Picking NFL's 21st Century All-Star Team

Since the turn of the century, 24 professional football seasons have taken place.

Including placekicker and punter, there are essentially 24 starting football positions.

With that in mind, here's our "24 for 24." An all-star team of NFL players from the first almost-quarter of this century, based primarily on statistics and accolades that were compiled by each player beyond the millennium celebrations.

Quarterback

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Mar 14, 2004; Greensboro, NC, USA; Patriot's quarterback Tom Brady during the Carolina Panthers against New England Patriots during the Super Bowl on Feb. 1, 2004 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Leverone/Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images)

Tom Brady

You can make arguments that Peyton Manning or Aaron Rodgers are more talented than Brady, but there's really no denying a guy who threw 88 touchdown passes in the playoffs alone. Brady was a part of a jaw-dropping 35 playoff wins in New England and Tampa Bay, seven of which were Super Bowls. The three-time MVP is the most decorated player in NFL history. Enough said.

Running Back

Set Number: X155945 TK1 R1 F179

Football: Minnesota Vikings Adrian Peterson (28) on sidelines during game vs St. Louis Rams at Edward Jones Dome. St. Louis, MO 12/16/2012 CREDIT: David E. Klutho (Photo by David E. Klutho /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X155945 TK1 R1 F179 )

Adrian Peterson

This is a toss-up between Peterson and LaDainian Tomlinson, both of whom were MVPs once during careers in which they averaged 4.9 yards per touch. Peterson has a slight edge in terms of pure rushing numbers, as well as Pro Bowls (seven to five) and first-team All-Pro nods (four to three). His longevity might also give him a slight edge over his Hall of Fame counterpart.

Receivers and Tight End

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PHILADELPHIA - NOVEMBER 21: Terrell Owens #81 of the Philadelphia Eagles catches the ball in front of Shawn Springs #24 of the Washington Redskins to score a touchdown in the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on November 21, 2004 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

WR 1: Randy Moss

He leads all receivers with 128 touchdown catches this century. He's also a Hall of Famer and a four-time All-Pro who was one of the most uniquely dominant offensive players in league history.

WR 2: Terrell Owens

He ranks second among all receivers with 123 touchdown catches this century. He's also a Hall of Famer and a five-time All-Pro who was one of the most memorable superstars in league history.

WR 3: Larry Fitzgerald

He ranks third among all receivers with 121 touchdown catches this century (by the way, nobody else has hit the triple digits). Fitzgerald also ranks second all-time to only Jerry Rice in terms of career receptions and receiving yards.

TE: Tony Gonzalez

This is actually a pretty interesting battle between Gonzalez, Rob Gronkowski and Travis Kelce, but I think recency bias gives the latter two a little too much credit. Gonzalez was a first-team All-Pro five times (compared to four for the other two guys) and his 14 Pro Bowl nods ranks second in league history (behind only Brady).

Offensive Line

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ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 17: Zack Martin #70 of the Dallas Cowboys before a game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on December 17, 2023 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)

Tackle: Joe Thomas

Nobody's going to exclude the six-time first-team All-Pro. He became a first-ballot Hall of Famer last year.

Tackle: Jonathan Ogden

He did a lot in the 1990s but we're still giving him the edge over Walter Jones and Trent Williams, as Ogden was an unmatched force between 2000 and 2003 and remained stellar for a few more years beyond that.

Guard: Zack Martin

A first-team All-Pro six times in the last eight seasons, Martin is undoubtedly the most dominant and accomplished guard since the end of the Alan Faneca/Steve Hutchinson era.

Guard: Alan Faneca

Martin couldn't be denied because he's still kicking ass as a nine-time Pro Bowler at 33, putting us in a tough spot with Faneca and Hutchinson. Both are legends and HOFers, but Faneca won a Super Bowl and beat Hutchinson 6-5 when it came to first-team All-Pro honors.

Center: Jason Kelce

Dude has six first-team All-Pro nods, while no other center has more than two this century. Case closed.

Defense

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DETROIT, MI - JANUARY 14: Aaron Donald #99 of the Los Angeles Rams stands on the sidelines during the national anthem prior to an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on January 14, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

Edge: J.J. Watt

The three-time Defensive Player of the Year and five-time first-team All-Pro could have been considered the best ever if he'd stayed healthy. He still easily makes this cut.

Edge: DeMarcus Ware

Julius Peppers had more sacks (159.9) than anyone else has registered this century, but Ware was only 21 behind that despite playing 88 fewer games. They're both Hall of Famers, but Ware peaked higher and has a ring as well as more first-team All-Pro honors.

DL: Aaron Donald

Freshly retired, the only player from this century with eight first-team All-Pro nods is a no-brainer. He'd be on this team if it included the 20th century.

DL: Warren Sapp

Even if you set aside the fact a bunch of his production came before 2000, the Hall of Famer was a first-team All-Pro in each of the first three seasons of this century. He also played an integral role in the Buccaneers' 2002 Super Bowl campaign.

LB: Ray Lewis

The seven-time first-team All-Pro earned six of those nods—as well as two Super Bowl wins—after the turn of the century. He was an absolute scene.

LB: Bobby Wagner

It feels odd passing on Luke Kuechly and Patrick Willis, but neither had Wagner's longevity and neither got a ring. They peaked a little higher than Wagner, but only for very short spurts. Still, this is very open for debate.

CB: Champ Bailey

The man was a Pro Bowler in 12 of the first 13 seasons of the century, intercepting 52 passes in the process. Bailey is a first-ballot Hall of Famer with an NFL record 203 passes defended. He's a legend.

CB: Richard Sherman

His peak wasn't as long as Bailey's but Sherman was one of the best players in the sport between 2012 and 2016. He was a high-impact superstar on a perennial contender and Super Bowl winner.

CB: Darrelle Revis

"Revis Island" was a thing in multiple cities for this seven-time Pro Bowler and Hall of Famer, although arguments can be made for HOFer Ronde Barber. Also, watch out for Jalen Ramsey in the years to come (he's already a seven-time Pro Bowler at age 29).

S: Ed Reed

The nine-time Pro Bowler and five-time first-team All-Pro was Defensive Player of the Year in 2004 and a key part of a Super Bowl winner in 2012.

S: Troy Polamalu

When you thought of the safety position between about 2004 and about 2012, you thought of Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu. This two-time Super Bowl champion and four-time first-team All-Pro was DPOY in 2010.

Kicker and Punter

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BALTIMORE, MD - JANUARY 28: Justin Tucker #9 of the Baltimore Ravens looks on from the sideline during the national anthem prior to the AFC Championship NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs at M&T Bank Stadium on January 28, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images)

K: Justin Tucker

Adam Vinatieri had a uniquely special career, but the numbers favor Tucker too much. The five-time All-Pro (compared to three nods for Vinatieri) has the highest career field-goal percentage (90.2) and has hammered 58 50-plus-yarders (compared to 45 for Vinatieri in twice as many seasons).

P: Shane Lechler

You could just as easily go with Johnny Hekker here, as he's got a slight numbers advantage in terms of net average and punts inside the 20-yard line, but Lechler was a monster for much longer and earned a lot more accolades as a result.