NFL

Best Player by Jersey Number for 2022 NFL Season

From No. 1 to No. 99, these are the best players for each jersey number

Best player by jersey number for 2022 NFL season originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Football is a game of numbers. 

Instead of diving into complicated numbers and analytics to highlight the NFL’s best players ahead of the 2022 season, we’re going to examine something a bit simpler: jersey numbers.

Ranking players with a given jersey number is a straightforward exercise, but it was made a tad more tricky last year. Looser jersey number restrictions implemented for the 2021 season have created some more contentious battles. For example, numbers that used to belong to quarterbacks, kickers and punters now have competition from wide receivers, cornerbacks and even linebackers.

So, let’s get into it. These 99 NFL players are the best with their respective jersey number:

No. 1: Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals wideout proved he might be a one-of-one in 2021, earning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and playing a major role in his team’s run to the Super Bowl. 

No. 2: Darius Slay, Philadelphia Eagles

By making his fourth Pro Bowl last year, Slay beats out Matt Ryan and a pair of receivers in D.J. Moore and Amari Cooper as the best No. 2 in football right now.

No. 3: Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos

Wilson will be wearing his old number with his new team as he rides into the 2022 season with the Broncos.

No. 4: Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

Dalvin Cook and Derek Carr are other famous fours, but Prescott is the biggest difference-maker with the number.

No. 5: Jalen Ramsey, Los Angeles Rams

No. 5 isn’t a typical cornerback number, and Ramsey isn’t a typical cornerback. The Rams CB now has a Super Bowl ring to go with his five Pro Bowl selections and three All-Pro nods.

No. 6: Quandre Diggs, Seattle Seahawks

Diggs was a bright spot for the Seahawks in 2021, earning his second straight Pro Bowl selection. DeVonta Smith and Patrick Queen are other players to watch with the number.

No. 7: Trevon Diggs, Dallas Cowboys

One of the biggest feast-or-famine players in football, something exciting is bound to happen when the ball is thrown in Trevon Diggs’ direction.

No. 8: Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

There aren’t many players at any position as electric as Jackson, let alone quarterbacks.

No. 9: Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

It’s a tough decision between Stafford and Joe Burrow, but the Super Bowl is a pretty good tiebreaker that leans in the Rams QB’s favor.

No. 10: Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams

This is among the most loaded numbers in the NFL. Along with quarterbacks like Justin Herbert, it is a number dominated by receivers. DeAndre Hopkins and Tyreek Hill have compelling cases, but Kupp gets the honor as the best No. 10 after earning the receiving triple crown – and Super Bowl MVP – last season.

No. 11: Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys

The NFC East will see some battles between No. 11s when Parson’s Cowboys face A.J. Brown’s Eagles. For now, the nod goes to the unanimous 2021 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

No. 12: Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Aaron Rodgers would be the best player at just about any other jersey number, but as long as TB12 is still in the NFL, this one belongs to Brady.

No. 13: Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Evans and Keenan Allen are two of the league’s most consistent receivers. Evans gets the edge after reeling in 14 touchdowns this past season.

No. 14: Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills

More standout receivers rock No. 14. While D.K. Metcalf and Chris Godwin are strong candidates, Stefon Diggs is the best of the group.

No. 15: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

It’s no contest when it comes to Mahomes and No. 15.

No. 16: Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks

The number belongs to Lockett after another 1,000-yard season, though Trevor Lawrence could come for the title as the best No. 16 in the NFL.

No. 17: Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

In one of the most difficult decisions between two players with the same number, Allen just barely gets the distinction over Davante Adams.

No. 18: Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

Jefferson is off to an eye-popping start to his NFL career, amassing more than 3,000 receiving yards over his first two seasons in Minnesota.

No. 19: Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers

After settling a contract saga in San Francisco, Samuel will once again keep defenses on their toes while rocking No. 19 in red and gold.

No. 20: Tony Pollard, Dallas Cowboys

Pollard making the list while Ezekiel Elliott is omitted does not mean there should be a different starting running back in Dallas. No. 21 just has a deeper pool of players.

No. 21: Jordan Poyer, Buffalo Bills

Poyer gets the nod over Elliott and Denzel Ward after being named a first-team All-Pro safety in 2021.

No. 22: Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans

Henry was running at a historic rate before he broke a bone in his foot midway through last season. With Christian McCaffrey sharing the number, No. 22 is not one defenders want to see breaking into the open field.

