NFL 2010 Preview: Top 10 Offensive Players

With the start of the 2010 NFL regular season quickly approaching, there has been a lot of talk about the offensive side of the ball for each team.

Every year, there are an elite group of individuals within each team's offense that play at a level that is almost in a different stratosphere. It will be no different this year, as there are many great offensive players that will be taking the field throughout the league starting in September.

For this feature, I analyzed my top offensive players in the league for the 2010 season.

Honorable Mention

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JACKSONVILLE, FL - AUGUST 21: Brandon Marshall #19 of the Miami Dolphins prepares to run a route during the preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field on August 21, 2010 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Imag

Miami Dolphins WR Brandon Marshall

Baltimore Ravens WR Anquan Boldin

Baltimore Ravens RB Ray Rice

San Diego Chargers QB  Phillip Rivers

Cincinnati Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco

10. Arizona Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald

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GLENDALE, AZ - AUGUST 14: Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald #11 of the Arizona Cardinals during preseason NFL game against the Houston Texans at the University of Phoenix Stadium on August 14, 2010 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Texans 19

Fitz has been one of the most consistent receivers in the league over the past few years and arguably the best receiver for his Arizona Cardinals.

The former Heisman runner-up in college has flourished since has picked third overall by Arizona in the 2004 NFL draft. Fitzgerald uses combination of speed, excellent route running and great hands to reel in his many receptions that he gets every year. He has been selected to four Pro Bowl in six years, racking up over 7,000 receiving yards and 59 touchdowns in the process.

With former teammate Anquan Boldin now with the Baltimore Ravens, look for Fitzgerald to be an even bigger target in the Cardinals offense this year.

9. Indianapolis Colts Wide Receiver Reggie Wayne

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MIAMI GARDENS, FL - FEBRUARY 07: Reggie Wayne #87 of the Indianapolis Colts warms up before playing against the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV on February 7, 2010 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Wayne has been the ultimate receiver for the Colts in his nine NFL seasons, helping his team set numerous offensive records and making other receivers better as well.

He has had an excellent connection with Colts longtime QB and future hall of famer Peyton Manning, as they have connected for 60 plus touchdowns in their time together. Wayne has gone to four Pro Bowls, and collected over 9,300 receiving yards in his Colts tenure.

Reggie is the old man compared to the other receivers on the Colts current roster, but he still has multiple Pro Bowl seasons left in him, as he showed us last year.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew

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JACKSONVILLE, FL - JULY 30: Maurice Jones-Drew 32 of the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first day of Training Camp at EverBank Field on July 30, 2010 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

The Jaguars main offensive weapon is a very strong/shifty running back in Maurice Jones-Drew.

After three very solid seasons in Jacksonville, Jones-Drew really broke out of his shell in '09 as he rushed for nearly 1,400 yards and had 374 receiving yards to boot. He also scored 16 touchdowns that year, which is tops for a single season amount during his short career.

Jones-Drew is still the man in Jacksonville, and should continue to prove that he is a multi-functional back, meaning that he can run, catch and block well in this league.

7. San Diego Chargers TE Antonio Gates

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MIAMI GARDENS, FL - JANUARY 31: Antonio Gates #85 of the San Diego Chargers carries the ball during the 2010 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl at Sun Life Stadium on January 31, 2010 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images)

Gates has been hands down the best tight end in Chargers history.

He has been to six Pro Bowls, and has been hard to guard for most if not all defenses that he has gone against in his seven NFL seasons. He has been a very effective safety blanket along with a down field threat for his QB for most of those years, Phillip Rivers.

Gates should continue to be a go-to target this year, especially with a strong chance of teammate and star wideout Vincent Jackson not playing at all this season.

6. San Francisco 49ers RB Frank Gore

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ST. LOUIS - JANUARY 3: Frank Gore #21 of the San Francisco 49ers rushes against the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome on January 3, 2010 in St. Louis, Missouri. The 49ers beat the Rams 28-6. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

Gore has been one of the best running backs in the recent history of the 49ers and has been a very versatile back in his team with the club.

