This week, ESPN continues to reveal the top 10 NFL players by position, interviewing “more than 50 leaders, coaches, scouts and players in the league.” Last week, offensive players were presented, Russell Wilson representing the Seattle Seahawks’ only inclusion in the top 10.
As a reminder, here are the classification criteria:
Here’s how it worked: the voters gave their best 10 to 15 players to a position, and then we compiled the results and ranked the candidates based on the number of votes in the top 10, the composite average, interviews and the research. We had several links, so we broke them by isolating the meeting for two with additional votes and follow-up calls. Each section is filled with voter quotes and nuggets about every guy – even honorable mentions.
What would the defensive side of the ball bring? The flight attendants and interior linemen … were a problem for the Seahawks last year. Unsurprisingly, no one from Seattle was ranked (more on this later). For off-line linebackers, Bobby Wagner was on the list, and he is number one.
Bobby Wagner, Seattle Seahawks
Age: 30 | Highest rank: 1 | Lowest ranking: 3
For all of Wagner’s distinctions over eight seasons – five All-Pros from the first team, six Pro Bowls, 1,075 tackles – you can follow the path he traced to unlock his true impact.
He was the linebacker’s fast, compact ball before Devin Bush, Devin White, Roquan Smith and others made it fashionable in recent drafts. Wagner is not the first fast linebacker to exit the draft, but he has improved since entering the scene in 2012 until he became one of the best defenders in the NFL.
Some reviewers say he lost, eh, a quarter of a step, and that 2019 was not Wagner’s best. But his fastball is still better than everyone else’s, and he has averaged close to eight defensive passes per season since 2017.
“I know he’s old and he’s around, but the guy just has a good instinct to go with speed, and when you have that, you can dominate,” said an AFC official. .
This dominance looks like this: combine the seam routes with tight ends, execute a zone defense with precision, enter the cover and close the ball with authority, and stand next to Russell Wilson as leader of a competitor.
“Good fucking player,” said an NFC scout. “That’s all there is to it.”
Complaints? I did not mean it. The others behind him are Lavonte David, Eric Kendricks, Darius Leonard and Demorio Davis. A little further down the list are Deion Jones, Tremaine Edmunds, Jamie Collins, CJ Mosley and Fred Warner. Lavonte David, Deion Jones and Demorio Davis were the only ones to receive the No. 1 votes against Wagner.
Not much to add here, apart from counting down the days when Wagner is in Canton.
Going back to what was revealed on the defensive rankings, Jadeveon Clowney was an honorable mention for advanced rushers. When you consider TJ Watt, Cam Jordan, Nick Bosa, Chandler Jones, Joey Bosa, Frank Clark and Khalil Mack to be in the top ten, you cannot convincingly argue that Clowney is one of the top ten rushers in edge. in the game. For the home defensive lineman, Jarran Reed’s name didn’t even receive an honorable mention.
The ranking ends with nooks and crannies until the end of this week. Shaquill Griffin could have at least an honorable mention on the side of cornerbacks, while I do not think that we will see the names of Bradley McDougald or Quandre Diggs appear in the safety classification.