No. 23: Jaire Alexander, Green Bay Packers

Alexander headlines a group of strong secondary members that wear No. 23, including Marshon Lattimore and Micah Hyde.

No. 24: Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns

Cornerbacks Marcus Peters and A.J. Terrell make compelling cases, but Chubb runs away with the distinction as the best No. 24.

No. 25: Xavien Howard, Miami Dolphins

Howard is one of the premier corners in the game and led the NFL in interceptions two seasons ago.

No. 26: Saquon Barkley, New York Giants

Barkley has a chance to move back up the NFL’s running back hierarchy in 2022 after playing just 15 games for the Giants over the last two years.

No. 27: J.C. Jackson, Los Angeles Chargers

With 17 interceptions over the last two seasons, Jackson gets the edge over fellow star cornerback Tre’Davious White.

No. 28: Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts

The best running back in the NFL last season gave defenders plenty of chances to see the No. 28 on the back of his jersey on his way to the end zone.

No. 29: Kendall Fuller, Washington Commanders

Fuller ranked third in PFF’s cornerback grades for the 2021 season, trailing just Ramsey and Terrell.

No. 30: Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers

Ekeler found the endzone a league-leading 20 times last season and will be a focal point in another electrifying offense in 2022 with the Chargers.

No. 31: Kevin Byard, Tennessee Titans

Byard earned his second career All-Pro nod last season as a key contributor on defense for the top-seeded Titans.

No. 32: Tyrann Mathieu, New Orleans Saints

The Honey Badger was selected to his third Pro Bowl in 2021 with the Chiefs. Now, the former LSU star is back in the bayou with the Saints on a three-year deal.

No. 33: Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers

With Adams going from Green Bay to Las Vegas, Jones has the chance to become Rodgers’ top target on top of being the Packers’ lead running back.

No. 34: Terrell Edmunds, Pittsburgh Steelers

Edmunds has missed just one game over his four-year career in Pittsburgh, accumulating 340 tackles in that span.

No. 35: Gus Edwards, Baltimore Ravens

In a jersey number predominantly worn by backup running backs, Edwards is the best of the bunch. The Ravens RB surpassed 700 rushing yards in each of his first three NFL seasons before missing 2021 due to a torn ACL.

No. 36: Chuck Clark, Baltimore Ravens

Moving to the defensive side of the ball in Baltimore, Clark is a central part of a strong Ravens secondary.

No. 37: Damien Harris, New England Patriots

While Mac Jones was the story on offense for the Patriots in 2021, Harris broke out in a major way with 15 rushing touchdowns, tied for second in the NFL.

No. 38: L’Jarius Sneed, Kansas City Chiefs

Snead has picked off five passes across his first two NFL seasons in Kansas City.

No. 39: Minkah Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh Steelers

Despite missing the Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams last season, Fitzpatrick is undoubtedly one of the best safeties in the game.

No. 40: Von Miller, Buffalo Bills

Fresh off a Super Bowl run with the Rams, Miller moved to Buffalo to chase another Lombardi Trophy while rocking a new number.

No. 41: Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

Even if 2021 was more of a “down year” by Kamara’s standards, he made the Pro Bowl in each of his five NFL seasons and led the league in combined rushing and receiving touchdowns just two years ago.

No. 42: Patrick Ricard, Baltimore Ravens

Ricard becomes the only fullback on this list thanks to a dull group of No. 42s across the league.

No. 43: Andrew Van Ginkel, Miami Dolphins

Van Ginkel hasn’t missed a game over the last two seasons and has 9.5 sacks in that span.

No. 44: Marlon Humphrey, Baltimore Ravens

Markus Golden and Kyle Juszczyk present strong cases, but another Raven gets the distinction as the best player with his jersey number.

No. 45: Bobby Wagner, Los Angeles Rams

After spending 10 seasons in Seattle, the future Hall of Famer is reversing his number from 54 with his former NFC West rival.

No. 46: Luke Rhodes, Indianapolis Colts

For the most part, the less you hear about your team’s long snapper, the better. Doesn’t hurt to show the first-team All-Pro at the position, though.

No. 47: Josey Jewell, Denver Broncos

Jewell missed most of the 2021 due to a torn pec. He tallied 113 tackles in his last full season.

No. 48: Bud Dupree, Tennessee Titans

Dupree will look to improve upon his first season with the Titans, which was limited to 11 games due to injuries.

