The NFL season is only one month away, but the folks at Sunday Night Football have come up with a fun way to pass the time between now and the first meaningful kickoff of the year. Led by Chris Simms, the network has steadily been trying to determine the best non-quarterback of the 21st century, and they’re down to their final 16 players. So, how will this turn out?
The Final 16. 👀@CSimmsQB started this journey to find the BEST player this century, not including QBs.
YOU the fans have brought us to these 16 remaining players. #NFL pic.twitter.com/CNWa5R0vi8
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) August 6, 2023
Note: This is not an official prediction – this is merely how I’d rank them. This list will not factor in positional importance, it’s strictly about how good these players were at their respective jobs.
The Best Non-Quarterback of the 21st Century
Round 1
Travis Kelce vs LaDainian Tomlinson
Travis Kelce and LaDainian Tomlinson is one of the most even matchups on the bracket. There is a strong case to be made for either player, as both guys were the best at their respective positions at the peak of their careers. The tie, however, has to go to longevity, as Kelce is showing no signs of slowing down entering his age-34 season, while Tomlinson was already out of the league at this point in time.
J.J. Watt vs Derrick Henry
Derrick Henry is the most ferocious runner in the league and is capable of knocking over some of the strongest human beings on Earth with minimal effort. That being said, J.J. Watt wins, and it’s not close. If you disagree, you’re too young to remember the 2012 to 2015 seasons.
JJ Watt was robbed of the 2014 MVP award..
He became the only defensive lineman in NFL History to score 5 touchdowns in a season, while being the only player to have 20.5 sacks and 29 tackles for loss in a season.
Here’s all 5 of JJ’s TD’s from that historic year. #WeAreTexans pic.twitter.com/NdV7Te5gEr
— Bradeaux (@BradeauxNBA) August 10, 2022
Darrelle Revis vs Rob Gronkowski
Even though he didn’t win Defensive Player of the Year, there is a strong case to be made that nobody has played the cornerback position better than Darrelle Revis did in 2009. At the peak of his powers, Revis could take away an entire half of the field and was the sole reason Rex Ryan’s defense worked as well as it did.
However, while Revis was the class of his position from 2009 to 2012, Gronkowski was the closest thing to a perfect tight end every time he was at full strength. While he couldn’t dodge the injury bug, he was the most unstoppable non-quarterback in the league when healthy. There is a strong case to be made that the four-time Super Bowl champion was the second most important player in the Patriots dynasty, behind only Tom Brady.
Chad Johnson vs Ray Lewis
Do you really need an explanation for this one? It’s Ray Lewis.
Larry Fitzgerald vs Aaron Donald
Larry Fitzgerald had one of the most prolific careers in NFL history despite never having a true franchise quarterback outside of Kurt Warner. He’s an all-time talent, but it should go without saying that he’s no Aaron Donald.
Julio Jones vs Luke Kuechly
What happens when an uncoverable force meets an immovable object? The Falcons and Panthers answered that question twice a year during the height of these two players’ careers. Kuechly was the heart and soul of Carolina’s defense, excelling in coverage, run defense, and as a blitzer. He truly could do everything, but you could say the same of Jones. Nobody could match Jones’ elite combination of size and speed, and even when you double teamed him, he’d probably win at the catch point anyway. His lone weakness was his inability to get in the endzone, which is why Kuechly takes this matchup.
Brian Dawkins vs Michael Strahan
While most of the players fighting for the title of best non-quarterback of the 21st century are from the 2010’s, we have a true throwback situation in this matchup. Brian Dawkins was a ferocious safety that could deliver punishment and scoop balls out of the air with ease, while Strahan had the strength and quickness to beat opposing tackles with complete ease. Strahan gets the edge here, as he played a vital part in upsetting the 2007 New England Patriots.
Adrian Peterson vs Calvin Johnson
Considering the circumstances, Adrian Peterson’s 2012 season might just be the most impressive running back campaign in recent memory. While that was far from his only major career accomplishment, the fact that he remains the most recent non-quarterback to win NFL MVP honors is worth noting. Calvin Johnson is probably a top-three all-time wide receiver that set many records in his own right, but he loses some points for his shorter career. Additionally, some of his numbers were artificially inflated by having a great quarterback in Matthew Stafford and a terrible defense that demanded a seemingly-endless barrage of passes to keep up.
2012 version of Adrian Peterson has got to be debatably the greatest running back of all time pic.twitter.com/fWVxsAbsLb
— Footballism (@FootbaIIism) October 26, 2022
Round 2
Travis Kelce vs J.J. Watt
Travis Kelce is a great tight end, but J.J. Watt was the prototypical edge defender at the peak of his powers. Whoever said no human being is perfect has never watched J.J. Watt’s 2014 tape. While Kelce’s peak has lasted longer, Watt’s ceiling was so much higher that he earns the right to advance to the next round in the search for the best non-quarterback of the 21st century.
Rob Gronkowski vs Ray Lewis
Rob Gronkowski and Ray Lewis were both the unquestioned standards for their positions at their very best. Since their peaks were so similar, we’ll give the tie to Ray Lewis for longevity.
Aaron Donald vs Luke Kuechly
Luke Kuechly is arguably the best linebacker of the 2010’s. Aaron Donald is arguably the best defensive player in NFL history.
Michael Strahan vs Adrian Peterson
Once you get to this point in the best non-quarterback of the 21st century bracket, you need to start splitting hairs. Michael Strahan had a phenomenal career, but some of his best seasons actually came during the 20th century. Because of this, his 29 sacks from 1997 and 1998 are not considered here, while Peterson has his entire body of work on the record. Because of this, the running back advances to the semifinals.
Round 3
Ray Lewis vs J.J. Watt
Ray Lewis is one of the best players to ever lace them up, but if we’re being honest, everyone on the AFC side of this bracket was fighting for the right to lose to J.J. Watt.
Aaron Donald vs Adrian Peterson
We all knew this was coming, right? It doesn’t matter who is going up against Aaron Donald, they’re going to lose. There are two players clearly above the rest, and they were destined to fight for the title of best non-quarterback of the 21st century in the final round.
The Finals: J.J. Watt vs Aaron Donald
The two best non-quarterbacks of the 21st century face off in a matchup that should give quarterbacks war flashbacks. It’s impossible to compare their peaks, as they were so, so much better than everyone else at the height of their powers. So, as has been the case a few times on this list, the tie goes to longevity, which means Aaron Donald takes home the trophy.
Main Photo: Kirby Lee – USA Today Sports
