Super Bowl 54: Ranking the 20 best players playing in 49ers vs. Chiefs

6. Tyrann Mathieu, S, Chiefs

The Honey Badger fell to the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft after off the field issues got him dismissed from LSU. Tyrann Mathieu got back on his feet and became one of the best defensive backs in the league. He almost won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2016, but injuries cut his season short at 14 games.

Injuries plagued Mathieu throughout his first four seasons in the NFL. The Arizona Cardinals placed him on IR in both 2013 and 2016. Mathieu didn’t look like his usual self in 2017, but his 2018 campaign was underrated.

This season marked Mathieu’s official return to stardom. He earned First-Team All-Pro honors as a defensive back and Second-Team All-Pro honors as a safety. During the regular season, Mathieu accumulated four interceptions, 12 passes defensed and 75 tackles.

The Honey Badger’s unique athleticism and aggression allow him to freely roam the field or lock down the opposition. He can also appear in blitz packages and has a nose for the football. Against the Tennessee Titans, Mathieu recorded nine tackles and delivered some mind rattling hits. We’ll see what he has planned for an encore.

5. Tyreek Hill, WR, Chiefs

Hill is the perfect match for Mahomes’ cannon of an arm and Kansas City’s style of offense. The former All-Pro makes some of the NFL’s fastest players look slow. He easily blazes past defensive backs and takes the top off of defenses. Even in games where Hill doesn’t make many catches, he’s still influencing the defense and making life easier for Kansas City’s other receivers.

During Mahomes’ two-year reign in Kansas City, Hill averages 83.5 receiving yards per game. However, his playoff averages aren’t as impressive. Between last postseason and the two games the Chiefs played in these playoffs, Hill averaged 55.5 yards per game. Of course, drawing defenses’ best players and double teams contributed to this drop in productions.

Even though the yardage isn’t there, Hill still scored two touchdowns in the AFC Championship game. They were the first playoff receiving touchdowns of his career. Hill faces another challenging defense in the Super Bowl, but he and Mahomes can connect for a punishing blow at any time.