Super Bowl LVI is loaded with some of the NFL’s top players. We take a look at the top 20 players on the game’s biggest stage.
The 2021-22 NFL season is about to come to a close with Super Bowl LVI just one week away. The Los Angeles Rams are the champions of the NFC and the Cincinnati Bengals are champions of the AFC.
One will soon be the champion of them all.
These two teams didn’t get to this point by accident. They are absolutely loaded with talent on both sides of the ball and this game features a number of players that are arguably the best at their positions in the entire NFL. Which players in this game are the best, however?
Let’s take a look at the top 20 players in Super Bowl LVI.
NFL 2022: Top 20 players in Super Bowl LVI
20. Taylor Rapp, S, Rams
After playing 24 games in his first two NFL seasons including just nine games in 2020, year three was a big year for Taylor Rapp with the Rams.
He wound up playing all 17 games and had a breakout season in the Los Angeles secondary under defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and secondary coach Ejiro Evero.
Rap finished with 94 total tackles and four interceptions, five pass breakups, and three QB hits.
He’s undoubtedly one of the best players in Super Bowl LVI and a blossoming star for the Rams.
19. Evan McPherson, K, Bengals
Has anyone been more instrumental in the Bengals’ run to win the AFC?
Okay, that might be a bit over the top, but seriously, Evan McPherson is a stud and arguably a postseason MVP candidate for the Bengals.
He has made 12 field goals and four extra-point kicks, missing none so far in the postseason. With two games being decided by three points and the three games being decided by a total of 13 points, McPherson’s contributions have been both essential and clutch.
The rookie out of Florida has a booming leg and could be a major factor in the Super Bowl.
NFL 2022: Super Bowl player power rankings
18. Greg Gaines, DL, Rams
The Los Angeles Rams boast one of the best defensive fronts in the entire NFL, and one big reason for that in 2021 is Greg Gaines.
Gaines became a starter this season and responded by racking up 55 total tackles, 13 QB hits, and a career-high 4.5 sacks.
He’s been a standout defender for the Rams in this playoff run, hardly coming off the field and providing a force against the run as well as in the pass rush department.
17. Van Jefferson, WR, Rams
This might seem low for Jefferson, but there are a lot of receivers on this particular list and I certainly wasn’t going to leave him without a mention.
After Robert Woods’ injury this season, Jefferson emerged as Matthew Stafford’s number two target.
He averaged 16 yards per reception and was second on the team behind Cooper Kupp with six receiving touchdowns. He has been an outstanding pickup for the Rams’ offensive attack and although he’s been quiet so far in the 2021-22 NFL playoffs, he is definitely a candidate to come up huge in the Super Bowl.
The 20 best NFL players in Super Bowl LVI
16. Leonard Floyd, EDGE, Rams
After looking like a bust with the Chicago Bears, Leonard Floyd has been anything but as a member of the Los Angeles Rams.
He had 10.5 sacks a season ago and followed that up with 9.5 sacks in the 2021 season.
Floyd hasn’t missed a game since the start of the 2018 season and has 37 QB hits over the last two years. Against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals, the Rams are going to need Floyd to be at his very best, making life difficult for Burrow and doing it on a regular basis.
15. Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Rams
Odell Beckham Jr. may not be the same type of receiver we saw at his peak with the New York Giants, but he’s absolutely still a potential game-changer.
He had to be included on this list after the productivity we saw from him down the stretch in the 2021 NFL season.
He caught five touchdown passes from Weeks 12-18 of the regular season, then caught another touchdown pass against the Cardinals in the Wild Card round.
He followed that up with a vintage performance against the 49ers in the NFC Championship game, catching nine passes for 113 yards on 11 targets.
Odell is still Odell, and you had better believe he will be ready to play in this one.
The 20 best NFL players in Super Bowl LVI
14. Logan Wilson, LB, Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals wouldn’t be in the position they are right now if it wasn’t for their drastically improved defense in 2021.
Former third-round pick Logan Wilson is a big reason for the improvements they’ve made on that side of the ball.
