NFL1000: Ranking the Top 1,000 Players at Midseason

When we expanded the NFL1000 concept and hired a talented group of scouts to analyze every player for each week of the 2016 NFL season, the goal of that first wave of analysis was to assemble a cogent, repeatable scouting system with a transparent process. We also wanted to give our readers an idea of how we saw things week to week.

Hopefully, we’d bust myths, spot trends and unearth hidden gems.

Halfway through the season, we’ve done that. Now, we have a ton of performance data, and we can give you a sense of how things have gone for every NFL player at the Week 8 line. To that end, here are our NFL1000 midseason grades. These marks are averaged for each player through the first half of the season from their week-to-week scores.

Not only does this give us an idea of how things stand at every position, but it also lets us know who’s the best at each positional attribute. And this is a hidden value to the methodology. Since we’re not using one number for a player’s entire performance, we can drill down and discover new things. Which receiver runs the best routes, and who’s the best blocker? Which cornerback is best in the slot? Which safety? Which punter is the best tackler? (Yeah, we keep track of that, too).

One directive we had from the start is there are no legacy scores. Which is to say, Darrelle Revis doesn’t get a pass for being Revis if he gets lit up—and that’s happened more often than we expected. That’s why he’s our 22nd-ranked cornerback. If Russell Wilson doesn’t throw a touchdown pass for a month, we don’t increase the grade and assume he’ll snap out of it. That’s why he stands as our 17th-ranked quarterback.

Perhaps the most fun part of the first half from our end (and hopefully from yours) is the ability to discover players who were previously under the radar. Concerned about the New England Patriots’ decision to trade Jamie Collins, perhaps their best defensive player? That might be mitigated if you’ve followed out write-ups on rookie linebacker Elandon Roberts, who’s shown an increasing aptitude for pass coverage.

Wondering which rookie center has made the biggest difference to his team: Ryan Kelly or Cody Whitehair? We’ve been on that since Week 1.

Who’s been the best undrafted or low-drafted rookie? Dak Prescott, a fourth-round pick, probably has that sewn up, but how about San Diego Chargers linebacker Jatavis Brown (Round 5), who’s been rising in our rookie review since he hit the field? Or Chicago Bears running back Jordan Howard (Round 5), who’s performed excellently in Ezekiel Elliott's shadow, perception-wise?

Did anyone think end Yannick Ngakoue of the Jacksonville Jaguars would have been so effective? We’ve been talking about him for weeks.

It’s been a fun ride so far, and we’d like to thank you for your interest and feedback (both positive and negative). Here are the NFL1000 Midseason Grades, and here’s to a stellar second half!

All advanced stats are courtesy of Pro Football Focus.

All punter stats are courtesy of self-charting from punter scout Chuck Zodda.

Methodology

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The NFL1000 team was given a series of attributes to rate for every player in their positional review. Using a scale starting at zero and going up to anywhere from 10 to 40, based on the position and attribute, our scouts have rated each player based on their own expertise and countless hours of tape review over the years.

Our evaluators were given specific positional assignments based on their fields of expertise. 

• Doug Farrar: Lead scout
• Cian Fahey: Quarterbacks
• John Middlekauff: Running backs/fullbacks
• Alex Kirby: Wide receivers/tight ends
• Mark Schofield: Wide receivers/tight ends
• Duke Manyweather: Offensive tackles
• Ethan Young: Offensive guards/centers
• 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 by position. As we're combing through All-22 footage to assess each performance, there are additional factors to consider.

We'll adjust for opponent based on the 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'll also adjust for players with multiple responsibilities in a single game and over the course of time.

Think of guys such as J.J. Watt and Michael Bennett on the defensive line—how they seamlessly switch from gap to gap. Or how cornerbacks such as Chris Harris and Tyrann Mathieu dominate outside and in the slot. Or how receivers such as Doug Baldwin and Larry Fitzgerald bedevil those cornerbacks from multiple field positions.

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

We will not adjust for injuries. If a player is underperforming because of an ailment, that's part of his performance, fair or unfair.

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'll work to make it as definitive as possible.

Top 50 Overall at Midseason

Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

That football is won or lost in the trenches is one of the game’s oldest platitudes. Based on our half-season grades, the value of the guys who line up across from each other on both sides of the ball couldn’t be much more apparent. 

Of the top 10 highest-graded players through Week 8, the first eight are linemen of some stripe, if you throw Jadeveon Clowney’s outside linebacker classification to the side and consider he’s essentially a gap-rusher.

Dallas Cowboys left tackle Tyron Smith is our top man, and that honor is well-deserved. Smith gives up occasional pressure, as any offensive lineman will, but there’s no tackle with his combination of strength, agility, nastiness and technique.

At the No. 2 spot, Aaron Donald has taken the title of Most Effective Defensive Lineman from J.J. Watt and is beating every opponent over the head with it. Donald has had an extended stretch of unblockability. For him to have three sacks, 13 quarterback hits and 22 hurries when he’s double-teamed as much as possible is an incredible achievement.

Where you might get the initial hint that this is an atypical list is when you scan the names in search of the first quarterback: There he is, Aaron Rodgers, at No. 13.

Yes, the quarterback position is the most important, but as the NFL1000 grades are performance-based, and we factor in positional importance already with specific numbers, there’s no additional juice for QBs. They have to earn their way to the top just like everybody else, and through the first half, the NFL has been more about the lines than anything.

One trend we’ve been watching closely is the increasing effectiveness and consistency of the best NFL defenses and defensive players. The Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings are led by their defenses, and our top 50 is littered with players from those units.

Are there great offenses this year? Sure. The  Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders and New Orleans Saints have a lot to brag about. But do you see one offense dominating defenses every week, as in years past? Not unless Tom Brady continues his revenge tour, or Ezekiel Elliott (799 yards) continues to challenge Eric Dickerson’s rookie rushing record (1,808 yards), will you see one offense stand apart the way defenses have.

And the best thing about the NFL1000 is that if and when that trend shifts, we’ll be here to tell you all about it.

Here are the top 50 players through Week 8:

NFL1000 Midseason Top 50 Overall

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Midseason Avg.
1	Tyron Smith	LT	DAL	85.4
2	Aaron Donald	DT	LA	84.4
3	Jadeveon Clowney	3-4 OLB	HOU	84.0
4	Trent Williams	LT	WAS	83.6
5	Lane Johnson	RT	PHI	82.5
6	Jason Peters	LT	PHI	82.4
7	Muhammad Wilkerson	3-4 DE	NYJ	82.0
8	David Bakhtiari	LT	GB	81.3
9	Le'Veon Bell	RB	PIT	81.3
10	Fletcher Cox	DT	PHI	81.1
11	Von Miller	3-4 OLB	DEN	80.8
12	Jason Verrett	CB	SD	80.8
13	Aaron Rodgers	QB	GB	80.7
14	Joe Thomas	LT	CLE	80.6
15	David Johnson	RB	ARI	80.5
16	Reshad Jones	SS	MIA	80.5
17	Marshal Yanda	OG	BAL	80.4
18	B.J. Finney	OG	PIT	80.0
19	Jerrell Freeman	ILB	CHI	80.0
20	Luke Kuechly	ILB	CAR	80.0
21	Cordy Glenn	LT	BUF	79.8
22	Zack Martin	OG	DAL	79.4
23	Marcus Peters	CB	KC	79.4
24	Chris Harris Jr.	CB	DEN	79.4
25	Cam Newton	QB	CAR	79.3
26	Bryan Bulaga	RT	GB	79.3
27	Kam Chancellor	SS	SEA	79.3
28	Devin McCourty	FS	NE	79.1
29	Marcus Gilbert	RT	PIT	79.0
30	Kawann Short	DT	CAR	79.0
31	Sharrif Floyd	DT	MIN	79.0
32	Sam Bradford	QB	MIN	78.8
33	Ndamukong Suh	DT	MIA	78.6
34	Harrison Smith	FS	MIN	78.3
35	Tom Brady	QB	NE	78.3
36	Joe Staley	LT	SF	78.1
37	Philip Rivers	QB	SD	78.0
38	Senio Kelemete	RT	NO	78.0
39	Eric Kendricks	ILB	MIN	78.0
40	Bobby Wagner	ILB	SEA	78.0
41	Dont'a Hightower	ILB	NE	78.0
42	Rodney McLeod	FS	PHI	78.0
43	Drew Brees	QB	NO	77.9
44	Ezekiel Elliott	RB	DAL	77.9
45	Darian Stewart	FS	DEN	77.8
46	Geno Atkins	DT	CIN	77.6
47	Donald Penn	LT	OAK	77.5
48	Josh Sitton	OG	CHI	77.5
49	NaVorro Bowman	ILB	SF	77.5
50	Eric Weddle	SS	BAL	77.4

Quarterbacks

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Despite the narrative that has engulfed him on occasion this season, Aaron Rodgers is still the best quarterback in the NFL. The coaching staff and lack of viable receiving options have deflated Rodgers' numbers, but besides the New York Giants game, he has played to his standards.

In a predictable turn of events, Cam Newton is his closest competitor, as he continues to offer huge value as both a passer and runner. Tom Brady might have been atop the rankings had he played the full season, but even with a late start, he has done enough to rank in the top five. Sam Bradford and Philip Rivers round out the top five. Both have endured one bad game but have excelled otherwise.

Dak Prescott has outshone fellow rookie Carson Wentz because of his stronger first five weeks, while Brock Osweiler has been a disaster as a big-name free-agent addition. The 5-3 Houston Texans are still in a position to compete for a playoff spot despite Osweiler's poor play, so he should have every opportunity to turn his season around.

The same can't be said for Blake Bortles and Ryan Fitzpatrick—two high-profile names who rank toward the bottom of the league. Bortles and Fitzpatrick have regressed after enjoying 2015 seasons where their numbers flattered their actual performances.

Top Scorers

• Top Quarterback: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
• Most Accurate: Tom Brady, New England Patriots
• Best Arm: Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers
• Best Under Pressure/Run Threat: Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers
• Best Decision-Maker: Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers

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 Midseason Quarterback Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Acc	Arm	Press	Dec	Pos	Ovr
1	Aaron Rodgers	GB	19.4	22.7	14.0	14.6	10	80.7
2	Cam Newton	CAR	17.2	23.0	15.3	13.8	10	79.3
3	Sam Bradford	MIN	19.5	21.3	13.7	14.3	10	78.8
4	Tom Brady	NE	20.5	19.5	14.0	14.3	10	78.3
5	Philip Rivers	SD	18.0	20.0	15.1	14.9	10	78.0
6	Drew Brees	NO	18.6	20.3	14.6	14.4	10	77.9
7	Ben Roethlisberger	PIT	17.8	21.3	14.5	13.5	10	77.2
8	Andrew Luck	IND	17.5	21.6	14.1	13.5	10	76.8
9	Matt Ryan	ATL	17.1	18.6	14.5	14.4	10	74.6
10	Ryan Tannehill	MIA	18.0	20.9	12.9	12.9	10	74.6
11	Eli Manning	NYG	16.4	20.1	13.6	13.3	10	73.4
12	Tyrod Taylor	BUF	15.5	20.3	14.5	13.0	10	73.3
13	Matthew Stafford	DET	15.9	21.3	13.6	12.3	10	73.0
14	Carson Palmer	AZ	16.3	20.4	13.1	13.1	10	73.0
15	Dak Prescott	DAL	15.7	19.4	14.1	13.7	10	73.0
16	Derek Carr	OAK	16.3	21.8	11.5	12.4	10	71.9
17	Russell Wilson	SEA	17.4	19.4	11.3	13.6	10	71.7
18	Jay Cutler	CHI	15.7	21.3	12.7	12.0	10	71.7
19	Marcus Mariota	TEN	15.8	19.1	13.8	13.0	10	71.6
20	Alex Smith	KC	16.3	18.6	12.4	14.0	10	71.3
21	Jameis Winston	TB	13.6	18.3	13.9	13.4	10	69.1
22	Carson Wentz	PHI	15.4	18.6	12.6	12.3	10	68.9
23	Colin Kaepernick	SF	14.0	19.5	13.5	11.0	10	68.0
24	Geno Smith	NYJ	16.5	19.0	11.0	11.0	10	67.5
25	Trevor Siemian	DEN	15.4	17.9	12.3	11.6	10	67.1
26	Brian Hoyer	CHI	15.0	17.2	11.5	12.7	10	66.3
27	Joe Flacco	BAL	13.9	19.6	10.7	12.1	10	66.3
28	Cody Kessler	CLE	15.4	17.8	11.8	11.0	10	66.0
29	Andy Dalton	CIN	14.5	18.1	10.5	12.5	10	65.6
30	Case Keenum	LA	14.1	17.7	11.6	11.0	10	64.4
31	Derek Anderson	CAR	15.5	18.5	10.0	10.0	10	64.0
32	Kirk Cousins	WAS	14.4	17.5	10.8	10.6	10	63.3
33	Drew Stanton	AZ	13.3	17.7	10.0	11.0	10	62.0
34	EJ Manuel	BUF	15.3	17.7	10.0	9.0	10	62.0
35	Blake Bortles	JAX	13.0	17.7	11.1	10.0	10	61.9
36	Josh McCown	CLE	13.0	16.5	10.5	11.0	10	61.0
37	Charlie Whitehurst	CLE	14.0	17.0	10.0	10.0	10	61.0
38	Brock Osweiler	HOU	13.1	17.4	10.1	10.3	10	60.9
39	Ryan Fitzpatrick	NYJ	13.0	15.9	10.1	10.6	10	59.6
40	Matt Barkley	CHI	14.0	16.0	10.0	9.0	10	59.0
41	Paxton Lynch	DEN	13.0	18.0	8.5	9.0	10	58.5
42	Landry Jones	PIT	12.0	16.0	8.0	10.0	10	56.0
43	Blaine Gabbert	SF	10.6	16.4	10.2	8.2	10	55.4

Running Backs

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Injuries have been a consistent theme for star running backs in 2016. Adrian Peterson is expected to miss the season after tearing his meniscus. After attempting a return from an ACL injury in 2015, Jamaal Charles went back on injured reserve, and his career is in peril.

Others, such as Ameer Abdullah (foot surgery) and C.J. Anderson (torn meniscus), have serious injuries that put their seasons in jeopardy, while stars such as Doug Martin, Jonathan Stewart and Carlos Hyde have missed time with various setbacks.

The best ability is often availability, and many talented players have missed a lot of time.

Le’Veon Bell and David Johnson have established themselves as the best, most complete runners in the league, however. There is nothing these two guys can’t do, and in 2016, the ability to dominate in the passing game has separated them from the pack. It’s not hyperbole to call Bell and Johnson Hall of Fame talents who should destroy NFL defenses for years.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones selected a running back in the top five of the 2016 draft, which many pundits considered bold. But it turns out he nailed it. Ezekiel Elliott is a star, he leads the league in rushing and is a major reason why the 6-1 Cowboys are in first place in the NFC East. He is getting stronger with every game and is as complete a young running back the league has seen in years.

DeMarco Murray should be the Comeback Player of the Year. Only behind Elliott in rushing yards with 756, Murray has helped vault the 4-4 Titans into playoff contention. There may not be a more physical runner in the league.

LeSean McCoy looked like an MVP candidate before he hurt his hamstring, and Spencer Ware has shown Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid that his team will be OK without Charles. The NFL is loaded at the running back spot and should only improve as players return from injuries.

Top Scorers

• Top Running Back: Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers
• Best Inside Runner: David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals
• Best Outside Runner: David Johnson/Le'Veon Bell (Tied at 19/25)
• Best Receiver: Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers
• Best Blocker: Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers

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 Midseason Running Back Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	In	Out	Rec	Blk	Pos	Ovr
1	Le'Veon Bell	PIT	20.3	19.0	18.3	17.8	6	81.3
2	David Johnson	ARI	20.4	19.0	18.1	17.0	6	80.5
3	Ezekiel Elliott	DAL	19.7	18.7	16.4	17.0	6	77.9
4	DeMarco Murray	TEN	19.5	17.9	16.6	17.3	6	77.3
5	LeSean McCoy	BUF	19.3	18.4	16.7	16.4	6	76.9
6	Jonathan Stewart	CAR	19.3	18.0	15.8	17.0	6	76.0
7	Ameer Abdullah	DET	18.0	18.0	18.0	16.0	6	76.0
8	Devonta Freeman	ATL	19.1	17.4	16.5	16.3	6	75.3
9	Spencer Ware	KC	19.1	16.7	16.7	16.6	6	75.1
10	Doug Martin	TB	19.0	17.0	15.5	17.0	6	74.5
11	Lamar Miller	HOU	17.9	17.9	16.5	15.9	6	74.1
12	C.J. Anderson	DEN	18.3	16.3	16.6	16.7	6	73.9
13	Todd Gurley	LA	17.7	17.3	16.6	16.3	6	73.9
14	Eddie Lacy	GB	20.0	16.2	15.4	16.2	6	73.8
15	Melvin Gordon	SD	18.1	16.6	16.6	16.0	6	73.4
16	Theo Riddick	DET	16.5	17.5	17.7	15.7	6	73.3
17	Christine Michael	SEA	18.4	16.6	16.0	16.1	6	73.1
18	Thomas Rawls	SEA	17.5	17.0	16.5	16.0	6	73.0
19	Carlos Hyde	SF	18.5	16.7	15.7	16.0	6	72.8
20	Tevin Coleman	ATL	16.9	16.6	17.4	15.9	6	72.7
21	LeGarrette Blount	NE	18.8	16.5	15.1	16.3	6	72.6
22	Darren Sproles	PHI	17.1	16.9	17.1	15.3	6	72.4
23	Isaiah Crowell	CLE	18.0	16.4	16.1	15.9	6	72.4
24	Jordan Howard	CHI	18.1	16.4	15.9	15.9	6	72.3
25	DeAngelo Williams	PIT	17.4	16.4	16.4	16.0	6	72.2
26	Frank Gore	IND	17.8	15.1	16.3	17.0	6	72.1
27	Duke Johnson	CLE	16.8	16.5	17.1	15.6	6	72.0
28	Giovani Bernard	CIN	16.4	16.6	16.6	16.1	6	71.8
29	Latavius Murray	OAK	17.2	16.8	16.0	15.7	6	71.7
30	Shane Vereen	NYG	16.3	17.0	17.0	15.3	6	71.7
31	Jeremy Langford	CHI	17.0	16.3	15.0	17.0	6	71.3
32	Ryan Mathews	PHI	17.5	16.2	15.5	16.0	6	71.2
33	Mark Ingram	NO	17.1	15.7	16.3	16.0	6	71.1
34	Jeremy Hill	CIN	17.4	16.5	15.4	15.9	6	71.1
35	Matt Jones	WAS	18.0	15.7	15.3	16.0	6	71.0
36	Derrick Henry	TEN	17.3	15.9	16.1	15.6	6	70.9
37	Jay Ajayi	MIA	17.5	16.7	15.3	15.3	6	70.8
38	Matt Forte	NYJ	17.3	15.8	16.1	16.1	6	70.5
39	James White	NE	15.5	16.5	16.8	15.8	6	70.5
40	James Starks	GB	16.3	16.0	16.3	16.0	6	70.5
41	Terrance West	BAL	17.3	16.3	15.5	15.3	6	70.5
42	Chris Thompson	WAS	15.4	16.8	16.8	15.3	6	70.1
43	Jamaal Charles	KC	17.0	16.0	15.5	15.5	6	70.0
44	Robert Kelley	WAS	17.5	15.5	15.0	16.0	6	70.0
45	Jonathan Williams	BUF	16.0	15.0	17.0	16.0	6	70.0
46	Charles Sims	TB	16.0	15.5	16.3	15.8	6	69.5
47	Adrian Peterson	MIN	17.0	16.5	15.5	14.5	6	69.5
48	Rashad Jennings	NYG	16.5	15.0	15.3	16.5	6	69.3
49	DeAndre Washington	OAK	17.0	16.1	15.4	14.8	6	69.3
50	Charcandrick West	KC	15.7	16.2	16.0	15.3	6	69.2
51	Fozzy Whittaker	CAR	15.2	16.8	16.3	14.8	6	69.2
52	Alfred Morris	DAL	16.9	15.7	15.3	15.3	6	69.1
53	Bilal Powell	NYJ	16.1	15.5	16.1	15.4	6	69.1
54	Devontae Booker	DEN	16.9	15.5	15.5	15.3	6	69.1
55	Arian Foster	RET	15.8	14.8	16.5	16.0	6	69.0
56	Jerick McKinnon	MIN	16.3	16.0	15.7	14.8	6	68.8
57	Chris Johnson	ARI	15.5	16.3	15.3	15.8	6	68.8
58	Wendell Smallwood	PHI	17.0	15.7	15.0	15.0	6	68.7
59	Jacquizz Rodgers	TB	17.0	15.2	15.3	14.8	6	68.3
60	Jalen Richard	OAK	16.1	16.1	15.3	14.5	6	68.0
61	Matt Asiata	MIN	16.0	14.4	15.7	15.7	6	67.9
62	Alfred Blue	HOU	16.3	15.1	15.1	15.3	6	67.9
63	Paul Perkins	NYG	15.3	15.8	16.5	14.3	6	67.8
64	Denard Robinson	JAX	15.5	16.0	15.0	15.0	6	67.5
65	Reggie Bush	BUF	14.5	16.0	15.5	15.5	6	67.5
66	Zach Zenner	DET	16.2	13.8	15.6	15.8	6	67.4
67	Kenjon Barner	PHI	15.3	16.0	15.3	14.8	6	67.3
68	Justin Forsett	DET	15.6	15.2	15.2	15.2	6	67.2
69	Damien Williams	MIA	15.4	15.0	15.8	15.0	6	67.2
70	T.J. Yeldon	JAX	16.3	14.3	14.9	15.7	6	67.1
71	Tim Hightower	NO	15.8	15.8	14.8	14.8	6	67.0
72	Malcolm Brown	LA	16.0	14.0	17.0	14.0	6	67.0
73	Kenneth Dixon	BAL	17.0	14.0	15.0	15.0	6	67.0
74	Terron Ward	ATL	15.0	16.0	16.0	14.0	6	67.0
75	Benny Cunningham	LA	14.8	15.4	15.6	15.0	6	66.8
76	Dwayne Washington	DET	15.7	15.7	14.7	14.7	6	66.7
77	Orleans Darkwa	NYG	16.3	15.0	14.0	15.3	6	66.7
78	Mike Gillislee	BUF	16.0	14.8	14.8	15.0	6	66.7
79	Chris Ivory	JAX	16.0	14.2	15.2	15.2	6	66.6
80	Josh Ferguson	IND	14.6	14.4	15.4	16.0	6	66.4
81	Alex Collins	SEA	16.0	14.0	15.3	15.0	6	66.3
82	Kenyon Drake	MIA	14.5	16.5	14.5	14.8	6	66.3
83	Fitzgerald Toussaint	PIT	14.0	15.0	16.0	15.0	6	66.0
84	Javorius Allen	BAL	15.5	15.0	15.5	14.0	6	66.0
85	DuJuan Harris	SF	16.0	14.0	15.0	15.0	6	66.0
86	Mike Davis	SF	16.0	14.0	15.0	15.0	6	66.0
87	Cameron Artis-Payne	CAR	15.7	15.0	14.7	14.3	6	65.7
88	Travaris Cadet	NO	14.2	14.4	16.0	15.0	6	65.6
89	Andre Ellington	ARI	15.0	14.5	15.3	14.7	6	65.5
90	Robert Turbin	IND	15.2	14.3	15.3	14.7	6	65.5
91	Jonathan Grimes	HOU	15.5	14.0	15.0	15.0	6	65.5
92	C.J. Spiller	SEA	14.5	15.0	16.0	14.0	6	65.5
93	Shaun Draughn	SF	15.0	14.4	14.7	14.9	6	65.0
94	Lance Dunbar	DAL	14.7	14.7	15.3	14.3	6	65.0
95	Daniel Lasco	NO	15.5	14.0	14.5	15.0	6	65.0
96	Ka'Deem Carey	CHI	15.5	14.0	14.5	15.0	6	65.0
97	Bobby Rainey	NYG	14.0	14.6	16.0	14.2	6	64.8
98	Knile Davis	FA	15.0	14.0	15.0	14.0	6	64.0
99	Dexter McCluster	SD	13.5	14.5	15.5	13.5	6	63.0
100	Joique Bell	FA	14.0	13.0	14.0	15.0	6	62.0
101	Don Jackson	GB	13.0	14.0	14.0	14.0	6	61.0
102	Isaiah Pead	FA	13.5	13.0	14.0	14.0	6	60.5

Fullbacks

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The fullback position might not be the sexiest in the NFL, but it is still an essential job that many of the top offenses depend on to succeed.

