But what if you were asked to rank the best two players from each team? What if you could take one pairing from each of the 32 clubs? Well, we asked ourselves those very questions in an effort to procure the NFL’s top duos entering 2021.
At this point, the only reasonable thing to do is expect Deshaun Watson will either not be a Texan or not play a full season, regardless of whether his civil lawsuit case is settled prior to the fall.
These are two bona fide defensive starters when healthy, but that’s kind of the point: We’re in the year 2021.
You could do a heck of a lot worse if you’re building an offensive line, and the trenches are more important than most realize.
Chubb and Simmons can still be Grade-A starters for years to come, but the former has missed time in two straight seasons.
Nothing splashy about this duo, but boy are you getting some beef on both sides of the ball.
Both vets could easily be on the decline in the next year or two, though, and Cox isn’t as steady as you’d hope.
But is either guy really, deeply scaring you right now? Leonard Williams and Kenny Golladay could be swapped in, and New York’s spot would probably remain the same.
Moore, meanwhile, doesn’t get the credit he deserves but isn’t necessarily a game-wrecker.
This is almost entirely about Lawrence, who offers as much promise as any rookie QB and obviously gives you far more positional value than, say, Waddle or McCaffrey.
If you buy into the idea that Arthur Smith is going to turn Ryan into Ryan Tannehill, then sure, bump them up a few spots.
If you haven’t noticed yet, so many of these bottom- and mid-tier duos could easily be shuffled and remain accurate.
Not as important as QB or other spots in 2021, but considering the ceiling for Bosa’s pass rushing and Warner’s field patrolling, you’d be hard-pressed to pass on them.
Why? Because you aren’t going to find many linemen better than Nelson or linebackers better than Leonard, and yet OG and LB are fairly far down on the totem pole of importance.
Most would agree Nelson and Leonard, in Indy, are better at their respective positions.
And yet this duo is still hot: Chubb is a guaranteed chain mover when healthy, while Garrett is one of the game’s best at attacking the QB.
Swap in Ja’Marr Chase or Tee Higgins, and the result is the same: Burrow’s upside at the most important position gives Cincy one of the most promising duos in the NFL.
Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb and maybe even Tyron Smith could be swapped in for Martin, who remains one of football’s steadiest interior men when healthy.
Maybe you prefer Cameron Jordan over one of these guys, but this is an offensive coach’s dream: A dynamic dual threat in Kamara, and a target machine in Thomas.
Donald and Ramsey are just so, so good at important positions, single-handedly carrying the front and back of their respective unit.
Their track record in Arizona hasn’t included big-stage wins, but separate them from Kliff Kingsbury for a second: There aren’t many better, more athletic, more promising QB-WR pairings.
Tre’Davious White could be included instead of Diggs, but Allen’s connection with the WR is electric and steady.
This might draw the most controversy, if only because Herbert has just one year under his belt.
15, whose otherworldly arm angles and pocket presence will forever give his team a chance.
We view Rodgers and Mahomes as darn near equals when it comes to 2021 QB value, so it comes down to Adams and Hill, and while the latter offers more explosive speed, we’d suggest the Packers’ No.