The former Wyoming star had a team-leading 100 tackles this past season with five tackles for loss and four interceptions. He also had a game-sealing interception in the team’s win over the Tennessee Titans to get to the AFC Championship game.
In three playoff games so far, Wilson has racked up 30 tackles and has been a true game-changer for the Bengals.
13. Jessie Bates, S, Bengals
It’s time to put some respect on Jessie Bates’ name.
He will be one of the highest-paid safeties in the NFL before too long, and he will now get the chance to shine against one of the best passing attacks in the NFL.
Although he had just one interception in the 2021 regular season, Bates had an interception against Ryan Tannehill and the Titans and then had a huge play in the Bengals’ win against the Kansas City Chiefs.
He’s one of the top safeties in the NFL and most casual NFL fans probably have no idea who he is.
The top 20 NFL players in Super Bowl LVI
12. Joe Mixon, RB, Bengals
Joe Mixon is one of the best all-around running backs in the entire NFL, and he’s obviously going to play a massive role in this game against the Rams.
He is the Bengals’ workhorse back, and finished the 2021 season with 16 total touchdowns.
Mixon only played six games last season, so having him for most of this past year healthy has been huge for the Bengals.
He had over 100 yards from scrimmage against both the Titans and the Chiefs, and if the Bengals are going to limit the Rams’ offense, they’re going to need Mixon to help them play some ball control.
11. Andrew Whitworth, OT, Rams
Andrew Whitworth may never admit it, but you can’t help but wonder if he ever thought he’d see a day where the Cincinnati Bengals were in the Super Bowl.
Now, both his former team and his current team are in the Super Bowl, going up against each other.
Even at the age of 40, Whitworth has defied Father Time and has played like one of the best in the entire NFL. He has a brutal task ahead of him in this game with Trey Hendrickson of the Bengals lining up on the edge.
You can’t help but wonder if Whitworth might be hoping to ride off into the sunset with this game.
The top 20 NFL players in Super Bowl LVI
10. Tee Higgins, WR, Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals have an outstanding trio of wide receivers, maybe the best in the entire NFL. This season, that’s almost not even debatable.
Although Tyler Boyd didn’t make this particular list (some good players were left out, of course), Tee Higgins has emerged as one of the best players on one of the best offenses in the league.
In the 2021 season, Higgins racked up 74 receptions for 1,091 yards and six touchdowns, and he’s come up big in the last two games for the Bengals with 103 yards against the Chiefs and 96 yards against the Titans.
With his size and ability to be a weapon in the red zone, the Rams will have their hands full.
9. DJ Reader, DL, Bengals
In the 2020 offseason when DJ Reader signed a big-money free agent contract with the Bengals, many were wondering — who?
Now, the Bengals are happy that Reader is on their side.
He only played in five games during the 2020 season, but played 15 in 2021 and was right back to his impactful ways on the interior defensive line.
Not only can Reader make plays behind the line of scrimmage himself, but he’s also one of the best in the NFL at making an impact on the play without making a dent on the stat sheet. He’s going to give the Rams’ interior offensive line a lot to handle.
The top 20 NFL players in Super Bowl LVI
8. Von Miller, EDGE, Rams
Nobody on the Rams’ defense has turned it up quite like Von Miller has in the playoffs so far.
Miller is proving to the Rams exactly why they decided to trade second-and-third-round picks for him during the season.
The future Hall of Famer finished with five sacks in eight regular season games for the Rams this year, also adding 12 tackles for loss and eight QB hits.
Miller has been outstanding in the playoffs with two sacks, three tackles for loss, and three QB hits.
It was six years ago that Von Miller won Super Bowl MVP as a member of the Denver Broncos. Does he have that level of play in him still?
7. Trey Hendrickson, EDGE, Bengals
Hendrickson has made fools out of anyone that thought his huge 2020 season with the Saints was a contract year mirage, posting almost identical numbers to the ones he had before he signed with the Bengals in free agency.
Hendrickson had 14 sacks this season for Cincinnati and three forced fumbles along with 27 QB hits. He’s now come up big in three playoff games with 2.5 sacks, four QB hits, and a forced fumble.