Through eight weeks, Baltimore has the best, most complete fullback in Kyle Juszczyk. He might be the best player on the Ravens offense. He can line up and act as a lead blocker, carry the ball and operate like a tight end on the line of scrimmage. He is a fantastic player who would succeed on any team.

Patrick DiMarco has been the unsung hero of the Falcons' resurgence on offense, lead-blocking and pass-protecting at a Pro Bowl level. Jamize Olawale of the Raiders, another under-the-radar player, has helped Oakland’s run game go to new heights with his versatility. He's a natural at catching the ball and has operated like a running back in single-back formations.

Rookie Andy Janovich has been awesome for the Broncos. He has established himself as one of the more physical isolation blockers in the NFL. He is also a threat to run and catch the football out of the backfield.

Fellow rookie Derek Watt, J.J.’s younger brother, has helped Melvin Gordon change the narrative on his career in San Diego. The 23-year-old Watt, like Janovich, has been a major factor in the team’s weekly game-planning, which is not a common occurrence for rookie fullbacks. Both guys should be contributors for years.

Top Scorers

• Top Fullback: Kyle Juszczyk, Baltimore Ravens
• Best Blocker: Kyle Juszczyk, Baltimore Ravens
• Best Runner: Aaron Ripkowski, Green Bay Packers
• Best Receiver: Kyle Juszczyk, Baltimore Ravens

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 Midseason Fullback Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Blk	Run	Rec	Pos	Ovr
1	Kyle Juszczyk	BAL	44.1	16.6	11.0	4	75.7
2	Andy Janovich	DEN	44.1	16.5	10.0	4	74.6
3	John Kuhn	NO	42.9	16.4	9.9	4	73.1
4	Aaron Ripkowski	GB	43.0	16.8	9.2	4	73.0
5	Malcolm Johnson	FA	43.4	15.6	9.7	4	72.7
6	Jamize Olawale	OAK	42.4	16.5	9.6	4	72.5
7	Derek Watt	SD	43.0	15.5	9.5	4	72.0
8	Patrick DiMarco	ATL	43.6	14.9	9.5	4	72.0
9	Keith Smith	DAL	43.2	15.8	8.7	4	71.7
10	Zach Line	MIN	42.7	15.8	9.2	4	71.7
11	Anthony Sherman	KC	43.7	14.7	8.7	4	71.0
12	Jay Prosch	HOU	43.3	15.1	8.6	4	71.0
13	James Develin	NE	42.9	15.1	8.7	4	70.7
14	Jalston Fowler	TEN	43.4	14.9	8.4	4	70.6
15	Jerome Felton	BUF	42.5	14.8	9.3	4	70.5
16	Will Tukuafu	SEA	43.5	14.5	8.5	4	70.5
17	Michael Burton	DET	42.7	14.6	8.3	4	69.6
18	Mike Tolbert	CAR	41.1	15.3	9.0	4	69.4
19	Paul Lasike	CHI	42.8	14.0	8.4	4	69.2
20	Cory Harkey	LA	41.2	13.8	7.4	4	66.4

Wide Receivers

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Certain things are inevitable: death, taxes and A.J. Green's ability to frustrate opposing cornerbacks. Our top receiver through the first half hasn’t regressed a bit, though it might be said the Bengals offense has done so overall in the post-Hue Jackson era. With 59 catches on 84 targets for 896 yards, Green is everything he ever was: a tough, agile, savvy receiver able to catch the most errant Andy Dalton throw.

Miami’s Jarvis Landry maintains his status as perhaps the best (or at least most prolific) slot receiver in the business, while speedsters T.Y. Hilton and Antonio Brown continue to define their teams' passing games.

The surprise of the year at receiver has been Cleveland’s Terrelle Pryor, a former camp quarterback who has transformed himself into an estimable target. This week, our own Alex Kirby detailed why Pryor is so dangerous.

In the NFC, Julio Jones has been the standout through the first half, with a few tremendous games to his credit. His ability at the line of scrimmage against the press and to transform from a pass-catcher to a ball-carrier after the catch are two big elements to his success.

Odell Beckham and Larry Fitzgerald continue to excel. The former relies heavily on his route running to get open, while Fitzgerald's ability at the catch point as well as Arizona's reliance on him as a blocker are important factors to his game.

Other wideouts who have impressed include Stefon Diggs, who displays tremendous change-of-direction ability on routes and after the catch, and Doug Baldwin, who shows similar attributes.

Top Scorers

• Top Wide Receiver: A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals
• Best Route-Runner: A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals
• Best Hands: A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals
• Best After the Catch: Julian Edelman, New England Patriots
• Best Blocker: Seth Roberts, Oakland Raiders

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 Midseason Wide Receiver Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Route	Hands	YAC	Blk	Pos	Ovr
1	A.J. Green	CIN	21.4	20.6	14.0	11.4	9	76.1
2	Julio Jones	ATL	19.9	19.3	14.4	13.5	9	75.8
3	Jarvis Landry	MIA	19.6	18.7	14.4	13.4	9	74.9
4	Demaryius Thomas	DEN	19.5	19.6	12.9	12.9	9	73.6
5	Julian Edelman	NE	19.1	18.3	15.0	12.1	9	73.3
6	T.Y. Hilton	IND	20.4	19.5	14.0	10.6	9	73.3
7	Odell Beckham	NYG	19.1	18.9	13.6	12.9	9	73.1
8	Antonio Brown	PIT	20.3	20.3	13.4	10.1	9	72.9
9	Terrelle Pryor	CLE	19.6	19.4	12.9	12.0	9	72.6
10	Emmanuel Sanders	DEN	19.5	19.8	12.6	11.6	9	72.3
11	Donte Moncrief	IND	20.5	19.5	12.5	11.0	9	72.0
12	Larry Fitzgerald	ARI	18.0	18.3	13.0	13.8	9	71.8
13	Michael Crabtree	OAK	20.1	20.1	12.9	9.9	9	71.8
14	Mike Wallace	BAL	19.9	19.1	13.7	10.3	9	71.7
15	Steve Smith Sr.	BAL	18.2	19.8	12.6	12.4	9	71.6
16	Mike Evans	TB	18.7	18.6	13.1	12.3	9	71.4
17	Stefon Diggs	MIN	18.8	17.7	13.5	12.7	9	71.3
18	Brandon Marshall	NYJ	20.3	18.9	12.6	10.5	9	71.0
19	Amari Cooper	OAK	18.3	18.1	14.4	11.4	9	70.9
20	Dez Bryant	DAL	18.6	18.6	12.8	12.0	9	70.6
21	Danny Amendola	NE	18.4	18.3	13.3	11.9	9	70.5
22	Quincy Enunwa	NYJ	17.8	18.0	12.6	13.0	9	70.1
23	Doug Baldwin	SEA	17.6	17.9	13.1	12.7	9	70.0
24	Eric Decker	NYJ	18.3	18.7	12.3	12.3	9	70.0
25	Alshon Jeffery	CHI	17.6	17.9	13.4	12.3	9	69.9
26	Jordy Nelson	GB	17.9	18.0	12.9	12.4	9	69.9
27	Michael Thomas	NO	17.6	18.3	13.6	11.7	9	69.9
28	Jeremy Maclin	KC	18.1	18.1	13.1	11.7	9	69.9
29	Travis Benjamin	SD	18.5	18.5	13.3	10.8	9	69.8
30	DeAndre Hopkins	HOU	20.0	18.9	12.3	9.8	9	69.6
31	Brandon LaFell	CIN	18.6	17.8	12.0	12.3	9	69.4
32	Jamison Crowder	WAS	17.9	17.8	13.4	11.6	9	69.4
33	Robert Woods	BUF	18.6	17.4	12.0	12.6	9	69.3
34	Mohamed Sanu	ATL	17.3	17.4	13.6	12.3	9	69.3
35	Marvin Jones	DET	17.6	17.9	13.3	11.8	9	69.3
36	Seth Roberts	OAK	17.0	16.4	13.3	13.9	9	69.3
37	Marqise Lee	JAX	18.3	18.5	13.2	10.2	9	69.0
38	Brandin Cooks	NO	17.4	17.6	13.7	11.3	9	68.7
39	Cole Beasley	DAL	18.4	17.4	13.6	10.6	9	68.7
40	Kelvin Benjamin	CAR	16.4	17.7	13.4	12.3	9	68.6
41	Randall Cobb	GB	17.5	17.7	13.2	11.5	9	68.5
42	Willie Snead	NO	17.5	17.3	13.3	11.7	9	68.5
43	Sammy Watkins	BUF	18.5	16.5	11.5	14.0	9	68.5
44	Corey Coleman	CLE	16.5	18.5	13.5	12.0	9	68.5
45	Tyrell Williams	SD	17.9	17.9	13.3	10.3	9	68.1
46	Golden Tate	DET	16.9	17.0	14.0	11.1	9	67.8
47	Jordan Matthews	PHI	17.7	17.0	12.6	11.7	9	67.7
48	Sterling Shepard	NYG	17.1	17.3	12.7	11.9	9	67.7
49	Kenny Britt	LA	16.7	17.1	13.4	11.7	9	67.7
50	Allen Hurns	JAX	18.0	17.6	12.9	10.4	9	67.6
51	Cobi Hamilton	PIT	18.5	17.0	11.0	12.0	9	67.5
52	John Brown	ARI	17.0	16.9	12.6	12.3	9	67.4
53	Tavon Austin	LA	17.3	16.6	14.3	10.6	9	67.4
54	Adam Thielen	MIN	16.4	17.1	12.9	12.0	9	67.1
55	Pierre Garcon	WAS	17.1	17.0	12.5	11.6	9	67.0
56	Eddie Royal	CHI	16.3	16.8	13.7	11.5	9	67.0
57	Kevin White	CHI	15.8	16.5	13.5	12.8	9	67.0
58	Allen Robinson	JAX	18.0	17.0	12.6	10.7	9	67.0
59	Davante Adams	GB	17.1	17.3	12.4	11.1	9	66.7
60	Terrance Williams	DAL	17.1	16.7	12.4	11.7	9	66.7
61	DeSean Jackson	WAS	17.8	17.1	12.4	10.5	9	66.5
62	Will Fuller	HOU	17.6	17.1	12.9	10.1	9	66.5
63	Ty Montgomery	GB	16.5	17.0	15.0	9.5	9	66.5
64	Marquise Goodwin	BUF	17.0	16.2	13.7	10.8	9	66.5
65	Brian Quick	LA	16.3	17.1	13.4	10.9	9	66.4
66	Tajae Sharpe	TEN	17.5	17.6	12.3	10.3	9	66.4
67	Chris Hogan	NE	17.3	15.6	12.4	12.3	9	66.3
68	Cameron Meredith	CHI	16.2	16.3	12.3	12.5	9	66.2
69	Andrew Hawkins	CLE	17.5	16.9	11.6	11.3	9	66.0
70	DeVante Parker	MIA	16.5	17.5	12.5	10.7	9	66.0
71	Sammie Coates	PIT	17.1	17.0	11.9	11.0	9	65.7
72	Anquan Boldin	DET	15.4	16.6	12.4	12.5	9	65.6
73	Adam Humphries	TB	16.7	16.3	12.9	11.0	9	65.6
74	Rishard Matthews	TEN	16.9	17.9	11.3	10.8	9	65.5
75	Chris Conley	KC	17.3	16.7	11.9	10.9	9	65.4
76	Victor Cruz	NYG	16.6	16.3	12.1	11.6	9	65.3
77	Kenny Stills	MIA	17.7	16.6	12.0	10.3	9	65.3
78	Phillip Dorsett	IND	16.1	17.1	12.1	11.0	9	65.1
79	Tyreek Hill	KC	16.0	16.6	12.9	10.9	9	65.0
80	Jeremy Kerley	SF	15.9	16.3	12.6	11.4	9	64.9
81	Breshad Perriman	BAL	16.1	16.6	11.6	11.9	9	64.9
82	Vincent Jackson	TB	16.2	16.4	11.8	11.8	9	64.8
83	Cordarrelle Patterson	MIN	16.2	16.0	13.2	10.6	9	64.8
84	Dontrelle Inman	SD	16.8	16.9	11.6	10.6	9	64.6
85	Quinton Patton	SF	16.0	16.1	11.7	12.0	9	64.6
86	J.J. Nelson	ARI	16.8	16.5	11.8	10.8	9	64.5
87	Ted Ginn Jr.	CAR	15.6	16.0	13.3	10.7	9	64.3
88	Torrey Smith	SF	16.1	16.3	11.6	11.6	9	64.3
89	Eli Rogers	PIT	17.0	17.0	11.3	10.5	9	64.3
90	Nelson Agholor	PHI	16.6	15.7	11.9	11.3	9	64.1
91	Jermaine Kearse	SEA	16.0	16.3	12.0	11.0	9	64.0
92	Josh Doctson	WAS	15.0	16.0	13.0	12.0	9	64.0
93	Geronimo Allison	GB	16.0	16.0	12.0	11.0	9	64.0
94	Philly Brown	CAR	14.6	16.0	13.0	11.6	9	63.9
95	Tyler Boyd	CIN	16.4	16.1	11.4	10.9	9	63.5
96	Jordan Norwood	DEN	16.9	14.5	11.1	12.3	9	63.5
97	Michael Floyd	ARI	16.1	15.3	11.4	11.9	9	63.4
98	Jaron Brown	ARI	15.7	16.0	11.3	11.7	9	63.3
99	Dorial Green-Beckham	PHI	16.0	15.1	12.4	11.0	9	63.3
100	Tyler Lockett	SEA	16.1	15.4	12.0	10.7	9	63.0
101	Jalin Marshall	NYJ	16.7	15.7	11.0	11.0	9	63.0
102	Chester Rogers	IND	16.8	15.8	11.3	10.2	9	63.0
103	Kendall Wright	TEN	16.3	16.5	11.3	10.0	9	63.0
104	Jarius Wright	MIN	15.0	16.0	11.0	12.0	9	63.0
105	Kamar Aiken	BAL	16.3	14.9	11.4	11.4	9	62.7
106	Brandon Coleman	NO	14.7	15.7	11.3	12.2	9	62.7
107	Markus Wheaton	PIT	16.0	16.0	11.3	10.3	9	62.7
108	Devin Funchess	CAR	14.9	15.9	11.7	11.3	9	62.4
109	Brice Butler	DAL	15.1	15.0	11.4	12.3	9	62.4
110	Ricardo Louis	CLE	16.3	15.0	11.3	11.0	9	62.4
111	Tommylee Lewis	NO	14.7	15.7	11.7	11.3	9	62.3
112	Andre Holmes	OAK	14.7	15.1	11.6	12.0	9	62.3
113	Andre Johnson	TEN	15.8	16.3	10.4	11.1	9	62.3
114	Justin Hardy	ATL	14.7	14.7	11.9	12.0	9	62.0
115	Taylor Gabriel	ATL	14.3	15.5	11.5	11.8	9	62.0
116	Arrelious Benn	JAX	15.0	15.8	11.8	10.4	9	61.8
117	Darrius Heyward-Bey	PIT	16.2	14.5	11.7	10.5	9	61.7
118	Jaelen Strong	HOU	15.0	15.6	10.3	12.0	9	61.6
119	Charone Peake	NYJ	15.6	15.2	11.8	10.0	9	61.6
120	Josh Huff	PHI	15.3	14.9	12.1	10.6	9	61.6
121	Brittan Golden	ARI	15.5	15.0	11.0	11.0	9	61.5
122	Robby Anderson	NYJ	16.0	15.4	10.6	10.4	9	61.4
123	Charles Johnson	MIN	15.0	14.9	12.1	10.6	9	61.3
124	Aldrick Robinson	ATL	14.2	14.7	11.7	11.7	9	61.2
125	Albert Wilson	KC	15.9	15.4	11.0	10.1	9	61.1
126	Cody Latimer	DEN	14.8	14.3	10.8	12.0	9	60.8
127	Braxton Miller	HOU	15.0	15.3	11.2	10.3	9	60.5
128	Roger Lewis	NYG	15.0	15.0	11.0	10.5	9	60.5
129	Harry Douglas	TEN	15.7	14.7	11.0	10.7	9	60.3
130	Cecil Shorts	TB	14.3	15.3	10.7	11.3	9	60.3
131	Jeff Janis	GB	15.0	14.7	11.0	10.7	9	60.3
132	Malcolm Mitchell	NE	14.7	14.4	11.6	10.9	9	60.3
133	Russell Shepard	TB	13.8	15.5	10.8	11.2	9	60.2
134	Chris Moore	BAL	14.7	14.2	11.2	11.3	9	60.0
135	Quan Bray	IND	15.8	14.3	10.5	10.8	9	60.0
136	Griff Whalen	SD	14.3	14.7	11.0	10.7	9	59.7
137	Brandon Tate	BUF	14.4	14.8	11.6	9.8	9	59.6
138	Lucky Whitehead	DAL	13.2	13.3	10.7	13.5	9	59.5
139	Bennie Fowler	DEN	14.7	14.8	10.7	10.3	9	59.5
140	Justin Hunter	BUF	15.5	14.3	11.0	9.8	9	59.5
141	Paul Richardson	SEA	14.1	14.6	10.9	11.0	9	59.3
142	Johnny Holton	OAK	13.2	13.3	11.8	11.8	9	59.2
143	Bryan Walters	JAX	14.5	14.0	11.5	10.0	9	59.0
144	Maurice Harris	WAS	14.0	14.0	11.0	11.0	9	59.0
145	Ryan Grant	WAS	14.0	14.3	10.9	11.0	9	58.9
146	Rashard Higgins	CLE	13.9	15.0	11.0	10.1	9	58.9
147	Walt Powell	BUF	14.5	14.3	10.3	10.7	9	58.8
148	Rod Streater	SF	14.2	14.0	11.2	10.6	9	58.8
149	Andre Roberts	DET	13.8	14.8	11.1	10.3	9	58.6
150	Jordan Taylor	DEN	14.3	14.0	10.7	10.7	9	58.6
151	Devin Street	IND	16.5	13.0	10.0	10.0	9	58.5
152	Trevor Davis	GB	14.0	14.0	10.4	11.0	9	58.4
153	Rashad Greene	JAX	13.6	14.4	11.4	10.0	9	58.0
154	Josh Bellamy	CHI	14.2	13.8	10.4	10.6	9	58.0
155	Freddie Martino	TB	13.7	13.7	10.7	11.0	9	58.0
156	Deonte Thompson	CHI	14.0	14.0	10.7	10.3	9	58.0
157	De'Anthony Thomas	KC	14.3	13.7	11.0	10.0	9	58.0
158	Keith Mumphery	HOU	14.0	14.0	10.5	10.0	9	57.5
159	Jordan Payton	CLE	14.0	12.5	11.5	10.5	9	57.5
160	Tanner McEvoy	SEA	12.7	13.3	10.7	11.7	9	57.3
161	Bradley Marquez	LA	13.2	12.8	10.2	12.2	9	57.2
162	Leonte Carroo	MIA	13.5	14.0	10.0	11.0	9	57.0
163	Marc Mariani	TEN	13.3	13.7	10.7	10.3	9	57.0
164	Demarcus Robinson	KC	13.0	14.0	11.0	10.0	9	57.0
165	Jakeem Grant	MIA	13.0	13.0	12.0	10.0	9	57.0
166	Rashad Ross	WAS	13.0	14.0	11.0	10.0	9	57.0
167	Matt Slater	NE	13.3	13.0	11.0	10.5	9	56.5
168	James Wright	CIN	13.6	13.2	10.0	10.4	9	56.2
169	Aaron Burbridge	SF	12.8	13.0	10.4	11.0	9	56.0
170	Mike Thomas	LA	13.3	13.3	10.5	10.0	9	56.0
171	Alex Erickson	CIN	13.3	13.7	10.0	10.0	9	56.0
172	Pharoh Cooper	LA	14.0	13.0	10.0	10.0	9	56.0
173	Laquon Treadwell	MIN	13.0	13.0	10.0	10.0	9	55.0
174	Cody Core	CIN	12.5	13.0	10.5	10.0	9	54.5
175	Isaiah Burse	SD	12.5	12.5	10.5	10.0	9	54.0

Tight Ends

Steve Flynn-USA TODAY Sports

Perhaps it's surprising to see Jordan Reed atop this list. While his ranking is due in part to Rob Gronkowski's slow return from injury, the Washington tight end is incredibly effective as a receiver in Jay Gruden's offense. His ability to get open and evade defenders after the reception were on full display when Washington took on Cincinnati in London.

