We’ve reached the top 30 in ranking the 100 best NFL players for 2020.
The NFL affords special prestige to quarterbacks, primarily because they alter a game’s outcome more than any other position. This special positioning often means quarterbacks dominate end-of-season awards, especially when it comes to the MVP.
However, this top 100 ranking didn’t give as much special treatment to signal-callers.
Two of the nine quarterbacks that made the top 100 appear in this article. For the list’s full context, I suggest perusing previous editions. As always, these rankings don’t include free agents, players who opted out of the upcoming season, or rookies.
30. Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns
Everybody might be surprised to see Chubb opening the top 30 players in the NFL. Even Chubb himself might not feel entirely comfortable with the idea. However, the former Georgia superstar quickly rose to stardom during his first two seasons in Cleveland, outshining Odell Beckham, Jarvis Landry, and Baker Mayfield along the way.
Chubb finished second in the league with 1,494 rushing yards last year, only trailing Derrick Henry. His 11 running plays of over 20 yards or more led all running backs and tied for the league-lead with Lamar Jackson.
Pro Football Focus’ (PFF) Sam Monson feels overwhelmingly positive about Chubb’s future. Monson even predicted that Chubb would lead the NFL in rushing yards this coming season,
"Over the past two seasons, no back has a higher PFF rushing grade than Chubb’s 91.5 mark. He has one of the best broken tackle rates in the league, and his team just added a tackle Jack Conklin, who has the No. 6 PFF run-blocking grade in the league over the past two years."
There’s still a lot of uncertainty surrounding Cleveland’s bipolar offense, but Chubb is the team’s consistent driving force.
29. Deshaun Watson, QB, Houston Texans
Watson won a National Championship with the Clemson Tigers before getting selected by the Texans with the 12th overall pick. After an injury-shortened rookie campaign (where Watson threw 19 touchdowns in seven games), the dual-threat signal-caller became a constant member of the league’s top ten quarterbacks.
Over the past two seasons, Watson made both Pro Bowls and led the Texans to a 21-10 regular-season record as a starter. The 24-year-old performed exceptionally well in the playoffs this past season, throwing for 635 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. He also ran for two scores, giving him five total touchdowns in Houston’s two playoff games.
Unfortunately, Watson plays with one of the NFL’s worst offensive lines. Defenses sacked him 62 times in 2018 and 44 times this past season. Despite facing constant pressure, Watson continues making miracle plays and keeping the Texans atop the AFC South.