Super Bowl 57 brought the 2022 season to a close, and before we get into the excitement of free agency and the NFL draftlet’s reflect on some of the best individual performances of the year.
The PFF Top 101 represents the 101 best individual performances this season, regardless of position, and recognizes the best players of the past season.
PFF remains a player ratings site at its core, and the 101 is our chance to recognize and praise the best players of the 2022 season one last time before we look forward to assembling rosters for the year ahead.
Here’s a quick reminder of our basic criteria:
• This list is based solely on games in 2022. Past or future games are not taken into account. This isn’t about class or talent; it’s about performance during the 2022 NFL season.
• This list is created with the mantra “All positions are created equal”. So you won’t see 32 quarterbacks at the top of the list, even though that’s the game’s most valuable position. Instead, let’s take a look at how the guys played relative to what’s expected of their position.
• not how PFF’s awardsthe 101 factors into the postseason, leaving some PFF honors-winning players potentially jumped into the 101 by rivals who had a playoff run worthy of a ranking change.
• Do you disagree with the players we included here? Let us know Twitter (@PFF).
Editor’s note: The full 101 will be released throughout the week, with the top 25 being released on Thursday 23rd February.
51. Za’Darius Smith, Minnesota Vikings
Smith has been a problem all season to block opposing offenses. He totaled 80 loads over the course of the season, nearly half of which came from an inside lineup where his speed and quickness proved far too much for the guards.
52. Demario Davis, Saint of New Orleans
Davis has been one of the best linebackers in football since arriving in New Orleans, and this year was no exception. He recorded four pass abandonments in cover and amassed 43 defensive stops while posting impressive marks in all areas except tackles, where 17 misses was a rare underperforming return for him.
53. Jeffery Simmons, Tennessee Titans
Until he sustained an ankle injury midseason, Simmons was on sorts of Defensive Player of the Year. He still finished with 53 total presses and 27 defensive stops, and the Titans’ defense was visibly less strong when Simmons wasn’t 100%.
54. Tristan Wirfs, Tampa Bay privateer
Tom Brady had the fastest throwing average time (2.31 seconds) in the NFL, which certainly helped his offensive line, but Wirfs only allowed six pressure attempts all season, and two of those came after returning from injury. From a pass protection standpoint in the NFL, he’s as good as it gets.
55. Danielle Hunter, Minnesota Vikings
After missing a significant streak with injuries in recent seasons, Hunter has been something of what has been his best game for the Vikings again this season. He made 76 total games, including the playoffs, the second most of his career, and earned the second-best overall PFF score (87.1) of his career.
56. Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati Bengals
Hendrickson continues to grow in strength in the NFL. He is on a streak of three straight career years and complements last season’s 86.9 PFF pass-rushing rating with an 87.7 mark this season based on 74 pressings and 24 defensive stops.
57. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
Tennessee’s offense collapsed in 2022, but Henry came back from last season’s injury and showed little sign of slowing down. Despite paving the way for one of the game’s worst offensive lines, this season Henry amassed more than 1,200 rushing yards from contact, broke 69 tackles and had another year of over 300 carries.
58. Christian Wilkins, Miami Dolphins
Miami has put together a dramatically improved defensive end this year, and Wilkins has been one of the biggest drivers of that. Wilkins had 33 total presses and was one of only two centerbacks to play more than 1,000 snaps, with Super Bowl champion Chris Jones being the only player to surpass him in terms of workload.
59.Jaelan Phillips, Miami Dolphins
Phillips may have sacked the quarterback 10 times in each of his first two seasons, but those two years were very different in almost every other way. Year 2 was a big step forward for the former first-round pick. He recorded 77 total presses, including the playoffs, nearly doubling last season’s total. His 42 defensive stops were more than double his rookie mark, and his PFF score went up more than 30 rating points.
60. Tyrant Mathieu, Saint of New Orleans
New Orleans’ defense underperformed in 2022, but there were impressive individual performances within the unit and Tyrant Mathieu was one of them. In coverage, Mathieu had four pass breakups accompanied by three interceptions, and he lined up throughout the Saints’ secondary.
61. Charvarius Ward, San Francisco 49ers
Ward justified the contract the 49ers gave him in the offseason and had a stellar year. He finished the game with 11 pass breakups in addition to his lone interception and had the best PFF run defense grade of any outside cornerback (91.0).
62. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
Barkley had a career year last season and was a leading contender for comeback player of the year. Behind a terrible Giants offensive line, he rushed for more than 1,400 yards and had 12 touchdowns. He broke 41 total tackles and helped propel the Giants past the Vikings on the road in the playoffs.
63. Kolton Miller, Las Vegas Raiders
Miller has developed into a good left tackle after a few struggles early in his career. This season marked his second consecutive PFF total score of at least 84.0, and he earned a score above 75.0 in every facet of the game. He allowed 33 total pressures in 16 starts.