Some other names near the top on the NFC side are those you would expect, such as Jimmy Graham, Kyle Rudolph and Greg Olsen. Another name to keep an eye on is Detroit's Eric Ebron, who is becoming a focal point of the Lions offense.

Finally, watch Austin Hooper in the second half. The Falcons rookie has been an integral part of Atlanta's 13 personnel package, and with Jacob Tamme's shoulder injury, look for the Stanford product to play more of a role.

Top Scorers

• Top Tight End: Jordan Reed, Washington Redskins
• Best Route-Runner: Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
• Best Hands: Tyler Eifert, Cincinnati Bengals
• Best After the Catch: Jordan Reed, Washington Redskins
• Best Blocker: David Morgan, Minnesota Vikings

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 Midseason Tight End Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Route	Hands	YAC	Blk	Pos	Ovr
1	Jordan Reed	WAS	16.0	18.8	15.8	17.8	6	74.8
2	Rob Gronkowski	NE	16.5	19.3	14.2	18.5	6	74.5
3	Greg Olsen	CAR	15.4	18.7	14.3	18.3	6	72.7
4	Tyler Eifert	CIN	16.0	20.0	12.5	17.5	6	72.0
5	Martellus Bennett	NE	15.3	18.3	14.0	17.8	6	71.3
6	Jimmy Graham	SEA	14.9	18.6	13.7	18.0	6	71.1
7	Kyle Rudolph	MIN	14.9	17.1	13.0	19.7	6	70.7
8	Jason Witten	DAL	14.4	17.7	13.4	18.9	6	70.4
9	Travis Kelce	KC	16.7	18.9	13.0	15.9	6	70.4
10	Eric Ebron	DET	15.0	18.2	14.0	17.2	6	70.4
11	Jared Cook	GB	14.3	17.3	13.0	19.7	6	70.3
12	Virgil Green	DEN	15.0	17.4	12.4	18.8	6	69.6
13	Antonio Gates	SD	16.0	18.0	12.7	16.7	6	69.3
14	Dennis Pitta	BAL	15.3	19.1	12.6	16.3	6	69.3
15	Zach Miller	CHI	14.3	17.1	12.8	17.9	6	68.0
16	Charles Clay	BUF	15.3	17.0	12.0	17.8	6	68.0
17	Delanie Walker	TEN	15.1	18.0	12.4	16.1	6	67.7
18	Austin Seferian-Jenkins	NYJ	14.0	16.3	13.7	17.0	6	67.7
19	Vernon Davis	WAS	13.9	15.6	13.5	18.5	6	67.5
20	Clive Walford	OAK	14.6	16.6	12.9	17.3	6	67.3
21	Cameron Brate	TB	14.0	16.3	13.3	17.4	6	67.0
22	Jesse James	PIT	14.4	17.0	11.7	17.6	6	66.7
23	Zach Ertz	PHI	14.2	17.2	12.0	17.2	6	66.6
24	Jack Doyle	IND	14.4	17.3	11.9	17.0	6	66.5
25	Coby Fleener	NO	14.0	16.9	12.4	17.0	6	66.3
26	Hunter Henry	SD	14.5	17.3	11.3	16.9	6	65.9
27	Ryan Griffin	HOU	14.3	16.9	11.4	17.0	6	65.5
28	Dwayne Allen	IND	14.7	17.1	12.3	15.3	6	65.4
29	Lance Kendricks	LA	14.1	15.6	12.0	17.7	6	65.4
30	C.J. Uzomah	CIN	13.1	16.7	12.3	17.3	6	65.4
31	C.J. Fiedorowicz	HOU	14.1	17.3	11.3	16.8	6	65.4
32	Gary Barnidge	CLE	14.1	16.8	11.8	16.8	6	65.4
33	Jacob Tamme	ATL	13.4	16.0	12.1	17.4	6	65.0
34	Julius Thomas	JAX	13.8	17.0	11.5	16.7	6	65.0
35	Lee Smith	OAK	13.3	15.3	11.5	18.5	6	64.5
36	Larry Donnell	NYG	13.3	15.5	11.5	17.3	6	63.7
37	Josh Hill	NO	13.0	15.8	12.0	16.8	6	63.5
38	Vance McDonald	SF	12.8	15.0	11.6	17.6	6	63.0
39	Richard Rodgers	GB	13.1	14.9	12.0	16.9	6	62.9
40	Jordan Cameron	MIA	12.7	16.7	12.0	15.3	6	62.7
41	Luke Willson	SEA	12.6	14.4	11.8	17.8	6	62.6
42	Dion Sims	MIA	12.8	14.8	11.2	17.6	6	62.4
43	Marcedes Lewis	JAX	13.0	15.6	11.3	16.4	6	62.3
44	Brent Celek	PHI	12.1	14.6	11.3	18.0	6	62.0
45	Will Tye	NYG	12.0	14.9	11.1	17.9	6	61.9
46	Crockett Gillmore	BAL	12.7	14.7	10.4	18.0	6	61.9
47	John Phillips	DEN	12.9	14.4	10.9	17.7	6	61.9
48	Stephen Anderson	HOU	12.6	15.4	12.0	15.6	6	61.6
49	Austin Hooper	ATL	12.4	14.4	11.1	17.1	6	61.0
50	Tyler Kroft	CIN	11.8	15.3	10.4	17.6	6	61.0
51	Xavier Grimble	PIT	12.6	15.2	11.4	15.8	6	61.0
52	David Johnson	PIT	12.2	14.5	11.2	17.0	6	60.8
53	Anthony Fasano	TEN	12.0	14.5	11.0	17.3	6	60.8
54	Demetrius Harris	KC	13.0	15.2	10.8	15.7	6	60.7
55	Kellen Davis	NYJ	12.1	14.3	11.0	17.0	6	60.4
56	Garrett Celek	SF	12.4	13.9	11.3	16.7	6	60.3
57	Trey Burton	PHI	12.3	14.5	11.3	16.0	6	60.2
58	Nick Vannett	SEA	12.0	15.0	11.0	16.0	6	60.0
59	Nick O'Leary	BUF	12.4	13.9	10.4	16.9	6	59.6
60	David Morgan	MIN	10.5	12.5	10.0	20.5	6	59.5
61	Luke Stocker	TB	10.5	12.8	11.0	19.3	6	59.5
62	Jermaine Gresham	ARI	12.3	14.0	11.1	16.0	6	59.4
63	Geoff Swaim	DAL	11.4	13.7	10.6	17.6	6	59.3
64	Levine Toilolo	ATL	11.0	13.3	10.9	18.1	6	59.3
65	Brandon Bostick	NYJ	11.6	13.7	10.9	16.9	6	59.0
66	Jeff Heuerman	DEN	11.6	14.0	10.4	17.0	6	59.0
67	Ben Braunecker	CHI	11.5	14.5	11.0	16.0	6	59.0
68	Ed Dickson	CAR	11.7	14.4	11.0	15.9	6	58.9
69	Brandon Myers	TB	11.4	13.3	10.9	17.1	6	58.7
70	Ryan Hewitt	CIN	12.0	14.1	10.1	16.4	6	58.7
71	Phillip Supernaw	TEN	11.9	13.3	10.3	17.1	6	58.6
72	Tyler Higbee	LA	11.4	13.7	10.1	17.1	6	58.4
73	Mychal Rivera	OAK	12.2	14.8	10.4	14.8	6	58.2
74	Dominique Jones	MIA	11.0	14.3	10.3	16.3	6	58.0
75	Sean McGrath	SD	11.9	13.0	10.7	16.3	6	57.9
76	Rhett Ellison	MIN	10.5	13.2	10.3	17.8	6	57.8
77	Darren Fells	ARI	11.0	13.7	10.5	16.5	6	57.7
78	Niles Paul	WAS	11.0	12.7	10.7	17.0	6	57.4
79	Marqueis Gray	MIA	11.8	13.6	10.6	15.4	6	57.4
80	Maxx Williams	BAL	11.0	13.3	10.0	17.0	6	57.3
81	Ifeanyi Momah	ARI	10.3	14.3	10.7	16.0	6	57.3
82	Troy Niklas	ARI	11.7	13.7	10.7	15.0	6	57.0
83	Randall Telfer	CLE	11.1	13.4	10.0	16.4	6	57.0
84	Logan Paulsen	CHI	10.5	13.0	10.3	17.1	6	56.9
85	Khari Lee	DET	10.3	13.2	10.3	17.0	6	56.8
86	Jerell Adams	NYG	11.0	13.5	10.3	16.0	6	56.8
87	Erik Swoope	IND	11.6	13.4	10.4	15.1	6	56.6
88	Seth DeValve	CLE	11.0	13.0	10.0	16.5	6	56.5
89	MyCole Pruitt	MIN	11.0	13.5	10.0	16.0	6	56.5
90	Justin Perillo	GB	10.6	13.2	10.8	15.6	6	56.2
91	Brandon Williams	SEA	10.4	13.2	10.4	16.2	6	56.2
92	Ross Travis	KC	10.7	13.7	10.7	14.7	6	55.7
93	Cole Wick	DET	12.0	13.0	10.5	14.0	6	55.5
94	Cory Harkey	LA	10.5	11.0	10.0	18.0	6	55.5
95	Gavin Escobar	DAL	10.0	13.0	10.0	16.5	6	55.5
96	Clay Harbor	NE	11.0	13.2	10.6	14.4	6	55.2
97	Hakeem Valles	ARI	12.0	13.0	10.0	14.0	6	55.0
98	Darren Waller	BAL	10.3	13.0	10.0	15.3	6	54.7
99	Blake Bell	SF	11.0	12.0	10.0	15.0	6	54.0
100	Jim Dray	BUF	11.0	14.0	9.5	13.5	6	54.0
101	Chris Manhertz	NO	9.5	12.5	10.0	16.0	6	54.0
102	Connor Hamlett	CLE	10.7	13.7	10.0	13.7	6	54.0
103	James O'Shaughnessy	KC	10.0	13.0	10.0	14.7	6	53.7
104	Malcolm Johnson	FA	11.0	13.0	10.0	13.3	6	53.3
105	Chris Gragg	BUF	10.0	12.7	10.0	14.3	6	53.0
106	Chase Coffman	IND	10.0	13.0	10.0	14.0	6	53.0
107	Mike Windt	SD	10.5	12.5	10.5	12.5	6	52.0
108	A.J. Derby	DEN	10.0	12.7	10.0	13.3	6	52.0
109	Ryan O'Malley	OAK	10.0	13.0	10.0	13.0	6	52.0
110	Beau Brinkley	TEN	10.0	13.0	10.0	13.0	6	52.0
111	Ben Koyack	JAX	10.0	13.0	10.0	13.0	6	52.0
112	Scott Simonson	CAR	10.0	11.0	10.0	15.0	6	51.0
113	Nick Boyle	BAL	10.0	12.0	9.5	13.5	6	51.0
114	Rico Gathers	DAL	10.0	10.0	10.0	14.0	6	50.0

Left Tackles

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Familiar names continue to sit atop the NFL1000 left tackle rankings. When we think about the state of the league's offensive line play, and specifically left tackle, there are four elite names that come to mind: Joe Thomas, Jason Peters, Trent Williams and Tyron Smith.

The Dallas Cowboys' Smith, 25, and the Washington Redskins' Williams, 28, are reaching the tops of their games and have not yet turned 30 years old. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns' Thomas, 31, and Philadelphia Eagles' Jason Peters, 34, have played 10 and 13 seasons, respectively, but have yet to show any signs of decline.

Seasoned veterans such as Donald Penn, Joe Staley and Andrew Whitworth continue find themselves ranked among the top 15 in weekly scoring. Newer names such as David Bakhtiari, Cordy Glenn and Tennessee Titans 2014 first-round pick Taylor Lewan are emerging as some of the bright young stars of the position.

Bakhtiari has been arguably one of the most impressive performers of the 2016 season, specifically because of his flawless pass protection. In 334 pass-protection opportunities, Bakhtiari has only surrendered two sacks and seven pressures.

Glenn has been battling an ankle injury, but it has not slowed him. He's showed physical dominance in both pass protection and the run game. Lewan has been solid in all aspects, specifically playing with a controlled edge that drives him to finish every play with a purpose.

Detroit Lions rookie Taylor Decker continues to build his game and improve weekly, showing consistency in technique and play speed. The Baltimore Ravens took Ronnie Stanley with the sixth overall pick in the 2016 draft, and he got off to a good start in the first three weeks but has not played since due to injury. 

Top Scorers

• Top Left Tackle: Tyron Smith, Dallas Cowboys
• Best Pass Blocker: David Bakhtiari, Green Bay Packers
• Best Run Blocker: Tyron Smith, Dallas Cowboys
• Most Powerful: Trent Williams, Washington Redskins
• Most Agile: Joe Thomas, Cleveland Browns

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 Midseason Left Tackle Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr
1	Tyron Smith	DAL	20.4	20.4	18.2	18.4	8	85.4
2	Trent Williams	WAS	19.5	19.5	18.5	18.1	8	83.6
3	Jason Peters	PHI	19.7	19.1	18.3	17.3	8	82.4
4	David Bakhtiari	GB	20.4	19.1	16.4	17.3	8	81.3
5	Joe Thomas	CLE	20.0	18.3	15.3	19.1	8	80.6
6	Cordy Glenn	BUF	19.5	19.3	17.0	16.0	8	79.8
7	Joe Staley	SF	18.1	19.6	16.3	16.1	8	78.1
8	Donald Penn	OAK	18.8	19.3	16.6	14.9	8	77.5
9	Terron Armstead	NO	20.3	16.5	15.5	17.0	8	77.3
10	Taylor Lewan	TEN	18.9	18.6	15.6	16.1	8	77.3
11	Russell Okung	DEN	18.9	19.1	15.3	15.9	8	77.1
12	Andrew Whitworth	CIN	19.1	18.4	15.9	15.6	8	77.0
13	Eric Fisher	KC	17.7	19.0	15.6	15.4	8	75.7
14	Taylor Decker	DET	18.1	18.5	15.3	15.6	8	75.5
15	Ronnie Stanley	BAL	18.3	17.0	15.0	16.7	8	75.0
16	Luke Joeckel	JAX	18.0	18.0	15.0	16.0	8	75.0
17	Jake Matthews	ATL	18.1	18.3	15.5	15.0	8	74.9
18	Nate Solder	NE	17.6	18.0	15.4	15.0	8	74.0
19	Michael Schofield	DEN	18.0	18.0	15.0	15.0	8	74.0
20	Laremy Tunsil	MIA	17.0	17.0	15.0	17.0	8	74.0
21	King Dunlap	SD	18.2	17.5	14.8	14.8	8	73.3
22	Cyrus Kouandjio	BUF	17.7	17.0	15.0	15.3	8	73.0
23	Jared Veldheer	ARI	17.5	17.6	15.1	14.6	8	72.9
24	Duane Brown	HOU	17.0	17.8	15.3	14.8	8	72.8
25	Charles Leno Jr.	CHI	17.0	16.7	14.9	15.6	8	72.1
26	Greg Robinson	LA	16.1	16.7	17.1	14.0	8	72.0
27	Chaz Green	DAL	16.5	17.5	14.5	15.5	8	72.0
28	Kelvin Beachum	JAX	17.2	17.0	15.0	14.3	8	71.5
29	Ereck Flowers	NYG	16.3	16.7	15.7	14.7	8	71.4
30	Mike Remmers	CAR	16.3	18.0	15.3	13.7	8	71.3
31	Anthony Castonzo	IND	16.6	17.1	14.4	15.0	8	71.1
32	Branden Albert	MIA	17.4	15.8	14.2	15.2	8	70.6
33	Michael Oher	CAR	15.7	17.0	14.7	14.7	8	70.0
34	Jake Fisher	CIN	17.0	16.0	14.0	15.0	8	70.0
35	Ryan Clady	NYJ	16.9	16.5	13.9	14.6	8	69.9
36	Alejandro Villanueva	PIT	16.0	16.9	13.7	15.3	8	69.9
37	Donovan Smith	TB	15.6	16.4	15.6	14.1	8	69.7
38	Tony Hills	NO	16.5	16.5	15.0	13.5	8	69.5
39	Chris Clark	HOU	15.8	17.4	14.4	13.6	8	69.2
40	Andrus Peat	NO	16.7	16.0	14.3	14.0	8	69.0
41	John Wetzel	ARI	17.0	15.0	15.0	14.0	8	69.0
42	Matt Kalil	MIN	15.5	16.0	14.5	14.5	8	68.5
43	Alex Lewis	BAL	15.7	16.3	14.3	13.7	8	68.0
44	Mike Remmers	CAR	17.0	16.0	14.0	13.0	8	68.0
45	Cam Fleming	NE	15.5	16.0	14.5	13.0	8	67.0
46	Joe Barksdale	SD	15.0	16.0	15.0	13.0	8	67.0
47	Jake Long	MIN	14.5	15.5	15.0	13.5	8	66.5
48	Bradley Sowell	SEA	14.5	16.0	13.2	13.7	8	65.3
49	T.J. Clemmings	MIN	14.0	15.5	14.3	13.3	8	65.0
50	George Fant	SEA	16.0	16.0	12.0	13.0	8	65.0
51	Chris Hairston	SD	14.7	16.0	12.7	12.7	8	64.0
52	Billy Turner	MIA	13.0	14.0	14.0	14.0	8	63.0
53	James Hurst	BAL	13.0	15.0	12.0	12.0	8	60.0

Right Tackles

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The right tackle landscape has had many interesting storylines. One of the most notable involved the Eagles' Lane Johnson. He played excellent football through Week 5 and graded out as the highest-rated right tackle despite having a 10-game suspension for his second violation of the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs looming over his head.

Through four games, Johnson got it done in pass protection, surrendering only one sack in 159 pass attempts and was especially effective in the run game—in both in-line blocking and getting out in space. Johnson's appeal was denied and his suspension upheld. 

Green Bay Packers tackle Bryan Bulaga is our No. 2 right tackle and has played tremendous football all season. Bulaga has proved, when healthy, he is a premier pass protector on the right edge and a mauler in the run game. However, the key is: when healthy. That's something the seven-year pro has had trouble with.

Marcus Gilbert of the Pittsburgh Steelers came into his own in 2015 and got off to a good start in this year. But he was knocked out of action in Week 4. Gilbert showed tremendous strength, power and explosion at the point of attack while displaying great agility and patience in pass protection, which resulted in his surrendering only one sack in 146 pass attempts.

The Detroit Lions' Riley Reiff has successfully made the switch from left tackle to right tackle and has been an animal. He has had plays where he flew downfield to cut flowing linebackers or defensive backs, and he looks to finish guys every chance he can. It's not always pretty or technically sound, but he's always giving his best, which makes him fun to watch.

Tennessee Titans rookie right tackle Jack Conklin has been solid. He's had moments where he was impressive, showing tremendous strength, power and physicality in the run game. He's also been stout in pass protection through picking his spots to set and using aggression. Tennessee has done a great job scheming help for Conklin in pass protection, which is smart to let him develop without taking too many live bullets.

