Selected 27th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft after the organization traded back into the first round to acquire him, Devin Lloyd arrived from Utah as an elite, sideline-to-sideline dynamic hybrid linebacker. With his length and fluid movement, he made an immediate impact in the middle of the defense, earning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month honors in September 2022 and finishing his debut season with 115 tackles and three interceptions to secure PFWA All-Rookie Team honors.

Despite experiencing sophomore growing pains and rotational adjustments under different defensive frameworks, Lloyd maintained a high tackling baseline in the box. He logged back-to-back 100-plus tackle campaigns in 2022, 2023, and 2024, demonstrating consistent run-gap discipline while developing his pre-snap communication alongside Foyesade Oluokun.

Lloyd’s individual peak with the franchise came in 2025, when his coverage instincts and explosive range clicked. He snagged five interceptions and returned one 99 yards for a touchdown—setting the franchise record for the longest interception return—which earned him his first career Pro Bowl selection and a Second-Team AP All-Pro nod.

After his initial rookie contract expired following four highly productive seasons, the off-ball linebacker entered free agency in 2026 and ultimately signed with the Carolina Panthers to continue his career.  As a Jaguar, Lloyd had 436 total tackles, nine interceptions, 180 return yards, one defensive touchdown, 3.5 sacks, five fumble recoveries, and 26 passes defended.

When Jonathan Taylor steps into the backfield to launch the 2026 campaign, he does so as the undisputed focal point of the Indianapolis attack and one of the most dominant running threats of his era. Drafted in the second round out of Wisconsin in 2020, Taylor possesses a rare combination of 226-pound frame density and track-star breakaway speed (4.39 40-yard dash) that reshaped the Colts' offensive identity from his very first touch.

Taylor’s rise to elite status reached national ignition in 2021 when he put together one of the most remarkable individual rushing seasons in league history. Blasting through defensive fronts, he led the National Football League in rushing yards (1,811) and total touchdowns (20), earning unanimous First-Team All-Pro honors and taking home the Bert Bell Award. His ability to hit second-gear acceleration in the second half of games routinely turned tight contests into runaway victories.

Though nagging ankle injuries limited his availability in 2022 and 2023, Taylor’s long-term extension in Indianapolis reaffirmed his role as the franchise cornerstone. He responded with a ferocious return to form in 2024, churning out 1,431 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in 14 games to secure his second Pro Bowl invitation and prove his game-breaking power remained intact.

In 2025, Taylor re-established total dominance over ground defenses, compiling 1,585 rushing yards and pacing the NFL with 18 rushing touchdowns. His 1,963 combined scrimmage yards powered Shane Steichen’s offense and earned him a third career Pro Bowl selection, confirming his status as the gold standard among active NFL backs.

As the Colts kick off the 2026 season, Taylor approaches his seventh active campaign in Indianapolis with 7,598 rushing yards, 69 rushing touchdowns, and 9,067 total scrimmage yards on his ledger. Indianapolis’ success this year will hinge on its star rusher's legs.

Selected in the first round (16th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft out of Ohio State—where he anchored a national championship offensive line—Taylor Decker stepped directly into Detroit's starting lineup as a rookie and immediately solidified the critical left tackle position. Starting all 16 games and earning PFWA All-Rookie Team honors in his inaugural campaign, Decker became a reliable cornerstone of the Lions' front line through multiple coaching regimes, quarterback changes, and organizational rebuilds.

For a decade in Honolulu Blue, Decker defined consistency on the blind side. His rare blend of length, footwork, and textbook technique allowed him to match up against the league's elite edge rushers, shielding signal-callers from Matthew Stafford to Jared Goff. Alongside center Frank Ragnow and tackle Penei Sewell, Decker was an indispensable pillar of one of the NFL's most physical and dominant offensive lines, helping pave the way for Detroit's rise into a premier contender.

Beyond his pass-blocking credentials and run-clearing power, Decker carved out a unique place in franchise folklore as a surprisingly clutch goal-line receiver. He hauled in three career receptions for 15 yards and two touchdowns—scoring against the Arizona Cardinals in 2018 and the Seattle Seahawks in 2021—while also becoming the focal point of the infamous reporting controversy against Dallas late in the 2023 season.

Decker’s individual excellence and team leadership peaked in 2023, when he earned his first career Pro Bowl selection while helping guide the Lions to an NFC North title and their first NFC Championship Game appearance in over three decades. Through ten active seasons in Detroit, his durability remained his calling card, battling through hand, shoulder, and ankle injuries to start every game he suited up for.

After a ten-year run that included 140 consecutive starts, Decker's tenure in Detroit ended after the 2025 season. 

A superstar in both football and baseball at USC, Washington couldn't join the National Football League because of its segregationist policies, so he dominated for the Hollywood Bears in the Pacific Coast Professional Football League, where he was their best player.  When the Cleveland Rams relocated to Los Angeles, the time was right for reintegration, and the Rams signed him (along with Woody Strode).  Washington’s knees were already banged up, and his tenure in the NFL was only three years, but his role in football should never be discounted. 

His overall impact definitely earns him his place on this list.  If only!!!