Top 50 NFL Franchise Cornerstones: 20-11

By: Roshan Bhagat

20. Maurice Jones-Drew [RB, Jacksonville Jaguars, 24]
Stats: 197 att, 824 yards, 4.2 avg, 12 TD, 62 rec, 565 yards, 9.1 avg, 2 TD, 6 FUM
Maurice Jones-Drew has posted over 1300 yards from scrimmage and nearly 13 touchdowns from scrimmage over his first three seasons. As a backup! The Jaguars rewarded him with a lucrative extension and handed him the starting job. Whether or not MJD is a starter in the league, his impact on the game is phenomenal. He’s the perfect utility back that can carve up a defense in so many ways. Among backs with significant carries, only Pierre Thomas, Derrick Ward, and Brandon Jacobs finished ahead of him in first downs per carry. He also finished near the top of the league in least stuffs per carry. A lot of this can be attributed to his stocky build and low-center of gravity that make him a disaster to bring down in traffic. But if you play him too aggressively, he’ll kill you with his soft hands and ability to quickly turn up-field, which led to a league high in YAC among running backs last year. Whether or not the team features Jones-Drew as a full-time starter or glorified backup and returner, his impact on the game is immense and unique.

19. Kerry Rhodes [S, New York Jets, 27]
Stats: 84 tackles (60 solo), 1 sack, 8 STF, 2 INT, 5 PD
Though a below average season by his standard, brought Kerry Rhodes down a notch, he’s still one of the league’s premier playmaking safeties. His size, athletic skills, and deceptive speed allow Rhodes to do it all. He’s a great help safety who’s more than capable of reacting to a pass and picking it off. In run support, he takes sound angles and tackles well. As a blitzer, he does a nice job timing his attack and getting to the quarterback. His numbers show up in every column of the stats sheet and that’s because Rhodes is a true do-it-all safety who should excel under Rex Ryan and prove to be one of the best defensive centerpieces in the league.

18. Ryan Clady [OT, Denver Broncos, 22]
Stats: 0.5 sacks allowed, 3 penalties, 2008 AP 2nd Team All-Pro
Rookie Ryan Clady was the only starting tackle to allow less than a sack over the entire season and he did so protecting Jay Cutler who dropped back well over 600 times. Equally as impressive, Clady was flagged only three times, only one of which was a hold. Some will argue that he allowed near a league high of quarterback pressures, but with his 600+ passing snaps, he allowed close to one pressure per 20 snaps. Though that number is relatively poor in comparison to other elite pass blocking tackles, Clady has elite athleticism and upside in addition to the other numbers that excuse the quarterback pressures. The Broncos finished near the top of the league in rushing average running left end and over left tackle, a testament to Clady’s well-rounded skill set. There’s no reason to believe that Clady shouldn’t continue to improve and become of the five best left tackles in the game, if he isn’t already.

17. Jake Long [OT, Miami Dolphins, 24]
Stats: 2.5 sacks allowed, 5 penalties, 2008 Pro Bowl Selection
After a promising rookie campaign, Jake Long showed consistency and flashed potential to become one of the league’s most productive linemen over the next decade. Putting together a solid season, Long allowed only a handful of sacks and few additional quarterback pressures and hits. While he doesn’t grade out as the most athletic tackle, Long has another trait that’s invaluable on the offensive line: nastiness. He’s an explosive hitter with a jarring initial punch. With no issues with mental lapses or a lazy work ethic, Jake Long will surely neutralize the threat of a blind side pass rush for the next decade for the Dolphins.

16. Shawne Merriman [OLB, San Diego Chargers, 25]

Stats (2007): 68 tackles (54 solo), 12.5 sacks, 5 STF, 2 FF, 4 PD
Coming off a knee injury that once threatened his career and sidelined him for the entirety of the 2008 season, Shawne Merriman falls on this list due to some of these concerns. Prior to his injury, he was one of the most feared sack artists with an unreal blend of strength, speed, and timing. Still, it’s how he injects the defense with electricity and adrenaline that I love most about Merriman’s game play. At 25 years of age, Shawne Merriman averages just under a sack per game when healthy, but will need to prove his knee hasn’t cost him his explosiveness. With the marvels of modern medicine, Merriman should return to form and become the centerpiece of the Chargers defense yet again.