Top Scorers

• Top Right Tackle: Lane Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles
• Best Pass Blocker: Lane Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles
• Best Run Blocker: Lane Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles
• Most Powerful: Trenton Brown, San Francisco 49ers
• Most Agile: Lane Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles

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 Midseason Right Tackle Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr
1	Lane Johnson	PHI	20.8	21.3	16.5	17.0	7	82.5
2	Bryan Bulaga	GB	20.1	19.7	16.6	15.9	7	79.3
3	Marcus Gilbert	PIT	20.3	18.5	17.0	16.3	7	79.0
4	Senio Kelemete	NO	16.0	20.0	18.0	17.0	7	78.0
5	Zach Strief	NO	19.1	20.1	16.4	14.3	7	77.1
6	Riley Reiff	DET	17.9	20.0	16.6	15.6	7	77.1
7	Mitchell Schwartz	KC	19.4	19.1	15.0	16.1	7	76.7
8	Ryan Schraeder	ATL	18.5	19.0	16.4	15.8	7	76.6
9	Mike Remmers	CAR	17.7	20.3	16.3	15.0	7	76.3
10	Morgan Moses	WAS	18.6	18.6	15.9	15.9	7	76.0
11	Marshal Yanda	BAL	18.0	19.0	16.0	16.0	7	76.0
12	Trenton Brown	SF	17.9	18.4	17.1	14.3	7	74.7
13	Demar Dotson	TB	18.3	17.3	15.6	16.0	7	74.1
14	Eric Winston	CIN	18.0	17.0	16.0	16.0	7	74.0
15	Derek Newton	HOU	17.4	18.8	15.2	15.2	7	73.6
16	Doug Free	DAL	17.0	19.1	15.6	14.0	7	72.7
17	Jack Conklin	TEN	17.4	18.1	16.0	14.0	7	72.5
18	Rob Havenstein	LA	17.7	17.9	15.4	14.4	7	72.4
19	Ben Ijalana	NYJ	17.6	18.1	15.0	14.6	7	72.4
20	Donald Stephenson	DEN	17.5	16.8	15.3	15.5	7	72.0
21	Jermey Parnell	JAX	17.1	17.3	15.1	15.3	7	71.9
22	Marshall Newhouse	NYG	16.5	18.0	15.5	14.5	7	71.5
23	Joe Barksdale	SD	16.9	17.9	14.7	14.6	7	71.0
24	Jordan Mills	BUF	16.9	17.9	15.3	14.0	7	71.0
25	Bobby Massie	CHI	17.1	16.6	15.1	15.1	7	71.0
26	Ty Nsekhe	WAS	17.0	17.0	15.0	15.0	7	71.0
27	Daryl Williams	CAR	18.0	16.0	15.0	15.0	7	71.0
28	Cam Fleming	NE	18.0	17.0	16.0	13.0	7	71.0
29	Chris Hubbard	PIT	17.0	16.7	14.7	15.3	7	70.7
30	Michael Schofield	DEN	17.0	16.5	15.5	14.5	7	70.5
31	Vadal Alexander	OAK	16.7	17.0	14.7	15.0	7	70.3
32	Marcus Cannon	NE	16.9	16.7	15.3	14.4	7	70.3
33	Daryl Williams	CAR	17.3	16.7	14.7	14.3	7	70.0
34	Austin Pasztor	CLE	16.3	17.5	14.5	13.9	7	69.1
35	Garry Gilliam	SEA	16.1	16.4	14.7	14.7	7	69.0
36	Ja'Wuan James	MIA	16.0	16.7	15.0	14.1	7	68.9
37	D.J. Humphries	ARI	16.5	16.5	14.0	14.6	7	68.6
38	Joe Reitz	IND	15.6	17.4	14.8	13.8	7	68.6
39	Austin Howard	OAK	16.0	16.8	15.5	13.3	7	68.5
40	Cedric Ogbuehi	CIN	15.8	16.3	14.0	15.4	7	68.4
41	Brent Qvale	NYJ	16.4	17.0	14.2	13.4	7	68.0
42	Andre Smith Jr.	MIN	14.7	16.7	14.7	15.0	7	68.0
43	Jason Spriggs	GB	17.0	17.0	12.0	15.0	7	68.0
44	Bobby Hart	NYG	17.0	15.8	13.6	14.4	7	67.8
45	Chris Clark	HOU	16.7	16.7	14.0	13.3	7	67.7
46	Halapoulivaati Vaitai	PHI	16.0	16.7	14.7	13.3	7	67.7
47	Ricky Wagner	BAL	16.8	16.2	13.8	13.5	7	67.3
48	Joe Haeg	IND	15.0	16.0	14.0	13.3	7	65.3
49	James Hurst	BAL	15.0	16.0	14.0	13.0	7	65.0
50	Cornelius Lucas	DET	15.0	15.0	14.0	13.0	7	64.0
51	Ty Sambrailo	DEN	14.0	15.7	13.3	13.7	7	63.7
52	Jeremiah Sirles	MIN	14.3	16.0	13.3	13.0	7	63.7
53	Chris Hairston	SD	14.0	15.0	14.0	13.0	7	63.0
54	Shon Coleman	CLE	14.0	17.0	13.0	12.0	7	63.0
55	Ryan Harris	PIT	16.0	14.0	13.0	12.0	7	62.0
56	D.J. Fluker	SD	14.0	14.0	16.0	9.0	7	60.0
57	T.J. Clemmings	MIN	12.0	14.0	14.0	12.0	7	59.0

Offensive Guards

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Injuries have run rampant at this position, with seven of the top 15 graded guards having some sort of setback in the first half. This has forced several teams to turn to their sixth, seventh or even eighth offensive linemen. Depth up front has been vital, and teams such as the Cowboys, Eagles and Saints have been rewarded for holding onto interior line depth.

Several young guards have stood out, though. Tampa Bay right guard Ali Marpet tops the list. Marpet has been the best lineman for the Buccaneers after a few mediocre weeks to start. His natural traits are hard to ignore. Marpet’s explosion off the snap allows him to get into defenders' bodies during run plays.

With this positioning and impressive leg drive, Marpet dictates gap assignments and clears holes for the Buccaneers running game. His hand placement in pass protection could be more consistent, but he has all the natural tools and is developing for Tampa.

Top Scorers

• Top Offensive Guard: Marshal Yanda, Baltimore Ravens
• Best Pass-Blocker: Marshal Yanda, Baltimore Ravens
• Best Run-Blocker: Marshal Yanda, Baltimore Ravens
• Most Powerful: Trai Turner, Carolina Panthers
• Most Agile: Joe Thuney, New England Patriots

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 Midseason Offensive Guard Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr
1	Marshal Yanda	BAL	19.6	20.2	17.6	16.0	7	80.4
2	B.J. Finney	PIT	18.0	21.0	17.0	17.0	7	80.0
3	Zack Martin	DAL	19.1	20.0	17.6	15.7	7	79.4
4	Josh Sitton	CHI	18.0	18.5	17.2	16.8	7	77.5
5	Kelechi Osemele	OAK	17.3	19.5	18.1	14.6	7	76.5
6	Trai Turner	CAR	17.4	18.4	18.6	14.9	7	76.3
7	Mike Iupati	ARI	19.3	17.7	17.9	14.1	7	76.0
8	Derek Newton	HOU	19.0	17.0	17.0	16.0	7	76.0
9	Andrew Norwell	CAR	17.9	18.6	17.3	15.0	7	75.7
10	Evan Mathis	ARI	18.3	18.5	16.3	15.3	7	75.3
11	Richie Incognito	BUF	18.1	18.3	17.6	14.3	7	75.3
12	Justin Pugh	NYG	18.1	16.7	16.6	16.6	7	75.0
13	T.J. Lang	GB	18.3	17.4	16.6	15.6	7	74.9
14	Joel Bitonio	CLE	17.8	16.6	16.2	17.2	7	74.8
15	Kyle Long	CHI	17.6	17.3	16.0	16.9	7	74.7
16	Jack Mewhort	IND	18.2	17.8	17.0	14.7	7	74.7
17	Brandon Brooks	PHI	17.6	16.6	15.7	17.4	7	74.3
18	Brandon Scherff	WAS	17.4	17.1	17.1	15.4	7	74.0
19	Clint Boling	CIN	17.3	17.0	16.8	15.6	7	73.6
20	Andrus Peat	NO	16.3	17.7	16.3	16.0	7	73.3
21	Kevin Zeitler	CIN	17.0	16.9	17.3	15.1	7	73.3
22	Allen Barbre	PHI	17.0	17.2	15.7	16.2	7	73.0
23	Laremy Tunsil	MIA	17.0	17.0	15.0	16.8	7	72.8
24	Andy Levitre	ATL	17.9	16.9	16.6	14.4	7	72.8
25	Gabe Jackson	OAK	16.8	17.4	17.5	14.1	7	72.8
26	Ali Marpet	TB	16.7	16.4	15.9	16.7	7	72.7
27	Ronald Leary	DAL	17.2	17.6	16.4	14.4	7	72.6
28	David DeCastro	PIT	16.9	16.3	16.3	16.0	7	72.4
29	John Miller	BUF	16.0	17.8	17.1	14.4	7	72.3
30	Ramon Foster	PIT	18.0	16.5	17.5	13.2	7	72.2
31	Chris Chester	ATL	16.0	17.3	16.5	14.6	7	71.4
32	Quinton Spain	TEN	15.7	18.1	17.3	13.1	7	71.3
33	Alex Boone	MIN	16.1	15.7	16.9	15.6	7	71.3
34	John Greco	CLE	16.1	17.1	16.3	14.7	7	71.3
35	Joe Thuney	NE	16.9	15.4	14.5	17.5	7	71.3
36	Larry Warford	DET	16.1	17.1	17.3	13.6	7	71.1
37	James Carpenter	NYJ	16.6	16.8	16.9	13.9	7	71.1
38	Orlando Franklin	SD	16.0	17.3	17.5	13.3	7	71.0
39	Chris Reed	JAX	18.0	15.0	16.0	15.0	7	71.0
40	Jeremiah Sirles	MIN	16.0	18.0	16.0	14.0	7	71.0
41	Andrew Tiller	SF	16.8	17.0	17.0	13.0	7	70.8
42	Rodger Saffold	LA	16.7	15.9	15.9	15.1	7	70.6
43	Ryan Jensen	BAL	16.3	16.3	16.3	14.5	7	70.3
44	Lane Taylor	GB	16.9	15.4	15.6	15.3	7	70.1
45	Mark Glowinski	SEA	14.7	16.3	15.3	16.7	7	70.0
46	Ted Karras	NE	15.5	17.5	17.0	13.0	7	70.0
47	Jah Reid	KC	16.0	16.0	15.0	16.0	7	70.0
48	Eric Kush	CHI	15.0	17.0	16.5	14.5	7	70.0
49	Stefen Wisniewski	PHI	17.0	16.0	16.0	14.0	7	70.0
50	D.J. Fluker	SD	15.6	16.4	17.1	13.8	7	69.9
51	Laurent Duvernay-Tardif	KC	16.2	15.6	14.2	16.8	7	69.8
52	J'Marcus Webb	SEA	15.3	16.0	17.3	14.0	7	69.7
53	Josh Kline	TEN	16.2	16.3	15.8	14.3	7	69.7
54	John Jerry	NYG	16.9	15.1	16.4	14.1	7	69.6
55	Kevin Pamphile	TB	16.0	16.0	16.7	13.9	7	69.6
56	Max Garcia	DEN	15.6	17.1	17.0	12.8	7	69.5
57	Xavier Su'a-Filo	HOU	14.9	16.8	15.9	14.9	7	69.4
58	Graham Glasgow	DET	15.5	16.0	16.8	14.0	7	69.3
59	Jeff Allen	HOU	15.1	16.7	16.9	13.4	7	69.1
60	Shaq Mason	NE	15.1	15.7	15.7	15.6	7	69.1
61	Shawn Lauvao	WAS	15.4	16.3	16.6	13.7	7	69.0
62	Brian Winters	NYJ	16.1	15.1	15.9	14.9	7	69.0
63	Alex Lewis	BAL	17.7	14.3	14.7	15.3	7	69.0
64	Darrion Weems	DEN	14.5	17.5	17.5	12.5	7	69.0
65	Zac Kerin	MIN	16.0	16.0	15.0	15.0	7	69.0
66	Tim Lelito	NO	15.0	16.8	16.0	14.0	7	68.8
67	Denzelle Good	IND	15.0	16.2	17.0	13.5	7	68.7
68	A.J. Cann	JAX	15.7	15.5	16.5	14.0	7	68.7
69	Laken Tomlinson	DET	15.3	15.3	15.7	15.2	7	68.5
70	Brent Qvale	NYJ	16.5	14.0	15.5	15.5	7	68.5
71	Brian Schwenke	TEN	15.5	16.5	16.0	13.5	7	68.5
72	Jermon Bushrod	MIA	14.3	15.7	16.6	14.9	7	68.4
73	John Urschel	BAL	15.0	16.0	17.0	13.3	7	68.3
74	Zane Beadles	SF	16.3	14.4	14.9	15.3	7	67.9
75	Senio Kelemete	NO	14.3	16.3	16.5	13.8	7	67.8
76	Jamon Brown	LA	14.7	16.7	16.3	13.0	7	67.7
77	Jonotthan Harrison	IND	14.3	15.7	17.0	13.3	7	67.3
78	Michael Schofield	DEN	15.4	14.9	15.1	14.7	7	67.1
79	Jahri Evans	NO	15.4	15.9	16.6	12.3	7	67.1
80	La'el Collins	DAL	14.7	14.0	17.3	14.0	7	67.0
81	Spencer Pulley	SD	13.0	16.0	15.0	16.0	7	67.0
82	Zach Fulton	KC	15.0	15.8	16.0	13.0	7	66.8
83	Brandon Fusco	MIN	15.2	14.3	15.0	15.2	7	66.7
84	Patrick Omameh	JAX	15.5	15.0	15.8	13.3	7	66.5
85	Spencer Drango	CLE	14.5	15.0	15.5	14.5	7	66.5
86	Ted Larsen	CHI	15.5	15.0	15.0	14.0	7	66.5
87	Parker Ehinger	KC	14.3	15.8	16.0	13.3	7	66.3
88	Alvin Bailey	CLE	14.5	14.3	15.5	15.0	7	66.3
89	Cody Wichmann	LA	15.8	14.0	14.8	14.4	7	66.0
90	Wesley Johnson	NYJ	15.0	14.0	15.0	15.0	7	66.0
91	Jordan Devey	KC	17.0	13.0	17.0	12.0	7	66.0
92	Oday Aboushi	HOU	15.0	16.0	15.0	13.0	7	66.0
93	Joe Haeg	IND	14.3	13.7	14.3	16.3	7	65.7
94	Germain Ifedi	SEA	12.5	16.3	16.8	12.8	7	65.3
95	Kenny Wiggins	SD	15.0	14.0	15.0	14.0	7	65.0
96	John Wetzel	ARI	15.5	15.0	13.0	14.5	7	65.0
97	Arie Kouandjio	WAS	13.5	15.5	15.5	13.0	7	64.5
98	Earl Watford	ARI	13.3	15.2	16.2	12.5	7	64.2
99	Joshua Garnett	SF	14.0	14.0	15.5	13.5	7	64.0
100	Luke Joeckel	JAX	13.3	13.7	13.7	15.0	7	62.7
101	Billy Turner	MIA	13.0	12.0	13.0	16.0	7	61.0
102	Dallas Thomas	MIA	13.0	12.0	14.0	15.0	7	61.0
103	Austin Blythe	IND	10.0	15.0	15.0	11.0	7	58.0

Centers

Brian Bahr/Getty Images

It’s mainly been Travis Frederick and then everyone else at center.

Frederick’s work in the run game has been exceptional, and his level of functional strength is unmatched at the position. The chemistry between him, Ronald Leary and Zack Martin is special. It's allowed the Cowboys offense to operate at an impressive clip with a rookie quarterback (Dak Prescott) and running back (Ezekiel Elliott) and an injured star wide receiver (Dez Bryant).

It's rare to see a position group hyped as much as the Cowboys offensive line is, but in this case it is justified.

Top Scorers

• Top Center: Travis Frederick, Dallas Cowboys
• Best Pass-Blocker: Travis Frederick, Dallas Cowboys
• Best Run-Blocker: Travis Frederick, Dallas Cowboys
• Most Powerful: Rodney Hudson, Oakland Raiders
• Most Agile: Ryan Kelly, Indianapolis Colts

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 Midseason Center Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr
1	Travis Frederick	DAL	18.7	19.7	17.4	15.1	6	76.9
2	Ryan Kelly	IND	17.8	17.3	16.4	16.6	6	74.0
3	Travis Swanson	DET	17.6	17.8	16.5	15.6	6	73.5
4	Matt Paradis	DEN	17.5	18.0	15.6	15.9	6	73.0
5	Ryan Kalil	CAR	17.4	17.6	16.0	15.7	6	72.7
6	Rodney Hudson	OAK	17.4	17.5	17.6	14.1	6	72.6
7	Alex Mack	ATL	17.0	17.9	16.8	14.6	6	72.3
8	Mike Pouncey	MIA	16.5	17.3	16.5	16.0	6	72.3
9	Brandon Linder	JAX	17.5	17.0	16.5	15.0	6	72.0
10	Joe Berger	MIN	17.0	17.7	16.4	14.7	6	71.9
11	Cody Whitehair	CHI	16.9	17.3	15.1	16.4	6	71.6
12	Eric Wood	BUF	16.3	17.5	16.6	15.1	6	71.5
13	Maurkice Pouncey	PIT	17.2	16.5	16.0	15.8	6	71.5
14	J.C. Tretter	GB	17.7	16.4	15.3	16.0	6	71.4
15	Justin Britt	SEA	16.6	17.1	15.3	16.1	6	71.1
16	Weston Richburg	NYG	17.9	16.1	15.4	15.1	6	70.6
17	Max Unger	NO	17.7	16.6	15.3	14.9	6	70.4
18	Matt Slauson	SD	16.4	17.4	16.5	13.8	6	70.0
19	Mitch Morse	KC	16.4	16.4	14.0	16.6	6	69.4
20	Jason Kelce	PHI	16.1	16.7	14.4	16.1	6	69.4
21	Spencer Long	WAS	16.0	17.0	16.0	14.4	6	69.4
22	Greg Mancz	HOU	16.3	17.6	15.9	13.6	6	69.4
23	Nick Mangold	NYJ	17.0	18.2	17.0	11.2	6	69.4
24	John Greco	CLE	14.5	17.0	17.0	14.5	6	69.0
25	Gino Gradkowski	CAR	15.0	20.0	16.0	12.0	6	69.0
26	David Andrews	NE	17.4	15.9	14.8	14.5	6	68.5
27	Brett Jones	NYG	16.0	16.0	15.0	15.0	6	68.0
28	Wesley Johnson	NYJ	17.3	15.3	15.3	14.0	6	68.0
29	Ben Jones	TEN	15.5	17.3	15.5	13.4	6	67.6
30	A.Q. Shipley	ARI	16.1	16.3	14.9	14.4	6	67.6
31	Daniel Kilgore	SF	16.6	14.7	15.4	14.9	6	67.6
32	Jeremy Zuttah	BAL	15.6	16.4	14.7	14.6	6	67.3
33	Joe Hawley	TB	15.0	16.4	14.6	14.1	6	66.1
34	Cameron Erving	CLE	14.2	15.6	14.4	15.8	6	66.0
35	Kory Lichtensteiger	WAS	15.3	16.3	13.7	14.7	6	66.0
36	Tyler Shatley	JAX	14.0	17.0	16.0	13.0	6	66.0
37	Austin Reiter	CLE	17.0	15.0	12.0	16.0	6	66.0
38	Kraig Urbik	MIA	16.0	17.0	12.0	15.0	6	66.0
39	Russell Bodine	CIN	15.8	16.3	15.4	12.0	6	65.4
40	Anthony Steen	MIA	16.0	15.3	14.3	13.7	6	65.3
41	Tim Barnes	LA	15.4	15.1	15.6	12.9	6	65.0
42	T.J. Johnson	CIN	13.0	14.0	15.0	14.0	6	62.0

3-4 Defensive Ends

William Hauser-USA TODAY Sports

There aren't many surprises among the 3-4 defensive ends. That's if you expected Joey Bosa to look like J.J. Watt after the Chargers rookie missed the first few weeks.

Besides that, it's the usual names.

The 3-4 position has evolved. It used to be the big, run-defending bodies who didn't play on passing downs. Now, you have a mix of talents suited for defensive tackle, outside linebacker and 4-3 end, but their teams find a way to use them effectively.

It has been a pleasure to watch Green Bay's Mike Daniels blossom into a premier interior defender, Baltimore's Timmy Jernigan become an impact player and Tennessee's Karl Klug become one of the most disruptive players in a limited role.