64.Jaire Alexander, Green Bay Packers
He wasn’t quite able to play at a high level all season, but there were stretches that year where Alexander was as good as any cornerback in football, including limiting Justin Jefferson to just one catch for 15 yards in week 17.
65. Durwin James, Chargers of Los Angeles
There is perhaps no more complete NFL safety than Derwin James, who enjoyed his second straight season with the Chargers, largely injury-free. James has yet to earn a PFF rating below average in any facet of the game in a single season in his NFL career.
66. Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins
With Tyreek Hill running record numbers on Miami offense for much of the season, it’s easy to ignore Waddle’s continued success. Waddle nearly doubled last season’s yards per reception tally on the new offense, and passes thrown his way generated a 119.2 passer rating.
67. DeForest Buckner, Indianapolis Colts
Buckner was one of the few players to take significant positives from an ugly Colts season.
68.Brian O’Neill, Minnesota Vikings
O’Neill gave up a total of 24 right tackle pressure points in 16 games this season for the Vikings. His running blocking was outstanding, with an 83.3 PFF score in that facet, and his injury-related absence late in the year was an obvious concern for Minnesota to overcome.
69. Tremaine Edmunds, Buffalo Bills
Edmunds has put together a career year as he goes freelance, finally presenting the piece many believed he could do given his age and physical ability. He was particularly good at coverage, earning the highest PFF score of any off-ball linebacker last season (90.0).
70. Ryan Neal, Seattle Seahawks
Seattle’s defense has been a surprising unit this season, thanks in part to players like Ryan Neal being safe. He played nearly 800 snaps for the Seahawks and posted 84.4 PFF coverage thanks to six pass breakups and a very strong second half of the season.
71. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks
Ahead of the season, it was almost impossible to predict what kind of year Geno Smith would have as quarterback for the Seahawks. Only the Bills’ Josh Allen hit more big throws than Smith’s 34, with the veteran showing he can do much more than just serve as a bridge quarterback.
72.Javon Hargrave, Philadelphia Eagles
Only Dexter Lawrence and Chris Jones scored better PFF pass-rushing scores than Hargrave among insiders last season. Hargrave built 57 total presses and 30 defensive stops, including the playoffs, but he only recorded a 48.2 PFF run defense grade.
73.Michael Onwenu, New England Patriots
Finally getting a chance to start the season in one position, Onwenu continued to excel on offense for the Patriots. He allowed 14 pressures overall in 2022 and six of those came in the last three games, including the only sack he gave up.
74.Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens
Though Andrews dealt with no real threat at wide receivers and backup quarterbacks for some of it for most of the year, Andrews remained elite for the Ravens. He caught 73 of the 110 goals thrown his way and dropped just four passes all season.
75.Stephon Gilmore, Indianapolis Colts
Gilmore enjoyed a quiet resurgence last season with the Colts, but it was largely overlooked because the team was so poor overall. He finished the game with 81.1 PFF coverage and eight pass breakups and two interceptions.
76. Garrett Wilson, New York Jets
The work Wilson was able to do despite the Jets’ quarterback situation was remarkable for a rookie. He rushed for more than 1,100 yards and his 22 broken tackles with the ball in his hands were more than any receiver outside of Deebo Samuel.
77. Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions
Detroit’s offense simmered most of the year, and Sewell was a big part of that success in proper tackle. He allowed 28 total pressures in 17 games and was one of the better running blockers in the league. He even caught a crucial pass against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14.
78. Patrick Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
Peterson may not have the same athletic ability as earlier in his career, but he has the experience and seasoned know-how to still be an excellent cornerback in the zone. Peterson released a PFF coverage score of 82.5 in 2022 – his best since 2018 – and included a passer rating of 66.8 in his reporting.
79. TJ Edwards, Philadelphia Eagles
The Super Bowl was an unfortunate end to his season, but Edwards had a stellar season for the Eagles as a linebacker. He posted an above-average PFF score in all facets of the game throughout the season and made 51 defensive stops during the regular season.
80. Dallas Godert, Philadelphia Eagles
He may not have leaned on him as much as other players, but when Goedert got the call he was ready to make plays. Including the playoffs, Goedert caught 83.5% of the passes thrown in his path, averaging 1.79 yards per route and dropping just two passes all season.
81. Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns
Cooper is an instant hit anywhere in the NFL. Though the Browns lacked an elite quarterback all year (between Jacoby Brissett’s game and the level Deshaun Watson was at when he returned), he rallied for more than 1,100 yards and had nine touchdowns for a 2.06 average yards per route.
82. Josh Sweat, Philadelphia Eagles
Sweat had his most productive NFL season to date as part of Philadelphia’s aggressive defensive line rotation. He played almost 700 snaps, including the playoffs, and accumulated 51 pressings and 36 defensive stops. His overall PFF grade (83.8) was just behind Brandon Graham and Haason Reddick within the rotation.
