5 NFL Teams with the Best Young Talent

After breaking down the most talented players in the NFL under the age of 25 in a previous article, I decided to use that research as a base, building upon the concept a bit further by listing the five teams with the best young talent in the league.

I used a criteria ranking every NFL talent who was born after the year 1986, which was a fair way to define youth in the NFL.

From there, I included my personal list of the top 50 rookies entering the league this year and categorized all applicable players within the age range by team.

Afterwards, with the help of film study and statistics, I ranked each player between Nos. 1 and 10 and totaled up the points from each team in order to generate a ranking of all 32 teams.

With that said, let's get to it. Here are the five teams with the best young talent in the NFL.

5. Philadelphia Eagles

With explosive talents LeSean McCoy and DeSean Jackson vying for touches, the Eagles may have a legitimate shot at putting their money where their mouth is and becoming a true NFL dynasty.

Philadelphia has a great incoming draft class, intended to shore up any weaknesses that may have previously existed on defense.

Expect the Eagles to win their division this year, and they may be an NFL powerhouse for the next two to four years. Yes, I am officially buying the Eagles hype.

List of key young talent

Name	Position	Height	Weight	Birth Year	Round	Overall
LeSean McCoy	HB	5'10"	198	1988	2nd	53
DeSean Jackson	WR	5'10"	178	1986	2nd	49
Jeremy Maclin	WR	6'0"	198	1988	1st	19
Nate Allen	S	6'0"	207	1987	2nd	37
Fletcher Cox	DT	6'4"	298	1990	1st	12
Brandon Graham	DE	6'1"	274	1988	1st	13
Brian Rolle	OLB	5'10"	229	1988	6th	193
Mychal Kendricks	OLB	6'0"	239	1990	2nd	46
Kurt Coleman	S	5'10"	192	1988	7th	244
Vinny Curry	DE	6'3"	266	1988	2nd	59
Brandon Boykin	CB	5'9"	182	1990	4th	123

4. Green Bay Packers

As if it weren't enough to have the best quarterback in the NFL, who also led the team to the best record in the league last year, the Packers actually should be better this year; This is a scary thought should the team remain healthy. 

Green Bay is one of the youngest teams in the NFL and clearly one of the most talented. Obviously, expectations are high for those dairy-donning fans in the NFC North.

Not only will the Packers continue to dominate in this upcoming season, but this is a team that can actually peak in two or three years.

Green Bay has a rational, if not probable, chance of becoming the team of this decade.

List of key young talent

Name	Position	Height	Weight	Birth Year	Round	Overall
Clay Matthews	OLB	6'3"	255	1986	1st	26
Bryan Bulaga	OT	6'5"	314	1989	1st	23
Josh Sitton	OG	6'4"	319	1986	4th	135
Morgan Burnett	S	6'1"	209	1989	3rd	71
Sam Shields	CB	5'11"	184	1987	UDFA
Randall Cobb	WR	5'10"	191	1990	2nd	64
Casey Hayward	CB	5'11"	192	1989	2nd	62
Nick Perry	LB	6'3"	271	1990	1st	28
T.J. Lang	G	6'4"	307	1987	4th	109
James Starks	RB	6'2"	218	1986	6th	193

3. Kansas City Chiefs

There's a lot of optimism in Kansas City this offseason, and perhaps with due cause. The Chiefs were decimated by injuries last season on their way to a disappointing 7-9 record, which ultimately led to the late-season departure of head coach Todd Haley. 

Now with a healthy roster and locker-room favorite, Romeo Crennel, as the head coach, Chiefs may be the favorites to give the Broncos and Peyton Manning a run for their money in a race to take control of the AFC West, a division that has been up for grabs for several years.

The Chiefs are a talented young roster that will soon be one of the AFC's elite teams if they can find consistency at the quarterback position.