Matthew Stafford hasn’t had to watch his back much with Andrew Whitworth blocking his blind side, but Hendrickson is going to be coming in this game, make no mistake about it.
Ranking the top 20 NFL players in Super Bowl LVI
6. Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Bengals
Ja’Marr Chase all the way down at number six overall?
It will all make sense soon.
The NFL’s rookie of the year has been more than just an impressive rookie. He’s been bordering on unstoppable all season long.
Outside of a game against fellow star rookie Pat Surtain II in Denver earlier this year, Chase has been consistently productive and almost exactly what we saw at LSU. He averaged 18 yards per reception despite getting targeted a whopping 128 times this season.
He had 13 touchdown receptions and has become the clear WR1 and alpha in the Bengals’ passing attack.
5. Jalen Ramsey, CB, Rams
The only cornerback on this list for either team, Ramsey obviously has a massive task ahead of him.
We all know that Ramsey is one of the best and most consistent cornerbacks in the game, but how will he handle Ja’Marr Chase? How will he handle Tee Higgins?
It’s going to be a great matchup on the outside no matter who Ramsey is covering.
Ramsey’s four interceptions this season are the most he’s had since the Jaguars reached the AFC Championship game back in 2017. He has been a playmaker all season and in three playoff games, he already has three passes broken up.
Joe Burrow had better be confident in Ja’Marr Chase if he’s going to throw Ramsey’s direction.
The top 20 NFL players in Super Bowl LVI
4. Joe Burrow, QB, Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals simply would not be in this game if it weren’t for Joe Burrow.
After tearing his ACL last season, it was hard to know what to expect from this Bengals team in 2021.
When the team started 7-6, that was about what everyone expected. A better team, but certainly not an AFC Championship-winning team.
Burrow and the Bengals have the feeling of a team of destiny thanks to his remarkable comeback season. He completed over 70 percent of his passes this season with 34 touchdowns and he has been outstanding in the playoffs.
One of the plays Bengals fans won’t soon forget was Burrow’s scramble while avoiding pressure from Chiefs pass rusher Chris Jones.
Burrow’s escape-ability is a sight to behold.
3. Matthew Stafford, QB, Rams
With the Los Angeles Rams, Matthew Stafford tied his career highs of 41 touchdown passes and a completion percentage of 67.2.
Under Sean McVay, Stafford proved all of the people right who have said for the last decade that if he could just get out of Detroit, he could take a team to the Super Bowl.
And here we are.
Stafford played at an MVP level for most of the 2021 season and he’s been clutch in the playoffs. One of the signature plays of Stafford’s career up to this point is his throw deep downfield to Cooper Kupp in the Divisional Round against the Buccaneers to set up the game-winning field goal.
Although he still had 17 interceptions this season, Stafford is one of the best players on the field and a major difference-maker.
The top 20 NFL players in Super Bowl LVI
2. Cooper Kupp, WR, Rams
The Los Angeles Rams have one of the most potent offensive attacks in the NFL thanks to Cooper Kupp, who has developed into one of the best all-around weapons in the league.
Kupp is so good at the catch point and as a route runner, but where he has grown leaps and bounds since college and where he has become arguably the best all-around offensive weapon in the NFL is after the catch.
Kupp led the NFL with 846 yards after the catch, somehow beating Deebo Samuel, who had 779. The next closest on the list was Ja’Marr Chase at 645.
The fact that Kupp had 200 more yards after the catch than Chase is astounding. Expect him to get the ball a lot in Super Bowl LVI.
1. Aaron Donald, DL, Rams
There may not be a better player in the entire NFL than Aaron Donald.
Donald already has six QB hits in the playoffs after racking up 12.5 sacks and 25 QB hits in the regular season.
Although the Bengals have had a magical season, how is their interior offensive line going to handle Aaron Donald?
Ja’Marr Chase is going to have to get open fast, and Joe Burrow is going to have to work his magic in the pocket. Like a great shooter in basketball or a great hitter in baseball, Aaron Donald is the type of player that cannot be stopped, he can only be contained.