (Graded out of 30)
• Slot: Slot (Graded out of 20)
• Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 10)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

NFL1000 End-of-Season Cornerback Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	React	Slot	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Chris Harris Jr.	DEN	22.4	22.8	17.1	5.9	9	77.3
2	Janoris Jenkins	NYG	21.3	21.8	16.7	5.7	9	74.5
3	Marcus Peters	KC	21.5	22.1	16.1	5.6	9	74.3
4	Patrick Peterson	ARI	20.8	21.3	16.4	5.5	9	73.0
5	Desmond Trufant	ATL	21.3	20.8	16.0	5.9	9	73.0
6	Richard Sherman	SEA	20.5	20.5	16.6	6.3	9	72.9
7	Jimmy Smith	BAL	21.4	20.7	16.1	5.6	9	72.8
8	Casey Hayward	SD	21.3	20.9	16.1	5.3	9	72.7
9	Aqib Talib	DEN	21.5	20.9	15.8	5.4	9	72.5
10	Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie	NYG	20.5	20.1	16.9	5.5	9	72.0
11	Xavier Rhodes	MIN	20.0	20.6	16.6	5.8	9	71.5
12	Trumaine Johnson	LA	20.0	19.6	16.3	5.6	9	70.5
13	Josh Norman	WAS	18.9	19.7	16.6	6.1	9	70.3
14	Kevin A. Johnson	HOU	19.5	19.8	15.3	6.2	9	69.8
15	Darius Slay	DET	20.1	19.7	15.7	5.3	9	69.8
16	Brent Grimes	TB	19.9	19.5	16.4	5.0	9	69.7
17	Terrance Mitchell	KC	19.2	20.2	15.8	5.4	9	69.6
18	Malcolm Butler	NE	19.6	19.4	15.9	5.5	9	69.4
19	Morris Claiborne	DAL	20.0	19.1	15.0	6.1	9	69.3
20	AJ Bouye	HOU	19.0	19.8	15.9	5.4	9	69.2
21	Bradley Roby	DEN	19.2	19.8	16.1	5.2	9	69.2
22	Alterraun Verner	TB	18.8	19.2	16.0	6.2	9	69.2
23	Jalen Ramsey	JAX	19.1	19.3	15.7	5.9	9	68.9
24	Ross Cockrell	PIT	19.6	19.2	15.5	5.4	9	68.8
25	Johnathan Joseph	HOU	19.5	19.0	15.6	5.4	9	68.5
26	Lamarcus Joyner	LA	18.1	18.3	16.6	6.1	9	68.1
27	Eric Rowe	NE	19.2	18.7	15.3	5.2	9	67.4
28	Robert Alford	ATL	18.8	18.4	15.9	5.4	9	67.4
29	Stephon Gilmore	BUF	19.0	19.2	15.1	5.1	9	67.3
30	Adam Jones	CIN	19.1	18.5	15.5	5.1	9	67.1
31	Brandon Flowers	SD	18.5	17.7	15.8	5.8	9	66.8
32	Dre Kirkpatrick	CIN	18.4	18.7	15.2	5.3	9	66.7
33	Jason McCourty	TEN	18.8	18.0	15.4	5.4	9	66.5
34	Darrelle Revis	NYJ	18.8	17.8	15.4	5.5	9	66.5
35	Kareem Jackson	HOU	18.1	18.2	15.7	5.2	9	66.3
36	Vontae Davis	IND	18.4	18.3	15.2	5.3	9	66.1
37	Tyvon Branch	ARI	18.9	17.6	15.4	5.3	9	66.1
38	Ronald Darby	BUF	18.4	18.2	15.1	5.1	9	65.8
39	Sean Smith	OAK	18.4	18.3	14.9	5.1	9	65.6
40	William Gay	PIT	18.1	17.4	15.4	5.1	9	65.1
41	Tramaine Brock	SF	17.8	17.6	15.3	5.4	9	65.0
42	Byron Maxwell	MIA	18.7	17.9	14.3	5.0	9	64.8
43	Logan Ryan	NE	17.5	17.5	15.3	5.6	9	64.8
44	Brandon Carr	DAL	17.6	17.1	15.6	5.4	9	64.8
45	Tyrann Mathieu	ARI	17.0	17.7	15.1	5.9	9	64.7
46	Bashaud Breeland	WAS	17.4	17.4	15.6	5.3	9	64.7
47	Leon Hall	NYG	17.7	17.7	13.9	6.1	9	64.4
48	Joe Haden	CLE	17.5	17.1	15.5	5.2	9	64.3
49	Darius Butler	IND	17.1	16.6	16.6	5.0	9	64.3
50	Trae Waynes	MIN	17.1	17.1	15.4	5.6	9	64.2
51	Eli Apple	NYG	17.1	16.8	15.7	5.4	9	64.1
52	Jalen Collins	ATL	16.9	17.6	15.3	5.3	9	64.0
53	Terence Newman	MIN	17.5	17.1	15.2	5.2	9	63.9
54	Jimmie Ward	SF	16.8	16.7	15.3	5.8	9	63.6
55	Steven Nelson	KC	17.1	17.5	15.0	5.1	9	63.6
56	LeShaun Sims	TEN	17.6	17.2	14.6	5.2	9	63.6
57	Buster Skrine	NYJ	17.0	17.3	15.1	5.1	9	63.6
58	Jamar Taylor	CLE	16.9	16.9	15.2	5.5	9	63.5
59	Patrick Robinson	IND	17.4	16.7	15.6	4.7	9	63.4
60	Micah Hyde	GB	16.3	17.0	15.4	5.6	9	63.3
61	Darryl Roberts	NYJ	16.7	17.1	15.1	5.3	9	63.3
62	Delvin Breaux	NO	16.3	17.3	15.2	5.3	9	63.2
63	Rashard Robinson	SF	16.9	16.6	15.3	5.2	9	63.0
