Top 50 NFL Players Who Will Not Make Playoffs in 2011

It goes without saying that a very large majority of the elite players in the NFL are on playoff teams or contenders. I find that hard to argue against. Still, you are going to have a lot of really good and star players on teams that will not make the playoffs.

There is a combination of a team under performing, injuries and the coaches ability to get the most out of players that leads to this conclusion.

Today, I am going to focus on the top 50 players from the 2011 season that WILL NOT make the playoffs this season. In order to do so, I will have to give you my final regular season predictions as a way to start the article.

You can catch that on the next slide.

Playoff Predictions

National Football Conference

1. Green Bay Packers

2. San Francisco 49ers

3. New Orleans Saints

4. Dallas Cowboys

5. Atlanta Falcons

6. Detroit Lions

American Football Conference

1. New England Patriots

2. Baltimore Ravens

3. Houston Texans

4. Oakland Raiders

5. Pittsburgh Steelers

6. Cincinnati Bengals

Injured Players Who Would Be on This List

The following players would be on this list if they did not miss most if not all of the 2011 season.

QB- Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts

RB- Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs

S- Eric Berry, Kansas City Chiefs

50. CB Aqib Talib

Despite legal issues, Talib has taken his game to the next level this season. He is improved a great deal in man coverage and is starting to become more of a playmaker.

If these legal issues don't threaten his 2012 season, expect Talib to be one of the most sought after free agent corners on the market. He is turning into a true No. 1 corner in the NFL.

49. S LaRon Landry

Another free agent following the season, Landry is one of the most dominating and physically imposing safeties in the entire NFL. He is much better in the box, but can cover well to. Overall, the former LSU star is the lynch-pin of the Washington Redskins secondary and makes everything work for them.

His intimidating play will lead many playoff contenders to go after his services in the off-season.

48. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick

Despite recent struggles, Ryan Fitzpatrick has proved himself to be more than a capable starting quarterback in the NFL. He possesses a strong enough arm to make every throw on the field, reads the defense well and has great pocket awareness.

You can fully expect these recent struggles to continue without having the benefit of Fred Jackson in the back field for the remainder of the 2011 season. However, that doesn't mean that Buffalo should look anywhere else for a quarterback in the near future.

After all, they did just sign him to a pretty impressive contract extension.

47. LB Chad Greenway

The former Iowa standout has been performing at an extremely high level since the Minnesota Vikings selected him in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Despite not making the Pro Bowl in each of his first five seasons, Chad Greenway is as underrated of a middle linebacker as you will find.

He has compiled at least 100 tackles in each season and is one pace for a career high in 2011. What makes Greenway more valuable is the fact that he is great when it comes to dropping back into coverage.

Maybe 2011 is the season that Greenway breaks his Pro Bowl drought, but the competition at that position is incredibly high to say the least right now.

46. LB Cameron Wake

Cameron Wake is one of the most unheralded players in the entire NFL. He broke out last season in a big way with 14 sacks and is on pace for another double digit sack season in 2011.

Some say he is too one dimensional in the mold of DeMarcus Ware, but I don't see it. Wake is doing exactly what has been asked of him and you cannot ask for more.

45. DE Jason Babin

Jason Babin has had an injury riddled and inconsistent NFL career, at least he did up until 2010 when he compiled double digit sacks for the first time.

Now in his seventh NFL season, it appears that Babin has turned the corner. He currently leads the Philadelphia Eagles with ten sacks and has proven himself to be their best off-season addition in a year of disappointment in Philly.

44. CB Joe Haden

The 2010 first round pick had struggled with coverage consistency over the course of his first year or so, but has picked up that aspect of his game over the last two months.

We all knew that Joe Haden had a lot of talent coming out of Florida, that really wasn't in question. It was all about technique and it appears he has mastered that. Now, Haden is probably a true No. 1 corner in the NFL and leads a pretty good Cleveland Browns secondary.

43. Nnamdi Asomugha

I am definitely not ready to give up on Asomugha as an elite corner in the NFL. He has struggled transitioning to Philadelphia's defense but still has the talent necessary to be a complete shut down guy. You don't lost that over night at his age.

You can fully expect the former Oakland Raider' All-Pro to pick up his game in the not so distant future.

42. WR Steve Johnson

Despite a horrible performance last week that probably cost the Buffalo Bills a win against the New York Jets, Steve Johnson has been getting it done for the most part over the last two seasons.

In 2010, Johnson had his first 1,000 yards season and is following that up with an equally impressive campaign as Ryan Fitzpatrick's No. 1 wide receiver in Buffalo's  improved offense.

If Johnson can get his attitude in check you can expect him to be a Pro Bowl performer sooner rather than later.

