The NFL is littered with young talent. Every year the players coming out of college are seemingly asked to make an early impact and they end up doing just that. So, who are the best players are the age of 25 in the NFL right now?
1. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs: No surprise here. Mahomes is already an NFL and Super Bowl MVP and has only started two seasons in the NFL. It is really scary to think that he hasn’t even hit his prime yet. Mahomes should be set to have another monster 2020 campaign.
2. Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens: The reigning league MVP is one of the most dynamic athletes in all of football. He still has a ton of room to develop his passing ability, but his athleticism at the quarterback position is something the league has never seen.
3. Deshaun Watson, QB, Houston Texans: Three quarterbacks at the top of the list shouldn’t be surprising. QB the most important position in all of sports and these three are some of the best. Watson always tends to find a way to get the job done. He will certainly be tested this season as Head Coach and General Manager Bill O’Brien shipped away his number one target, DeAndre Hopkins, to Arizona.
4. Quenton Nelson, OG, Indianapolis Colts: Nelson is one of the most dominating players at their respected position in the NFL. He does not get the publicity or recognition he deserves, but no offensive lineman does. He is already one of, if not, the best lineman in the NFL. Some people thought it was crazy to take an offensive lineman with the sixth overall pick, but he has more than lived up to the selection.
5. Nick Bosa, EDGE, San Francisco 49ers: Bosa is dominate on the edge with only one year under his belt. If Patrick Mahomes wasn’t who he is, Bosa could have been the one lifting not only the Lombardi Trophy but also winning the Super Bowl MVP trophy. He was incredible in the Super Bowl. The future is bright for this 22-year-old and he is only scratching the surface.
6. Tre’ Davious White, CB, Buffalo Bills: White has been apart of one of the best defensive units in all of football for the past few years and is a big reason for their success. White had six interceptions in 2019 and is looking to repeat that performance in 2020 and help Buffalo get over the hump. The biggest knock, if there is one, is he plays in a cornerback friendly system in Buffalo. However, what player doesn’t benefit from their system? Lamar Jackson certainly does.
7. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers: If you argued for CMC to be higher on this list I would definitely understand it. He has been Mr. Do-It-All for Carolina. There were questions of whether or not he could handle a full NFL workload coming out of college. I think he has certainly answered that question. McCaffrey looks to be the bell cow once again in 2020 for new Head Coach Matt Rhule.
8. Derwin James, DB, Los Angeles Chargers: James is a stud on defense. He, like McCaffrey on the offensive side, can do a little bit of everything. Whether it is coverage, playing in the box, or rushing the QB, James can do it all. Chargers have sneakily one of the better defensive units in the NFL for 2020 and James is a massive reason why.
9. Myles Garrett, EDGE, Cleveland Browns: Setting aside the on the field actions that got Garrett suspended, he is an absolute monster. In just 11 games before his suspension, he already tallied 10 sacks. That is coming off 13.5 the year before. Garrett is a centerpiece of the Browns defense and one of the best edge rushers in the NFL.
10. Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Pittsburgh Steelers: Fitzpatrick was traded to Pittsburgh from Miami and completely changed the makeup of their defense. The Steelers also finished 8-8 with Duck Hodges and Mason Rudolph under center and really the only reason why was because Fitzpatrick and that defense were so good. He has the ability to do it all on the football field and is known to be one of the most intelligent players in the NFL.
Just missed the cut: Chris Godwin, Jamal Adams, Marshon Lattimore, DJ Moore
These young players are not only some of the best under 25 years of age but some of the best in the entire NFL. Many of them are the faces of their respected franchise. The NFL future is very bright with these players leading the way.