64	Marcus Williams	NYJ	16.9	16.7	14.8	5.6	9	63.0
65	DeShawn Shead	SEA	16.7	16.6	14.6	5.9	9	62.9
66	Brian Poole	ATL	16.1	16.4	15.6	5.7	9	62.8
67	T.J. Carrie	OAK	16.7	16.6	15.3	5.1	9	62.7
68	Vernon Hargreaves	TB	16.1	16.3	15.6	5.7	9	62.7
69	Damarious Randall	GB	16.7	16.7	15.1	5.1	9	62.6
70	Aaron Colvin	JAX	16.3	16.4	15.8	5.1	9	62.5
71	Artie Burns	PIT	16.7	16.9	14.7	5.1	9	62.4
72	Tavon Young	BAL	16.7	17.0	14.6	4.9	9	62.2
73	David Amerson	OAK	16.8	16.9	14.5	4.9	9	62.1
74	Juston Burris	NYJ	16.4	16.6	15.0	5.0	9	62.0
75	Nickell Robey-Coleman	BUF	16.4	16.4	15.3	4.9	9	61.9
76	James Bradberry	CAR	16.1	16.4	14.8	5.7	9	61.9
77	Orlando Scandrick	DAL	15.9	15.8	15.7	5.3	9	61.7
78	Nevin Lawson	DET	16.4	16.1	15.0	5.1	9	61.6
79	Tony Lippett	MIA	16.3	16.4	14.5	5.3	9	61.5
80	Bryce Callahan	CHI	15.9	15.5	15.5	5.4	9	61.4
81	Prince Amukamara	JAX	15.9	15.9	15.1	5.1	9	61.0
82	Ron Brooks	PHI	15.8	15.8	15.0	5.2	9	60.8
83	Briean Boddy-Calhoun	CLE	16.0	16.0	14.2	5.5	9	60.8
84	Marcus Cooper	ARI	15.5	15.9	14.9	5.3	9	60.6
85	Philip Gaines	KC	16.3	15.9	14.0	5.3	9	60.6
86	Nolan Carroll	PHI	15.6	15.9	14.7	5.4	9	60.5
87	Captain Munnerlyn	MIN	15.6	15.8	14.5	5.6	9	60.5
88	Kevon Seymour	BUF	15.3	15.8	15.2	5.2	9	60.5
89	Kendall Fuller	WAS	15.1	16.0	15.1	5.0	9	60.2
90	Jerraud Powers	BAL	15.3	15.6	15.2	5.1	9	60.2
91	D.J. Hayden	OAK	15.7	16.0	14.2	5.2	9	60.1
92	Quandre Diggs	DET	15.5	15.0	15.0	5.3	9	59.8
93	Josh Shaw	CIN	15.4	15.4	14.9	5.1	9	59.8
94	Tramon Williams	CLE	15.8	15.2	14.7	5.1	9	59.8
95	Darryl Morris	IND	16.0	15.9	13.6	5.3	9	59.8
96	Anthony Brown	DAL	15.4	15.1	14.8	5.4	9	59.7
97	Steve Williams	SD	15.2	15.2	15.0	5.2	9	59.6
98	Bobby McCain	MIA	15.4	15.6	14.6	5.1	9	59.6
99	Brice McCain	TEN	15.3	15.9	14.8	4.6	9	59.6
100	Trevor Williams	SD	15.4	15.6	14.4	5.0	9	59.4
101	Robert McCain	CAR	15.0	15.1	14.6	5.6	9	59.3
102	Ladarius Gunter	GB	15.4	15.3	14.3	5.4	9	59.3
103	Tracy Porter	CHI	15.4	15.2	14.6	5.0	9	59.2
104	Keith Reaser	SF	14.5	15.4	15.0	5.0	9	58.9
105	Davon House	JAX	16.0	15.0	13.4	5.4	9	58.8
106	Cre'von LeBlanc	CHI	15.0	15.1	14.5	5.1	9	58.7
107	Quinton Dunbar	WAS	15.1	15.1	14.1	5.3	9	58.6
108	Jeremy Lane	SEA	14.8	14.6	14.8	5.3	9	58.5
109	Jalen Mills	PHI	15.0	15.0	14.3	5.0	9	58.3
110	Xavien Howard	MIA	15.9	14.3	12.7	6.4	9	58.3
111	Daryl Worley	CAR	14.7	14.6	14.5	5.5	9	58.3
112	Sterling Moore	NO	14.5	14.6	14.5	5.2	9	57.8
113	Leodis McKelvin	PHI	14.8	14.9	14.2	4.8	9	57.8
114	Jude Adjei-Barimah	TB	14.2	14.6	14.3	5.6	9	57.7
115	Rashaan Melvin	IND	14.8	14.7	13.9	4.8	9	57.3
116	Shareece Wright	BAL	14.9	14.4	13.7	5.2	9	57.2
117	Jacoby Glenn	CHI	14.7	14.4	13.6	5.4	9	57.1
118	Ken Crawley	NO	15.1	14.6	13.8	4.6	9	57.1
119	Antwon Blake	TEN	14.4	14.7	13.9	5.0	9	57.0
120	Leonard Johnson	CAR	14.3	13.8	14.8	5.0	9	57.0
121	Cyrus Jones	NE	14.2	14.4	14.0	5.0	9	56.6
122	Quinten Rollins	GB	13.9	14.3	13.8	5.3	9	56.4
123	B.W. Webb	NO	14.2	14.1	13.9	4.9	9	56.1
124	Perrish Cox	TEN	14.3	14.2	13.4	5.2	9	56.0
125	Greg Toler	WAS	14.3	14.3	13.6	4.9	9	56.0
126	Troy Hill	LA	14.3	13.8	13.3	5.3	9	55.8
127	Darqueze Dennard	CIN	14.1	14.1	13.2	5.1	9	55.6
128	Justin Bethel	ARI	13.2	14.0	14.0	5.3	9	55.5
129	E.J. Gaines	LA	13.5	13.5	13.8	5.1	9	55.0
130	Craig Mager	SD	13.6	13.3	14.1	5.0	9	55.0
131	Trevin Wade	NYG	13.6	13.5	13.9	4.6	9	54.9
132	Brandon Williams	ARI	12.8	12.6	13.6	5.8	9	53.8
133	Johnson Bademosi	DET	13.0	12.8	13.3	5.0	9	53.2

