The Best NFL Players of 2024: A Hall of Fame

Have you ever wondered who the best NFL players are? Or maybe want to win a sports bet but don’t know where to start? We’ve got you covered.

We have gathered all the best Hall of Fame players currently playing in the NFL. We’ve also broken down our picks by positions to help you out. 

Keep reading further to find out who made our list.

The Best NFL Players by Position

Football is a very dynamic sport, which is why many people love it. This is also seen considering the Super Bowl is the most-watched sporting event in the US. 

We’ve gathered an essential list of the best QBs, defensive, and offensive players that currently play in the NFL. 

On top of that, we’ve selected the best young players to watch out for. 

The Best NFL Players: QBs

The quarterback (QB) is the heart of the NFL teams. Usually, QBs are the highest-paid and most popular football players on their team. Read further below to learn more about the best in the NFL currently.

1. Tom Brady

Tom Brady is considered by many to be the best football player of all time. He is the reigning Super Bowl champion and has the most rings — seven. 

He won six of them with the Patriots, which helped the team become the 2nd most expensive NFL franchise. 

Brady holds pretty much every major record in the postseason, and he is rightly called the GOAT (Greatest of All Time). 

Some regular-season records include 219 regular-season wins and 541 career TD. Not too bad for a 43-year-old. 

2. Patrick Mahomes II

The NFL’s highest-paid player is also one of the best NFL players in 2021. In 2020, Mahomes signed a 10-year $503 million contract, showing how much the Chiefs believe in him.

Additionally, the last Super Bowl matchup of Brady vs. Mahomes was popularly called the GOAT vs. the future. 

The Super Bowl LIV champion and 2018 MVP has quickly established himself as part of the elite. All in all, with Mahomes, the Chiefs are likely to be Super Bowl contenders every season. 

3. Aaron Rodgers

The current MVP had a stellar 2020. He finished the season with 48 TDs and a 70.7% completion rate. 

Rodgers has been one of the top NFL players for many years, and he continues to perform at the highest level.

4. Josh Allen

Josh Allen’s third season in the NFL was his best, which is why he is considered one the best players in the NFL. 

He is also one of the most improved players in 2020 and was in the running for the league MVP. Allen’s fantastic season helped the Bills claim the No.2 spot in the AFC.

5. Russell Wilson

Russell Wilson has been performing consistently well and is genuinely one of the top football players. 

While frustrated with the Seahawks, Wilson contributed to DK Metcalf’s 1,303 receiving yards and Tyler Lockett’s 100 receptions, both franchise records. 

6. Deshaun Watson

Watson had a season to remember in 2020 and is considered one of the best NFL players right now. 

In 2020, he had a career-high record in passing yards (4,823, led NFL), passing touchdowns (33), completion percentage (70.2), and yards-per-attempt (8.9)

We should also add that he recorded the least interceptions in his career — seven.

The Best Defensive Players in NFL

Many people who are familiar with sports would tell you that the best offense is a good defense. 

These players are indeed the prime examples of driving their team’s success. Read below to learn more about the best NFL defensive players.

1. Aaron Donald

Aaron Donald is one of the best defensive NFL players. The fact that he just won his third Defensive Player of the Season award only proves it. 

In 2020, he was the best player in the No.1 ranked defense, and he was in the top 10 of most defensive statistics.

2. T.J. Watt

One of the best NFL players when it comes to defense, Watt had an incredible 2020 season and was considered the front-runner for the Defensive Player award. 

He led the league in sacks, quarterback hits, and tackles for loss.

3. Xavien Howard

The cornerback has established himself as the best at his position and one of the top defensive NFL players. 

Howard came in third in this year’s vote for the defensive award and led the league in interceptions and pass breakups.

4. Devin White

While many point out the offense as the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl strength, their defense plays a significant role too. 

Devin White has emerged as one of the top defensive players in the NFL. He led the league in QB hits and ranked third in solo tackles.

5. Trey Hendrickson 

Hendrickson was another player with a claim to the Defensive Player of the Year award. He was in the top ten thanks to his QB hits and sacks. 

The Saints had one of the league’s best defenses, and Trey Hendrickson played a significant role in that.

The Best Football Players in Offense, Not Including QBs

When you look up at offensive players, QBs always pop up first, but they — and the teams in general — wouldn’t achieve the same results without the players on the list below. 

1. Davante Adams

Aaron Rodgers is not the only Packer on our list. 

One of the best NFL players, WR Davante Adams, had a spectacular season regarding the offense. He led the league with 18 TD receptions in 2020. 

2. Derrick Henry

One of the best Alabama football players and Heisman Trophy winner, Henry played a part in the Titans’ first AFC South title since 2008. 

In 2020, he became the eighth player to record 2,000+ rushing yards in a season. His 2,027 rushing yards are the fifth-best of all time.