List of key young talent

Name	Position	Height	Weight	Birth Year	Round	Overall
Brandon Flowers	CB	5'10"	189	1986	2nd	35
Justin Houston	OLB	6'3"	258	1989	3rd	70
Jamaal Charles	HB	5'11"	200	1986	3rd	73
Tyson Jackson	DE	6'4"	296	1986	1st	3
Peyton Hillis	RB	6'1"	240	1986	7th	227
Dexter McCluster	HB	5'9"	165	1988	2nd	36
Jon Asamoah	G	6'4"	305	1988	3rd	68
Eric Berry	S	6'0"	211	1988	1st	5
Javier Arenas	CB	5'9"	197	1987	2nd	50
Jovan Belcher	ILB	6'2"	228	1987	UDFA
Allen Bailey	DE	6'3"	285	1987	3rd	86

2. Houston Texans

Perhaps an exceedingly telling sign of a Super Bowl contender would be a team with arguably the best young talent in the NFL, combined with the sixth-oldest team in the league. This means Houston is a veteran roster loaded with some of the best young talent in the NFL.

Sounds like a deadly combination of experience and athleticism meeting perfectly in the middle.

This is why the Texans were able to compete at a playoff capacity without the help of their most dominant defender (Mario Williams) and their top two quarterbacks, not to mention the injury-plagued season of Andre Johnson, who is one of the most dominating and consistent receivers in the sport.

The Texans have been slowly building a powerhouse since the arrival of head coach Gary Kubiak.

List of key young talent

Name	Position	Height	Weight	Birth Year	Round	Overall
Brian Cushing	OLB	6'3"	243	1987	1st	15
Arian Foster	HB	6'1"	217	1986	UDFA
J.J. Watt	DE	6'5"	290	1989	1st	11
Whitney Mercilus	OLB	6'3"	261	1990	1st	26
Connor Barwin	OLB	6'4"	256	1986	2nd	46
Ben Tate	HB	5'11"	220	1988	2nd	58
Jared Crick	DE	6'4"	279	1989	4th	126
Kareem Jackson	CB	5'11"	196	1988	1st	20
Quin Glover	S	6'0"	203	1988	4th	112
Brice McCain	CB	5'9"	182	1986	6th	188
T.J. Yates	QB	6'3"	219	1987	5th	152
Troy Nolan	S	6'0"	207	1986	7th	223
Earl Mitchell	DT	6'2"	296	1987	3rd	81
Tim Jamison	DE	6'2"	263	1986	UDFA

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay showed terrible leadership and discipline last year, winning only four games all season. They may still be a little wet behind the ears, but the Buccaneers are loaded with fresh young talent.

New head coach Greg Schiano should usher in a new era for the Bucs, changing the culture of the locker room.

Expectations are high and the talent level is among some of the league's best for this youthful group who is looking to get back on track and into the playoffs for the first time in years.

Even though significant improvement is to be expected, Tampa Bay is still the youngest team in the NFL and may be a few years away from true dominance.

Either way, the Bucs are building something special that teams will soon be wary of, as the best from the Bay is yet to come.

List of key young talent

Name	Position	Height	Weight	Birth Year	Round	Overall
Doug Martin	RB	5'9"	223	1989	1st	31
Josh Freeman	QB	6'6"	248	1988	1st	17
Adrian Clayborn	DE	6'3"	281	1988	1st	20
Jeremy Zuttah	C	6'4"	303	1986	3rd	83
Aqib Talib	CB	6'1"	202	1986	1st	20
LeGarrette Blount	RB	6'0"	241	1986	UDFA
Mark Barron	SS	6'2"	213	1989	1st	7
Da'Quan Bowers	DE	6'3"	280	1989	2nd	51
Lavonte David	LB	6'1"	233	1990	2nd	58
Luke Stocker	TE	6'5"	253	1988	4th	104
Mason Foster	ILB	6'1"	242	1989	3rd	84
Dezmon Briscoe	WR	6'2"	210	1989	6th	191
Roy Miller	DT	6'1"	310	1987	3rd	81
Preston Parker	WR	6'0"	200	1987	UDFA

Honorable Mention

Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys

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