Notable Omissions (Due to Insufficient Games Scored)

• Jason Verrett
• P.J. Williams
• Sam Shields
• Josh Johnson
• Marcus Roberson
• KeiVarae Russell
• Bene Benwikere
• Antonio Cromartie
• Robert Nelson Jr.
• Trovon Reed
• TJ Currie
• Kayvon Webster
• Demetri Goodson
• Deiondre Hall
• Javien Elliott
• MacKensie Alexander
• Johnthan Banks
• Coty Sensabaugh
• D.J. White

Free Safeties

Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images

New England's Devin McCourty and Minnesota's Harrison Smith led the way in terms of consistency among free safeties. They both play unique roles that ask them to do a lot of different things, which many other safeties would struggle to replicate. These are two of the most reliable performers every week, and the schemes their respective teams use reflect a strong trust in them.

The Patriots use McCourty in a variety of coverages. He spends a lot of time as the single deep safety, but if the opposition has a strong threat at tight end, running back or in the slot, New England often asks him to take on man-coverage responsibilities. Head coach Bill Belichick will even ask McCourty to split out wide and cover a wide receiver from time to time.

Like the Patriots, the Vikings use Smith as the single deep safety. But because of Smith's versatility, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer also uses him in the box a high percentage of the time. Smith often lines up in the A-gap as part of a double A-gap blitz or coming off the edge against a tackle. The Vikings also have Smith fake the blitz and drop back into coverages, undercutting receivers and surprising the quarterback.

Not many free safeties offer the same type of versatility and consistency those two bring each week. But in Dallas, the Cowboys saw second-year safety Byron Jones develop nicely. In base packages, he mostly played as the deep safety, but he also has great athleticism and man-coverage skills. Against top receiving tight ends, the Cowboys would shift Jones down to the line of scrimmage in pure man coverage.

Jones matches up well against tight ends, a problem for most teams in the NFL as more receiving TEs enter the league. He had some fantastic performances in man coverage against them and covered Washington tight end Jordan Reed as well as anyone. Jones will be a huge weapon for the defense going forward.

Nobody likes to see players suffer injuries, but some impact teams more than others. Earl Thomas' season-ending injury in Seattle was probably the most team-shaking loss. Thomas is an elite free safety with unmatched range and instincts. His ability to play in the deep middle of the field and get out to the sideline on any given play makes the Seahawks' Cover 3 scheme work. They've missed him down the stretch, going 2-2 in the final four games after his injury.