Gore had an excellent season in '09 as he rushed for 1,120 yards and 10 touchdowns, to go along with 406 receiving yards and 3 receiving touchdowns as well. He is a very good between the tackles runner, and is also very powerful for his 5'9 frame.

Frank Gore is only 27 years of age going into this season, and likely still has several solid seasons ahead of him.

5. Houston Texans WR Andre Johnson

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GLENDALE, AZ - AUGUST 14: Wide receiver Andre Johnson #80 of the Houston Texans during preseason NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on August 14, 2010 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Texans 19-16

Like many on this list, Johnson is a former first round pick,and has more than lived up the hype in his seven seasons in the league.

He has gone to four Pro Bowls, had four different 1,000 yard receiving seasons, and caught 42 touchdown passes from a variety of different Texan quarterbacks. AJ is one of the best set of hands for a receiver in the league, as he has made a living hauling in receptions by using his hands and body in a number of different ways.

Andre should continue to be a nemesis for opposing defenders and is always match-up for about anyone who has to defend him.

4. Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning

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TORONTO, CANADA - AUGUST 19: Peyton Manning #18 of the Indianapolis Colts looks to pass the ball during game action against the Buffalo Bills on August 19, 2010 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Brad White/Getty Images)

I don't know if there is too much more you can say about Peyton Manning.

The man has been a stud since his inception into the league in 1998, and has shown no signs of letting up as he has gotten older. He has lead his Colts to two Super Bowl appearances, including one Super Bowl win in the '06 season. He has been selected to a Pro Bowl ever year but two(which equals 10 Pro Bowls).

Now, armed with a young, rejuvenated receiving core in Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie, along with the help of veteran Reggie Wayne, Manning looks to have another solid year in 2010.

3. Minnesota Vikings RB Adrian Peterson

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SAN FRANCISCO - AUGUST 22: Adrian Peterson #28 of the Minnesota Vikings runs with the ball during their preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park on August 22, 2010 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

AP has been a force since he came into the league as a first round pick with the Vikings in 2007, as he has changed the landscape of the Minnesota offense for good.

In addition to his dominance, he has also been named to a Pro Bowl team all three years in the league and has rushed for 1,300 plus yards every year as well. Peterson, like #1 on this list, Chris Johnson, has also shown the ability to be an excellent receiving option, as he has averaged 275 receiving yards per year, including 436 yards in '09.

Peterson looks to continue mowing down and juking defenders in '10 as he will look to take the Vikings deep in the playoffs once again.

2. New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees

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MIAMI GARDENS, FL - FEBRUARY 07: Quarterback Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints celebrates after his team defeated the Indianapolis Colts during Super Bowl XLIV on February 7, 2010 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Andy Lyons

The Super Bowl XLIV MVP had arguably his best season a QB in '09 as he threw for 34 touchdowns and had an astronomical 109.6 QB rating.

Mr. Brees also passed for 4,388 yards and had a career high completion percentage of 70.6%. On top of all that, he led his Saints to an improbable Super Bowl victory which lifted up the city of New Orleans after it had seen its darkest time just five years ago with the Hurricane Katrina disaster.

Brees continues to improve each year throughout his career, and with play-makers like Pierre Thomas, Marques Colston and Reggie Bush as his disposal, look for the Purdue product to continue to play at a very high level.

1. Tennessee Titans RB Chris Johnson

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SEATTLE - AUGUST 14: Running back Chris Johnson #28 of the Tennessee Titans rushes during the preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Field on August 14, 2010 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

The former East Carolina Pirate was dubbed the best running back in the NFL last season by many NFL experts, and who can blame them.

Johnson rushed for over 2,000 yards, had 503 receiving yards, and he also scored 16 touchdowns. I also forgot to mention that he averaged an amazing 5.6 yards per carry, with 358 total carries for the season. He is a very strong and elusive runner, who breaks tackles with ease and is very difficult to chase down in the open field.

Johnson said recently that his goal is to rush for 2,500 yards this year, and with how this guy has played recently, this could be an obtainable goal this season.