Top Scorers

• Top 3-4 Defensive End: Muhammad Wilkerson, New York Jets
• Best Snap Explosion: Joey Bosa, San Diego Chargers
• Best Pass-Rusher: Muhammad Wilkerson, New York Jets
• Best Run Defender: Muhammad Wilkerson, New York Jets
• Best Tackler: Muhammad Wilkerson, New York Jets

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 Midseason 3-4 Defensive End Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Snap	Rush	Run	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Muhammad Wilkerson	NYJ	13.0	20.0	25.0	18.0	7	82.0
2	Joey Bosa	SD	14.0	19.0	20.0	14.0	7	73.5
3	Calais Campbell	ARI	12.0	17.1	20.6	15.9	7	71.8
4	Emmanuel Ogbah	CLE	12.0	14.0	22.0	15.0	7	70.0
5	Mike Daniels	GB	11.9	17.6	19.3	14.3	7	69.1
6	Cameron Heyward	PIT	13.0	16.2	20.2	13.4	7	68.8
7	Timmy Jernigan	BAL	10.4	16.3	19.7	14.4	7	66.9
8	DeForest Buckner	SF	11.7	15.0	19.3	14.8	7	66.8
9	Derek Wolfe	DEN	10.8	17.1	18.9	13.6	7	66.5
10	Jurrell Casey	TEN	10.6	17.4	18.9	13.1	7	66.1
11	Jadeveon Clowney	HOU	13.0	15.7	18.3	12.7	7	65.8
12	J.J. Watt	HOU	12.3	17.0	16.3	13.3	7	65.0
13	Zach Kerr	IND	9.5	15.0	19.0	15.5	7	65.0
14	Stephon Tuitt	PIT	10.9	14.9	19.1	13.4	7	64.3
15	Chris Baker	WAS	10.0	15.5	18.8	13.6	7	64.0
16	Cornelius Washington	CHI	10.5	16.8	16.0	14.0	7	63.5
17	Akiem Hicks	CHI	10.4	15.7	17.4	13.7	7	63.4
18	Tenny Palepoi	SD	9.3	14.7	19.7	13.3	7	63.3
19	Jaye Howard	KC	10.1	14.9	19.0	13.1	7	63.3
20	Karl Klug	TEN	11.6	15.1	17.8	12.6	7	63.3
21	Ziggy Hood	WAS	10.5	14.8	17.9	13.6	7	62.9
22	Arik Armstead	SF	11.0	15.6	16.7	13.1	7	62.4
23	Corey Liuget	SD	10.3	14.9	17.9	12.8	7	61.9
24	Jared Crick	DEN	9.1	14.6	18.5	13.3	7	61.6
25	Josh Mauro	ARI	10.3	14.0	16.5	14.0	7	61.0
26	Xavier Cooper	CLE	10.4	14.6	16.7	12.9	7	60.7
27	Mike Pennel	GB	9.7	13.7	16.7	14.3	7	60.7
28	Robert Nkemdiche	ARI	11.7	13.7	16.3	12.3	7	60.3
29	Chris Jones	KC	10.5	14.5	17.2	11.7	7	60.0
30	Leger Douzable	BUF	9.4	14.6	16.5	13.0	7	59.6
31	Carl Nassib	CLE	10.5	14.5	15.5	12.8	7	59.5
32	Frostee Rucker	ARI	10.0	14.0	16.6	12.6	7	59.4
33	Ricky Jean-Francois	WAS	9.0	13.9	17.0	13.4	7	59.4
34	Mitch Unrein	CHI	8.9	13.9	16.8	13.4	7	59.0
35	Jonathan Bullard	CHI	9.8	14.0	16.0	13.0	7	59.0
36	Quinton Dial	SF	8.8	13.5	17.5	13.0	7	58.8
37	Dean Lowry	GB	9.0	14.0	16.3	13.5	7	58.8
38	Adolphus Washington	BUF	9.3	14.3	16.5	12.2	7	58.5
39	Denico Autry	OAK	8.9	14.3	16.4	12.6	7	58.3
40	Jamie Meder	CLE	7.1	13.4	17.7	13.6	7	58.0
41	Lawrence Guy	BAL	7.9	12.9	17.9	13.0	7	57.6
42	Brent Urban	BAL	8.5	12.5	19.0	11.5	7	57.5
43	Antonio Smith	HOU	9.5	14.3	15.5	12.0	7	57.5
44	Tony Jerod-Eddie	SF	8.5	13.0	16.0	14.0	7	57.5
45	Angelo Blackson	TEN	8.6	12.4	17.8	12.4	7	57.4
46	Stephen Paea	CLE	9.0	13.0	18.0	11.0	7	57.0
47	Arthur Jones	IND	9.0	12.0	17.0	12.0	7	57.0
48	DaQuan Jones	TEN	9.1	12.9	17.3	11.1	7	56.5
49	Ricardo Mathews	PIT	8.6	12.4	17.2	11.8	7	56.0
50	Henry Anderson	IND	8.3	14.3	15.8	11.8	7	56.0
51	Devon Still	HOU	8.0	11.0	19.0	12.0	7	56.0
52	Taylor Hart	SF	8.0	14.0	16.0	12.0	7	56.0
53	Billy Winn	DEN	8.3	12.1	17.1	11.9	7	55.6
54	Kendall Langford	IND	7.8	13.2	15.8	12.7	7	55.5
55	Christian Covington	HOU	8.0	11.9	16.7	11.9	7	54.6
56	Ed Stinson	ARI	8.0	12.0	16.0	12.0	7	54.0
57	Letroy Guion	GB	8.0	10.0	15.0	14.0	7	53.0
58	Adam Gotsis	DEN	8.0	10.0	16.0	13.0	7	53.0
59	Jihad Ward	OAK	7.3	11.8	15.8	12.0	7	52.8
60	Allen Bailey	KC	8.2	11.8	15.0	11.0	7	52.0
61	Darius Philon	SD	7.5	11.8	15.3	11.5	7	52.0
62	Kendall Reyes	WAS	7.0	12.0	12.0	11.0	7	48.0

4-3 Defensive Ends

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

The haves and have-nots in the NFL in terms of pass-rushers are clear.

The Minnesota Vikings have two of our top seven pass-rushers, while the Seattle Seahawks have three of the top six. This should be no surprise, as both teams have emphasized athleticism at the position.

Eight of the nine best 4-3 ends are plus-athletes who were selected in the first four rounds of the draft, the only time those rare traits are available. The undrafted Michael Bennett, as always, is the exception to the rule with his interior-based game as a hybrid player.

Some of the disappointments this year include the pairing of Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon in New York. While they rank just outside the top 10, they're being paid to be better.

Los Angeles' Robert Quinn, who is the second-highest-paid 4-3 defensive end in the NFL, based on average annual salary, has been solid when healthy enough to see the field. The third-highest-paid 4-3 end, Cameron Jordan, has struggled in New Orleans relative to his contract. Ezekiel Ansah, who has been battling ankle issues in Detroit, is another edge defender with the arrow pointing down.

Some risers are Atlanta's Derrick Shelby, before he was placed on injured reserve; Vic Beasley, who is now third in the league in sacks with 7.5; and Detroit's Kerry Hyder, who quietly might be a splash restricted free-agent option next offseason.

Top Scorers

• Top 4-3 Defensive End: Brandon Graham, Philadelphia Eagles
• Best Pass-Rusher: Everson Griffen, Minnesota Vikings
• Best Run Defender: Brandon Graham, Philadelphia Eagles
• Best Snap Explosion: Robert Quinn, Los Angeles Rams
• Best Tackler: Brandon Graham, Philadelphia Eagles

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 Midseason 4-3 Defensive End Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Rush	Run	Snap	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Brandon Graham	PHI	18.6	16.4	16.0	14.7	8	72.9
2	Everson Griffen	MIN	19.4	15.4	16.3	14.6	8	72.9
3	Michael Bennett	SEA	17.8	18.0	14.5	14.7	8	72.0
4	Cliff Avril	SEA	18.7	15.0	16.3	14.3	8	71.4
5	Robert Quinn	LA	18.8	14.2	16.8	14.2	8	71.0
6	Frank Clark	SEA	18.7	15.0	16.2	13.8	8	70.8
7	Danielle Hunter	MIN	18.1	14.7	15.9	13.3	8	69.1
8	Khalil Mack	OAK	17.7	15.1	15.1	13.9	8	69.0
9	Carlos Dunlap	CIN	19.5	14.9	13.8	13.5	8	68.8
10	Jabaal Sheard	NE	17.9	15.1	14.3	13.4	8	67.8
11	Olivier Vernon	NYG	17.0	15.7	14.6	13.3	8	67.6
12	Jason Pierre-Paul	NYG	17.3	15.3	14.3	13.4	8	67.3
13	Ezekiel Ansah	DET	17.0	13.3	15.0	14.5	8	67.0
14	Derrick Shelby	ATL	14.7	15.7	14.7	15.0	8	67.0
15	Kerry Hyder	DET	17.6	15.0	12.8	13.9	8	66.4
16	Charles Johnson	CAR	15.4	16.0	13.4	13.9	8	65.9
17	Vic Beasley	ATL	16.3	13.3	15.9	13.3	8	65.8
18	Cameron Jordan	NO	17.1	14.9	13.6	13.0	8	65.7
19	Brian Robison	MIN	15.7	14.9	13.7	13.9	8	65.3
20	Sheldon Richardson	NYJ	16.0	16.3	11.7	14.1	8	65.3
21	Dante Fowler	JAX	16.3	14.0	14.0	13.6	8	65.0
22	Armonty Bryant	DET	17.5	13.3	13.3	13.5	8	64.8
23	Cameron Wake	MIA	17.3	12.4	15.4	12.4	8	64.6
24	Devin Taylor	DET	15.3	15.1	13.3	13.8	8	64.5
25	Chris Long	NE	15.5	15.3	13.6	12.9	8	64.4
26	Connor Barwin	PHI	15.9	13.7	14.6	13.0	8	64.3
27	Dwight Freeney	ATL	16.9	12.4	15.1	12.6	8	64.1
28	Yannick Ngakoue	JAX	15.4	13.7	14.7	13.0	8	64.0
29	Muhammad Wilkerson	NYJ	15.5	15.5	12.5	13.3	8	64.0
30	Tyrone Crawford	DAL	15.8	14.2	12.7	14.2	8	64.0
31	Trey Flowers	NE	15.6	15.9	12.3	13.0	8	63.9
32	William Hayes	LA	14.8	15.2	12.8	14.0	8	63.8
33	Marcus Smith	PHI	15.5	13.3	14.0	13.8	8	63.8
34	Adrian Clayborn	ATL	15.9	14.1	12.8	13.8	8	63.6
35	Noah Spence	TB	15.7	12.6	14.7	13.0	8	63.1
36	Brooks Reed	ATL	14.8	13.8	13.0	14.2	8	63.0
37	Robert Ayers	TB	15.3	13.7	13.3	12.7	8	62.3
38	Brandon Copeland	DET	14.8	14.3	12.5	13.5	8	62.3
39	Jack Crawford	DAL	15.3	13.4	13.6	12.6	8	62.0
40	Vinny Curry	PHI	14.9	13.7	12.7	13.6	8	62.0
41	Ryan Davis	DAL	15.0	13.7	12.3	14.0	8	62.0
42	Andre Branch	MIA	14.3	15.0	12.9	12.7	8	61.9
43	Cassius Marsh	SEA	15.7	13.0	13.5	12.5	8	61.8
44	Kony Ealy	CAR	14.7	13.7	13.0	13.1	8	61.7
45	William Gholston	TB	14.1	14.9	11.7	13.6	8	61.4
46	Paul Kruger	NO	14.7	13.3	13.2	13.0	8	61.3
47	Ethan Westbrooks	LA	15.5	14.3	12.3	12.2	8	61.3
48	Lavar Edwards	CAR	13.3	15.3	12.7	13.0	8	61.3
49	Howard Jones	TB	15.5	13.3	12.8	12.5	8	61.3
50	Davonte Lambert	TB	14.2	14.0	12.8	13.0	8	61.2
51	Mario Williams	MIA	15.3	14.6	12.7	11.6	8	61.1
52	Lorenzo Mauldin	NYJ	15.4	13.3	13.3	12.0	8	61.1
53	David Irving	DAL	16.0	12.4	12.8	12.6	8	61.0
54	Shilique Calhoun	OAK	15.3	13.3	13.3	12.0	8	61.0
55	Shaq Lawson	BUF	16.0	14.0	12.0	12.0	8	61.0
56	Benson Mayowa	DAL	14.9	12.4	12.7	13.1	8	60.3
57	Darryl Tapp	NO	15.2	13.2	12.4	12.2	8	60.2
58	Kerry Wynn	NYG	14.5	14.0	12.0	12.5	8	60.0
59	Matt Longacre	LA	13.5	14.3	12.5	12.8	8	60.0
60	Jason Jones	MIA	15.5	14.0	11.5	12.0	8	60.0
61	Eugene Sims	LA	13.5	13.7	12.2	13.2	8	59.5
62	Michael Johnson	CIN	15.0	13.7	11.3	12.0	8	59.3
63	Will Clarke	CIN	14.6	13.4	12.3	11.7	8	59.1
64	Chris Smith	JAX	14.0	13.0	11.0	13.0	8	59.0
65	Mario Addison	CAR	13.9	12.4	12.9	12.6	8	58.9
66	Margus Hunt	CIN	14.4	14.3	11.3	11.6	8	58.6
67	Jared Odrick	JAX	12.8	15.3	10.5	13.0	8	58.5
68	Owa Odighizuwa	NYG	13.5	13.0	12.5	12.0	8	58.0
69	Kasim Edebali	NO	14.0	12.4	12.2	12.0	8	57.8
70	Anthony Zettel	DET	13.7	11.7	12.7	12.7	8	57.7
71	Ryan Delaire	CAR	12.5	13.5	13.0	11.5	8	57.5
72	Michael Johnson	CIN	12.8	13.8	11.8	11.8	8	57.2
73	Romeo Okwara	NYG	13.5	13.3	11.0	12.3	8	57.0
74	Channing Ward	TB	14.0	13.0	11.0	11.5	8	56.5
75	Denico Autry	OAK	12.0	14.0	11.0	13.0	8	56.0
76	Terrence Fede	MIA	12.0	14.0	11.0	12.0	8	56.0
77	Jason Jones	MIA	13.4	12.6	10.8	12.0	8	55.8
78	Morgan Fox	LA	14.0	11.0	11.0	11.0	8	54.0
79	Wallace Gilberry	DET	10.5	12.5	9.3	11.8	8	51.0

Defensive Tackles

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Despite not having the statistical dominance he had last season, Carolina's Kawann Short had another strong first half. He's been disruptive up front, but the secondary woes for the Panthers have been too much to overcome. Hopefully, Short will start turning his pressures into sacks and begin stuffing the stat sheet.

St. Louis' Aaron Donald has been the best defensive tackle, as he's constantly detonating interior offensive lines. Philadelphia's Fletcher Cox had two of his worst games this season against Washington and Dallas, but he's been spectacular otherwise. Geno Atkins, Kyle Williams, Gerald McCoy and Nick Fairley are familiar names who round out the top 10.

Three second-year defensive tackles have had impressive starts: New England's Malcom Brown, Atlanta's Grady Jarrett and the Jets' Leonard Williams. Brown finished ranked first in Week 5 for his performance against the Cleveland Browns. Jarrett ranked second in Week 6 for his game against the Seattle Seahawks. Williams has been a key cog for the Jets' stifling run defense, which is giving up just 3.3 yards per carry, a number that's tied for first in the NFL.

The rookie defensive tackle class was lauded for having phenomenal top-end talent, mid-round depth and a few diamonds in the rough.

Green Bay's Kenny Clark (first-round pick from UCLA), New England's Vincent Valentine (third-round pick from Nebraska) and Baltimore's Michael Pierce (undrafted free agent from Samford) have all been studs. Pierce and teammate Brandon Williams pair to make one of the most physically imposing fronts in football.

Marcell Dareus, Sharrif Floyd, Sheldon Rankins and Eddie Goldman are talented players who have yet to make their impact on the 2016 season.

Top Scorers

• Top Defensive Tackle: Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams
• Best Snap Explosion: Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams
• Best Pass-Rusher: Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams
• Best Run Defender: Brandon Williams, Baltimore Ravens
• Best Tackler: Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams

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 Midseason Defensive Tackle Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Snap	Rush	Run	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Aaron Donald	LA	22.1	20.6	21.0	14.7	6	84.4
2	Fletcher Cox	PHI	20.6	20.1	20.1	14.1	6	81.1
3	Kawann Short	CAR	19.3	18.1	21.0	14.4	6	79.0
4	Sharrif Floyd	MIN	21.0	19.0	20.0	13.0	6	79.0
5	Ndamukong Suh	MIA	19.9	18.3	20.1	14.3	6	78.6
6	Geno Atkins	CIN	19.9	19.0	18.9	13.8	6	77.6
7	Kyle Williams	BUF	18.4	18.4	20.4	14.2	6	77.4
8	Gerald McCoy	TB	18.8	18.0	20.2	14.2	6	77.3
9	Nick Fairley	NO	19.2	18.0	19.2	14.2	6	76.7
10	Dontari Poe	KC	19.2	17.4	20.0	13.8	6	76.4
11	Malcom Brown	NE	17.8	17.8	19.3	13.9	6	74.8
12	Linval Joseph	MIN	17.4	15.7	20.7	14.3	6	74.3
13	Grady Jarrett	ATL	18.8	16.1	19.4	13.9	6	74.3
14	Leonard Williams	NYJ	18.0	16.5	19.6	14.0	6	74.3
15	Michael Brockers	LA	17.4	17.0	20.2	13.4	6	74.0
16	Brandon Williams	BAL	17.4	15.1	21.3	13.7	6	73.6
17	Johnathan Hankins	NYG	17.7	16.4	19.1	13.9	6	73.1
18	Kyle Williams	BUF	18.7	16.3	17.7	13.3	6	72.3
19	Brandon Mebane	SD	16.9	15.1	20.3	13.8	6	72.1
20	Damon Harrison	NYG	16.9	15.0	20.0	14.0	6	71.9
21	Malik Jackson	JAX	17.7	17.5	17.5	13.0	6	71.8
22	Roy Miller	JAX	16.7	13.3	21.8	14.0	6	71.8
23	Alan Branch	NE	16.9	15.9	19.3	13.4	6	71.5
24	Terrell McClain	DAL	17.3	16.2	18.5	13.3	6	71.5
25	Bennie Logan	PHI	17.0	16.8	18.4	12.8	6	71.0
26	Tom Johnson	MIN	18.0	18.0	16.1	12.6	6	70.9
27	Star Lotulelei	CAR	17.3	16.4	18.0	13.0	6	70.9
28	Jack Crawford	DAL	17.5	18.0	16.0	13.0	6	70.5
29	Dominique Easley	LA	19.0	16.6	16.4	11.9	6	69.9
30	Tyrone Crawford	DAL	17.0	15.5	18.5	12.5	6	69.5
31	Steve McLendon	NYJ	16.4	14.8	18.9	13.1	6	69.3
32	Vernon Butler	CAR	16.7	16.7	16.7	12.7	6	68.7
33	Clinton McDonald	TB	15.8	14.8	18.5	13.3	6	68.3
34	Corbin Bryant	BUF	16.4	15.9	17.1	12.6	6	68.0
35	Vincent Valentine	NE	16.4	15.2	17.2	13.0	6	68.0
36	Kenny Clark	GB	16.8	15.3	17.2	12.3	6	67.8
37	Akiem Hicks	CHI	15.5	16.0	17.5	12.5	6	67.5
38	Ra'Shede Hageman	ATL	16.5	14.5	17.3	12.7	6	67.0
39	Michael Pierce	BAL	16.0	14.2	18.4	12.4	6	67.0
40	Danny Shelton	CLE	15.4	14.0	18.6	12.8	6	66.9
41	Jarran Reed	SEA	15.5	14.8	17.5	12.2	6	66.2
42	Earl Mitchell	MIA	15.0	17.0	16.0	12.0	6	66.0
43	Letroy Guion	GB	15.8	15.0	17.0	11.8	6	65.8
44	Corey Peters	ARI	16.3	14.0	16.3	12.7	6	65.7
45	Sen'Derrick Marks	JAX	17.5	14.5	16.0	11.0	6	65.5
46	Maliek Collins	DAL	16.6	14.6	16.3	11.9	6	65.4
47	Caraun Reid	SD	15.6	14.6	17.0	12.1	6	65.3
48	Haloti Ngata	DET	15.4	15.0	16.8	12.0	6	65.2
49	Cam Thomas	LA	14.0	14.0	19.0	12.0	6	65.0
50	Ahtyba Rubin	SEA	14.6	14.3	17.1	12.7	6	64.9
51	Rodney Gunter	ARI	15.6	14.6	16.7	11.7	6	64.7
52	Jay Bromley	NYG	15.7	15.3	15.5	12.0	6	64.5
53	Jordan Phillips	MIA	16.0	16.5	15.0	11.0	6	64.5
54	Cedric Thornton	DAL	16.0	14.3	16.1	11.7	6	64.3
55	Domata Peko	CIN	15.0	14.5	16.5	11.8	6	63.9
56	Tyson Alualu	JAX	15.8	15.2	15.2	11.4	6	63.8
57	Khyri Thornton	DET	15.0	16.0	14.0	12.0	6	63.5
58	Kyle Love	CAR	16.3	13.7	15.7	11.3	6	63.3
59	Paul Soliai	CAR	14.8	12.6	17.6	11.8	6	63.0
60	Stephen Paea	CLE	16.0	13.0	16.0	11.0	6	63.0
61	Tony McDaniel	SEA	15.1	13.4	16.1	11.9	6	62.7
62	Sylvester Williams	DEN	15.4	13.9	15.9	11.4	6	62.6
63	Jordan Philips	MIA	15.6	13.8	15.4	11.6	6	62.4
64	Jonathan Babineaux	ATL	15.6	14.3	14.6	11.8	6	62.4
65	Shamar Stephen	MIN	15.0	13.8	15.5	11.7	6	62.2
66	Jordan Hill	SEA	15.0	13.0	16.0	12.0	6	62.0
67	Sheldon Day	JAX	16.3	14.7	14.0	11.0	6	62.0
68	Vince Wilfork	HOU	14.6	13.3	15.9	12.0	6	61.9
69	Beau Allen	PHI	15.1	14.1	15.6	10.9	6	61.9
70	Adolphus Washington	BUF	14.4	14.2	16.0	11.2	6	61.8
71	Stacy McGee	OAK	15.5	14.0	14.5	11.3	6	61.3
72	Tyson Jackson	ATL	13.5	13.0	16.6	12.0	6	61.3
73	A'Shawn Robinson	DET	14.6	14.0	14.6	11.6	6	61.0
74	Chris Jones	MIA	14.0	16.0	13.0	12.0	6	61.0
75	Akeem Spence	TB	14.4	13.3	15.6	11.4	6	60.9
76	Hassan Ridgeway	IND	15.5	13.4	14.5	11.3	6	60.8
77	Abry Jones	JAX	14.1	13.3	15.6	11.1	6	60.3
78	Javon Hargrave	PIT	14.6	14.1	14.1	11.3	6	60.1
79	Julius Warmsley	MIA	14.3	14.0	15.0	10.7	6	60.0
80	Jarvis Jenkins	NYJ	14.0	13.0	16.0	11.0	6	60.0
81	Tyrunn Walker	DET	14.5	13.8	14.5	11.0	6	60.0
82	David Onyemata	NO	14.5	13.7	14.3	11.2	6	59.8
83	Courtney Upshaw	ATL	14.2	13.2	15.0	11.2	6	59.8
84	D.J. Reader	HOU	14.8	13.2	14.5	11.0	6	59.7
85	Zach Kerr	IND	15.1	13.5	13.8	11.0	6	59.5
86	Tyeler Davison	NO	14.3	14.2	13.7	11.2	6	59.5
87	Pat Sims	CIN	14.0	13.0	15.5	10.8	6	59.5
88	Will Sutton	CHI	15.0	12.7	15.0	10.5	6	59.3
89	Jihad Ward	OAK	14.0	13.0	14.4	11.0	6	58.6
90	Adam Gotsis	DEN	13.5	13.3	15.3	10.5	6	58.5
91	John Jenkins	NO	14.2	13.0	13.8	10.8	6	57.8
92	Justin Ellis	OAK	13.4	13.0	14.1	10.7	6	57.4
93	Cullen Jenkins	WAS	14.6	13.1	13.0	10.3	6	57.1
94	David Parry	IND	13.6	12.9	13.0	11.4	6	57.0
95	Quinton Jefferson	SEA	14.0	14.0	12.0	11.0	6	57.0
96	Darius Latham	OAK	13.9	12.7	13.1	11.1	6	57.0
97	Al Woods	TEN	14.5	12.0	13.8	10.2	6	56.7
98	Dan Williams	OAK	13.5	12.5	13.0	11.4	6	56.5
99	Matt Catapano	NYJ	14.0	11.0	14.0	10.0	6	56.0
100	Mike Purcell	SF	13.4	11.7	12.3	9.7	6	53.1
101	Austin Johnson	TEN	12.0	11.0	13.0	11.0	6	53.0
102	Sealver Siliga	SEA	12.0	11.0	13.0	10.0	6	53.0
103	Quinton Dial	SF	12.0	13.0	12.0	9.0	6	52.0
104	Destiny Vaeao	PHI	12.0	12.0	10.0	9.0	6	50.0

3-4 Outside Linebackers

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The top of our 3-4 outside linebacker rankings come with a few asterisks. For starters, Jadeveon Clowney, Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa have been moved around to various positions based on week-to-week snap counts. Clowney and Bosa have seen time on the edge, but both have played the majority of their snaps in 2016 at 3-4 defensive end. Mack was moved early on to 4-3 defensive end to account for Oakland's changes up front.

