The NFL's best at everything: Picking the top players at 109 different skills

"For the third straight year, we're picking out the NFL's top players by specific skills and traits ahead of the last month of the regular season. The MVP race is squarely between Drake Maye and Matthew Stafford, but this exercise is meant to look at the smaller advantages some players have rather than their overall talent. For example, who is the most creative passer in the NFL, or the QB with the best touch? Which receiver has the best hands, and who is the most explosive running back? Which offensive lineman is the best at opening rushing lanes, and which defensive lineman is the best at plugging them on the other side of the ball? Which linebacker is the best tackler, and which defensive back is the top ball hawk? And what about special teams: Who is the most accurate kicker?"

"Of quarterbacks who have played at least 10 games this season, Prescott's 9.6% off-target rate is the lowest, and he has completed 69.3% of his passes. He is playing some of the best football of his career. With his elite physical tools -- frame, arm length and hand size -- Allen can rip the ball to every level of the field. His 12 completions on passes of 30 or more air yards leads the league, and he has completed 70.6% of those throws. In coordinator Klint Kubiak's offense, Darnold is set up on schemed shot plays to target the third level."

Top NFL players are named across 109 specific skills and traits based on 2025 tape and underlying numbers. The exercise isolates small advantages rather than overall MVP-caliber talent. Categories include creative passing, touch, receiver hands, running back explosiveness, offensive-line rushing-lane creation, defensive-line run plugging, tackling, ball hawk ability, and special-teams accuracy. The MVP race is between Drake Maye and Matthew Stafford, but skill-specific leaders are highlighted separately. Evaluations focus on current-season performance, with minimum-game thresholds applied for some stats and context from offensive schemes used to create opportunities.

Read at ESPN.com