Top 50 NFL Franchise Cornerstones: 10-1

By: Roshan Bhagat

10. Mario Williams [DE, Houston Texans, 24]
Stats: 53 tackles (44 solo), 12 sacks, 6 STF, 4 FF
Coming out of N.C. State, Williams was relatively raw and not known for his high motor. Over his last three seasons, he has steadily improved to become one of the elite defensive ends in the league. Thanks to his work ethic off the field and high motor on it, he’s developed into the rare defensive end that has to be accounted for every play. While many ends tend to tail off late in the game, Super Mario is at his best. In the last two seasons, all of Mario’s sacks have come after the first quarter. I’d still like to see Mario become even more effective in run support and use his great closing speed to make plays near the sidelines, where the Texans have struggled to stop the run, but the Texans are already looking on making that his next big improvement. By now, his elite physical tools have been well-documented, but it’s even more remarkable to see his game coming together as it has the last couple years and to think how much further he can still elevate his game. It’s the mass wreckage he can create and the leadership-by-example that makes Mario Williams such a great cornerstone. And he’s still only 24!

9. Matt Ryan [QB, Atlanta Falcons, 24]
Stats: 3440 yards, 61.1%, 7.93 YPA, 16 TD, 11 INT, 87.7 QB Rating
It almost pains me to have players with as little experience as he does this high, but it’s the risk you have to take if you want to win a Super Bowl. Ryan has shown the traits of a future championship quarterback. He has the physical tools, terrific leadership qualities, mental toughness, and is well-spoken off the field. In the pocket he remains calm under pressure and makes sound decisions, a big criticism coming out of college. The NFL has become a QB-oriented league and Ryan benefits from it. Credit the Falcons’ improvement and playoff run on a number of things including Michael Turner, but Matt Ryan has to be near the top of that list. For a rookie, his numbers were very consistent from quarter-to-quarter and game-to-game with only a couple hiccups along the way. Ryan’s far from a perfect quarterback, but he’s a quick learner on a great learning curve.

8. Aaron Rodgers [QB, Green Bay Packers, 25]

Stats: 4038 yards, 63.6%, 7.53 YPA, 28 TD, 13 INT, 93.8 QB Rating
As a first year starter in the league, Rodgers was given more responsibility than he could ever imagine and exceeded expectations. Off the field, he respectfully answered an endless supply of Brett Favre questions, won over the fans, and most importantly won over the locker room. On the field, he was patient and deliberate with the football, displaying arm strength and precise throws that only a few quarterbacks can make. If training camp and preseason are any indication, Aaron Rodgers in year two should be even better. He’s taken from Tom Brady, finding two or three flaws in his game and concentrating on them in the offseason. Rodgers has not only the accuracy and work ethic to make the receivers around him better, but has the ability to improvise on the field with sneaky good athleticism. Some will look at his numbers late in games or the Packers seven win drop-off from the 2007 season as marks against Rodgers, but his command for the offense in year one as a starter was off the charts. Time and time again the Cal product led his team to a late score only to be let down by a bland, unclutch defense. If Aaron Rodgers can just slightly elevate his 2008 season, he can take a comfortable seat beside a handful of very good quarterbacks on the second tier behind Manning and Brady.

7. Philip Rivers [QB, San Diego Chargers, 27]
Stats: 4009 yards, 65.3%, 8.39 YPA, 34 TD, 11 INT, 105.5 QB Rating
It’s easy to say the Chargers severely underachieved last year with an 8-8 record, but like Rodgers in Green Bay, that had very little to do with quarterback play. Rivers led the Chargers to 27.4 points per game (2nd in the NFL) in LaDainian Tomlinson’s least effective season to date. Leading the league in several crucial statistical efficiency categories (Yards per Attempt, Quarterback Rating, 1st Down Percentage, and Touchdown Percentage), Rivers put together one of the most effective seasons in recent history. He has great command on the field and stands tall in the pocket, delivering accurate passes to a wide variety of non-elite receivers. I give Rivers the nod over other quarterbacks due to experience and several seasons of proven success, but can’t justify moving him any further when he hasn’t reached the big game and thrown at least one pick in every career playoff game.

6. Jared Allen [DE, Minnesota Vikings, 27]
Stats: 54 tackles (41 solo), 14.5 sacks, 6 STF, 3 FF, 3 PD
Jared Allen is the quintessential defensive playmaker as a pass rusher and in run support. He’s averaged 1.2 negative yardage plays per game over his entire career, a pace that has accelerated to 1.4 over the last three years. In addition, he adds a forced fumble or recovery in one of three games. And a deflected pass. Allen has an explosive burst off the line of scrimmage, but is a true technician. There are no ends that understand the position better than he does. He has expert hand use, varies his endless repertoire of moves, and uses great leverage, all to keep the best left tackles off balance. What Allen does for a defense is ease pressure off his teammates, create a focal point offenses must account for, and still end drives with a consistent creation of big plays. His off-field problems appear to be behind him as he’s now became a great teammate and the gel that keeps a defense together.