No. 49: Tremaine Edmunds, Buffalo Bills

Tremaine and Terrell Edmunds make up one of three sibling pairs on this list.

No. 50: Vita Vea, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The powerful defensive tackle followed up the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl LV run with his first Pro Bowl nod, as he compiled four sacks and 33 tackles.

No. 51: Azeez Al-Shaair, San Francisco 49ers

In a clash between Azeezes, Al-Shaair beats out Giants linebacker Azeez Ojulari.

No. 52: Khalil Mack, Los Angeles Chargers

Unlike Miller and Wagner, Mack is sticking with his old number even though he is switching jerseys in 2022.

No. 53: Darius Leonard, Indianapolis Colts

With consecutive first-team All-Pro nods, Leonard has quickly established himself as one of the NFL’s premier linebackers.

No. 54: Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers

Continuing the run of dominant linebackers, Warner beats out Lavonte David and Eric Kendricks as the top No. 54 in football.

No. 55: Chandler Jones, Las Vegas Raiders

Jones has reunited with Josh McDaniels in Las Vegas and paired up with another player still to come on this list to form what promises to be a lethal pass-rushing duo.

No. 56: Quenton Nelson, Indianapolis Colts

Nelson is the fourth and final Colt on this list. Like the other three, he is perhaps the best player at his respective position.

No. 57: C.J. Mosley, New York Jets

After playing just two games in his first year with the Jets, Mosley finished fourth in the NFL with 168 tackles in 2021.

No. 58: Shaquil Barrett, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Roquan Smith is a strong candidate at No. 58, but Barrett gets the spot after picking up 10 sacks last season.

No. 59: De'Vondre Campbell, Green Bay Packers

Campbell was a beast in his first season with the Packers, earning All-Pro honors after picking up 146 tackles, two forced fumbles and two interceptions. 

No. 60: David Andrews, New England Patriots

Andrews kicks off an OL run on the list. He won Super Bowls in 2016 and 2018 before missing the entire 2019 campaign. He has since started 29 of 33 games in New England.

No. 61: Rodney Hudson, Arizona Cardinals

Hudson has three Pro Bowls on his resume and a year with Kyler Murray under his belt as he enters his second season in Arizona.

No. 62: Jason Kelce, Philadelphia Eagles

Until Kelce retires, the four-time All-Pro center remains the face of No. 62.

No. 63: Corey Linsley, Los Angeles Chargers

While Kelce earned first-time All-Pro honors in 2021, fellow center Linsley landed on the  second team following his first season with the Chargers.

No. 64: Nate Davis, Tennessee Titans

Without Davis and the Titans’ offensive line, Henry wouldn’t have as many opportunities to create carnage downfield.

No. 65: Lane Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles

Johnson is two spots to Kelce’s right on the Eagles’ offensive line. He earned second-team All-Pro honors at right tackle in 2021.

No. 66: Ryan Jensen, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Jensen’s 2022 got off to an awful start when he suffered a left knee injury at the start of training camp. Should he return during the regular season, he would be a massive addition for Brady and the Bucs.

No. 67: Justin Pugh, Arizona Cardinals

Pugh is the second of three Cardinals O-linemen on this list.

No. 68: Taylor Decker, Detroit Lions

Decker has been in Detroit since he was drafted in the first round of the 2016 draft and is in charge of protecting Jared Goff’s blind side.

No. 69: David Bakhtiari, Green Bay Packers

Bakhtiari is looking to return after making only one appearance in 2021 due to an ACL tear. The Packers left tackle earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2018 and 2020.

No. 70: Rashawn Slater, Los Angeles Chargers

Slater overtakes Dallas’ Zack Martin after being named to the All-Pro second team in his rookie season. 

No. 71: Trent Williams, San Francisco 49ers

Williams is the reason Slater didn’t make the first team. The best left tackle in football took that honor with another dominant season.

No. 72: Terron Armstead, Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins brought in a major upgrade to their offensive line by signing Armstead in free agency. The former Saint was named to three straight Pro Bowls from 2018 to 2020.

No. 73: Dion Dawkins, Buffalo Bills

Buffalo’s offensive dominance isn’t limited to quarterback and wide receiver. Dawkins earned his first Pro Bowl nod in 2021 as a top performer on the Bills’ O-line.

No. 74: D.J. Humphries, Arizona Cardinals

Rounding out the Cardinals contingent is Humphries, who reached his first Pro Bowl in 2021.