41. DE Justin Tuck

I have Justin Tuck on this list despite the injury issues that he has had this season. When he is on the field, Tuck is one of the most disruptive forces in the entire NFL. He doesn't just rush the passer well. Instead, the former Notre Dame star is capable of dropping back into coverage when asked and is nearly as dominating against the run.

As a whole, he is one of the best all-around defensive ends in the entire league.

40. QB Cam Newton

In order to take that next step towards elite status Cam Newton is going to have to limit his mistakes more than he has done during his rookie season. It looks like that started against the Indianapolis Colts last week.

There is no doubting that Newton will eventually be a Pro Bowl performer in the NFL. He already has compiled 3,000 yards passing and nearly 500 rushing yards through just 11 games this year.

39. LB David Harris

Some people questioned why the New York Jets gave David Harris the franchise tag last season, not me. He is right below the likes of Patrick Willis as one of the best inside linebackers in the NFL and it has been this way for a while now.

Look no further than Harris when considering why the Jets are so good against the rush and in pass defense. He is great taking on tacklers on stuffing the middle and can drop back into coverage with the best of them.

38. WR Vincent Jackson

I contemplated not putting Vincent Jackson on this list at all. He has been far too inconsistent for my taste. That said, the San Diego Chargers receiver can make plays down the field and stretches out an opposing defense to make it easier for the rest of his offense.

I sincerely hope that he gains that consistency because if he does, Jackson will be one of the best wide receivers in the NFL.

Time might be running out.

37. LB Von Miller

My pick for Defensive Rookie of the Year, sorry Aldon Smith, Miller has been an absolute beast in opposing offensive back fields. He has 10.5 sacks in 11 games as a rookie and continues to improve as an all-around outside linebacker in Denver's 4-3 scheme.

I draw a comparison to Lawrence Taylor for obvious reasons and that is a comparison that I do not take lightly. Look for Von Miller to dominate the AFC West for years to come. He already is to a point right now.

36. WR Victor Cruz

The former UMASS product has come out of nowhere in just his second NFL season. The Salsa Dance aside, Victor Cruz is a play making wide receiver for the New York Giants.

He is already nearing 1,000 yards on the season and continues to be a huge deep threat for Eli Manning and Co. That said, Cruz will have to fix those drop passes issues in order to truly become elite at this level.

35. QB Philip Rivers

Philip Rivers and his struggles have not gone unnoticed so far in 2011. He is having by far the worst season of his career and that isn't in doubt. In fact, his quarterback rating is down a full 21 percent from last season, which speaks volumes.

That said, he has a track record of success and one sub par season will not change that. After all, every single member of the San Diego Chargers is having a down season.

34. Dwayne Bowe

Issues in regards to character and dropped passes has continued to plague Dwayne Bowe's career, but there is absolutely no doubting the talent that the former LSU star has.

He is a huge threat in the red zone and has improved his reliability over the course of the last couple seasons. I fully expect Bowe to get a lot of play as a free agent following this year.

However, it might not be with the Chiefs.

33. DE Tamba Hali

The former Penn State standout is one of my favorite defensive players in the league. Tamba Hali came into the NFL extremely raw but has honed his game over the course of the last couple seasons and is now one of the best defensive ends in the entire league.

I love the way that he is able to get pressure both inside and outside while maintaining his gap in order to stop that run. You don't see that a lot in the NFL anymore.

32. CB Patrick Peterson

Peterson's inclusion on this list has more to do with his four special teams touchdowns than it has to do with his defensive performance.

He is still struggling a great deal in coverage and doesn't have either the technique or experience to be a top flight corner in the NFL yet. That will come in time.

Instead, Peterson is making a name known for himself as one of the most dynamic return men in the entire league. His four special teams touchdowns rank right atop the league and he has practically won a couple games for Arizona on that alone.

31. KR Devin Hester

No matter how well Patrick Peterson has performed as a kick returner in 2011 I couldn't find it within myself to put ANY specialist ahead of the monster that is Devin Hester.

There has already been a movement to get him into the Hall-of-Fame when all is said and done: I couldn't agree more. This guy turns games around on a consistent basis with his special teams play.

30. TE Antonio Gates

Injuries have cost Gates a few games over the last couple seasons and it appears he is towards the back end of his career. Still, Antonio Gates is a physically imposing tight end up that middle that is nearly impossible to cover one on one.

There is a direct correlation to the struggles that Philip Rivers has had in 2011 and the fact that Gates hasn't been fully healthy.

29. OT Ryan Clady

Offensive linemen do not get a lot of play by the national media, instead they just do their job without much recognition.

Ryan Clady is one of the best all-around offensive tackles in the league. He takes on pass rushers one on one and rarely requires help on the outside. As a run blocker, Clady is probably even better.

