NFL: Who Will be Elite in 2016?

Let’s turn back the clock for just a second to 2006. Vince Young had just won Rookie of the Year quarterbacking the Tennessee Titans. Chad Pennington was the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year. Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers hadn’t even thought of the word “retirement” yet. Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady were all entering the prime of their careers. In 2011, Vince Young is a backup on the Eagles, Pennington and Favre are out of football and the above trio of quarterbacks are entering their twilight years (while still playing lights out in the cases of Brady and Brees). Five years from now, what will the NFL look like? Who will dominate their positions, and who will be lost in the wind? We take a look, breaking down which quarterback, running back, wide receiver, cornerback, linebacker, and head coach will be at the top of their positions in half a decade. 

Quarterback: Aaron Rodgers (32 years old in 2016)

In five years, Rodgers will be the two years younger than Tom Brady is now. Rodgers, in my opinion, is already at the top of his position, and logic says he still will be in five years. It’s insanely scary to think that Rodgers will be still in the prime of his career five years down the road, being that he already is showing signs of being an all-time great, maybe even better than Favre was. It’s only going to get better from here to watch. 

Others to Watch: Cam Newton, Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Ryan, Matt Stafford, Phillip Rivers

Running Back: Adrian Peterson (31 years old in 2016)

This was a bit of a tough one. In the NFL, running back’s have a low shelf life. I thought of going to a younger player like LeSean McCoy, DaMarco Murray, or Chris Johnson here. However, Johnson is showing signs of already declining, and McCoy and Murray are too unproven for me to say they’ll be elite in five years. Peterson will be 31 at the start of the 2016 season, which is usually the beginning of the end for running backs. The way Peterson runs, it could come for him much earlier. However, his skills are far and above superior to almost every running back in the league. I expect him to keep it up and be the best in the league five years from now. 

Others to Watch: LeSean McCoy, Jamaal Charles, Arian Foster, Darren McFadden

Wide Receiver: Calvin Johnson (31 years old in 2016)

Believe it or not, I was very close to going with Dez Bryant here. I went with Johnson, however. Johnson is already among the top-5 wide receivers in the league, and he gets to play the next five years with a presumably healthy Matt Stafford on a good young Detroit Lions team. Johnson should be able to get better and better each year, and while Larry Fitzgerald and Andre Johnson will still be among the best, I think Johnson will be putting up crazy numbers if Stafford can stay healthy enough to throw him the ball. 

Others to Watch: Dez Bryant, Larry Fitzgerald, Greg Jennings, Andre Johnson

Cornerback: Darrelle Revis (31 years old in 2016)

I know, I know, I picked another player who is already the best at his position. Revis will be 31 come 2016, and I see no signs of him slowing down. Looking at other corners around the league now, Charles Woodson (35) and Champ Bailey (33) are still playing at a high level. In five years, we could be watching Revis Island continue to bring in new tourists, on his way to a potential Hall of Fame career. 

Others to Watch: Nnamdi Asomougha, Devin McCourty, Brandon Flowers

Linebacker: Von Miller (27 years old in 2016)

Linebacker was the one of the easiest positions for me to pick. Right now, as a rookie, Miller is putting together a stellar campaign. I know that guys like Patrick Willis, Clay Matthews, and David Harris will still be relatively young in five years. However, Miller will still be much younger then those three. Miller is currently the star on a good Denver defense, and I suspect him to be among the top defensive players in five seasons. 

Others to Watch: Clay Matthews, Patrick Willis, Navarro Bowman, Mario Williams

Head Coach: Jim Harbaugh 

I love the job that Harbaugh has done with the 49ers, taking a team that was supposed to be among the league’s worst this year and turning them into a playoff team after a lockout-shortened summer is beyond impressive. In five years, Harbaugh could be considered among the league’s best head coaches. Packers coach Mike McCarthy has a good shot as well, being able to coach a team with Aaron Rodgers at the helm. I went with Harbaugh here instead, I love his intensity and the way players respond to him. They respect him, and that is vital in the NFL. 

Others to Watch: Mike McCarthy, Rex Ryan, Jason Garrett, Sean Payton

While those guys may be at the top of their positions in five years, there are some other players that could be interesting to think about in five years. Will Tom Brady, who will be 39 years old, and coach Bill Belichick still be in football? What about Stanford product Andrew Luck, will he be the heir apparent to Peyton Manning in Indianapolis? Will Rex Ryan finally win a super bowl? Or will Aaron Rodgers have reeled off another two or three in the process? Only time will tell.