Nine Former Big 12 Players Listed in PFF’s Top 101 Players from 2022 NFL Season
The Big 12 Conference historically has had some of the NFL’s greats, and former players from the league added onto that this season. Illustrating that point, Pro Football Focus released its list of the Top 101 players from the 2022 campaign, and there are nine who played collegiately in the Big 12.
Headlining those, of course, is NFL Champion Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs. The superstar signal caller added to his already huge legacy and stands in the top spot.
“Mahomes’ season was a legacy-building year,” wrote PFF’s Sam Monson on the former Texas Tech sensation. “The debate is no longer about whether he is the best quarterback in the game, but simply about how long he needs to play at this level before he is unquestionably the greatest the game has ever seen. What he was able to do in the playoffs on a high ankle sprain will become the stuff of legend in years to come.”
Checking in not too far behind Mahomes is Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson, who played his college ball at Oklahoma. Johnson is the No. 9 player, per PFF.
“Despite playing with an injury throughout the playoffs, Johnson allowed just 11 hurries across 18 games this season with virtually no schematic help at any point,” Monson wrote. “None of his allowed pressure registered as sacks or even knockdowns.”
In addition to those two, three others rank in the Top 25. San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams (Oklahoma) got the nod at No. 13, Kansas City Chiefs center Creed Humphrey (Oklahoma) is placed at No. 21 and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (Oklahoma) is at No. 24.
“Williams has been arguably the league’s best offensive lineman over the last several seasons and did little this year to change that story,” Monson said. “He led all offensive tackles in overall PFF grade (91.7) for the third year in a row, allowing 19 total pressures in 17 games.”
Wrote Monson on Humphrey: “Humphrey was one of the league’s few centers who was capable of physically matching up with behemoth nose tackles, such as D.J. Reader, who had been terrorizing undersized players at the position all season. Humphrey was a dominant run and pass blocker all season, allowing 18 pressures in 17 games.”
Monson offered the following on Hurts, who, like Johnson, finished as an NFC Champion and one game shy of a Super Bowl Title: “One of the surprises of the season, Hurts proved that he can be the guy in Philadelphia, as he was able to go toe to toe with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in one of the best Super Bowls in memory…until the ending. Hurts is a dynamic threat at all levels and produced 68 rushing first downs in the regular season.”
Four more players joined those five on the list. They included Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (Oklahoma) at No. 50, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (West Virginia) at No. 71, Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews (Oklahoma) at No. 74 and Miami Dolphins center Connor Williams (Texas) at No. 98.
