NFL MVP 2011: Ranking the Top Non-QB Contenders for Coveted Award

When discussing candidates for the 2011 NFL MVP Award, the three most common names you will hear are Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Tom Brady. While all three of those quarterbacks had terrific seasons, here are three skill position players who shouldn't be completely overlooked.

1. Calvin Johnson

The Detroit Lions offense suffered through a bunch of injuries to running backs this season, which often forced quarterback Matthew Stafford to throw early and often in games. Quite frequently, Johnson was on the receiving end of those passes.

He caught 96 passes for nearly 1,700 yards and 16 touchdowns despite the lack of major threats to shift the defense's focus elsewhere. There's no player at the wide receiver position who uses his physical tools better than the 6'5'' “Megatron.”

If it weren't for his weekly contributions, the Lions offense wouldn't have been nearly as potent.

2. Arian Foster

An injury caused him to have a slow start to the season, but once Foster found his form, he was nearly impossible to stop. With the loss of star signal-caller Matt Schaub, Foster helped keep the Houston Texans offense clicking on all cylinders during the run up to the postseason.

Last season's breakout star backed up his performance to the tune of 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns in just 13 games. It's hard to imagine the Texans managing to find any consistency on offense without him, especially since Andre Johnson missed so much time.

Running backs are starting to lose traction in the NFL because of all the spread offenses, but they are still important contributions that should be recognized .

3. Darren Sproles

Sproles truly did it all for the New Orleans Saints. He was the team's leading rusher and averaged nearly seven yards per carry. He was second in catches with 86 behind only Jimmy Graham. And he also returned kickoffs and punts.

For as much credit as Brees received for his record-breaking season, Sproles was the glue that held the offense together. His arrival from the San Diego Chargers allowed an already elite offense to reach previously unseen levels of production.

His lack of monster numbers in any one category means he doesn't have a chance to win the award, but there's no debating his value to the Saints offense.