Top Scorers

• Top Free Safety: Devin McCourty, New England Patriots
• Worst Free Safety: Nat Berhe, New York Giants
• Best in Coverage: Devin McCourty, New England Patriots
• Worst in Coverage: Nat Berhe, New York Giants
• Best Recovery: Earl Thomas, Seattle Seahawks
• Worst Recovery: Nat Berhe, New York Giants
• Best in the Slot: Harrison Smith, Minnesota Vikings
• Worst in the Slot: Jeff Heath, Dallas Cowboys
• Best Tackler: Devin McCourty, New England Patriots
• Worst Tackler: Ed Reynolds, Cleveland Browns

Grading Scale

• Cvg: Coverage (Graded out of 30)
• Rec: Recovery (Graded out of 30)
• Slot: Slot/LB (Graded out of 10)
• Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 20)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

NFL1000 End-of-Season Free Safety Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	Rec	Slot	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Devin McCourty	NE	23.4	23.6	5.9	16.2	8	77.1
2	Harrison Smith	MIN	22.9	23.8	6.3	15.6	8	76.6
3	Earl Thomas	SEA	22.5	24.2	5.6	15.1	8	75.5
4	Byron Jones	DAL	22.6	23.0	6.3	15.4	8	75.3
5	Darian Stewart	DEN	22.8	22.9	5.8	15.3	8	74.7
6	Ha Ha Clinton-Dix	GB	23.1	22.3	5.6	15.4	8	74.4
7	Clayton Geathers	IND	21.9	22.4	6.3	15.8	8	74.3
8	Rodney McLeod	PHI	21.9	23.6	5.4	15.3	8	74.1
9	Glover Quin	DET	22.6	22.2	5.4	15.6	8	73.8
10	Lardarius Webb	BAL	22.4	22.5	5.3	15.4	8	73.7
11	Tre Boston	CAR	22.3	22.2	5.5	15.3	8	73.4
12	Eric Reid	SF	20.7	22.2	6.2	15.8	8	72.9
13	Ron Parker	KC	21.7	21.6	5.9	15.4	8	72.5
14	D.J. Swearinger	ARI	21.8	21.9	5.5	15.3	8	72.5
15	Dwight Lowery	SD	21.6	21.6	5.7	15.6	8	72.4
16	George Iloka	CIN	21.4	21.9	5.5	15.4	8	72.3
17	Isa Abdul-Quddus	MIA	21.3	21.7	5.4	15.7	8	72.1
18	Dexter McCoil	SD	20.9	21.5	5.6	15.6	8	71.6
19	Duron Harmon	NE	21.6	21.3	5.0	15.8	8	71.6
20	Andre Hal	HOU	21.7	21.9	5.1	14.9	8	71.5
21	Corey Graham	BUF	21.1	21.1	5.8	15.4	8	71.4
22	Michael Mitchell	PIT	21.4	21.3	5.4	15.3	8	71.4
23	Mo Alexander	LA	21.4	21.1	5.4	15.4	8	71.4
24	J.J. Wilcox	DAL	21.5	20.7	5.3	15.5	8	71.0
25	Ricardo Allen	ATL	21.4	21.4	5.2	14.8	8	70.8
26	Marcus Gilchrist	NYJ	21.2	20.8	5.6	15.2	8	70.8
27	Reggie Nelson	OAK	21.3	20.6	5.4	15.4	8	70.7
28	Justin Simmons	DEN	20.6	20.5	5.6	15.9	8	70.6
29	Jairus Byrd	NO	21.4	20.7	4.9	15.2	8	70.3
30	Steven Terrell	SEA	20.9	21.3	4.7	15.3	8	70.1
31	Kevin Byard	TEN	20.3	20.4	5.8	15.3	8	69.8
32	Kentrell Brice	GB	20.4	20.6	5.2	15.5	8	69.6
33	Adrian Amos	CHI	20.3	20.1	5.9	15.3	8	69.5
34	Bradley McDougald	TB	20.1	20.7	5.5	15.1	8	69.5
35	Will Blackmon	WAS	20.4	20.6	4.9	15.2	8	69.2
36	Vonn Bell	NO	20.3	20.5	5.4	15.0	8	69.1
37	Andrew Adams	NYG	20.3	20.3	5.0	15.4	8	69.0
38	Antoine Bethea	SF	20.2	20.3	5.3	15.0	8	68.8
39	Rashad Johnson	TEN	20.1	19.9	5.3	15.4	8	68.6
40	Jeff Heath	DAL	20.3	20.2	4.6	15.4	8	68.6
41	Ibraheim Campbell	CLE	19.5	20.2	5.4	15.3	8	68.4
42	Tashaun Gipson	JAX	20.2	20.2	4.7	15.1	8	68.1
43	Corey Moore	HOU	20.3	19.8	4.7	15.1	8	67.9
44	Robert Blanton	BUF	19.6	19.7	5.6	15.0	8	67.9
45	Ed Reynolds	CLE	20.1	19.9	5.1	14.7	8	67.9
46	Michael Thomas	MIA	19.6	19.4	5.4	15.3	8	67.6
47	Michael Griffin	CAR	19.2	19.3	5.7	15.3	8	67.5
48	Cody Davis	LA	19.4	19.4	4.7	15.4	8	67.0
49	T.J. Green	IND	18.9	19.6	4.9	15.2	8	66.6
50	Nat Berhe	NYG	18.8	18.6	6.0	15.0	8	66.4