28. QB Jay Cutler

Dare I venture to say that Jay Cutler has having the best season of his career prior to the thumb injury? He was managing the game extremely well without much help from a weak offensive line and was limiting his mistakes a great deal.

Leadership is another aspect of Cutler's game that I noticed took another step in 2011. He seems to have pulled that monkey off of his shoulder and is playing much more loose on the football field.

Watch out for him in 2012.

27. LB Brian Orakpo

Brian Orakpo plays like a neanderthal out on the field, pun very much intended. Despite not matching his rookie sack total, the former first round pick has improved his all-around game a great deal over the course of the last two seasons.

He is much better in coverage and has the ability to recognize offensive packages by their formations. These two things have enabled Ryan Kerrigen (a rookie), to concentrate more on pass rushing.

26. DE Chris Long

Many people were ready to draw the conclusion that Chris Long was a bust a couple years ago. Well, that was just crazy talk.

Despite not having the sack numbers that many people expected coming out of Virginia, Long was extremely good at putting pressure on the quarterback and stuffing the run. Now, the sack numbers have increased and he continues to dominate other aspects of the game.

25. CB Asante Samuel

I made the logical decision to put Samuel ahead of his teammate, Nnamdi Asomugha on this lost. There is one simple explanation for this: Asante Samuel has just played much better at the corner position in 2011 than his counterpart.

He is doing extremely well playing zone coverage, has upgraded his ability to play one on one and is handling some of the nickel assignment really well.

Expect Samuel to be somewhere else in 2012, but he will maintain this high level of play for the foreseeable future.

24. C Nick Mangold

Nick Mangold is the only center on this list because his is by far the best in the entire NFL, sorry Maurkice Pouncey lovers.

Mangold's difference was apparent earlier this season when he missed a couple games due to injury and that cemented his status as the league's best.

Look for him to hit Canton one day, but for now Mangold has to settle for continual Pro Bowl appearances.

23. DE Julius Peppers

All Julius Peppers has done over the course of his standout career is acquire double digit sacks seasons eight different times. He is currently on pace to match his career high in sacks from the 2007 season as well.

Many people had questions about Peppers' ability to transition to the Chicago Bears style of defense, but that hasn't been an issue at all.

If he continues at this pace, there is a solid chance that Peppers will get enshrined into Canton one day.

22. WR Brandon Marshall

Psychological and character issues aside, Brandon Marshall continues to be one of the most productive wide receivers in the entire league. He possesses a rout running ability that few receivers have and works well with whatever quarterback is thrown his way.

I love the way this kid plays the receiver position. Now if he could just become an all-around football player, then he would be in business.

21. OT Joe Thomas

I fully expected Joe Thomas to be a premiere offensive tackle in the NFL coming out of Wisconsin and he hasn't disappointed me yet. Instead, Thomas continues to improve in pass protecting as well as run blocking and has become pretty much the best at what he does.

Dominating with a slice of mean.

20. WR Hakeem Nicks

Nicks has had to deal with a wide array of injuries so far in 2011, but he continues to perform at a high level when on the football field. Despite the fact that Victor Cruz is having a better statistical season, I believe that Hakeem Nicks is the best all-around wide receiver on the New York Giants.

Just wait until he gets fully healthy. It will be enought to scare the grin off the face of Rob Ryan moving forward.

19. WR Jeremy Maclin

Some people wonder why I have been so high on Jeremy Maclin. Maybe I just have a man crush on him, but I doubt that plays too well as an excuse.

I just love the way Maclin plays the wide receiver position. He runs crisp routes, blocks extremely well and has great hands.

18. LB- Jason Pierre-Paul

A few weeks ago I got a lot of crap for not including JPP as one of the top 50 players from the 2011 season. Well, I have to admit that I completely forgot about the second year player from South Florida.

Complete oversight on my part.

Not this time. Pierre-Paul is quickly becoming one of the best pass rushing specialists in the entire league and he is still quite a young pup.

17. CB Brandon Flowers

Brandon Flowers has maintained his elite play as the rest of the Chiefs star power go down to injury. He is one of the best cover guys in the NFL and is quickly becoming known to be a true shutdown corner.

Expect this great play to continue and Flowers to start getting recognized on a national level.

16. RB Steven Jackson

It appears that the future Hall of Fame running back is hitting the twilight of his career, but this doesn't mean that Jackson still isn't an elite running back. He is, but for how much longer?

I still love the way Jackson runs up the gut and isn't afraid to take on bigger linebackers in nearly every situation. Dude still has some juice left in those legs.

15. OT Jordan Gross

Some of you might be wondering why I have ample offensive linemen on this list. Well the answer is pretty simple. Despite not being noticed, this position is one of the toughest in the league to play and the individuals listed are among the best.

Jordan Gross is an absolute beast and dominates the line with the best of them. He continually pushes opposing defenders from the line and creates gaping holes on the outside. More than that, Gross has been one of the best pass protecting tackles in recent memory.

