You ever notice how everyone talks about the same three quarterbacks until your ears bleed? It’s basically a requirement for sports talk radio. But if you actually watched the 2025 season wrap up, you know the hierarchy of good NFL football players shifted in some pretty weird ways.
The league is different now. We aren't just looking at "who has the most rings." We’re looking at guys like Puka Nacua, who basically decided that being a fifth-round pick was a suggestion rather than a destiny.
The Guys Carrying the League (Literally)
Honestly, if we’re talking about the absolute best on the field right now, you have to start with the guys who didn’t just meet expectations but smashed them.
Take Matthew Stafford. The dude is 37 and just led the league with 4,707 passing yards in the 2025 regular season. He’s out there playing like he’s 25 again because he has weapons like Nacua and a rejuvenated Davante Adams in Los Angeles. It’s wild. Most people thought the Rams were a "one and done" Super Bowl team a few years back, but Stafford’s 46 touchdowns last year say otherwise.
Then there’s the Jaxon Smith-Njigba breakout. 1,793 receiving yards.
Read that again.
He didn't just lead the Seahawks; he led the entire NFL. While the media was busy obsessing over whether the "old guard" was fading, JSN was busy turning Sam Darnold into a legitimate statistical monster in Seattle. It’s those kinds of shifts that make the "good" players great.
📖 Related: Why the Seattle Sounders Austin FC Matchup is a Tactical Chess Match Most Fans Miss
Running Backs Aren't Dead Yet
People love to say the running back position is devalued. Tell that to James Cook in Buffalo. He put up 1,621 rushing yards last season. He’s basically the engine for that Bills offense now.
- James Cook (BUF): The clear rushing king of 2025.
- Bijan Robinson (ATL): Still the most electric thing to watch in the open field.
- Christian McCaffrey (SF): Even with the injuries, he’s still the gold standard for versatility.
- Kyren Williams (LAR): A touchdown machine who keeps that Rams offense balanced.
It’s not just about the yards, though. It's about the "gravity" these players have. When Saquon Barkley is on the field for Philly, the safeties have to cheat up. That opens everything for A.J. Brown. That’s the definition of a high-impact player.
The Good NFL Football Players Dominating the Defense
Defense is harder to quantify with just "yards," but the impact of a guy like Will Anderson Jr. in Houston is undeniable. He’s leading a Texans front that basically lives in the opponent's backfield.
And we have to talk about Myles Garrett. The man is a freak of nature. He’s had double-digit sacks for seven straight seasons. Seven! In 2025, he was still the "unblockable" force that defensive coordinators lose sleep over.
The Micah Parsons Factor
Micah Parsons moved to the Packers and didn't miss a beat. He led the league in pressures (44 by mid-season) and proved that he isn't just a "system player." He’s a "break the system" player.
If you're looking for someone who changed the game this past year, it’s Aidan Hutchinson. Coming back from that nasty 2024 leg injury to rack up sacks and forced fumbles for Detroit? That's legendary. He’s the heart of that Lions defense, and without him, they’re just another "good" team.
What Most People Get Wrong About "Greatness"
Usually, fans look at the box score and see Patrick Mahomes didn't have 5,000 yards and think he’s "off."
Mahomes had a "down" 2025 by his standards—3,587 yards and 22 touchdowns. But if you watch the tape, he’s still making throws that no one else on the planet can make. The Chiefs struggled with consistency, sure. But Mahomes' value isn't just in the stats; it's in the fact that every single defensive coordinator in the AFC still fears him more than anyone else.
✨ Don't miss: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Baseball: Why Everyone is Betting on a 2026 Breakthrough
Similarly, Justin Jefferson had a "quiet" year with 1,048 yards. For anyone else, that’s a career year. For JJ, it was a struggle with QB carousels and injury luck. But he still finished with 84 catches. Being "good" means your floor is higher than most people's ceiling.
The New Blood: Drake Maye and Bo Nix
Nobody expected the 2025 season to be the "Year of the Rookie/Sophomore QB" quite like this.
- Drake Maye threw for 4,394 yards in New England.
- Bo Nix led the league in pass attempts (612).
These guys are the future. They aren't just "prospects" anymore; they are the actual elite tier of good NFL football players that we'll be talking about for the next decade.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you're trying to track who the real impact players are, stop looking at just the Pro Bowl roster. That’s a popularity contest.
Instead, look at "Pass Rush Win Rate" for defenders and "Yards Per Route Run" for receivers. These stats don't lie. A guy like Nico Collins in Houston might not always have the 150-yard games, but his efficiency per target is through the roof.
Keep an eye on the 2026 Draft prospects too. Names like Rueben Bain Jr. and Fernando Mendoza are about to join this list. The NFL moves fast. If you aren't watching the trenches, you're missing half the game.
The best way to stay ahead is to watch the "All-22" film if you can get your hands on it. You’ll see that the most important players are often the ones making the block or the distraction that allows the stars to shine.
Focus on the players who perform in high-leverage situations—third downs and red zone targets. That’s where the "good" players separate themselves from the "stats" players.
Pay attention to the turnover-worthy play rates for QBs. Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen still lead the way in making something out of nothing, even if their traditional stats fluctuate. That's the real mark of a top-tier NFL talent.