POSITION KINGS
By Dan Pompei
In the NFL, they say beauty is in the binoculars of the beholder. Who he says is best might not be the player she says is best. And the player who is best today might not be the player who is best tomorrow.
Here’s what we say.
Quarterback
Today: Peyton Manning, Colts
Those four MVP awards say it all. “What’s really separated him from a lot of other players who are maybe even more gifted than him physically is the mental approach,” says Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio. “He operates like an offensive coordinator playing the position.”
Tomorrow: Aaron Rodgers, Packers
He has all the skills to be the NFL’s next best quarterback — and more important, he has all the intangibles. “Aaron is a very consistent personality, and it’s definitely carried over to the playing field,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy says. “He’s gone through as different a situation as I’ve been around coming into his first season as a starter. He handled that very well. The second year is always a big hurdle to get over because now defenses have an opportunity to study. He’s been very consistent. He doesn’t swing too high and doesn’t swing too low. He’s a good decision maker.”
Running Back
Today: Adrian Peterson, Vikings
No one runs the ball like the guy they call “A.D.” (as in “All Day”), who has an incredible combination of size, power, speed, athleticism and determination. He can run inside or outside. He can get the short yardage and peel off the long one. Vikings coach Brad Childress told reporters last year that Peterson is “the best football player in the National Football League and he’s the best running back in the National Football League, and I believe that.”
Tomorrow: Beanie Wells, Cardinals
Without a doubt, Wells has the ability to become the NFL’s next great back. He made significant strides over his rookie season, particularly in pass protection. All that could prevent Wells from reaching his potential is injury. “He’s fast and explosive. He has size and strength and he breaks tackles,” Cardinals general manager Rod Graves says. “He can run with reckless abandon and can outrun you. He’s getting better and better.”
Wide Receiver
Today: Andre Johnson, Texans
He never has played in a postseason game, he doesn’t celebrate touchdowns Chad Ochocinco style, and he keeps his mouth shut. As a result, many fans have no idea how good he is. “When I scouted Andre Johnson, I thought he was the biggest, fastest and most talented wide receiver I had ever seen,” says CBS and NFL Network analyst Charley Casserly, the former general manager of the Texans. “In addition to that, he has desire, competitiveness, work ethic and character.”
Tomorrow: Calvin Johnson, Lions
This could be the wide receiver version of Barry Sanders — the best player at his position trapped in Detroit. The former second pick in the draft has everything it takes, and he soon may have a quarterback who can bring it out of him. “I haven’t seen a talent like Calvin,” second-year Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford says. “He’s big, fast and strong. He has a great attitude. He runs after every ball, catches it.”
Tight End
Today: Antonio Gates, Chargers
Some might prefer a more multi-dimensional tight end such as Jason Witten or Heath Miller, but Gates enhances his team’s passing game more than any tight end in the league. “He isn’t blazing fast,” says Bears linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer. “He doesn’t really outrun people. But I don’t think there is a better tight end once the ball is in the air.”
Tomorrow: Jermichael Finley, Packers
Go ahead, try to cover this 6'5" tight end who runs like a Thomson’s gazelle and catches like a spider web. “If you want to put a safety on him, we feel good about that matchup,” Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers says. “If you want to put a linebacker on him, we feel better. If you want to put a corner on him, we still feel he can make plays.”
Offensive Tackle
Today: Ryan Clady, Broncos
He has a body that scouts use as the prototype for his position. His arms measure 36¾ inches. “He has very good feet, incredible arm length, and he plays with a competitive streak, as he was a former defensive lineman,” says former NFL personnel man Mike Lombardi, now an NFL Network analyst. “He is very good.”
Tomorrow: The Big Three
Clady, along with fellow young left tackles Joe Thomas of Cleveland and Miami’s Jake Long are very good young tackles who should be to the new decade what Jonathan Ogden, Orlando Pace and Walter Jones were to yesteryear. Don’t expect anyone to surpass these youngsters anytime soon.
Guard
Today: Logan Mankins, Patriots (currently a contract holdout)
This former first-round pick is everything teams want in an interior blocker. “Logan is tough, physical and consistent,” says Browns coach Eric Mangini. “He doesn’t make very many mistakes. There isn’t one area with him where you think, this is a deficiency you have to hide.”