14. RB Fred Jackson

Before an injury cost Fred Jackson the remainder of the 2011 season he was right up there with the best all-around running back's in the entire NFL. Jackson is great in pass protection, has soft hands out of the back field and is a poised downhill runner.

Expect him to return in 2012 with more pop and ability than you saw this season. After all, he was just getting comfortable being the man.

13. OT Jake Long

Of course this is just a subjective list, but I think that Jake Long is by far the best offensive tackle in the entire NFL. He never asks for a double team, destroys opposing defenders at point of impact and disables their pass rush from his side of the field.

In fact, I have even seen Long take out multiple defenders on the same play a few times in 2011.

12. QB Michael Vick

It could be stated that Michael Vick has had the worst season of his great career in 2011, but he is still one dynamic playmaking quarterback. The issue with Vick is consistency and ability to stay healthy. Two things that have plagued his career up to this point.

Look for him to work incredibly hard this off-season and to come into 2012 in better shape.

10. RB Maurice Jones-Drew

I love the way this guy plays the running back position. Jones-Drew isn't one of the most physically intimidating running backs in the NFL, but he just gets it done.

The UCLA product is able to hit the hole with the best of them and has soft hands out of the back field. I especially like his willingness to mix it up in the blocking game.

Maurice Jones-Drew is an all-around back.

9. WR Steve Smith

Some people, including myself, concluded that Steve Smith was on the downside of his career. Well we couldn't have been more wrong. The veteran receiver has resurrected his career and helped Cam Newton progress a great deal as a rookie quarterback.

Lost in all this is the fact that Smith has had another 1,000 yard season and may just break his own franchise record for receiving yards in a season.

8. LB Brian Urlacher

Brian Urlacher is like fine red wine and gallons of it: he gets better with age. The future Hall of Fame linebacker has lost a step on the football field but he makes up for it with increased smarts and the ability to get his nose in on every play.

Overall, Urlacher has to be one of my favorite defensive players to ever play the game of football.

7. WR Larry Fitzgerald

I contemplated putting Fitzgerald in the top five, but then I came to my senses. He hasn't been the same wide receiver since Kurt Warner jumped town and retired. Some of that has to do with lack of a legitimate quarterback on Arizona's roster, but some of that has to do with his inability to make plays on the ball when asked to.

Still, Fitz is one of the best all-around wide receivers in the league and will be a first ballot Hall of Fame inductee.

6. QB Eli Manning

You cannot place the blame for the New York Giants recent struggles on Eli Manning. He continues to play the best football of his career but isn't getting a whole lot of help from the rest of the roster.

I continually notice Manning making difficult throw after difficult throw while being under immense pressure. Still, the future Hall of Fame quarterback continues to put the ball where it needs to be.

Maybe he should sit the other 52 players on the Giants roster down for a good ole' Louisiana shakedown because that is what they are doing to him right now.

5. RB Matt Forte

I am not sure if Matt Forte can even keep up this pace without Jay Cutler in the back field with him. The Pro Bowl running back is currently on pace to represent over 50 percent of his team's total offensive yardage output: just crazy!

Hopefully the Angelo's come to their senses and pay this man what he is worth because losing Forte would set the Bears franchise back years.

This is how good he is.

4. RB LeSean McCoy

Shady is on pace for over 2,000 yards from scrimmage in 2011, this without the Philadelphia Eagles feeding him the rock as much as many of us would have expected. Overall, the former Pitt Panther' is averaging over five yards per rush this season.

He is the second best running back in the entire NFL right now.

3. DE Jared Allen

Jared Allen is the best at what he does in the NFL. The dude is an absolute freak of nature on the outside and eats opposing offensive linemen for dinner during his dreams.

I even saw the future Hall of Fame defensive end playing special teams last week. Don't tell me that he doesn't care about winning.

Got to love this dude.

2. CB Darrelle Revis

Not since Deion Sanders have we seen such a shutdown corner in the NFL. You don't hear Revis' name a whole lot because opposing quarterbacks make the point of not throwing his way. Instead, when you hear his name it means that he has just made a huge play.

Quarterbacks have gone after him a lot more as of late, but not with much success. He has four interceptions and over 130 yards in return yards so far in 2011.

1. RB Adrian Peterson

Adrian Peterson is the best player in the NFL not named Tom, Aaron and Drew. He continues to perform at such a high level that many of us have a hard time understanding that he is only in his fifth season in the NFL.

During that span, Peterson has compiled a whopping 6,700 yards and 63 touchdowns. He will go down as one of the best running backs, if not the best, to ever play the game.

Lets just hope that it isn't all for not and that the Minnesota Vikings get him some help on the offensive side of the ball.