Peter King and the Top 8 NFL Writers on the Web

The NFL lockout is really getting old at this point as there is not a lot new to talk about, but it has given us time to scour the internet for some of the top NFL writers on the web.

Let me be clear that if I was listing strictly sportswriters, and not just NFL writers, that Bill Simmons would not only be on this list, but he would unquestionably be at the top. But because he is not a "NFL writer," he will not be appearing in this article.

You also won't find Mel Kiper or Todd McShay in this article because, well, they aren't top writers in my opinion.

However, you will find some of the best NFL writers on the web in this article and a little background on each of them.

This list is in no particular order.

1. Vic Carucci

Carucci is a writer for NFL.com that has covered football for almost 30 years now.

Carruci votes on the Hall of Fame committee and he was once the president of the Professional Football Writers of America.

You won't see much similarity between Carucci and a writer like Simmons, but you will get a strong opinion and plenty of intriguing reads.

2. Pat Kirwan

Kirwan currently writes for NFL.com, but he also has extensive coaching experience as well as he spent time as a defensive assistant with the Jets for eight years.

Kirwan is a great football mind and he puts a lot of work into his articles as this example shows.

3. Mike Sando

Sando has been covering the NFC West on ESPN.com for the past four seasons after previously covering the Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune.

This probably isn't the most flattering picture of Sando (sorry, if you're looking for a countdown of the hottest sportswriters you'll have to go to a different source) but it will do nonetheless.

I'm sure some will call me biased for picking a writer who is local to my area (Washington) but I truly believe Sando is one of the best that ESPN has to offer (enter snide remarks here as to what ESPN actually has to offer). As a Chiefs fan, I can tell you that AFC West blogger Bill Williamson will not be appearing on this list.

4. Tim Graham

We couldn't have Sando as the only top writer from the worldwide leader in sports, so AFC East blogger Tim Graham also made the cut.

I'm not a fan of the AFC East, in fact I would say I generally root against teams in the AFC East, but Graham is a very good writer who is quite accomplished.

Graham previously covered the Dolphins, the NHL, and boxing; and he has worked in Miami, Buffalo, Las Vegas and Boston.

5. John Clayton

It's official, this list has absolutely nothing to do with looks, or athletic ability for that matter. However, knowledge and writing ability are major factors when it comes to making this list and John Clayton is one of the best NFL writers on the web.

Clayton has been covering the NFL at ESPN since 1995 and the 57-year-old has been a fixture on both ESPN.com and ESPN radio.

6. Bill Barnwell

I'm prepared to face the hate after putting yet another ESPN.com writer on this list but I believe Barnwell definitely deserves to be included.

Barnwell had been writing for Football Outsiders since 2005 but he is joining forces with Bill Simmons to write for Simmons new site.

If he's good enough to write for Simmons, he's good enough to crack this list.

7. Peter King

If you've had enough of the ESPN.com love then you may be happy to see SI writer Peter King on this list.

King has authored five books, been a reporter and he most recently won the award for National Sportswriter of the Year in 2010. 

If he's the best sportswriter in the country then I think it's safe to say he is one of the top NFL writers as well.

8. Nolan Nawrocki

Here we go, here come the haters.

Nawrocki was at the center of the Cam Newton controversy when he released his pre-draft scouting report on the former Auburn star, questioning many things about the Heisman winner.

I actually agreed with many of the points that Nawrocki made and I saw many of the same things that he did while watching numerous Auburn games this season.

Nawrocki knows his stuff and he's a well-connected writer who is now becoming a household name for ProFootballWeekly.com.