Notable Omissions (Due to Insufficient Games Scored)

• Darian Thompson
• Derron Smith
• Anthony Harris
• Leon Hall
• DeAngelo Hall
• Chris Prosinski
• Deshazor Everett

Strong Safeties

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

The role of Seahawks strong safety Kam Chancellor has spread and helped many young players. He spends the majority of his time in the box, acting almost as an extra linebacker. He's a fantastic run defender and sets the tone for the Seahawks defense with big highlight-reel hits.

In coverage, Chancellor works mostly in underneath zones as part of the Seahawks' base Cover 3 scheme. There, he shows terrific awareness of everything in front of him, breaking on checkdown throws quickly and making tackles. 

This season, Falcons rookie Keanu Neal has been almost a carbon copy of Chancellor. Atlanta has asked him to match up with tight ends in man coverage with mixed results, but when it's allowed him to stick to underneath zones and work in the box against the run, Neal's been as dominant as just about any safety in the league.

In Jacksonville, Johnathan Cyprien has had success in similar fashion. He spent last year changing between free and strong safety as the Jaguars tried to find the right combination. This year, they kept him in the Chancellor role at strong safety. Cyprien flourished and became very productive.

Second-year safety Landon Collins is another player who has benefited from this role. The Giants give him more responsibilities than the others listed here, but they've done their best to keep him around the line of scrimmage, where he can have a bigger impact. 

Collins has been effective in the running game, but he's also improved markedly in coverage. While he's still suspect in man coverage at times, his zone awareness is far better than it was last year. That led him to five interceptions in 2016. 

Miami's Reshad Jones was having a terrific season before he tore his rotator cuff in October. He is one of the most well-rounded safeties in the league, equally adept in run support and coverage. He has the highest average grade of any safety this year, and it was a shame to see his season cut short by injury. 

Top Scorers

• Top Strong Safety: Reshad Jones, Miami Dolphins
• Worst Strong Safety: Jonathan Meeks, Buffalo Bills
• Best in Coverage: Reshad Jones, Miami Dolphins
• Worst in Coverage: Miles Killebrew, Detroit Lions
• Best Recovery: Reshad Jones, Miami Dolphins
• Worst Recovery: Jonathan Meeks, Buffalo Bills
• Best in the Slot: Reshad Jones, Miami Dolphins
• Worst in the Slot: Adrian Phillips, San Diego Chargers
• Best Tackler: Reshad Jones, Miami Dolphins
• Worst Tackler: Daimion Stafford, Tennessee Titans

Grading Scale

• Cvg: Coverage (Graded out of 25)
• Rec: Recovery (Graded out of 25)
• Slot: Slot/LB (Graded out of 20)
• Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 20)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