3. Alvin Kamara

Alvin Kamara is undoubtedly turning into one of the top NFL players in the RB position. The 2020 season saw him recording a career-best 932 rushing yards and 83 receptions. 

If the season hadn’t ended early for him due to COVID-19, he would’ve ended up even higher. 

4. Travis Kelce

Travis Kelce set multiple tight end records in 2020, including 1,416 regular season yards. He is truly one of the best football players to play the position. 

Kelce played a significant role in the Chiefs’ run for the Super Bowl.

5. Dalvin Cook

Another running back with a career season. Dalvin Cook rushed for 1,557 yards and 16 TDs in 2020, establishing himself as one of the top RBs in the league. 

The Best Young NFL Players

We’ve selected a few players that could be on the previous lists. Still, being in the early stages of their careers, we’ve decided to put them in a category of their own. 

We could be looking at future Hall of Fame players here.

1. Lamar Jackson

Jackson won the MVP award and was one of the best NFL players in 2019. He continued with his superb play in 2020 and is one of the best playmakers. 

He makes the Ravens a contender every season, and at only 24, Lamar Jackson is sure to play for that ring for many seasons. 

2. Justin Herbert

Justin Herbert is one of the best NFL players under 25, and he broke a few rookie records in 2020. 

No one expected him to have the season he had, and that’s nothing but exciting for the Chargers. Many people expect him to contend for MVP at one point. 

3. Kyler Murray

The Arizona Cardinals’ QB is another elite young player who broke multiple rookie records. 

The 2019 No.1 pick might not be the best NFL player yet, but he plays with a lot of confidence, making him a Cam Newton-like dual threat.

4. Nick Bosa

The 2019 Defensive Rookie of the Year helped the 49ers reach the Super Bowl that year. 

In 2020, he couldn’t match that success, but one of the best NFL players from Ohio State is likely to become an elite NFL defensive player in years to come. 

The Best Football Players of All Time: Hall of Fame

You’ve seen the best players that are currently playing in the NFL. But who are the best football players in history? 

Some people can debate for hours or even days, but we believe the following group will grace everyone’s list. 

1. Jerry Rice

Jerry Rice is genuinely one of the best NFL players of all time. The 13-time Pro-Bowl WR won three Super Bowls, holds the NFL records for receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, and yards from scrimmage. 

He led the league in receiving yards and touchdowns for six years.

2. Joe Montana

The four-time Super Bowl winner Montana was arguably the best football player in the world in his days. 

He holds the Super Bowl records for the highest passer rating of 127.8 and for most throws without an interception (122) while winning three MVPs. 

3. Peyton Manning

The 14-time Pro Bowl QB had a stellar career, including being a two-time Super Bowl Champion and the best NFL player (MVP) a record five times. 

Peyton Manning holds the records for most single-season yards and TDs, and he is third on the all-time list for both of those. 

4. Drew Brees

For the Saints, fans, and many others, Drew Brees is the best player in football history. 

He only won one Super Bowl, but he broke many QB records. 

These records include most passing yards, most seasons with over 5,000 yards, most completions, and most consecutive games with a touchdown. 

5. Walter Payton

When he retired, Payton was the league’s all-time leading rusher and one of the best NFL players in history. 

He was the first player in the league to achieve ten 1,000 rushing-yard and 320-touches seasons. The NFL Man of the Year Award is named in his honor. 

6. Lawrence Taylor

Lawrence Taylor was one of the NFL best defensive players and one of only two defensive players that won the MVP. 

He won the Super Bowl twice, Defensive Player of the Year Award three times, including his rookie season. Add a 10-time Pro Bowl selection, and Taylor is truly a legend of the game.

7. Deion Sanders

Sanders was one of the top NFL players by position at the cornerback position. He won two Super Bowls and one Defensive Player of the Year award. 

He is remembered as having scored TDs by interception, kickoff return, fumble return, punt return, as a receiver, and rushing TDs.

8. Jim Brown

When he retired, Jim Brown was arguably the best player in NFL history. The three-time MVP won one championship, led the league in rushing yards in eight of his nine seasons, and was first to reach 100 rushing TDs. 

He still leads the NFL in average rushing yards per game, at 104.3.

9. Reggie White

White was a 13-time Pro Bowl, two-time Defensive Player of the Year. He had at least 15 sacks in five seasons and recorded 57 sacks between 1986–88. He was one of the best football players in the world at his prime.

His recruitment in 1993 is known for opening free agency as we know it.

10. Joe Greene

Joe Greene — the 4-time Super Bowl Champion, Defensive Rookie of the Season, and 2-time Defensive Player of the Year — was one of the biggest drivers of the Steelers’ success in the 70s. He is the only player from that team to have his jersey retired.

Conclusion

With our list of the best NFL players, there is no wrong answer as to who is your favorite. 

Most of the listed players will eventually end up in the Hall of Fame and rewrite the record books.

While we can’t point at a single player as the No.1, all our picks can easily claim that title in the present or the past.