If counting only the exclusive 3-4 outside linebackers, the new top five at the position would be Von Miller, Melvin Ingram, Chandler Jones, Jerry Hughes and Markus Golden. Miller has been the most consistently dominant pass-rusher in the group, but Ingram—arguably the most complete but underrated player at the position—isn't far behind. And Arizona's combination of Jones and Golden has revitalized the Cardinals' once-dormant pass rush.

Still, no team is deeper on the edge than the Broncos, who have four of our 20 best 3-4 outside linebackers. Backups Shane Ray and Shaquil Barrett would start for most NFL teams. The rookie class of 3-4 outside linebackers hasn't been great overall, but the recent emergence of Shaq Lawson and Leonard Floyd could help flip that narrative in the second half of 2016.

Top Scorers

• Top 3-4 Outside Linebacker: Von Miller (Jadeveon Clowney played two games at 3-4 OLB)
• Best Pass-Rusher: Von Miller, Denver Broncos
• Best Run Defender: Khalil Mack, Oakland Raiders
• Best in Coverage: Jerry Hughes, Buffalo Bills
• Best Tackler: Von Miller, Denver Broncos

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 Midseason 3-4 Outside Linebacker Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Rush	Run	Cvg	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Jadeveon Clowney	HOU	23.0	22.0	9.5	22.5	8	84.0
2	Von Miller	DEN	21.9	19.9	10.6	21.3	8	80.8
3	Melvin Ingram	SD	20.6	18.1	10.6	20.6	8	77.1
4	Khalil Mack	OAK	17.0	22.0	10.0	20.0	8	76.0
5	Joey Bosa	SD	21.5	20.0	9.0	18.0	8	75.5
6	Chandler Jones	ARI	20.5	17.9	9.9	19.3	8	74.6
7	Jerry Hughes	BUF	19.9	18.3	10.9	18.1	8	74.3
8	Markus Golden	ARI	19.4	18.6	9.5	19.5	8	74.1
9	Whitney Mercilus	HOU	19.8	17.5	9.8	19.4	8	73.5
10	Shane Ray	DEN	19.1	17.9	10.0	19.0	8	73.1
11	Nick Perry	GB	18.9	18.6	9.1	19.3	8	73.0
12	Brian Orakpo	TEN	19.1	16.5	10.3	18.8	8	71.8
13	DeMarcus Ware	DEN	21.3	16.0	9.0	18.0	8	71.7
14	Clay Matthews	GB	17.2	18.2	10.4	18.8	8	71.6
15	Derrick Morgan	TEN	19.3	16.7	9.6	18.7	8	71.4
16	Shaquil Barrett	DEN	18.4	17.3	10.0	18.6	8	71.4
17	Trent Murphy	WAS	17.8	17.6	10.0	18.9	8	71.4
18	Terrell Suggs	BAL	17.5	17.7	9.7	19.0	8	70.8
19	Lorenzo Alexander	BUF	18.4	16.5	10.4	18.1	8	70.5
20	Ryan Kerrigan	WAS	19.0	16.3	9.0	18.7	8	70.1
21	Willie Young	CHI	18.4	16.9	9.6	18.1	8	70.1
22	John Simon	HOU	17.6	16.8	9.9	18.4	8	69.8
23	Julius Peppers	GB	18.6	15.9	9.3	18.6	8	69.4
24	Dee Ford	KC	18.1	15.4	9.9	18.0	8	68.6
25	Preston Smith	WAS	17.8	16.0	9.5	18.0	8	68.4
26	Jarvis Jones	PIT	16.0	17.1	9.6	18.6	8	68.3
27	Tamba Hali	KC	17.9	16.3	9.1	17.7	8	68.1
28	Kareem Martin	ARI	21.0	13.0	9.0	17.0	8	68.0
29	Za'Darius Smith	BAL	16.4	17.1	9.4	17.9	8	67.9
30	Trent Cole	IND	17.0	16.5	9.5	17.5	8	67.5
31	James Harrison	PIT	16.0	16.0	10.9	17.6	8	67.4
32	Erik Walden	IND	17.4	16.3	9.4	17.1	8	67.3
33	Leonard Floyd	CHI	17.3	15.2	10.0	17.5	8	67.2
34	Nate Orchard	CLE	15.7	17.3	9.3	17.7	8	67.0
35	Kamalei Correa	BAL	14.0	18.0	10.0	18.0	8	67.0
36	Datone Jones	GB	16.7	16.0	9.0	17.8	8	66.7
37	Ahmad Brooks	SF	16.1	16.0	10.4	17.0	8	66.6
38	Jerry Attaochu	SD	17.2	15.5	9.2	17.7	8	66.5
39	Emmanuel Ogbah	CLE	16.3	15.7	9.9	17.4	8	66.3
40	Kyle Emanuel	SD	15.3	16.3	9.5	17.6	8	65.8
41	Matt Judon	BAL	15.6	16.2	9.4	17.2	8	65.4
42	Lamarr Houston	CHI	15.0	19.0	7.0	17.0	8	65.0
43	David Bass	TEN	15.5	15.9	8.9	17.1	8	64.5
44	Alex Okafor	ARI	15.3	15.0	9.6	17.3	8	64.1
45	Kevin Dodd	TEN	15.3	15.3	9.4	17.0	8	64.0
46	Sam Acho	CHI	15.0	15.1	10.0	16.6	8	63.9
47	Arthur Moats	PIT	14.7	15.0	10.6	16.6	8	63.9
48	Corey Lemonier	CLE	15.3	15.3	9.0	17.3	8	63.8
49	Aaron Lynch	SF	16.3	15.0	9.7	15.7	8	63.7
50	Akeem Ayers	IND	15.4	14.3	10.3	16.4	8	63.6
51	Tank Carradine	SF	14.8	15.8	9.5	16.5	8	63.5
52	Kyler Fackrell	GB	16.3	13.9	9.6	16.6	8	63.4
53	Albert McClellan	BAL	13.8	15.0	10.6	17.0	8	63.2
54	Joe Schobert	CLE	14.4	14.9	10.3	16.3	8	63.0
55	Lorenzo Mauldin	NYJ	16.0	13.0	10.0	17.0	8	63.0
56	Jayrone Elliott	GB	16.0	13.8	9.0	17.0	8	63.0
57	Elvis Dumervil	BAL	15.5	15.0	9.0	16.5	8	63.0
58	Cam Johnson	CLE	16.6	13.4	9.2	16.4	8	62.8
59	Dekoda Watson	DEN	14.8	15.5	9.3	16.3	8	62.8
60	Anthony Chickillo	PIT	14.0	14.9	9.7	17.0	8	62.6
61	Christian Jones	CHI	14.5	15.5	9.0	16.5	8	62.5
62	Brennan Scarlett	HOU	14.0	16.0	8.0	17.0	8	62.0
63	Eli Harold	SF	15.1	14.6	9.0	16.1	8	61.9
64	Robert Mathis	IND	16.1	13.4	8.6	16.5	8	61.8
65	Lerentee McCray	BUF	13.9	14.1	9.6	16.9	8	61.6
66	Brandon Spikes	BUF	14.5	15.5	7.0	17.0	8	61.5
67	Frank Zombo	KC	14.7	14.9	8.3	16.4	8	61.4
68	Tourek Williams	SD	14.5	14.7	8.7	16.3	8	61.3
69	Dezman Moses	KC	14.0	16.0	9.0	15.0	8	61.0
70	Dadi Nicolas	KC	16.5	12.0	9.5	15.0	8	60.5
71	Tank Carder	CLE	13.5	14.5	10.0	15.5	8	60.5
72	Houston Bates	WAS	14.0	14.0	9.0	16.0	8	60.0
73	Aaron Wallace	TEN	16.0	11.5	9.0	15.5	8	59.5
74	Curt Maggitt	IND	13.0	14.3	8.8	16.0	8	59.0

4-3 Outside Linebackers

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

No 4-3 outside linebacker has separated himself from the pack. Seattle's K.J. Wright leads the pack and narrowly leads Bruce Irvin and Nigel Bradham, who are both within about a half of a point of Wright.

The most delightful player to watch has been Philadelphia's Bradham, though. The small handful of defenders ahead of him were all expected to be as good as they are, but Bradham has been a menace for his new team.

He is a well-rounded player who has proved he can have an impact in all phases of the game. He's one of the best coverage linebackers in the league, he can blitz and his run defense is as reliable as anyone's. Had it not been for one shaky performance in Week 6 against Washington, Bradham would likely be the top player on this list.

More so than anything, the biggest trend has been that linebackers who provide value in the passing game, such as Oakland's Irvin and Minnesota's Anthony Barr, tend to grade higher than their peers.

Top Scorers

• Top 4-3 Outside Linebacker: K.J. Wright, Seattle Seahawks
• Best in Coverage: Nigel Bradham, Philadelphia Eagles
• Best Run Defender: K.J. Wright, Seattle Seahawks
• Best Pass-Rusher: Bruce Irvin, Oakland Raiders
• Best Tackler: K.J. Wright, Seattle Seahawks 

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 Midseason 4-3 Outside Linebacker Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	Run	Rush	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	K.J. Wright	SEA	18.9	20.7	8.4	20.3	6	74.3
2	Bruce Irvin	OAK	17.8	20.5	10.5	19.1	6	73.9
3	Nigel Bradham	PHI	20.1	19.6	8.4	19.7	6	73.9
4	Lavonte David	TB	18.0	19.6	9.4	20.1	6	73.1
5	Anthony Barr	MIN	19.0	18.6	10.0	18.9	6	72.4
6	Thomas Davis	CAR	19.1	18.4	9.3	19.6	6	72.4
7	Telvin Smith	JAX	18.0	20.6	7.1	20.1	6	71.9
8	Jamie Collins	NE	18.0	22.0	7.0	18.0	6	71.0
9	Sean Lee	DAL	18.9	18.6	7.6	19.0	6	70.0
10	Shaq Thompson	CAR	17.1	18.9	7.0	19.1	6	68.1
11	De'Vondre Campbell	ATL	17.0	18.3	8.0	17.8	6	67.0
12	Julian Stanford	NYJ	16.5	18.5	7.0	18.5	6	66.5
13	Keenan Robinson	NYG	17.0	18.0	7.5	17.8	6	66.3
14	Vincent Rey	CIN	17.4	16.9	7.5	17.8	6	65.5
15	Vontaze Burfict	CIN	17.4	17.8	7.4	16.8	6	65.4
16	Rob Ninkovich	NE	16.3	17.5	9.0	16.0	6	64.8
17	Kemal Ishmael	ATL	16.5	16.5	7.0	18.5	6	64.5
18	Sean Weatherspoon	ATL	16.0	16.7	7.0	18.7	6	64.3
19	Karlos Dansby	CIN	16.0	16.4	7.6	18.1	6	64.1
20	Bruce Carter	NYJ	19.0	15.0	8.0	16.0	6	64.0
21	Devon Kennard	NYG	14.6	18.0	7.6	17.4	6	63.6
22	Mark Barron	LA	17.1	16.1	7.3	16.9	6	63.4
23	Chad Greenway	MIN	15.6	17.7	7.0	17.0	6	63.3
24	Darron Lee	NYJ	13.8	16.6	7.8	17.8	6	62.0
25	Kevin Pierre-Louis	SEA	16.0	17.0	7.0	16.0	6	62.0
26	Jordan Jenkins	NYJ	15.8	16.0	7.5	15.8	6	61.2
27	Michael Morgan	SEA	14.3	17.0	7.3	16.3	6	60.8
28	Nate Stupar	NO	16.3	14.5	7.3	16.8	6	60.8
29	Josh Forrest	LA	14.5	16.5	7.0	16.5	6	60.5
30	Mike Catapano	NYJ	14.3	15.7	8.7	15.7	6	60.3
31	Brock Coyle	SEA	15.0	17.0	7.0	15.0	6	60.0
32	Jonathan Casillas	NYG	15.3	15.1	7.3	15.3	6	59.0
33	Erin Henderson	NYJ	13.3	16.3	7.3	16.0	6	59.0
34	Zaviar Gooden	DET	15.0	15.0	7.0	16.0	6	59.0
35	Dannell Ellerbe	NO	17.0	14.0	7.0	15.0	6	59.0
36	Brandon Copeland	DET	15.0	15.0	7.0	15.8	6	58.8
37	Myles Jack	JAX	15.4	14.8	7.0	15.4	6	58.6
38	Antwione Williams	DET	14.3	15.5	7.0	15.8	6	58.5
39	Malcolm Smith	OAK	14.6	14.7	7.4	15.6	6	58.3
40	Daryl Smith	TB	15.1	15.4	7.4	14.3	6	58.3
41	Mychal Kendricks	PHI	14.1	15.1	7.4	15.6	6	58.3
42	Jonathan Freeny	NE	13.7	14.3	7.3	16.3	6	57.7
43	Shea McClellin	NE	13.8	14.8	8.3	14.8	6	57.5
44	Damien Wilson	DAL	14.7	14.7	7.0	15.0	6	57.3
45	Craig Robertson	NO	13.3	15.2	7.2	15.5	6	57.2
46	Koa Misi	MIA	15.3	13.0	6.7	16.0	6	57.0
47	Philip Wheeler	ATL	13.6	15.0	7.3	14.9	6	56.8
48	Perry Riley	OAK	13.5	14.5	7.0	15.5	6	56.5
49	A.J. Klein	CAR	14.0	15.0	7.0	14.0	6	56.0
50	Josh Bynes	DET	12.0	14.0	9.0	15.0	6	56.0
51	Justin Durant	DAL	13.5	14.5	7.0	14.8	6	55.8
52	Stephone Anthony	NO	13.5	14.5	7.0	14.5	6	55.5
53	Andrew Gachkar	DAL	13.5	14.5	6.5	15.0	6	55.5
54	Daren Bates	OAK	13.0	14.0	7.0	15.0	6	55.0
55	Kyle Van Noy	DET	12.6	14.0	7.9	14.1	6	54.6
56	LaRoy Reynolds	ATL	14.0	13.0	7.0	14.0	6	54.0
57	Neville Hewitt	MIA	14.4	13.4	7.0	13.0	6	53.8
58	Thurston Armbrister	DET	13.3	13.8	7.0	13.8	6	53.8
59	Jelani Jenkins	MIA	13.8	13.0	7.2	13.2	6	53.2
60	Kyle Wilber	DAL	12.0	13.5	7.5	14.0	6	53.0
61	Donald Butler	MIA	13.4	13.4	6.8	13.4	6	53.0
62	Michael Mauti	NO	12.5	13.0	7.0	13.5	6	52.0
63	Spencer Paysinger	MIA	14.0	12.5	7.5	11.5	6	51.5
64	Dan Skuta	JAX	10.5	13.5	6.8	14.5	6	51.3
65	Paul Worrilow	ATL	10.0	14.0	6.0	13.0	6	49.0
66	Arthur Brown	JAX	12.0	12.0	7.0	12.0	6	49.0

Inside Linebackers

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

The central theme of inside linebacker play is becoming clearer by the week. The top-flight players are those who remain on the field for all three downs and give their defense flexibility in assignments. Players such as Carolina's Luke Kuechly, Chicago's Jerrell Freeman and Minnesota's Eric Kendricks are so valuable, and often graded highly, because of their ability to impact the game as run defenders, in coverage and when asked to rush the passer.

Roster spots are limited, and finding a central defender who can do it all can often mask deficiencies throughout the rest of your defense. The NFL’s base D is now primarily a nickel defense, meaning linebackers are stressed in coverage far more than they’ve ever been.

As a result, we’ve seen players such as Arizona's Deone Bucannon and rookies Su’a Cravens and Jatavis Brown become increasingly valuable. They don’t fit the traditional body type and mold of a thumping run defender, but their athleticism and aggressiveness hide those limitations, while their abilities in coverage highlight them as versatile players.

Top Scorers

• Top Inside Linebacker: Jerrell Freeman, Chicago Bears
• Best in Coverage: Su'a Cravens, Washington Redskins
• Best Run Defender: Luke Kuechly, Carolina Panthers
• Best Pass-Rusher: Dont'a Hightower, New England Patriots
• Best Tackler: Luke Kuechly, Carolina Panthers