NFL1000 End-of-Season Strong Safety Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	Rec	Slot	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Reshad Jones	MIA	20.2	21.2	16.7	16.5	6	80.5
2	Kam Chancellor	SEA	18.8	19.2	16.2	16.3	6	76.5
3	Eric Berry	KC	19.3	19.5	15.2	15.6	6	75.5
4	Keanu Neal	ATL	19.3	19.1	15.3	15.6	6	75.3
5	Shawn Williams	CIN	18.9	19.2	15.3	15.5	6	74.9
6	Eric Weddle	BAL	19.5	18.3	15.3	15.8	6	74.9
7	Keith Tandy	TB	19.3	18.8	15.2	15.5	6	74.8
8	Tony Jefferson	ARI	18.1	18.9	15.6	16.0	6	74.6
9	Landon Collins	NYG	18.5	18.7	15.6	15.4	6	74.3
10	Barry Church	DAL	18.6	18.6	15.8	15.3	6	74.3
11	Morgan Burnett	GB	18.3	18.4	15.4	15.8	6	73.9
12	T.J. Ward	DEN	18.1	18.9	15.1	15.4	6	73.6
13	Karl Joseph	OAK	18.4	18.1	15.3	15.7	6	73.5
14	Malcolm Jenkins	PHI	18.2	18.3	15.1	15.5	6	73.1
15	Daniel Sorensen	KC	17.7	18.2	15.2	15.8	6	72.8
16	Antoine Bethea	SF	18.2	17.7	15.3	15.6	6	72.8
17	Aaron Williams	BUF	18.3	18.7	14.9	14.9	6	72.7
18	Andrew Sendejo	MIN	18.1	17.9	15.1	15.4	6	72.5
19	Robert Golden	PIT	17.6	17.4	15.4	16.0	6	72.4
20	Jordan Poyer	CLE	17.2	18.0	15.2	15.8	6	72.2
21	Sean Davis	PIT	18.0	18.2	14.7	15.2	6	72.1
22	Kenny Vaccaro	NO	17.9	18.0	14.6	15.5	6	72.1
23	Patrick Chung	NE	17.8	18.0	14.8	15.4	6	72.0
24	John Cyprien	JAX	17.7	17.3	15.6	15.4	6	72.0
25	Da'Norris Searcy	TEN	17.7	17.5	14.8	15.6	6	71.7
26	J.J. Wilcox	DAL	18.4	17.6	14.4	15.1	6	71.6
27	Kurt Coleman	CAR	17.7	17.5	14.9	15.1	6	71.3
28	T.J. McDonald	LA	17.5	17.6	14.8	15.3	6	71.3
29	Jahleel Addae	SD	17.3	17.5	15.0	15.5	6	71.3
30	Mike C Adams	IND	17.5	17.1	14.8	15.5	6	71.0
31	Quintin Demps	HOU	17.1	17.5	14.9	15.4	6	70.8
32	Jaylen Watkins	PHI	17.2	17.6	14.6	15.4	6	70.8
33	Bacarri Rambo	MIA	17.7	17.2	14.6	15.2	6	70.7
34	Will Parks	DEN	17.2	17.3	14.5	15.6	6	70.6
35	Jaquiski Tartt	SF	17.1	17.3	14.8	15.3	6	70.5
36	Duke Ihenacho	WAS	17.2	17.5	15.0	14.7	6	70.3
37	Tavon Wilson	DET	16.8	17.0	15.0	15.3	6	70.1
38	Nate Allen	OAK	17.2	16.6	14.8	15.2	6	69.8
39	Rontez Miles	NYJ	16.5	16.9	14.9	15.4	6	69.6
40	Chris Conte	TB	17.2	16.7	14.5	15.1	6	69.5
41	Derrick Kindred	CLE	16.7	17.3	14.7	14.9	6	69.5
42	Rafael Bush	DET	16.5	16.6	14.9	15.3	6	69.3
43	Calvin Pryor	NYJ	16.7	16.7	14.6	15.2	6	69.2
44	Harold Jones-Quartey	CHI	16.8	16.6	14.5	15.1	6	69.0
45	Donte Whitner	WAS	17.1	16.2	14.7	14.9	6	68.9
46	Anthony Levine	BAL	16.6	16.8	14.2	15.2	6	68.8
47	Deon Bush	CHI	16.4	17.2	14.0	15.0	6	68.6
48	Daimion Stafford	TEN	16.2	16.9	14.7	14.6	6	68.4
49	Roman Harper	NO	16.4	16.1	14.3	14.8	6	67.5
50	Miles Killebrew	DET	15.6	16.3	14.3	15.3	6	67.4
51	Eddie Pleasant	HOU	15.9	16.1	14.2	15.1	6	67.3
52	Adrian Phillips	SD	16.1	16.1	14.0	14.8	6	67.1
53	Jonathan Meeks	BUF	15.8	15.4	14.2	15.2	6	66.6

Notable Omissions (Due to Insufficient Games Scored)

• Clayton Geathers
• Kemal Ishmael
• Bradley McDougald
• Micah Hyde
• D.J. Swearinger
• Kelcie McCray
• Tyvon Branch
• Tramon Williams
• Keith McGill
• James Ihedigbo
• Demontre Hurst
• Clayton Fejedelem
• Corey White
• Tracy Howard
• Matt Elam
• David Bruton
• Duke Williams

Kickers

Rob Carr/Getty Images

Sometimes, one player at a position stands so far above the rest that everyone else is competing for second place. It was that way for NFL kickers in the 2016 regular season, as Baltimore's Justin Tucker lapped the field in nearly every possible way.

In an era when it's harder than ever for kickers to be consistent, Tucker was just that. He made 38 of 39 field-goals attempts, including a remarkable 14-of-14 from 40-49 yards and 10-of-10 from 50 yards or more. That's just ridiculous. He was also one of five NFL kickers this season to make every extra-point attempt. Tucker was above-average on kickoffs, but when his team needed him to add points to the scoreboard (a common need, given Baltimore's offensive travails in 2016), he was as good as could be. 

Kudos to Indianapolis' Adam Vinatieri, Dallas' Dan Bailey, Los Angeles' Greg Zuerlein and Pittsburgh's Chris Boswell as the other four who made every extra point they tried. Remember when those were gimees? Moving the extra-point attempt back is one of the few wins of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's tenure.

Atlanta kicker Matt Bryant's team had a much better offense than Tucker's (evidenced by the lead-leading 57 extra points he tried to Tucker's 27), and when the Falcons needed more points, Bryant came through. He finished second to Tucker in overall field-goal percentage (91.9 to Tucker's 97.4), made all nine of his attempts from 40-49 yards and missed just two of his eight from 50 yards or more.