5. Larry Fitzgerald [WR, Arizona Cardinals, 26]
Stats: 96 rec, 1431 yards, 14.9 avg, 12 TD, 1 FUM
Through the last five games, with his team’s season on the line, Larry Fitzgerald proved to be one of the most consistent playmakers capable of changing a game in the blink of an eye. Averaging 7 receptions, 135 yards, and 1.8 touchdowns over that span, he capped a passing-of-the-torch season where he became the team’s go-to wideout and arguably the best in the league. With improved route running and the rare ability to bail out the quarterback time after time, it’s a reputation he’ll embrace for a long time. At 6’3, 217 pounds with gargantuan hands of glue and out-of-this-world leaping ability, he’s a daunting receiver easily outmatching any cornerback. When under pressure, Warner could throw it up to Fitzgerald and expect him to come down with it in single or double coverage. As the season wore on, it became more a strategy than a pray-and-hope play. It’s this rare combination of physical skills that forces defenses to account for him with multiple defenders every play and why he’s the rare breed of receiver that can be built around.

4. Haloti Ngata [DT, Baltimore Ravens, 25]
Stats: 55 tackles (43 solo), 1 sack, 5 STF, 2 INT, 5 PD
With Haloti Ngata (since the 2006 season), the Ravens have finished seasons ranked 2nd, 1st, and 5th versus the run (YPA). Sure, the Ravens run defense has been good for most of this decade, but here’s another raw number. Over the 2004 and 2005 seasons, the Ravens defense allowed 3.64 yards per carry. Since Ngata was drafted, that number decreased to a filthy 3.21. While the proof of a 6’4, 345 pound Ngata being that cause is not there, I’ll take my chances that he has been instrumental to this improvement. Ngata is a massive body and overwhelming for most offensive linemen, but it’s his rare athletic ability and quickness that has made Ngata such a valuable asset to the Ravens defense. When Ray Lewis called for a big body to protect the linebackers back prior to the 2006 draft, even he couldn’t have expected such a remarkable acquisition. Ngata has the ability to play 3-4 DE, 3-4 NT, and 4-3 NT, all invaluable positions. The Ravens have also had the luxury of showing some zone-blitz schemes with Ngata dropping back, where he’s picked off three career passes, including one he returned 60 yards. He can absorb and push back double teams, but also shoot the gap to apply some pressure on the quarterback. With his size and rare athletic ability, Ngata’s already one of the best defensive players, but his ceiling is limitless.

3. Adrian Peterson [RB, Minnesota Vikings, 24]

Stats: 363 att, 1760 yards, 4.8 avg, 10 TD, 21 rec, 125 yards, 6.0 avg, 9 FUM
Though Peterson remains at number three, no progress from a year ago, he put any doubts I may have had a season ago to rest. Running behind an inferior offensive line, he exceeded his volume rushing numbers from his spectacular rookie season. What makes him such a great cornerstone is that Peterson has brought with him what seems to be a new running style. With his pads high, he’s never hesitant to take a hit and is very capable of moving a pile. AP’s combination of elite physical tools and running style makes him an intimidating runner that defenses often overcompensate for. His physical brand of running is bettered by his quickness, explosiveness, and stop-on-a-dime cutting that makes him a delight to watch on Sundays. He will need to cut down on his many untimely fumbles to make a jump on this list. With only two years under his belt, AP has plenty of tread left on his tires and many years ahead of him to keep defensive coordinators up late and scare the hell out of defense.

2. DeMarcus Ware [OLB, Dallas Cowboys, 27]
Stats: 84 tackles (69 solo), 20 sacks, 9 STF, 6 FF, 2 PD
When you talk about the best of the best, you have to go no further than DeMarcus Ware whose production over the last three seasons ranks with the elites. Ware has the deadliest first step in football and his timing off the edge is so perfect that he often beats offensive tackles off the snap. It’s this among many other things that forces offenses into mismatch hell, forcing them to overcompensate for Ware, freeing up a number of his teammates on defense for opportunities. His endless repertoire of moves and counter-moves stymied tackles a year ago and split numerous double teams shaded his direction en route to a 20-sack season. Using impeccable technique and leverage, Ware holds up surprisingly well against the run. Over the last two seasons, teams have had far less success running the ball over the left side, where Ware most often presides. In fact, the Cowboys have finished in the top 10 in runs over left end and left tackle over the last two seasons. When you consider the strides he’s taken in dropping into coverage, DeMarcus Ware is a complete linebacker and the ultimate defensive cornerstone.

1. Ben Roethlisberger [QB, Pittsburgh Steelers, 27] Stats: 3301 yards, 59.9%, 7.04 YPA, 17 TD, 15 INT, 80.1 QB Rating
A year after being crowned number one my list, Big Ben led the Steelers to yet another Super Bowl victory. Whether or not you believe he can lead a team to victory without a great defense, he’s clearly capable of staying calm in the postseason and building a championship around. He displayed great courage standing tall in a pocket that was always collapsing due to an atrocious pass-blocking offensive line. His numbers took a steep fall, but when it mattered most, Roethlisberger came through in the clutch, pioneering a last minute drive to put the Steelers on top for good (he has 19 4th quarter comebacks in his young career). Though he may not be the flashiest player in the league, most successful franchises need someone at the helm to keep the emotions in check and win the games when your team most needs them. Big Ben has the natural ability to extend plays and all the intangibles you look for in a quarterback, leader, and the face of a franchise, earning him the top spot yet again.