So, a lot of you may follow the NFL very closely, maybe you are just reading your first NFL article. Maybe you are just interested in the NFL and this is the first place you have looked. Well, either way you came to the right place! Here are my predictions and rankings for skilled positions in the NFL.
Quarterbacks:
#1:Carson Wentz:
Stat Predictions: 4,562 Pass Yards, 37 Passing Touchdowns, 11 Interceptions, 61.7 Completion%,104.6 Quarter Back Rating.
Based on last years performance, Carson Wentz is due for a big performance. Wentz was only able to play 13 games last year due to an injury, but in that span he was able to throw 33 touchdowns. Those are unreal numbers. This year he is going to be the #1 QB and will win the MVP award.
#2:Drew Brees:
Stat Predictions: 4,765 Pass Yards, 34 Passing Touchdowns, 13 Interceptions, 65.8 Completion%,98.7 Quarter Back Rating.
Brees will once again lead the NFL in pass yards. Drew will perform like a 5 star, franchise Quarterback but won’t be number one. I don’t think I have ever seen Brees as the best QB during a season at any time. I have always seen him as the guy who throws for 5,000 yards a lot. Anyway, Brees will be good but not Carson Wentz caliber.
#3:Aaron Rodgers:
Stat Predictions: 4,123 Pass Yards, 33 Pass Touchdowns, 7 Interceptions, 64.7 Completion%,102.2 Quarterback Rating.
Aaron Rodgers has always been a top Quarterback. He has a different team now because he lost Jordy Nelson, but he did get Jimmy Graham. Rodgers will once again be a top Quarterback but he is not going to be the best.
#4:Deshaun Watson:
Stat Predictions: 4,201 Pass Yards,32 Pass TD,15 INT,63.3 Completion%,96.4 QB Rate
Last year Deshaun Watson was crazy good. In only 7 games he threw 19 Touchdowns. Just to give an idea of how good he was I will give you his per game averages. 242.7 passing yards a game, 2.7 touchdown passes a game, 1.1 INT a game, and 38.4 rushing yards a game. If he maintained those stats for the entire season this is what his stats would have looked like. 3,883 passing yards, 43 passing touchdowns, 18 INT, 614 rushing yards. Those are seriously big numbers. He won’t have that kind of season this year but he will still have a good one.
#5:Phillip Rivers:
Stat Predictions: 4,156 Pass Yards, 30 Pass TD, 16 INT, 64.7 Completion%,90.7 QB Rate
Phillip Rivers has always been a good QuarterBack and he will be this year. He will do good but this is probably going to be his last big-time season.
Running Backs:
#1:Saquon Barkley:
Stat Predictions: 1,756 Rush Yards, 17 Rush TD, 334 Rec Yards, 3 Rec TD
We all saw what Ezekiel Elliott did his rookie year when nobody was expecting him to be that good. Well, everybody is expecting Barkley to be good, and he is going to live up to that expectation. He will undoubtedly be the best running back in the game for years to come.
#2:Todd Gurley III:
Stat Predictions: 1,376 Rush Yards, 12 Rush Touchdowns, 744 Rec Yards, 5 Recieving Touchdowns
Gurley performed like a champ last year. He proved all of his doubters wrong. His 1,305 yards were his best yet, and don’t even mention his TouchDowns, He had 19 total, 13 rushing, 6 Receiving. He would be number one, but I think Saquon will be the best.
#3:Le’Veon Bell:
Stat Predictions: 1,345 Rush Yds, 10 Rush TD, 576 Rec Yds, 3 Rec TD
Bell is such a dynamic player. He can do it all. Running...Catching...Blocking. If he played for a team like the Bills he would be the number one running back in the league. But with Antonio Brown stealing the show on offense he doesn’t get as many opportunities to carry the ball as he should.
#4:Kareem Hunt:
Stat Predictions: 1,303 Rush Yds, 11 Rush TD, 475 Rec Yds, 3 Rec TD
Kareem Hunt’s season as rookie last year was a great one, and he is going to duplicate that season this year. Hunt only rushed for 8 touchdowns last year but he is going to upgrade that to 11. Hunt can catch the ball well but he is going to run a lot more this season. So I pretty much put his receiving yards at the same as last year.
#5:Alvin Kamara:
Stat Predictions: 1,249 Rush Yds, 9 Rush TD, 837 Rec Yds, 5 Rec TD
Last season Kamara had more receiving yards than rushing, but that was because the Saints were trying to choose between him and Mark Ingram. This season he will be the Saints #1 Running Back. He will be running a lot more this season but will still be catching quite a few passes.
Wide Receivers:
#1:Antonio Brown:
Stat Predictions: 1,567 Rec Yds, 10 Rec TD Antonio Brown is the best Wide Receiver in the game and will have another great season. Brown has never really been a red zone Receiver, he just gains all the yards and then lets Le’Veon Bell score. He will average just under 100 yards a game and won’t have an unbelievable amount of TouchDown catches.
#2:Julio Jones:
Stat Predictions: 1,492 Rec Yds, 11 Rec TD
Julio Jones is such a great Wide Receiver. He would be the number one Wide Receiver, but, you just never know whether Matt Ryan will have a good season or a mediocre one. For example for the 2016 season Ryan threw for 4,944 yards, 38 TouchDowns, and only 7 interceptions. But last season, he threw for 4,095 yards, 20 TouchDowns, and 12 interceptions. So, Ryan is a bit inconsistent. But, when you are Julio Jones, Mark Sanchez could be your QuarterBack and you would still be considered one of the best in the game.
#3:Keenan Allen:
Stat Predictions: 1,322 Rec Yds, 8 Rec TD
Keenan Allen is injury prone, but, he will most likely stay healthy this season. Allen had his first good season last year and was actually the #3 ranked Wide Receiver. He will again be a top Wide Receiver and will do pretty good.
#4:Deandre Hopkins:
Stat Predictions: 1,320 Rec Yds, 15 Rec TD
Hopkins was amazing last year. He played half the season without his star QuarterBack and still he was able to amaze with 13 TouchDown catches. But, with Deshaun Watson back his TouchDown receptions will go even higher.
#5: Jarvis Landry:
Stat Predictions: 1,302 Rec Yds, 11 Rec TD
Jarvis did not do very good last season, but, now he will be on the Browns with Tyrod Taylor. He will now have the chance to be really good. Tyrod is a good QuarterBack and now that he plays for the Browns he will be even better. Long story short, Jarvis will be an All-Pro Wide Receiver.
Honorable Mentions:
Marcus Mariota:
Stat Predictions: 3,645 Pass Yds, 32 Pass TD, 9 INT, 63.2 CMP%, 96.3 QB Rate
David Johnson:
Stat Predictions: 1,156 Rush Yds, 10 Rush TD, 603 Rec Yds, 4 Rec TD
Doug Baldwin:
Stat Predictions: 1,111 Rec Yds, 12 Rec TD