Tampa Bay's Roberto Aguayo had a brutal first few weeks, but how the rookie from Florida State turned things around was impressive. In the first nine weeks, Aguayo missed five of his 12 field-goal attempts and missed two extra points, but he improved in the final eight weeks to make 15 of 19 field-goal tries.

He was still inaccurate from 40 or more yards (2-of-5), and he finished with the NFL's lowest field-goal percentage (71.0) among graded players. One wonders what Bucs general manager Jason Licht was thinking when he traded up to get Aguayo in the 2016 draft, but at least there are some inklings of excellence going forward.

That isn't the case for Arizona's Chandler Catanzaro, who missed 25 percent of his field-goal attempts this season—the same as Minnesota's Blair Walsh, whom the Vikings released in mid-November.

Catanzaro drew the ire of head coach Bruce Arians after key misses, and it's easy to assume the Cardinals will have a different plan at the position in 2017. Buffalo's Dan Carpenter, Miami's Andrew Franks and Chicago's Connor Barth are three other kickers who may be changing addresses sooner than later.

Top Scorers

• Top Kicker: Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens
• Worst Kicker: Mike Nugent, Cincinnati Bengals
• Best Leg: Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens
• Worst Leg: Nick Novak, Houston Texans
• Most Accurate: Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens
• Least Accurate: Blair Walsh, Free Agent
• Best Tackler: Mike Nugent, Cincinnati Bengals
• Worst Tackler: Robbie Gould, New York Giants

Grading Scale

• Pwr: Kick Power (Graded out of 40)
• Acc: Kick Accuracy (Graded out of 40)
• Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 10)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

NFL1000 End-of-Season Kicker Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Pwr	Acc	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Justin Tucker	BAL	33.1	34.5	4.0	3	74.6
2	Matt Bryant	ATL	30.9	33.1	4.0	3	71.1
3	Dan Bailey	DAL	31.8	31.2	4.1	3	70.1
4	Josh Brown	NYG	30.6	32.0	4.2	3	69.8
5	Ryan Succop	TEN	31.4	31.2	4.1	3	69.8
6	Adam Vinatieri	IND	30.7	31.8	4.1	3	69.6
7	Wil Lutz	NO	31.4	30.9	4.2	3	69.4
8	Brandon McManus	DEN	31.5	30.4	4.0	3	68.9
9	Jason Myers	JAX	32.8	28.9	4.1	3	68.8
10	Matt Prater	DET	30.9	30.8	4.1	3	68.8
11	Caleb Sturgis	PHI	30.7	30.6	4.0	3	68.3
12	Sebastian Janikowski	OAK	30.6	30.6	4.1	3	68.3
13	Kai Forbath	MIN	29.9	31.4	3.9	3	68.1
14	Chris Boswell	PIT	31.1	29.9	4.2	3	68.1
15	Steven Hauschka	SEA	31.6	29.3	4.1	3	68.0
16	Greg Zuerlein	LA	31.1	29.7	3.9	3	67.7
17	Mason Crosby	GB	31.3	29.2	4.1	3	67.6
18	Stephen Gostkowski	NE	31.3	29.1	4.1	3	67.4
19	Dustin Hopkins	WAS	31.7	28.1	4.1	3	66.9
20	Graham Gano	CAR	31.4	28.4	4.0	3	66.8
21	Cairo Santos	KC	30.1	29.4	4.1	3	66.7
22	Andrew Franks	MIA	30.8	28.6	4.0	3	66.4
23	Nick Folk	NYJ	30.5	28.8	4.0	3	66.3
24	Josh Lambo	SD	29.9	29.3	4.0	3	66.3
25	Chandler Catanzaro	ARI	31.2	28.1	4.0	3	66.3
26	Phil Dawson	SF	29.6	29.3	4.0	3	65.8
27	Robbie Gould	NYG	31.2	27.6	3.8	3	65.6
28	Cody Parkey	CLE	30.7	27.9	4.0	3	65.6
29	Nick Novak	HOU	28.8	29.5	4.1	3	65.4
30	Connor Barth	CHI	29.6	28.3	4.1	3	65.0
31	Roberto Aguayo	TB	30.6	26.5	4.1	3	64.2
32	Dan Carpenter	BUF	29.4	26.4	4.1	3	62.9
33	Blair Walsh	MIN	30.7	24.6	3.9	3	62.1
34	Mike Nugent	CIN	29.5	25.1	4.3	3	61.9

Notable Omissions (Due to Insufficient Games Scored)

• Sam Martin
• Matt Bosher
• Randy Bullock
• Patrick Murray

Punters

Michael Thomas/Getty Images

If the Los Angeles Rams were going to have the NFL's worst offense in 2016 (and they clearly were), at least they had the best punter. Johnny Hekker set a new NFL record for booting punts inside the opposing 20-yard line with 53. (Oakland's Marquette King finished second with 39.)