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 Midseason Inside Linebacker Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Rush	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Jerrell Freeman	CHI	20.5	30.1	10.9	12.5	6	80.0
2	Luke Kuechly	CAR	20.1	30.1	11.1	12.6	6	80.0
3	Eric Kendricks	MIN	20.6	29.4	10.1	11.9	6	78.0
4	Bobby Wagner	SEA	19.4	29.3	10.9	12.4	6	78.0
5	Dont'a Hightower	NE	20.0	28.0	12.0	12.0	6	78.0
6	NaVorro Bowman	SF	19.0	29.8	11.3	11.5	6	77.5
7	C.J. Mosley	BAL	20.6	28.4	10.8	10.6	6	76.4
8	Zach Orr	BAL	18.0	29.1	11.1	12.0	6	76.3
9	Elandon Roberts	NE	18.7	29.3	10.0	12.0	6	76.0
10	Su'a Cravens	WAS	22.0	25.7	10.3	11.7	6	75.7
11	Benardrick McKinney	HOU	18.5	28.5	11.1	11.5	6	75.6
12	Zach Brown	BUF	18.6	29.4	10.3	11.3	6	75.5
13	Preston Brown	BUF	18.0	28.3	11.0	12.0	6	75.3
14	Danny Trevathan	CHI	18.5	29.0	9.8	11.8	6	75.2
15	Denzel Perryman	SD	19.5	29.3	9.7	10.7	6	75.2
16	Brandon Marshall	DEN	19.4	28.0	10.1	11.6	6	75.1
17	Ryan Shazier	PIT	18.5	28.8	10.0	11.3	6	74.5
18	Deone Bucannon	ARI	20.0	27.8	9.9	10.9	6	74.5
19	Jordan Hicks	PHI	19.1	27.9	10.0	11.4	6	74.4
20	Todd Davis	DEN	19.4	27.9	10.1	11.0	6	74.4
21	Derrick Johnson	KC	19.6	28.9	10.0	9.9	6	74.3
22	Deion Jones	ATL	19.9	27.7	9.1	11.4	6	74.1
23	Will Compton	WAS	18.9	28.5	9.1	11.5	6	74.0
24	Nick Kwiatkoski	CHI	17.0	29.0	10.5	11.5	6	74.0
25	Ramik Wilson	KC	19.5	28.0	9.0	11.5	6	74.0
26	Kevin Minter	ARI	18.5	28.5	10.0	10.8	6	73.8
27	Max Bullough	HOU	18.3	28.3	9.3	11.7	6	73.7
28	Jatavis Brown	SD	20.4	26.3	9.8	11.3	6	73.6
29	Ray-Ray Armstrong	SF	19.5	28.5	8.0	11.5	6	73.5
30	David Harris	NYJ	17.0	28.9	9.4	11.6	6	72.9
31	Paul Posluszny	JAX	17.9	28.9	9.1	11.0	6	72.9
32	Vince Williams	PIT	18.8	27.8	10.0	10.3	6	72.8
33	Albert McClellan	BAL	17.7	27.0	10.0	11.7	6	72.3
34	Mason Foster	WAS	18.1	27.5	8.4	11.6	6	71.6
35	Perry Riley	OAK	18.0	27.0	9.5	11.0	6	71.5
36	Kwon Alexander	TB	18.3	26.9	9.6	10.7	6	71.4
37	Stephen Tulloch	PHI	16.7	28.3	8.7	11.7	6	71.3
38	Avery Williamson	TEN	16.6	26.8	10.5	11.3	6	71.1
39	Korey Toomer	SD	18.5	26.5	8.8	11.3	6	71.0
40	Corey Nelson	DEN	19.0	25.0	10.0	11.0	6	71.0
41	Brian Cushing	HOU	17.0	28.0	8.8	10.8	6	70.7
42	Chris Kirksey	CLE	17.1	26.9	10.1	10.5	6	70.6
43	Joshua Perry	SD	17.3	27.7	8.7	10.7	6	70.3
44	D'Qwell Jackson	IND	17.4	27.9	8.5	10.5	6	70.3
45	Lawrence Timmons	PIT	16.0	27.7	9.0	11.3	6	70.0
46	John Timu	CHI	19.0	26.0	8.0	10.0	6	70.0
47	Antonio Morrison	IND	17.3	27.3	8.3	11.0	6	69.8
48	Blake Martinez	GB	17.4	26.9	8.4	11.0	6	69.7
49	Jake Ryan	GB	17.0	26.9	8.3	11.3	6	69.4
50	Joe Thomas	GB	19.4	25.0	8.8	10.4	6	69.4
51	Justin Durant	DAL	18.2	25.4	8.8	10.8	6	69.2
52	Cory James	OAK	16.8	26.3	8.8	11.3	6	69.0
53	Michael Wilhoite	SF	18.0	25.7	8.7	10.7	6	69.0
54	Sean Spence	TEN	17.5	25.5	9.0	10.5	6	68.5
55	Nate Stupar	NO	18.7	25.7	8.0	10.0	6	68.3
56	Wesley Woodyard	TEN	16.3	26.3	9.0	10.8	6	68.3
57	Alec Ogletree	LA	17.6	25.4	9.0	10.1	6	68.1
58	Anthony Hitchens	DAL	15.3	27.0	8.4	11.4	6	68.1
59	Demario Davis	CLE	17.0	26.0	8.4	10.8	6	68.1
60	Kelvin Sheppard	NYG	16.1	26.4	8.4	11.0	6	68.0
61	Edwin Jackson	IND	17.0	25.0	9.5	10.0	6	67.5
62	Justin March-Lillard	KC	17.0	25.2	8.6	10.4	6	67.2
63	Gerald Hodges	SF	16.2	26.4	8.0	10.4	6	67.0
64	Ben Heeney	OAK	17.0	27.0	8.0	9.0	6	67.0
65	L.J. Fort	PIT	16.0	25.0	10.0	10.0	6	67.0
66	Josh Forrest	LA	16.0	27.0	8.0	10.0	6	67.0
67	Nick Dzubnar	SD	17.0	26.0	9.0	9.0	6	67.0
68	Darron Lee	NYJ	17.0	25.0	8.0	10.0	6	66.0
69	Manti Te'o	SD	16.3	27.0	8.3	8.3	6	66.0
70	Jonathan Anderson	CHI	15.0	25.0	8.0	12.0	6	66.0
71	LaRoy Reynolds	ATL	16.5	26.0	8.5	9.0	6	66.0
72	Kiko Alonso	MIA	16.6	24.0	8.7	10.6	6	65.9
73	Sio Moore	IND	16.5	26.0	9.0	8.3	6	65.8
74	Tahir Whitehead	DET	16.1	25.3	7.9	10.3	6	65.5
75	Rey Maualuga	CIN	16.0	25.3	8.1	9.9	6	65.3
76	Christian Jones	CHI	14.0	26.0	8.0	11.0	6	65.0
77	Sean Weatherspoon	ATL	14.0	26.0	7.0	11.0	6	64.0
78	Erin Henderson	NYJ	15.0	23.7	8.0	11.3	6	64.0
79	Josh McNary	IND	17.4	22.8	8.0	9.8	6	64.0
80	Bruce Carter	NYJ	15.0	23.0	8.0	11.0	6	63.0
81	Tyler Matakevich	PIT	15.0	24.0	8.0	10.0	6	63.0
82	James Laurinaitis	NO	14.7	22.0	7.3	11.3	6	61.3
83	Nick Bellore	SF	15.5	22.8	7.8	8.3	6	60.5

Cornerbacks

Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

When Chargers cornerback Jason Verrett was lost for the rest of the season with a torn ACL in early October, it didn’t just leave San Diego without its best defensive player. It left a giant "what if?" in our cornerback grades. Because Verrett was playing as well as any pass defender in the league, and his absence has allowed other great cornerbacks to earn praise.

There are many predictable names at the top of our midseason top 50—Aqib Talib has probably been the best overall cornerback to this point, and there’s no question that the Broncos have the best cornerback threesome with Talib, Chris Harris Jr. and Bradley Roby. But the fun thing about scouting every player every week is the names that pop up out of nowhere.

Houston’s A.J. Bouye has been a shutdown sensation of late, allowing no touchdowns and a 66.0 opposing passer rating on 35 targets, and we’d expect his rating to rise in the season’s second half. Casey Hayward of the Chargers has taken some of the sting out of Verrett’s absence, and Minnesota’s Xavier Rhodes has become the player the Vikings hoped he would be when they took him in the first round of the 2013 draft.

Conversely, some big names have fallen a bit. Darrelle Revis has not looked himself this season, and his ranking of 22nd on the list reflects that. More teams are throwing curls and comebacks at Richard Sherman, understanding that sharp angular routes are perhaps the only way to foil the Legion of Boom’s leader consistently, and that’s why he’s ranked 17th at this point in time.

Cornerback is a tough job—one blown coverage can make all the difference—and though we grade on every play, those standout moments either way do affect performance scores pretty graphically. Here’s how we saw NFL cornerbacks through the first half of the season.

Top Scorers

• Top Cornerback: Jason Verrett, San Diego Chargers
• Best in Coverage: Jason Verrett, San Diego Chargers
• Best Reaction: Marcus Peters, Kansas City Chiefs
• Best in the Slot: Chris Harris Jr., Denver Broncos
• Best Tackler: Lamarcus Joyner, Los Angeles Rams

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 Midseason Cornerback Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	React	Slot	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Jason Verrett	SD	24.8	23.5	16.8	6.8	9	80.8
2	Marcus Peters	KC	23.4	24.3	16.7	6.0	9	79.4
3	Chris Harris Jr.	DEN	23.0	23.6	17.9	5.9	9	79.4
4	Patrick Peterson	ARI	22.8	23.4	16.1	5.1	9	76.4
5	Janoris Jenkins	NYG	22.1	22.7	16.1	6.1	9	76.1
6	Aqib Talib	DEN	22.9	22.0	16.0	5.4	9	75.3
7	Desmond Trufant	ATL	21.9	21.3	16.1	6.0	9	74.3
8	Bradley Roby	DEN	20.9	22.0	16.8	5.5	9	74.1
9	Casey Hayward	SD	21.6	21.4	16.6	5.5	9	74.1
10	Jason McCourty	TEN	21.8	20.8	16.3	5.6	9	73.4
11	Jimmy Smith	BAL	21.0	21.0	16.1	5.9	9	73.0
12	Xavier Rhodes	MIN	20.6	21.4	15.6	6.0	9	73.0
13	Lamarcus Joyner	LA	19.7	20.3	16.6	7.1	9	72.7
14	Brent Grimes	TB	21.3	20.6	15.7	5.9	9	72.4
15	Tramaine Brock	SF	20.7	20.9	15.4	5.9	9	71.9
16	Josh Norman	WAS	19.7	20.4	15.6	6.4	9	71.1
17	Richard Sherman	SEA	20.3	20.1	15.1	6.4	9	71.0
18	Jimmie Ward	SF	20.0	19.8	15.5	6.8	9	71.0
19	Darius Slay	DET	21.3	20.3	15.3	5.0	9	71.0
20	Alterraun Verner	TB	20.3	20.0	15.3	6.3	9	71.0
21	Micah Hyde	GB	19.0	20.0	16.7	6.3	9	71.0
22	Darrelle Revis	NYJ	20.4	18.9	16.0	6.4	9	70.7
23	Jalen Ramsey	JAX	19.3	20.1	16.1	6.1	9	70.7
24	Sean Smith	OAK	20.6	20.4	15.4	5.3	9	70.7
25	Vontae Davis	IND	19.8	20.3	16.0	5.5	9	70.7
26	Malcolm Butler	NE	20.0	19.6	16.3	5.8	9	70.6
27	Ross Cockrell	PIT	20.3	20.0	15.4	5.9	9	70.6
28	Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie	NYG	20.7	20.0	15.3	5.5	9	70.5
29	Trumaine Johnson	LA	21.0	19.4	15.0	5.8	9	70.2
30	Kevin Johnson	HOU	19.5	19.8	15.3	6.2	9	69.8
31	Morris Claiborne	DAL	20.0	19.1	15.0	6.1	9	69.3
32	Robert Alford	ATL	19.8	19.3	15.6	5.3	9	68.9
33	Tyvon Branch	ARI	20.0	18.8	15.4	5.4	9	68.6
34	A.J. Bouye	HOU	18.3	19.0	16.4	5.6	9	68.6
35	Joe Haden	CLE	18.8	18.8	16.0	5.8	9	68.4
36	Johnathan Joseph	HOU	19.4	18.9	15.8	5.4	9	68.4
37	Kareem Jackson	HOU	18.8	18.5	15.8	5.5	9	67.7
38	Adam Jones	CIN	19.0	18.6	15.8	5.3	9	67.6
39	Terence Newman	MIN	19.6	18.6	14.7	5.4	9	67.3
40	Prince Amukamara	JAX	18.2	18.6	15.8	5.2	9	66.8
41	Brandon Flowers	SD	19.0	17.3	16.3	5.3	9	66.8
42	Stephon Gilmore	BUF	18.9	19.0	15.0	4.8	9	66.6
43	Tyrann Mathieu	ARI	17.6	18.6	15.4	6.0	9	66.6
44	Phillip Gaines	KC	18.4	18.8	14.6	5.8	9	66.6
45	Brian Poole	ATL	17.6	18.0	15.9	5.9	9	66.4
46	William Gay	PIT	19.1	17.7	15.4	4.9	9	66.1
47	Trae Waynes	MIN	17.9	17.9	15.3	5.7	9	66.0
48	Captain Munnerlyn	MIN	17.9	17.7	15.0	6.3	9	65.9
49	Darius Butler	IND	17.6	17.2	17.0	5.0	9	65.8
50	Rashard Robinson	SF	18.4	18.0	15.4	4.9	9	65.7
51	Brandon Carr	DAL	18.1	18.0	15.0	5.6	9	65.7
52	Vernon Hargreaves	TB	17.3	17.9	15.7	5.7	9	65.6
53	Dontae Johnson	SF	18.0	17.5	15.5	5.5	9	65.5
54	James Bradberry	CAR	18.8	17.5	14.5	5.8	9	65.5
55	Ronald Darby	BUF	18.6	18.1	14.7	5.0	9	65.4
56	Dre Kirkpatrick	CIN	18.0	18.0	14.7	5.7	9	65.4
57	Patrick Robinson	IND	18.2	17.8	15.6	4.8	9	65.4
58	Damarious Randall	GB	18.3	18.0	14.8	5.0	9	65.0
59	Bashaud Breeland	WAS	18.0	17.8	15.0	5.2	9	65.0
60	Darryl Roberts	NYJ	17.0	18.5	15.0	5.5	9	65.0
61	DeShawn Shead	SEA	18.0	17.4	14.3	6.0	9	64.7
62	Leon Hall	NYG	17.7	17.7	13.9	6.1	9	64.4
63	CJ Goodwin	ATL	17.0	18.0	15.0	5.0	9	64.0
64	Marcus Williams	NYJ	17.3	17.0	14.9	5.8	9	63.9
65	Kendall Fuller	WAS	16.6	17.2	16.0	5.0	9	63.8
66	David Amerson	OAK	17.5	17.8	14.4	4.9	9	63.5
67	Leodis McKelvin	PHI	17.3	17.3	14.8	5.0	9	63.3
68	Bene Benwikere	CAR	17.0	16.0	15.3	5.5	9	62.8
69	B.W. Webb	NO	17.0	16.8	14.2	5.2	9	62.6
70	Marcus Cooper	ARI	16.4	16.7	14.7	5.6	9	62.4
71	Robert McClain	CAR	16.3	16.0	15.2	5.8	9	62.3
72	Eric Rowe	NE	16.7	16.3	15.0	5.3	9	62.3
73	LaDarius Gunter	GB	16.9	16.7	14.0	5.6	9	62.1
74	Nolan Carroll	PHI	16.6	17.0	14.3	5.6	9	62.1
75	Nickell Robey-Coleman	BUF	16.4	16.8	15.3	4.8	9	62.1
76	Jamar Taylor	CLE	16.3	16.5	14.8	5.5	9	62.0
77	Sean Davis	PIT	16.0	16.0	14.3	6.7	9	62.0
78	Buster Skrine	NYJ	16.3	16.9	14.4	5.3	9	61.9
79	Antonio Cromartie	IND	17.5	15.3	14.3	5.8	9	61.8
80	Steven Nelson	KC	16.3	16.7	14.9	4.9	9	61.7
81	Nevin Lawson	DET	16.6	16.4	14.8	4.9	9	61.6
82	Anthony Brown	DAL	15.8	15.5	15.0	6.3	9	61.5
83	Steve Williams	SD	16.0	15.8	15.3	5.3	9	61.3
84	Jalen Mills	PHI	16.3	16.0	14.4	5.4	9	61.1
85	Logan Ryan	NE	15.9	15.9	14.8	5.5	9	61.0
86	Byron Maxwell	MIA	18.0	16.3	13.0	4.7	9	61.0
87	Orlando Scandrick	DAL	16.3	15.3	15.0	5.5	9	61.0
88	Sterling Moore	NO	16.5	16.8	14.0	4.8	9	61.0
89	Aaron Colvin	JAX	15.7	15.7	15.7	5.0	9	61.0
90	Ron Brooks	PHI	15.8	15.8	15.0	5.2	9	60.8
91	Eli Apple	NYG	16.4	16.2	14.2	5.0	9	60.8
92	Quandre Diggs	DET	15.9	15.4	15.3	5.3	9	60.8
93	Jeremy Lane	SEA	15.7	15.4	15.1	5.4	9	60.7
94	D.J. Hayden	OAK	15.4	16.5	14.3	5.3	9	60.4
95	Quinten Rollins	GB	15.7	15.3	14.3	5.3	9	60.3
96	Bryce Callahan	CHI	15.8	15.3	14.7	5.2	9	60.0
97	Tracy Porter	CHI	16.0	15.6	14.4	5.0	9	60.0
98	Josh Shaw	CIN	15.1	15.1	15.1	5.4	9	59.9
99	Greg Toler	WAS	16.3	15.5	14.0	5.0	9	59.8
100	Jude Adjei-Barimah	TB	15.0	15.2	14.7	5.8	9	59.7
101	Quinton Dunbar	WAS	15.6	15.6	14.0	5.4	9	59.6
102	Chris Lewis-Harris	CIN	15.5	16.0	14.0	5.0	9	59.5
103	T.J. Carrie	OAK	16.0	15.0	15.0	4.0	9	59.0
104	Cre'von LeBlanc	CHI	15.7	14.8	14.2	5.2	9	58.8
105	Craig Mager	SD	14.8	14.5	15.3	5.3	9	58.8
106	Deiondre' Hall	CHI	15.3	14.0	14.3	6.0	9	58.7
107	Tramon Williams	CLE	15.3	15.2	14.2	4.8	9	58.5
108	Daryl Worley	CAR	15.2	14.7	14.2	5.5	9	58.5
109	Juston Burris	NYJ	14.5	15.5	14.5	5.0	9	58.5
110	Artie Burns	PIT	14.8	15.5	14.2	4.8	9	58.3
111	Demetri Goodson	GB	15.0	14.7	14.3	5.3	9	58.3
112	Davon House	JAX	15.8	14.8	13.0	5.8	9	58.3
113	E.J. Gaines	LA	14.8	15.3	14.0	5.3	9	58.3
114	A.J. Bouye	HOU	15.0	14.0	15.0	5.0	9	58.0
115	Jerraud Powers	BAL	13.8	15.0	15.3	5.0	9	58.0
116	Trevor Williams	SD	15.0	15.0	14.0	5.0	9	58.0
117	Tavon Young	BAL	14.7	15.1	13.9	4.7	9	57.4
118	Ken Crawley	NO	15.6	14.9	13.6	4.4	9	57.4
119	Bobby McCain	MIA	14.4	15.1	13.7	5.0	9	57.3
120	Jacoby Glenn	CHI	14.7	14.4	13.6	5.4	9	57.1
121	Xavien Howard	MIA	15.8	13.3	11.3	7.8	9	57.0
122	Brandon Williams	ARI	13.0	14.0	14.0	7.0	9	57.0
123	Mackensie Alexander	MIN	14.0	14.0	14.5	5.5	9	57.0
124	Sherrick McManis	CHI	15.0	14.0	13.0	6.0	9	57.0
125	Pierre Desir	SD	14.0	15.0	13.0	6.0	9	57.0
126	Lorenzo Doss	DEN	13.0	14.0	16.0	5.0	9	57.0
127	Keith Reaser	SF	14.5	15.0	13.3	5.0	9	56.8
128	Brice McCain	TEN	14.1	14.9	14.1	4.4	9	56.5
129	De'Vante Harris	NO	15.5	13.5	14.0	4.0	9	56.0
130	Justin Coleman	NE	14.3	14.3	13.3	5.3	9	56.0
131	Troy Hill	LA	14.8	13.8	13.0	5.4	9	56.0
132	Tony Lippett	MIA	14.0	13.8	13.5	5.8	9	56.0
133	Johnson Bademosi	DET	13.7	14.3	13.7	5.3	9	56.0
134	Rashaan Melvin	IND	14.2	14.4	13.0	4.8	9	55.4
135	Dashaun Phillips	WAS	14.3	14.7	13.3	4.0	9	55.3
136	Briean Boddy-Calhoun	CLE	13.6	13.4	13.4	5.8	9	55.2
137	Shareece Wright	BAL	14.4	13.4	12.6	5.6	9	55.0
138	Tharold Simon	ARI	14.0	13.5	13.5	5.0	9	55.0
139	Antwon Blake	TEN	14.0	14.5	13.0	4.5	9	55.0
140	Justin Bethel	ARI	13.0	14.0	14.0	5.0	9	55.0
141	Cyrus Jones	NE	13.7	13.3	13.7	5.0	9	54.7
142	Perrish Cox	TEN	14.1	13.3	12.3	5.3	9	54.0
143	Dwayne Gratz	JAX	13.0	14.5	12.0	5.0	9	53.5
144	Darqueze Dennard	CIN	13.5	13.8	12.0	4.8	9	53.0
145	Zack Sanchez	CAR	13.0	13.0	13.0	5.0	9	53.0
146	Teddy Williams	CAR	13.0	13.0	13.0	5.0	9	53.0
147	Chimdi Chekwa	MIA	12.0	13.0	14.0	5.0	9	53.0
148	Chris Davis	SF	13.0	13.0	12.0	5.3	9	52.3
149	Trevin Wade	NYG	12.8	13.0	12.5	4.5	9	52.3
150	Josh Hawkins	GB	13.0	13.0	11.0	3.0	9	51.0
151	D.J. White	KC	12.0	12.7	12.0	5.3	9	51.0
152	De'Vante Bausby	CHI	12.5	12.5	12.5	4.5	9	51.0
153	Darryl Morris	IND	13.0	12.3	10.3	5.3	9	50.0
154	Coty Sensabaugh	LA	12.0	11.0	11.0	6.0	9	49.0
155	Tracy Howard	CLE	13.0	11.0	12.0	4.0	9	49.0
156	Brian Dixon	NO	11.0	12.0	12.0	5.0	9	49.0
157	Michael Hunter	NYG	11.0	10.0	12.0	5.0	9	47.0
158	Charles James	HOU	10.0	10.0	13.0	4.0	9	46.0
159	Zack Sanchez	CAR	10.0	9.0	10.0	5.0	9	43.0

Free Safeties

Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images

The expected players have topped the free safety position thus far.

The interesting aspect is the varying styles of the top three. Devin McCourty, our No. 1 free safety, is one of the most consistent players at his position despite being asked to fill multiple roles. New England will have McCourty play single high on one snap, in the slot the next and in the box over the tight end on the play after that. He's a well-rounded player who stands out with consistency, regardless of his assignment.

Harrison Smith will also field multiple assignments each game. Head coach Mike Zimmer and the Vikings will use him as a chess piece that the offense has to account for on each play. He could be a part of a two-deep safety look on one play then line up in the A-gap along the line of scrimmage the next. Unlike a lot of free safeties, he's a strong presence in the box and is used more aggressively in the run game and as a blitzer, but his range is also impressive.

Rodney McLeod is more the prototypical free safety. The Eagles will have him sitting in center field most of the game, 20 yards off the line of scrimmage. From there, he demonstrates fantastic range that allows him to stay on top of routes down the sideline from the middle of the field.

It also enables him to quickly break on anything he reads underneath and arrive at the catch point at the same time as the ball. His range and instincts have been on display, and the Eagles have benefited massively from his addition.

Those three are setting the standard for the free safety group.

