Top 100 NFL players entering the 2020 season: No. 40-31
By Samuel Teets
36. Richard Sherman, CB, San Francisco 49ers
Sherman sought vindication in 2019. After being criticized for his 2017 campaign in Seattle and the deal he negotiated with San Francisco in 2018, the superstar cornerback struck back at his critics. Sherman intercepted three passes and defensed another 11 on his way to another Pro Bowl, a Second-Team All-Pro selection from the AP and a First-Team All-Pro nod from PFF.
One of the top three shutdown corners from the past decade, Sherman easily secured a spot on the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2010s All-Decade Team. His four Pro Bowl and three consecutive First-Team All-Pro seasons proved instrumental in turning the Seahawks into a perennial powerhouse.
It’s not a coincidence that two seasons into his time away from Seattle, Sherman made the third Super Bowl of his career. The vocal cornerback is a future Hall of Famer, but concerns about his speed became a reality in the Super Bowl when Tyreek Hill torched San Francisco for over 100 yards. Sherman’s contract ends after the upcoming season.
35. Mitchell Schwartz, RT, Kansas City Chiefs
Only one tackle and three total offensive linemen finished ahead of Schwartz on the top 100. An unheralded machine on Kansas City’s offensive line, Schwartz dwarfs most linemen in skill and production. According to Pro Football Reference, from 2012 through 2018, Schwartz didn’t miss an offensive snap. He played 99 percent of Kansas City’s offensive snaps in 2019.
When Schwartz entered the league in 2012, he joined a Cleveland line that already featured Joe Thomas at left tackle and Alex Mack at center. In 2014, left guard Joel Bitonio joined the unit. However, Cleveland’s stacked front broke up following the 2015 season. Schwartz joined the Chiefs, and Mack went to Atlanta.
Despite never making a Pro Bowl, Schwartz has a mountain of All-Pro selections. The AP gave him Second-Team All-Pro honors in 2016, 2017, and 2019. He also received a First-Team All-Pro bid in 2018.
PFF supports Schwartz as well. In a recently released article, Anthony Treash listed Schwartz as the best offensive tackle in the NFL.