Hekker also had the league's fifth-best gross average (average yardage before return) at 47.8 and the best net average at 46. He punted a whopping 98 times, but he did not lead the league. That ignominious honor goes to San Francisco's Bradley Pinion, who had 100 attempts.

If you want to know how much of a challenge Chip Kelly's replacement as head coach will have in 2017, consider that. Pinion wasn't nearly as efficient, with a net average of 39.8 yards per punt.

Indianapolis' Pat McAfee led all punters in gross average with 49.3, an impressive feat considering he was also the Colts' kickoff artist.

Buffalo's special teams were disastrous overall. Dan Carpenter was one of the least efficient kickers last season (made 76 percent of his field goals), and punter Colton Schmidt didn't fare any better. He posted the NFL's lowest gross average at 42.4. Lac Edwards of the Jets posted the league's lowest net average at 37.3. 

Top Scorers

• Top Punter: Johnny Hekker, Los Angeles Rams
• Worst Punter: Drew Butler, Arizona Cardinals
• Best Leg: Johnny Hekker, Los Angeles Rams
• Worst Leg: Drew Butler, Arizona Cardinals
• Most Hang Time: Bryan Anger, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Least Hang Time: Kevin Huber, Cincinnati Bengals
• Most Accurate: Sam Koch, Baltimore Ravens
• Least Accurate: Ryan Quigley, Arizona Cardinals
• Best Tackler: Chris Jones, Dallas Cowboys
• Worst Tackler: Brett Kern, Tennessee Titans

Grading Scale

• Dist: Kick Distance (Graded out of 20)
• Hang: Kick Hang Time (Graded out of 20)
• Acc: Kick Accuracy (Graded out of 45)
• Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 5)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

NFL1000 End-of-Season Punter Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Dist	Hang	Acc	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Johnny Hekker	LA	17.0	15.6	35.9	3.0	3	74.5
2	Marquette King	OAK	16.4	15.3	33.4	3.1	3	71.1
3	Sam Koch	BAL	15.0	13.9	36.1	3.0	3	70.9
4	Thomas Morstead	NO	15.0	15.9	33.4	3.1	3	70.4
5	Chris Jones	DAL	14.9	16.5	32.4	3.3	3	70.1
6	Pat McAfee	IND	15.9	15.3	32.9	3.0	3	70.1
7	Bryan Anger	TB	15.3	17.2	31.1	3.0	3	69.6
8	Shane Lechler	HOU	16.3	14.1	32.4	3.1	3	68.8
9	Sam Martin	DET	15.6	15.6	31.3	3.0	3	68.4
10	Matt Bosher	ATL	15.1	15.8	31.0	3.0	3	67.9
11	Andy Lee	CAR	16.1	15.0	30.4	3.1	3	67.6
12	Michael Palardy	CAR	14.2	14.0	33.0	3.0	3	67.2
13	Brad Wing	NYG	14.9	13.3	32.8	3.0	3	67.0
14	Britton Colquitt	CLE	13.3	14.3	33.4	2.9	3	66.8
15	Tress Way	WAS	13.6	15.1	32.1	3.0	3	66.8
16	Brett Kern	TEN	14.2	14.2	32.4	2.9	3	66.8
17	Matt Darr	MIA	14.0	12.9	33.7	3.0	3	66.6
18	Dustin Colquitt	KC	13.9	15.6	30.5	3.0	3	66.1
19	Jon Ryan	SEA	13.7	14.6	31.8	3.0	3	66.0
20	Pat O'Donnell	CHI	13.0	15.0	31.7	3.1	3	65.8
21	Bradley Pinion	SF	12.6	15.7	31.2	3.0	3	65.4
22	Ryan Allen	NE	13.4	13.3	32.8	3.0	3	65.4
23	Jordan Berry	PIT	14.1	13.9	30.8	3.0	3	64.8
24	Jacob Schum	GB	12.6	14.3	31.9	3.0	3	64.8
25	Riley Dixon	DEN	13.8	13.1	31.9	3.0	3	64.7
26	Brad Nortman	JAX	14.1	15.5	28.9	3.0	3	64.6
27	Kevin Huber	CIN	14.7	12.8	29.7	3.0	3	63.1
28	Colton Schmidt	BUF	10.2	13.3	33.5	3.1	3	63.0
29	Donnie Jones	PHI	12.9	13.3	30.5	3.0	3	62.7
30	Jeff Locke	MIN	12.8	15.2	28.4	3.1	3	62.5
31	Ryan Quigley	ARI	10.7	16.7	28.3	3.0	3	61.7
32	Drew Kaser	SD	12.3	13.3	29.8	3.0	3	61.4
33	Lachlan Edwards	NYJ	12.3	13.6	28.9	3.0	3	60.9
34	Drew Butler	ARI	10.1	14.4	29.6	3.0	3	60.1

Notable Omissions (Due to Insufficient Games Scored)

• Matt Wile
• Graham Gano
• Matt Bryant
• Chandler Catanzaro