My All-Time Favorite NFL Players (Yes, I’m Judging Yours Too)
By Trinity Barnette
There are great players… and then there are the ones who leave a permanent mark on your memory. The ones who made you sit up, yell at the screen, and remind everyone around you that you’ve been saying this since day one.
This is that list.
These are my all-time favorite NFL players—chosen not just for their stats, but for their legacy, presence, and the way they made football feel like magic.
College: Purdue
Drafted: Round 2, Pick 32 (2001) – San Diego Chargers
Undersized. Overlooked. Then went on to break nearly every major passing record. A walking masterclass in consistency and leadership.
College: Michigan
Drafted: Round 6, Pick 199 (2000) – New England Patriots
The steal of the century. Went from QB3 to GOAT status with 7 Super Bowl rings, 3 MVPs, and a chip on his shoulder the size of Foxborough.
• College: Miami (FL)
• Drafted: Round 1, Pick 26 (1996) – Baltimore Ravens
Built different. Ray didn’t just play defense—he commanded it. Two-time Defensive Player of the Year, Super Bowl MVP, and the loudest silence you’ll ever fear. He wasn’t just a killer on the field—allegedly, he was one off it too. But hey, no charges stuck, and the man hit like a sentencing.
College: Alabama
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 6 (2011) – Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta traded a whole future to get him—and he was worth every pick. In his prime, he turned elite DBs into traffic cones.
College: Florida State
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 5 (1989) – Atlanta Falcons
The original prime-time player. Two-sport legend. Gold chains. Pick sixes. Kick return TDs. He was the highlight reel.
College: Miami (FL)
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 24 (2002) – Baltimore Ravens
Smartest man on the field. If you threw near him, you regretted it. Hall of Famer with 64 INTs and too many game-saving moments to count.
Aaron Donald (Defensive Tackle)
College: Pitt
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 13 (2014) – St. Louis Rams
Undersized by DT standards—until he bench-pressed the league into submission. 3x DPOY. One of the most feared players of the modern era.
LaDainian Tomlinson (Running Back)
College: TCU
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 5 (2001) – San Diego Chargers
LT was the definition of versatility. NFL MVP. 28 rushing TDs in one season. If you had him in fantasy? You won the league.
College: Marshall
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 21 (1998) – Minnesota Vikings
“I play when I want to.” And when he did, he was unstoppable. 23 TDs in one season. Moss’d became a verb for a reason.
College: Clemson
Drafted: Round 2, Pick 61 (1996) – Philadelphia Eagles
The soul of Philly’s defense. Weapon X brought emotion, hits, and that iconic crawl-out intro. You could feel his energy through the screen.
College: Cal
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 12 (2007) – Buffalo Bills
The man who ran through an entire defense and created a literal earthquake. Press conferences? “I’m just here so I won’t get fined.”
College: USC
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 16 (2003) – Pittsburgh Steelers
He jumped over the line of scrimmage. He read plays before the ball was snapped. The hair? Iconic. The instincts? Terrifying.
College: Tennessee
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 4 (1984, Supplemental) – Philadelphia Eagles
198 sacks. 13 Pro Bowls. The Minister of Defense was a force of nature wrapped in faith and finesse. Could bull rush a truck.
College: Notre Dame
Drafted: Round 3, Pick 82 (1979) – San Francisco 49ers
Known as “Joe Cool” for a reason. Four-time Super Bowl champion. Clutch in every sense of the word. If the game was on the line, you wanted the ball in his hands.
College: California (Cal)
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 13 (1997) – Kansas City Chiefs
The prototype. Over 15,000 receiving yards. Hall of Famer. Made being a pass-catching tight end legendary before it was the norm. Durable, dependable, dominant.
College: LSU
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 1 (2020) – Cincinnati Bengals
2020 Heisman winner. National Champion. Came into the league with swagger and backed it up with poise, precision, and leadership. Ice in his veins—cool under pressure and built for big moments.
College: LSU
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 5 (2021) – Cincinnati Bengals
Explosive. Unstoppable. Rookie of the Year. His chemistry with Burrow is telepathic. One of the fastest risers to superstardom in WR history—and he’s just getting started.
Justin Jefferson (Wide Receiver)
College: LSU
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 22 (2020) – Minnesota Vikings
Smooth route runner with elite hands and swagger to match. Broke records in his first three seasons. Griddy icon. Consistently makes it look easy—even when it’s not.
College: Cincinnati
Drafted: Round 3, Pick 63 (2013) – Kansas City Chiefs
Yeah, yeah—we know. You’re tired of hearing about him. But stats don’t lie. One of the greatest tight ends ever. Route running like a wide receiver, yards after catch like a running back, and playoff consistency like a Hall of Famer (because he is one). Even if you mute the Swiftie noise, you can’t ignore the resume.
College: Alabama
Drafted: Round 2, Pick 45 (2016) – Tennessee Titans
Built like a linebacker, runs like a freight train. The only man alive who can stiff-arm you into a midlife crisis. 2,000-yard season, Heisman winner, and the face of pure power football in the modern era. You don’t tackle Derrick Henry—you survive him.
Chad Ochocinco Johnson (Wide Receiver)
College: Oregon State
Drafted: Round 2, Pick 36 (2001) – Cincinnati Bengals
A route-running savant with footwork smoother than butter and celebrations that deserve their own Hall of Fame. Ochocinco made football fun and flashy—trash talk, gold teeth, and touchdowns. He didn’t just beat corners—he embarrassed them.
College: Louisville
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 32 (2018) – Baltimore Ravens
2019 MVP and the human joystick of football. Dual-threat demon with speed like a running back and vision like a point guard. His game is pure chaos—in the best way. If you blink, he’s 30 yards downfield and you’re wondering what just happened.
College: Texas Tech
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 10 (2017) – Kansas City Chiefs
I hate to say it—but greatness is greatness. Sidearms, no-look passes, comebacks from the dead. He’s what Madden players dream they could be. And yes, I hate him. Because my team keeps losing and he refuses to stop winning. Unfortunately? He’s him.
College: USC
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 8 (1981) – San Francisco 49ers A versatile DB and safety—and mastered both. He didn’t just hit hard, he hit like it was personal. That hit on Mark Bavaro? People say he almost killed him. Lott was violence in cleats. Famously had part of his finger amputated just to keep playing. Built different doesn’t even begin to cover it.
College: Arkansas
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 20 (1989) – Denver Broncos He hit like a linebacker but covered like a DB. That hit on Christian Okoye? Still one of the coldest moments in NFL history. A human missile. Pure intimidation in shoulder pads.
