Top 100 NFL players entering the 2020 season: No. 30-21

22. Khalil Mack, OLB, Chicago Bears

Mack followed Von Miller with an off year in 2019. However, the former Defensive Player of the Year still made his fifth Pro Bowl. Mack recorded 8.5 sacks and 14 quarterback hits last season, which were his lowest totals since his rookie season. The former Raider still forced five fumbles and registered 45 pressures, which probably saved his Pro Bowl campaign.

Chicago’s defense ranked among the league’s best in 2018, but the unit faced injuries and inconsistent play in 2019. Akiem Hicks missed 11 games, and the Bears couldn’t find another pass-rusher to pair with Mack. Luckily, the team agreed to a deal with Robert Quinn this offseason. Quinn finished last year with 11.5 sacks and 22 quarterback hits.

As a three-time AP First-Team All-Pro, and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2010s All-Decade Team, Mack seems well on his way to earning a spot in Canton, Ohio.

21. J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans

Speaking of someone headed for Canton, Watt makes a surprising appearance at No. 21 on the top 100. Watt hasn’t won a Defensive Player of the Year award since 2015 but earned First-Team All-Pro nods from the AP and PFF in 2018. That season, Watt led the NFL with seven forced fumbles while also tallying 16 sacks, 25 quarterback hits, and 60 pressures.

No matter how many people try bashing Watt, there’s no way he could fall outside the top 25. There’s hope that he could return to his stellar play in 2020 too. According to PFF’s Steve Palazzolo, Watt is still one of the NFL’s elite defenders,

"Watt getting back to his best play would be a huge boost for this team, and in 2019 he threatened to do exactly that before a pectoral injury sidelined him for half of the regular season. Watt’s PFF grade over the past two seasons is almost back to where it was before injuries first started to derail a Hall of Fame career. He notched 52 total pressures last season in just eight games and was on pace to lead the NFL with his best pass-rushing grade since the 2015 season."

Watt only played in eight games last year, recording four sacks and 21 quarterback hits. At 31 years old, the former All-Pro’s best years are probably behind him. However, fans could see a vintage Watt performance in 2020 if he stays healthy.