The NFL performance evaluation site that’s become the king of advanced football analytics and ratings in recent year has recognized five New England Patriots among the best players of the past season.
Pro Football Focus just released their list of the top 101 players for the 2021 NFL season, and five Patriots made the cut.
Shaq Mason, the top Patriot and third-highest guard on the list (behind Zack Martin of Dallas and Joel Bitonio of Cleveland), continues his well-regarded and underrated career in New England. Mason is signed for two more years with the Patriots, and is a bargain at his position no less.
JC Jackson, aka Mr. INT, regarded as the top free agent cornerback on the market, is coming off a solid season which will likely land him a massive contract. Whether it’s in New England or not remains to be seen. Easily a top storyline of the Patriots 2022 offseason.
David Andrews, who opted to stay in New England after free agency last offseason, is a pleasant surprise at 75. Andrews is an emotional team leader of the Pats and their line, which is now in need of a new coach as well as possibly a few new players.
Mike Onwenu, a veritable PFF darling, saw his playing time dip in 2021 after a stellar rookie season, but could see his playing time rise in 2022 with uncertainty at both guard and tackle.
And Adrian Phillips, a fundamentally sound player who just inked a three-year extension with the team, continues his ascension to unofficial leader of the revamped Patriots secondary. Which may need even more revamping depending on the status of Jackson.
These rankings support the notion that the 2021 Patriots were carried by a strong run game and secondary, with no offensive skill players from New England to be found. For the record, San Francisco left tackle Trent Williams was the top rated player overall, with Super Bowl 56 champions Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp finishing second and third, respectively. Oh, and in case you were wondering...Tom Brady finished ninth overall in his “final” season (wink-wink).
Be curious to see if any Patriots receivers, backs or even Mac Jones can crack the list in 2022. Stay tuned!
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