15. Vince Wilfork [NT, New England Patriots, 27]
Stats: 66 tackles (45 solo), 2 sacks, 1 STF, 1 BLK, 1 PD
Fifteen may seem high for Wilfork, but his consistency, durability, and command of attention has helped make the Patriots defense as effective as it has been over the last five years. He doesn’t give that much in the form of pass rushing, but as a run stopper, he demands a double team yet still makes plays himself, a rare trait in a Nose Tackle. Wilfork, along with Ty Warren and Richard Seymour, have allowed the Patriots to plug over-the-hill linebackers behind them and still find some success in the front 7. Since his rookie season, the Patriots have finished in the top half of the league in yards per carry, aside from the 2007 season where teams rarely rushed on them because of the record-setting offensive season. Vince Wilfork has the natural body type and brute strength of the model nose tackle, or the ideal anchor of a great 3-4 defense.

14. Michael Roos [OT, Tennessee Titans, 26]
Stats: 1 sack allowed, 4 penalties, 2008 Pro Bowl, 2008 1st Team All-Pro
Roos may be the best offensive tackle in the game. His consistency on a down-to-down basis showed especially last season when he bought so much time for quarterback Kerry Collins. He’s taken such great strides from season to season, especially in the form of pass-blocking where he’s now become dominant. Roos doesn’t have elite athleticism, but makes up for it with balance and recovery when he’s rarely beat. In the run game, he’s working on becoming stronger and more dominant at the point of attack as well as hitting targets on the run. Roos should continue to get better, but he isn’t as athletically gifted or naturally explosive as…

13. Joe Thomas [OT, Cleveland Browns, 24]
Stats: 4.5 sacks allowed, 6 penalties, 2008 Pro Bowl
Even though his second year was a bit of a letdown considering his elite rookie year, Thomas has given reason to believe that he takes his job seriously. While he’s still a finesse player, he added some weight last offseason to try and becoming a better run-blocker. He does a nice job of hitting moving targets and blocking on the run, but still isn’t a true mauler in the trenches. In pass protection, it’s quite obvious that he’s one of the elites already and will only continue to get better. He has a nice build at 6’6, 312 pounds with very quick feet. His technique light years ahead of his age and the upside of Joe Thomas at left tackle is remarkable. It’s very premature, but if he continues to play at this level for the duration of his career, Canton is certainly a distinct possibility.

12. Calvin Johnson [WR, Detroit Lions, 23]
Stats: 78 rec, 1331 yards, 17.1 avg, 12 TD, 3 FUM
Playing through quarterbacking inadequacies, Megatron established himself as one of the premier playmakers in the league. Touted by some as one of the best draft prospects in NFL history, Calvin made some strides last year that allowed him to maximize his gifted skill set of size, strength, speed, and leaping ability. With an improvement in route-running, his numbers increased across the board to the same level as some of the league’s most established wideouts. While receivers are somewhat difficult to build around, Calvin could go down as one of the very best in league history. He’s virtually impossible to cover with one defender and will continue to demand high-low coverage to limit him. Jamming him at the line is difficult with his strength and Johnson will eat up an off-man cushion instantaneously. With a strong-armed quarterback, an effective running game, and capable receivers on the other side, Johnson’s efficiency will improve and his impact will become even more noticeable. At 6’5 and 236 pounds, Calvin Johnson gives his team an imposing figure on the outside that opens up endless opportunities for his teammates while posting great production on a weekly basis.

11. Patrick Willis [ILB, San Francisco 49ers, 24]
Stats: 141 tackles (109 solo), 1 sack, 7 STF, 1 FF, 1 INT, 10 PD
Regardless of whether or not Willis is a tad overrated, the improvement he made from year one to two was remarkable. When doubters questioned his coverage abilities as a rookie, he made vast improvements by year two. He’s an outstanding athlete with great quickness and instincts which elevate his game speed even more. Willis will continue to maximize his skill set and silence critics with marked improvement from year to year. With 315 tackles through his first two seasons, he didn’t leave many out on the field and that’s the type of consistency he plays with on a weekly basis. Overall, Patrick Willis is a great leader and foundation of the Niners defense with good (not great) range, a superb football IQ and intangibles through the roof.