Nobody is averaging a grade of 80 or above, meaning there haven't been many spectacular performances. But it's the consistency that is most important at the position. As the last line of defense, free safeties need to instill confidence in coaches that they'll be aware of danger on every play. It's no good having a hard-hitting free safety if he can't be trusted to stay on top of routes and save touchdowns on deep shots. That reliability sets McCourty, Smith and McLeod above the rest of the group.

Top Scorers

• Top Free Safety: Devin McCourty, New England Patriots
• Best in Coverage: Devin McCourty, New England Patriots
• Best Recovery: Rodney McLeod, Philadelphia Eagles
• Best in the Slot: Harrison Smith, Minnesota Vikings
• Best Tackler: Devin McCourty, New England Patriots 

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 Midseason Free Safety Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	Rec	Slot	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Devin McCourty	NE	23.9	24.4	6.4	16.5	8	79.1
2	Harrison Smith	MIN	23.3	24.3	6.7	16.0	8	78.3
3	Rodney McLeod	PHI	23.1	24.9	6.1	15.9	8	78.0
4	Darian Stewart	DEN	23.6	24.1	6.3	15.8	8	77.8
5	Ha Ha Clinton-Dix	GB	23.4	22.7	5.9	15.3	8	75.3
6	Byron Jones	DAL	22.0	22.9	6.6	15.6	8	75.0
7	Tyrann Mathieu	ARI	23.0	22.0	6.0	16.0	8	75.0
8	Glover Quin	DET	22.8	22.3	5.9	15.8	8	74.6
9	Earl Thomas	SEA	22.0	23.9	5.7	14.9	8	74.4
10	Isa Abdul-Quddus	MIA	22.0	22.3	5.6	16.1	8	74.0
11	Clayton Geathers	IND	21.7	22.3	6.1	15.7	8	73.9
12	Eric Reid	SF	21.0	22.4	6.4	15.9	8	73.7
13	Darian Thompson	NYG	21.0	22.0	6.0	16.5	8	73.5
14	Maurice Alexander	LA	21.7	22.0	5.7	15.9	8	73.3
15	Tre Boston	CAR	21.6	21.7	6.1	15.7	8	73.1
16	Ron Parker	KC	21.6	21.6	6.3	15.7	8	73.1
17	Duron Harmon	NE	22.3	21.6	5.4	15.9	8	73.1
18	Lardarius Webb	BAL	21.7	22.0	5.6	15.7	8	73.0
19	Andre Hal	HOU	22.1	22.5	5.5	14.8	8	72.9
20	Dwight Lowery	SD	21.5	21.9	5.9	15.6	8	72.9
21	George Iloka	CIN	20.6	22.1	6.0	15.8	8	72.5
22	Derron Smith	CIN	22.0	23.0	5.0	14.0	8	72.0
23	Tracy Howard	CLE	22.0	21.0	6.0	15.0	8	72.0
24	D.J. Swearinger	ARI	21.7	21.6	5.3	15.3	8	71.9
25	Dexter McCoil	SD	20.9	21.6	5.6	15.7	8	71.7
26	Marcus Gilchrist	NYJ	21.3	21.0	6.1	15.3	8	71.6
27	Corey Moore	HOU	22.0	20.8	5.3	15.3	8	71.3
28	Justin Simmons	DEN	20.0	20.3	6.0	16.7	8	71.0
29	Corey Graham	BUF	20.5	20.9	6.0	15.6	8	71.0
30	J.J. Wilcox	DAL	21.5	20.7	5.3	15.5	8	71.0
31	Jairus Byrd	NO	21.4	21.0	5.0	15.3	8	70.7
32	Reggie Nelson	OAK	20.9	20.3	5.6	15.6	8	70.4
33	Michael Mitchell	PIT	20.3	20.4	5.7	15.6	8	70.0
34	Chris Conte	TB	19.0	19.0	7.0	17.0	8	70.0
35	Kentrell Brice	GB	20.2	20.4	5.6	15.8	8	70.0
36	Will Blackmon	WAS	20.5	21.2	5.3	15.0	8	70.0
37	Andrew Adams	NYG	20.0	21.0	5.0	16.0	8	70.0
38	Anthony Harris	MIN	20.0	22.0	5.0	15.0	8	70.0
39	Adrian Amos	CHI	20.1	19.9	6.3	15.6	8	69.9
40	Vonn Bell	NO	19.8	20.0	5.7	15.5	8	69.0
41	Bradley McDougald	TB	19.5	21.2	5.5	14.8	8	69.0
42	DeAngelo Hall	WAS	19.7	19.7	6.0	15.3	8	68.7
43	Rashad Johnson	TEN	19.9	20.4	5.4	14.9	8	68.6
44	Robert Blanton	BUF	19.5	20.3	6.0	14.8	8	68.5
45	Kevin Byard	TEN	19.4	20.0	5.9	15.1	8	68.4
46	T.J. Green	IND	19.3	20.0	5.1	15.9	8	68.3
47	Marqueston Huff	BAL	20.0	20.0	5.0	15.0	8	68.0
48	Ricardo Allen	ATL	20.0	20.3	5.3	14.3	8	67.8
49	Michael Thomas	MIA	19.7	19.0	5.7	15.3	8	67.7
50	Tashaun Gipson	JAX	19.3	19.9	5.0	15.0	8	67.1
51	Ibraheim Campbell	CLE	19.0	19.5	5.3	15.2	8	67.0
52	Cody Davis	LA	19.0	19.0	5.3	15.7	8	67.0
53	Chris Prosinski	CHI	18.0	18.0	5.0	15.3	8	64.3
54	Nat Berhe	NYG	17.3	17.3	6.0	15.0	8	63.7
55	Michael Griffin	CAR	16.0	16.0	5.0	15.0	8	60.0

Strong Safeties

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

What Kam Chancellor has done with the Seahawks has had an effect on the rest of the league. Teams are now looking to their strong safety for a Chancellor-like spark. Obviously, he is a unique specimen. But the way he's been a force in the running game as the extra defender in the box has led to attempts to follow his lead.

The problem is, other safeties don't have the same ability he does. Chancellor can set the tone on defense with a huge hit, but it will often be a fundamentally sound tackle, too. If not, he gets away with it because of his 6'3", 225-pound frame.

Now, the state of tackling in the NFL is poor across every position, but it feels worse at strong safety sometimes because too many players are trying to land a big, Chancelloresque, tone-setting hit. It results in them dropping their heads, not wrapping up and runners bouncing off them. A lot of players have been guilty of it, especially younger guys.

Browns rookie Derrick Kindred has filled in well against the run at times, meeting the running back in the hole. But then he'll go for the knockout hit, and the runner will break the tackle. That's why the likes of Reshad Jones and Eric Weddle join Chancellor at the top of the strong safety charts. They know when to go for the big hit and when to make the simple play.

Those two also offer plenty in coverage and bring versatility to their respective defenses. Jones was the one safety across both positions averaging above an 80 grade because of the multiple strings to his bow. It's a shame, then, that he will miss the rest of the season after injuring his shoulder. 

Top Scorers

• Top Strong Safety: Reshad Jones, Miami Dolphins
• Best in Coverage: Eric Weddle, Baltimore Ravens
• Best Recovery: Reshad Jones, Miami Dolphins
• Best in the Slot: Kam Chancellor, Seattle Seahawks
• Best Tackler: Kam Chancellor, Seattle Seahawks

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 Midseason 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	19.0	19.8	17.3	17.3	6	79.3
3	Eric Weddle	BAL	20.4	18.9	15.7	16.4	6	77.4
4	Keanu Neal	ATL	19.8	19.7	15.7	15.8	6	77.0
5	Shawn Williams	CIN	19.5	20.0	15.5	15.8	6	76.8
6	Morgan Burnett	GB	18.8	19.3	15.8	16.0	6	76.0
7	Kemal Ishmael	ATL	18.5	18.3	16.8	16.3	6	75.8
8	Tony Jefferson	ARI	18.4	18.9	15.8	16.5	6	75.5
9	Eric Berry	KC	19.0	19.4	15.4	15.6	6	75.4
10	Malcolm Jenkins	PHI	18.9	18.9	15.9	15.7	6	75.3
11	Andrew Sendejo	MIN	18.8	18.5	15.8	16.0	6	75.2
12	Robert Golden	PIT	18.3	18.0	16.3	16.3	6	74.8
13	T.J. Ward	DEN	18.6	19.6	15.3	15.3	6	74.8
14	T.J. McDonald	LA	18.7	18.9	15.4	15.6	6	74.6
15	Daniel Sorensen	KC	18.1	18.9	15.6	16.0	6	74.6
16	Barry Church	DAL	18.7	18.6	15.7	15.3	6	74.3
17	Bradley McDougald	TB	19.0	18.0	16.0	15.0	6	74.0
18	Karl Joseph	OAK	18.8	18.3	15.3	15.5	6	74.0
19	Donte Whitner	WAS	19.0	18.0	15.7	15.3	6	74.0
20	Micah Hyde	GB	18.0	18.3	15.8	15.8	6	73.8
21	Landon Collins	NYG	18.0	18.4	15.7	15.4	6	73.6
22	Will Parks	DEN	18.4	18.6	14.8	15.6	6	73.4
23	Patrick Chung	NE	18.0	18.4	15.1	15.4	6	72.9
24	Johnathan Cyprien	JAX	18.1	17.4	15.9	15.4	6	72.9
25	Aaron Williams	BUF	18.3	18.7	14.9	14.9	6	72.7
26	Duke Ihenacho	WAS	17.5	18.8	15.5	14.8	6	72.5
27	Jordan Poyer	CLE	17.2	18.0	15.2	15.8	6	72.2
28	Keith McGill	OAK	17.0	17.5	15.5	16.0	6	72.0
29	Antoine Bethea	SF	17.7	17.3	15.3	15.6	6	71.9
30	Da'Norris Searcy	TEN	17.3	17.3	15.3	15.8	6	71.8
31	Quintin Demps	HOU	16.8	18.0	15.2	15.6	6	71.6
32	Mike Adams	IND	17.8	17.1	15.1	15.5	6	71.5
33	Tyvon Branch	ARI	17.0	17.3	15.0	16.0	6	71.3
34	Jayron Kearse	MIN	18.5	17.5	14.0	15.0	6	71.0
35	Kenny Vaccaro	NO	17.2	17.7	14.5	15.5	6	70.8
36	Kelcie McCray	SEA	17.3	17.3	14.7	15.3	6	70.7
37	Jordan Dangerfield	PIT	16.5	18.0	14.5	15.5	6	70.5
38	Eddie Pleasant	HOU	17.0	17.0	14.7	15.7	6	70.3
39	Tavon Wilson	DET	16.4	17.0	15.3	15.6	6	70.3
40	Sean Davis	PIT	18.0	18.0	14.0	14.0	6	70.0
41	Jaquiski Tartt	SF	17.2	16.4	15.0	15.2	6	69.8
42	Harold Jones-Quartey	CHI	17.1	17.0	14.4	15.0	6	69.6
43	J.J. Wilcox	DAL	17.0	16.0	14.0	16.0	6	69.0
44	K.J. Dillon	HOU	16.0	16.0	15.0	16.0	6	69.0
45	Walt Aikens	MIA	16.0	17.0	15.0	15.0	6	69.0
46	Derrick Kindred	CLE	16.1	17.3	14.8	14.8	6	68.9
47	Calvin Pryor	NYJ	16.4	16.3	14.8	15.5	6	68.9
48	Kurt Coleman	CAR	16.6	16.6	14.9	14.9	6	68.9
49	Anthony Levine	BAL	16.6	16.8	14.2	15.2	6	68.8
50	Chris Conte	TB	16.7	16.2	14.8	15.0	6	68.7
51	Rafael Bush	DET	15.6	16.3	15.1	15.4	6	68.4
52	Daimion Stafford	TEN	15.8	16.8	14.8	14.3	6	67.5
53	Jonathan Meeks	BUF	16.0	15.5	14.3	15.3	6	67.0
54	Tracy Howard	CLE	16.0	17.0	13.0	15.0	6	67.0
55	Roman Harper	NO	16.0	15.8	14.0	14.5	6	66.3
56	David Bruton	WAS	16.3	16.0	13.5	13.8	6	65.5
57	Adrian Phillips	SD	15.8	15.8	13.7	14.2	6	65.5
58	Miles Killebrew	DET	14.7	15.7	14.0	14.7	6	65.0
59	Keith Tandy	TB	14.0	15.0	14.0	16.0	6	65.0
60	Duke Williams	BUF	13.3	14.3	14.3	15.0	6	63.0
61	Winston Guy	IND	15.0	15.0	12.5	14.0	6	62.5

Kickers

Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

The top spot for kickers goes to Justin Tucker of the Baltimore Ravens, as he's living up to the big contract the Ravens handed him over the offseason (four years, $16.8 million).

He has been perfect on the year, making all 18 field goals he has attempted. He's also gone 9-of-9 on extra points. Tucker has been outstanding from distance as well, going 7-of-7 on kicks between 40 and 49 yards and 4-of-4 on kicks from more than 50 yards. While there was some question heading into the season about his prowess from this range due to struggles in 2014 and 2015, he has proved to be worth every penny.

Adam Vinatieri and Dan Bailey occupy the next two spots, with the ageless wonder Vinatieri also perfect on the season (18-of-18), while Bailey is 14-of-16. The 43-year-old Vinatieri has shown no sign of slowing down, making all five of his attempts from 50-plus yards, and Bailey continues to be extraordinarily steady for the Dallas Cowboys. Greg Zuerlein and Caleb Sturgis round out the top five, with both kickers enjoying their best years as pros.

Also of note is Wil Lutz, who finds his way into the 10th spot, as the rookie has been a pleasant surprise for Saints fans following a rough first two games.

The season has not gone as well for Roberto Aguayo, the highly touted rookie out of Florida State who has seen significant struggles with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Aguayo grades out as the worst kicker in the league, with accuracy issues cropping up more frequently than is acceptable.

Also struggling are Mike Nugent, Dan Carpenter, Nick Novak and Blair Walsh, all of whom have had issues on both extra points and field goals. Walsh has been better since the season opener and shows signs of regaining his form, but Nugent, Carpenter and Novak have had lingering issues.

Also of note are Stephen Gostkowski and Stephen Hauschka, who both are slightly below average this season after years of success. More than anything, this points to the year-to-year volatility of kickers, though both have the talent to pull themselves into the top 10.

Top Scorers

• Top Kicker: Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens
• Best Leg: Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens
• Most Accurate: Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens
• Best Tackler: Wil Lutz, New Orleans Saints

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 Midseason Kicker Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Pwr	Acc	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Justin Tucker	BAL	33.9	34.7	4.4	3	76.0
2	Adam Vinatieri	IND	31.1	34.6	4.5	3	73.3
3	Dan Bailey	DAL	33.1	32.4	4.6	3	73.1
4	Greg Zuerlein	LA	32.3	32.7	4.3	3	72.3
5	Caleb Sturgis	PHI	32.4	32.1	4.4	3	72.0
6	Matt Bryant	ATL	30.9	33.4	4.5	3	71.8
7	Jason Myers	JAX	32.0	30.6	4.7	3	70.3
8	Josh Brown	NYG	30.6	32.0	4.2	3	69.8
9	Josh Lambo	SD	30.3	32.0	4.5	3	69.8
10	Wil Lutz	NO	31.7	30.1	4.9	3	69.7
11	Chandler Catanzaro	ARI	32.0	29.9	4.5	3	69.4
12	Mason Crosby	GB	31.6	30.3	4.4	3	69.3
13	Brandon McManus	DEN	31.0	30.4	4.5	3	68.9
14	Graham Gano	CAR	32.1	29.0	4.4	3	68.6
15	Ryan Succop	TEN	31.1	29.8	4.5	3	68.4
16	Dustin Hopkins	WAS	31.8	29.0	4.5	3	68.3
17	Sebastian Janikowski	OAK	31.1	29.4	4.5	3	68.0
18	Chris Boswell	PIT	31.7	28.6	4.4	3	67.7
19	Matt Prater	DET	30.9	29.1	4.5	3	67.5
20	Steven Hauschka	SEA	32.0	27.6	4.7	3	67.3
21	Stephen Gostkowski	NE	31.9	28.0	4.4	3	67.3
22	Nick Folk	NYJ	30.6	28.6	4.5	3	66.8
23	Phil Dawson	SF	29.1	30.3	4.4	3	66.7
24	Cody Parkey	CLE	30.7	28.3	4.3	3	66.3
25	Andrew Franks	MIA	31.3	27.6	4.4	3	66.3
26	Cairo Santos	KC	29.4	28.6	4.7	3	65.7
27	Connor Barth	CHI	29.6	28.1	4.5	3	65.3
28	Blair Walsh	MIN	30.7	26.6	4.1	3	64.4
29	Nick Novak	HOU	27.3	29.4	4.4	3	64.1
30	Dan Carpenter	BUF	29.3	27.4	4.5	3	64.1
31	Patrick Murray	CLE	28.5	27.0	5.0	3	63.5
32	Mike Nugent	CIN	29.1	26.6	4.5	3	63.3
33	Roberto Aguayo	TB	30.6	23.1	4.7	3	61.4

Punters

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Thomas Morstead has rebounded from a difficult 2015 to be the top punter of the first half. He has been above average in all three major areas, but in particular, his ball placement stands out. He is the only punter in the NFL who has not landed a ball between the hashes in the first eight weeks, placing only eight punts inside the numbers.

Second-ranked Johnny Hekker is the only punter with a higher accuracy rating, as he has had a slightly higher percentage of punts outside the numbers, as opposed to those simply landing on the numbers. Oakland's Marquette King is also enjoying a breakout season as the third-ranked punter, with big distance and strong accuracy numbers covering up slightly above-average hang time.

Rounding out the top five are Indianapolis' Pat McAfee and Tampa Bay's Bryan Anger, with McAfee showing a well-rounded game and Anger leading the NFL in hang time for the season.

Rookie struggles are notable in the bottom of the rankings, with Lachlan Edwards and Drew Kaser occupying two of the bottom three spots. Veterans Kevin Huber, Jeff Locke and Donnie Jones are also struggling. Rookies tend to go through an acclimation period to the NFL ball and the demands of the pro game, so this is not entirely unexpected, and the three veterans have had up-and-down careers and have found themselves in this area before.

More interesting is the group above, where Jon Ryan and Ryan Allen are ranked Nos. 22 and 23, respectively. Both players have had strong outings, but inconsistent play has been an issue. Ryan has been average in all aspects of the game, while Allen has shown a strong directional ability but below-average power and hang time.

Top Scorers

• Top Punter: Thomas Morstead, New Orleans Saints
• Best Leg: Marquette King, Oakland Raiders
• Most Hang Time: Bryan Anger, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Most Accurate: Johnny Hekker, Los Angeles Rams
• Best Tackler: Thomas Morstead, New Orleans Saints

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 Midseason Punter Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Dist	Hang	Acc	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Thomas Morstead	NO	16.7	16.3	35.0	3.1	3	74.1
2	Johnny Hekker	LA	16.6	15.9	35.4	3.0	3	73.9
3	Marquette King	OAK	17.5	14.8	34.8	3.1	3	73.1
4	Pat McAfee	IND	17.0	14.8	34.4	3.0	3	72.1
5	Bryan Anger	TB	15.6	18.3	31.7	3.0	3	71.6
6	Sam Koch	BAL	16.1	14.3	35.0	3.0	3	71.4
7	Brett Kern	TEN	16.5	15.0	33.6	2.9	3	71.0
8	Andy Lee	CAR	17.3	16.0	31.0	3.1	3	70.4
9	Brad Wing	NYG	15.6	14.4	33.7	3.0	3	69.7
10	Sam Martin	DET	16.8	16.1	30.5	3.0	3	69.4
11	Britton Colquitt	CLE	14.3	15.8	33.4	3.0	3	69.4
12	Chris Jones	DAL	16.3	16.4	30.6	3.0	3	69.3
13	Shane Lechler	HOU	16.4	15.0	31.6	3.0	3	69.0
14	Matt Darr	MIA	14.4	14.1	33.7	3.0	3	68.3
15	Tress Way	WAS	14.6	14.9	32.5	3.0	3	68.0
16	Pat O'Donnell	CHI	12.5	15.8	33.0	3.0	3	67.3
17	Jordan Berry	PIT	15.4	14.4	30.9	3.0	3	66.7
18	Bradley Pinion	SF	13.9	17.0	29.9	3.0	3	66.7
19	Matt Bosher	ATL	15.0	16.4	28.6	3.0	3	66.0
20	Colton Schmidt	BUF	10.3	14.3	35.1	3.0	3	65.6
21	Brad Nortman	JAX	14.7	16.9	28.0	3.0	3	65.6
22	Jon Ryan	SEA	14.4	14.3	30.6	3.0	3	65.3
23	Ryan Allen	NE	12.9	13.5	32.9	3.0	3	65.3
24	Dustin Colquitt	KC	12.6	15.7	30.4	3.0	3	64.7
25	Riley Dixon	DEN	13.6	13.3	30.9	3.0	3	63.8
26	Jacob Schum	GB	11.9	14.4	31.3	3.0	3	63.6
27	Drew Butler	ARI	10.0	16.3	29.7	3.0	3	62.0
28	Ryan Quigley	ARI	10.8	17.0	28.2	3.0	3	62.0
29	Donnie Jones	PHI	12.6	14.4	28.9	3.0	3	61.9
30	Jeff Locke	MIN	13.9	15.4	26.4	3.0	3	61.7
31	Kevin Huber	CIN	14.0	13.0	28.3	3.0	3	61.3
32	Drew Kaser	SD	10.8	14.0	29.3	3.0	3	60.0
33	Lachlan Edwards	NYJ	12.3	13.6	27.9	3.0	3	59.8
34	Chandler Catanzaro	ARI	1.0	10.0	28.0	3.0	3	45.0