83. Matt Milano, Buffalo Bills
Milano were outshined by Tremaine Edmunds for the first time but still had a good season for the Bills, putting together several elite games throughout the year. Milano didn’t allow a touchdown in his 81-goal coverage all season, and he had 57 defensive stops, including 11 in the playoffs.
84.Darius Slay, Philadelphia Eagles
At one point in the year, it could have been argued that the Eagles had the league’s top two cornerbacks based on their performance. That play waned somewhat over the course of the season, but Slay still only allowed 56.6% of the passes thrown in his way to get caught and abandoned nine passes, including the playoff run.
85. Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers
Jones didn’t have much touchdown success last season, but he was as good as he’s ever been for the Packers. He averaged 3.2 yards per carry after contact while proving to be a constant threat.
86.Dr. Greenlaw, San Francisco 49ers
Fred Warner is the superstar linebacker for the 49ers, but Greenlaw has developed into an excellent player alongside him. Greenlaw posted above-average PFF scores in all facets of the game throughout the year and made 71 defensive stops, including the playoffs, just one behind Warner.
87. Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders
Once again McLaurin had to endure a tough quarterback game in a season, and once again he showed that he can still produce. McLaurin caught 67.0% of passes thrown at him in 2022 and led the team’s receivers by a distance with 2.04 yards per route run.
88.Nick Bolton, Chiefs of Kansas City
We saw what Bolton is capable of on the biggest stage in the Super Bowl, and the Chiefs linebacker ended his year with impressive marks across the board. He finished with 61 total presses including the playoffs and allowed just one touchdown in cover.
89.James Bradberry, Philadelphia Eagles
Bradberry may be unfortunately remembered as the player responsible for the holding call that cost the Eagles a chance to win at the end of the Super Bowl, but he was an overall stellar last season. He only allowed a 51.8 passer rating in his reporting this season, and that penalty on the final drive of the season was only his third all year.
90.Tyson Campbell, Jacksonville Jaguars
Campbell made a huge leap forward in the NFL’s sophomore year. The former second-round draft pick finished with nine pass breakups and hasn’t been hit for a pass longer than 25 yards all season. He gave up just 9.7 yards per catch despite lining up almost exclusively on the outside.
91.Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore’s rookie safety had worried people in the preseason after some tough reps in practice and preseason games, but he looked like the convinced college star when regular-season games really mattered. As the season progressed, he became particularly adept at covering the slot against tight ends and running backs.
92. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Jackson only played 13 games in 2022 — his second straight injury-hit year — but those games saw him approach some of his best games again. He finished with a throwing rate of 5.0% while adding 47 first downs and 6.9 yards per carry on the ground.
93. Kamren Curl, Washington Commanders
Curl excelled in safety in just 12 games last season, posting PFF scores of at least 80.0 in three different areas. He missed just four tackles all year and was a constant presence in coverage from a variety of different genres.
94. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
After the disaster that was Urban Meyer’s tenure at Jacksonville, Lawrence first turned the corner in Year 2 and then ended up playing as good as any quarterback in the league. As of Week 9, only Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes achieved better PFF scores.
95. Corey Linsley, Chargers of Los Angeles
Linsley allowed just seven pressures in 15 games last season, none of which were sacks. His run blocking hasn’t been quite up to par, but he’s arguably the best pass blocker in the game for several seasons.
96.Joe Thuney, Kansas City chiefs
Tuney finished the 2022 season with the top PFF pass blocking score among guards. He only allowed 20 total presses in 18 games for the Chiefs and never had a single performance with a below-average PFF pass blocking grade all year.
97. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings
Cousins had some spectacular plays in 2022, including passing more than 10.0 yards per attempt on two separate occasions and leading the biggest comeback in NFL history, no matter how that comeback played out. He has now had five consecutive years with a PFF score of at least 79.3.
98. Connor Williams, Miami Dolphins
Connor Williams, the only upgrade to Miami’s offensive line to last all season, played 1,127 snaps this season and allowed just 16 total presses in 18 games. He finished with a run blocking score of 85.6 PFF and was a huge improvement over last year.
99.L’Jarius Sneed, Chiefs of Kansas City
Sneed played both in the slot and on the field for the Chiefs that season and was the team’s top cornerback. He allowed 9.3 yards per reception and made a massive 44 defensive stops, including the playoffs, the most of any cornerback in the league.
100. Rodney McLeod, Indianapolis Colts
McLeod had a terrific 2022 season for the Colts, and was particularly good in the second half of the year. As of week 8, he received the second best overall PFF score of any safetie.
101. Jaycee Horn, Carolina Panthers
Horn has only allowed 318 yards in his NFL career. He gave up a 52.6 passer rating last season and didn’t allow a touchdown catch over 47 goals in his coverage.