Pro Football Focus has released its annual list of the top 101 players in the NFL. The list is comprised solely based on player performances during the 2019 season and postseason. They also don’t take into account positional value in their rankings.
In 2018, the Chiefs had seven players rank among the 101 with six in top 40. This time around only five players made it onto the list and three players in the top 40. Let’s go through what PFF had to say about each of the players, and I’ll provide my own take on their rankings.
No. 4 Patrick Mahomes:
“Patrick Mahomes was the reigning league MVP this season, but we really didn’t see that player until the postseason due to a list of injuries he suffered. A dislocated kneecap looked like it could torpedo his year, but he missed just two games and then started to find his best play late in the campaign. Heading into the Super Bowl, his postseason grade was the best we had ever seen from a quarterback, and while he struggled more in the big game, he still made several critical huge plays and was rightfully named the game’s MVP. Mahomes had 32 big-time throws over the season and finished with a PFF grade north of 90.0 for the second straight season.”
I know that PFF only takes the current season into account when creating these rankings, but it feels like Mahomes’ Super Bowl-winning season should be ranked higher than his MVP-winning season. When you consider the adversity he faced with injury and the comebacks that Mahomes had to mount during the postseason, Mahomes should easily be moving up in this list and not down. Of course, I’m not sure those things are accounted for when it comes to PFF’s grading system.
No. 15 Mitchell Schwartz:
“Mitchell Schwartz had one of the greatest postseason runs in NFL history at any position, but few will have truly appreciated it because he played right tackle, where the position’s best play manifests itself by going unnoticed. In 140 snaps of pass blocking — most of them in disadvantageous, hurry-up situations against top pass-rushers — Schwartz allowed just one hurry and nothing else. In the Super Bowl, he was able to lock down his side of the line while Nick Bosa laid waste to the other side. Schwartz was one of a number of right tackles to excel this season, but none of the others did what he did in the postseason.”
You won’t find me complaining about this ranking. Just last week, I had Schwartz as one of our underappreciated performers from Super Bowl LIV. Being underrated has been constant throughout his career, but the statistics don’t lie. He was superb during this postseason and ensured the protection of Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes all season long. He wasn’t half bad at blocking in the running game either.
No. 18 Travis Kelce:
“Having come second a season ago, Travis Kelce led the league in receiving yardage at the tight end position this season. He topped 1,000 yards for the fourth consecutive season and was once again one of the most important parts of the best offense in the league. Kelce broke 15 tackles, the second-most in the league at the position, and he was a particularly key factor in the team’s playoff comeback against the Texans where he caught 10 of 12 targets for 134 yards and three scores. In total this season, he caught 76.3% of the passes thrown his way.”
George Kittle (No. 1) had eight catches for 71 yards and no touchdowns in the postseason. Travis Kelce (No. 15) in the postseason had 19 catches for 207 yards and four touchdowns. I know the rankings take into account more than the postseason, but I feel like Kelce proved himself the better tight end to Kittle and should be ranked much higher. If anything he provided enough evidence to dethrone Kittle from the top spot.
No. 50 Chris Jones:
“A dominant Super Bowl performance that could justifiably have earned MVP honors saw Chris Jones climb up this list despite missing time earlier in the season through injury. Jones tallied 64 total pressures over the season, including the playoffs, and he added five batted passes, two of which came in the Super Bowl and helped to swing the game in Kansas City’s direction. At his best, Jones is a game-changing force inside, and while he wasn’t that every game this season, he had six games of 80.0-plus PFF grades.”
Considering Jones’ availability and having to play out of position at defensive end for a few games, I feel like this is a good spot for him. Last season he came in at No. 15 on the list, but he also finished the season with 15.5 sacks. The Chiefs don’t win the Super Bowl without those two batted passes from Jones and I feel like PFF properly took that into account here.
No. 67 Tyreek Hill:
“One of the most explosive and dangerous players in the game, and arguably the fastest player in all of football, Tyreek Hill poses a threat to the opposing defense every time he lines up. He had a mixed day in the Super Bowl, but even then he came up with a huge play to spark the comeback when he got behind the defense. Despite missing time through injury, Hill was still extremely effective when he was on the field, and including the playoffs, he generated a passer rating of 109.7 when targeted by either Mahomes or Matt Moore.”
There’s no argument to be had — Hill is the fastest player in all of football and anyone who has played on an island against him will tell you that. The only reason that Hill isn’t higher on this list is that he missed time with a sternoclavicular dislocation injury. As soon as he returned in Week 6, his impact was instantly felt with 80 yards and two scores in what amounts to half of his normal snap count. I’d argue that Hill became a more complete receiver this season than in any of his past seasons, but I’m not sure how you’d account for that in PFF’s grading system.
Do you think PFF snubbed any Chiefs players in their top 101 list? Let us know your thoughts on Facebook and Twitter.