Tomorrow: Jahri Evans, Saints
Evans has come a long way from Division II Bloomsburg, and he’s still improving. “He’s a big, strong, really athletic and smart player,” says Saints general manager Mickey Loomis. “Everything you want in an offensive lineman, he is. He’s a wonderful kid, but he has a nasty streak on the field.”
Center
Today: Nick Mangold, Jets
It figures that the best line in football is anchored by the best center in football. “He works very well with guards on double teams and in pass pro,” says NFL Network analyst and former offensive lineman Brian Baldinger. “He can drive 3-4 nosetackles off the ball by himself, and can redirect himself to get the best possible angles. He gets to the second level through traffic, and his feet are always under control.”
Tomorrow: Alex Mack, Browns
When the Browns chose Mack with the 21st pick in the first round of the 2009 draft, it was the highest a center had been picked since 1999. And for good reason. Mack started from Day 1 in Cleveland and showed signs of being a future star. One NFL scout praised Mack for his physical, nasty temperament, and said he also is an above-average athlete.
Defensive End
Today: Jared Allen, Vikings
The Vikings paid a steep price to acquire Allen in a trade with the Chiefs, but he has been worth it. He has 72 sacks over the last six years — more than any player in the NFL. “I want to be the best player at my position, the best ever,” Allen says. “I know I have leaps and bounds to get there. That’s what drives me.”
Tomorrow: Cameron Heyward, Ohio State
If there is a great up-and-coming pass rusher already in the NFL, he has yet to distinguish himself. Heyward, a senior at Ohio State, looks like the real deal. At 6'5", 288 pounds, he has the size to play end in a 4-3 front or a 3-4, and he could even be considered at tackle. He also has pedigree: His father is Craig “Ironhead” Heyward.
Defensive Tackle
Today: Kevin Williams, Vikings
No defensive tackle in the NFL rushes the passer as well and as consistently as Williams. He also defends the run very well. “He is such a unique talent — to be that big and to be able to rush the passer and play the run,” Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier says. “You don’t find guys over 300 pounds that are so effective rushing the passer.”
Tomorrow: Ndamukong Suh, Lions
It isn’t often that a defensive tackle is regarded as the most talented player in a draft, as Suh was by many. “The thing that jumps out to me is his ability to make plays,” says Raiders coach Tom Cable. “He can redirect, penetrate and create some issues for offensive linemen. He’s very talented that way.”
Linebacker
Today: DeMarcus Ware, Cowboys
The NFL is stocked with great linebackers, but no one impacts games more than Ware, who basically is a pass rusher in the Cowboys’ 3-4 front. “Ware is so good because he’s athletic and a tough player,” says ESPN analyst and former Pro Bowl linebacker Derrick Brooks. “He plays with a high motor, and teams don’t run at him enough to wear him down and make him play physical.”
Tomorrow: Brian Cushing, Texans
As a rookie in 2009, Cushing was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week twice, and his 133 tackles tied for sixth in the league. He made the Pro Bowl and was voted Defensive Rookie of the Year. Texans coach Gary Kubiak says Cushing played like a 10-year vet from the minute he stepped on the field. The question now is how he’ll respond after being suspended for four games for using a performance-enhancing drug.
Cornerback
Today: Darrelle Revis, Jets (currently a contract holdout)
Revis overtook Nnamdi Asomugha of the Raiders as the best corner in football last season. Given the new challenges of Rex Ryan’s demanding defense, Revis flourished. “He’s mentally and physically tough,” says ESPN analyst and former Jets coach Herm Edwards. “He has strong hands and great eyes and ball awareness. He has good change-of-direction skills, feet and hips, and great explosion out of his breaks. He’s a solid tackler and very competitive.”
Tomorrow: Revis
Revis turned 25 in July, so it will be a while before anyone dethrones him.
Safety
Today: Ed Reed, Ravens
Teammates say Reed is like a coach on the field — but a very athletic one. Since he came into the league in 2002, the six-time Pro Bowler has 46 interceptions — more than anyone. “Ed Reed has a knack you can’t coach,” Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome says. “He prepares well and is instinctive.”
Tomorrow: Jairus Byrd, Bills
After coming up with nine interceptions in 14 games as a rookie, Byrd has a bright future. He just needs to become more consistent when he doesn’t come up with the football. But there is no denying he has a feel for the takeaway. “He’s like a baseball player who can follow the ball,” says Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell, who coached Byrd in Buffalo last year. “He is an astute, bright, intelligent football player.”