No. 75: Joel Bitonio, Cleveland Browns

Over the last four seasons, Bitonio has four Pro Bowl selections, three second-team All-Pros, one first-team All-Pros and zero missed games.

No. 76: Donovan Smith, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Donovan Smith is one of the offensive linemen who will need to step up for Brady in Jensen’s absence.

No. 77: Wyatt Teller, Cleveland Browns

With Bitonio on the left side and Teller on the right, the Browns boast one of the NFL’s best guard tandems.

No. 78: Triston Wirfs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

In the toughest battle here among O-linemen, the young Bucs tackle gets this spot over the more experienced Laremy Tunsil. 

No. 79: Ronnie Stanley, Baltimore Ravens

Stanley rounds out the offensive linemen. His last full season came in 2019, when he was named to the All-Pro first team.

No. 80: Jarvis Landry, New Orleans Saints

Moving back to pass-catchers, Landry joins Mathieu as another former LSU player to sign with the Saints this offseason.

No. 81: Mike Williams, Los Angeles Chargers

Williams went off in his second season catching passes from Herbert, amassing career-highs with 76 receptions and 1,146 receiving yards.

No. 82: Logan Thomas, Washington Commanders

Thomas is hoping to find his 2020 form with Carson Wentz joining the Commanders. He had 18 receptions for 196 yards and three touchdowns last year.

No. 83: Darren Waller, Las Vegas Raiders

Waller may get less attention in the Raiders’ offense this season with Adams in town, but that doesn’t take away from his unique skill set at tight end.

No. 84: Cordarrelle Patterson, Atlanta Falcons

Corey Davis and Kendrick Bourne have a chance to move past Patterson, who found a new gear as a running back in Atlanta last year.

No. 85: George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers

Kittle will attempt to connect with a new quarterback in Trey Lance after reeling in a career-high six receiving touchdowns last year to go along with his elite blocking skills.

No. 86: Dalton Schultz, Dallas Cowboys

Schultz beats out Zach Ertz as the best tight end wearing No. 86. The Cowboys TE had the most catches, yards and touchdowns of his career in 2021.

No. 87: Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

No. 87 used to belong to Rob Gronkowski, but Kelce has since taken over as the league’s top tight end. 

No. 88: CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys

Lamb has followed in Michael Irvin and Dez Bryant’s footsteps by taking over the WR1 role in Dallas while wearing No. 88.

No. 89: Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens

While Kelce is widely viewed as a better player, Andrews actually was the tight end on the AP All-Pro first team last season after accumulating 107 catches, 1,361 yards and nine scores.

No. 90: T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers

Jason Pierre-Paul, DeMarcus Lawrence and Jadeveon Clowney are talented players, but there’s only one NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Watt did that by tying Michael Strahan’s single-season sack record of 22.5.

No. 91: Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati Bengals

Hendrickson following up a 13.5-sack season in 2021 with 14 in 2022 is enough to move him past Fletcher Cox and Arik Armstead.

No. 92: Marcus Davenport, New Orleans Saints

Davenport set career-highs with nine sacks and 39 tackles despite playing just 11 games in 2021.

No. 93: Jonathan Allen, Washington Commanders

Ndamukong Suh and Calais Campbell have better resumes, but Allen is the best No. 93 out of the bunch right now.

No. 94: Robert Quinn, Chicago Bears

The former All-Pro turned back the clock and showed he’s still a force on the defensive line in 2021 by picking up 18.5 sacks with the Bears.

No. 95: Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns

Garrett has been one of the best No. 1 picks of the last decade, earning back-to-back first-team All-Pro selections to go with 28 sacks over the past two seasons. 

No. 96: Denico Autry, Tennessee Titans

Denico Autry shined on the Titans’ defensive line in 2021, tying his career-high with nine sacks.

No. 97: Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers

In a battle of Bosas, Nick beats out Joey. The 49ers defensive end had five more sacks and 16 more tackles for loss than his older brother last year.

No. 98: Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders

Crosby was named to the All-Pro second team for the first time in 2021. Now, he will be chasing down QBs alongside Chandler Jones.

No. 99: Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams

Was there ever a doubt? DeForest Buckner, Chase Young, J.J. Watt and Danielle Hunter are strong representatives for No. 99, but there is no denying Donald is not only the best player with his jersey number, but perhaps the best player in all of football.

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