We’ve ranked the top 10 players at the most important positions in the NFL. Now, it’s time to find out who is the best player in the league entering the 2026 season.Â
Several players have a reasonable claim to be considered the NFL’s best player ahead of the new year. Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is the reigning MVP, while his new teammate, Myles Garrett, just broke the NFL’s single-season record for the most sacks.Â
There are also other quarterbacks to consider, like Josh Allen. The Buffalo Bills star has consistently played at an elite level since the turn of the decade and won MVP in 2024. Of course, there’s also Patrick Mahomes, who has widely been viewed as the NFL’s best player for several years.
So, who is the NFL’s best player ahead of the 2026 season? Here are our top 10 players in the league.Â
Ben Arthur: Well have to wait to see Parsons this year, as hes expected to miss at least the first few games of the season recovering from an ACL tear. But a healthy Parsons is one of the NFLs best players â a complete edge rusher with speed that elicits fear from opposing offensive linemen. Despite missing three games in 2025, he still registered 12.5 sacks and 81 pressures in his debut season with the Green Bay Packers en route to Pro Bowl honors. The former first-round pick has recorded at least 12 sacks in each of his five NFL seasons.Â
The quicker Parsons returns to form, the faster the Packers become a Super Bowl contender. Hes that much of a force multiplier on defense.Â
Greg Auman: Sewell is the oddsmakers favorite to win the Protector of the Year award, given to the NFLs top offensive lineman, and hell do that as he tries to shift from right tackle to a new home at left tackle. Its the same move the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Tristan Wirfs has made successfully, and if it takes, it solidifies Sewell at the top of his position. Sewell has four straight Pro Bowls, three straight first-team All-Pro nods and hes still only 25 years old.Â
We didnt rank offensive linemen in our individual position rankings, so hes making the overall top 10 here much like a write-in candidate, showing the strength of his value at his position.
Auman: Whats it like to be the best player on the best defense in the NFL? Anderson already has 30 sacks in three years and he hasnt turned 25 yet. Give Houston credit. The Texans gave up a 2024 first-rounder and more to move all the way up from 12 to 3 to grab Anderson in the 2023 draft.
Anderson and Danielle Hunter are one of the most dangerous edge-rush pairs in the league, and Andersons even better in the playoffs. He’s got eight career sacks in six playoff games, with three forced fumbles in two playoff games last year. As Houstons offense improves and they lead late in games more often, dont be surprised if he takes another step to the 15-plus sack level in 2026.
Vacchiano: Heres the crazy thing about the Atlanta Falcons running back: He had a combined 2,298 yards from scrimmage last season (1,478 rushing, 820 receiving) with 11 touchdowns and he touched the ball 366 times â 21.5 times per game. And there were still times he felt underused in the Falcons offense. Its probably too much to ask new coach Kevin Stefanski to use him more, but its a good bet hell use him better.
 Robinson, still only 24 and entering his fourth NFL season, will have to be the workhorse in Atlanta as the Falcons sort through their quarterback mess, but Stefanski will surely find more creative ways to use him and get him into open space, where his moves, acceleration and breakaway speed make him one of the most dangerous weapons in the league. With his rushing ability and his receiving skills, hes the closest thing the NFL has to Christian McCaffrey in his prime. And if the Falcons were ever good again, hed be in the chase for MVP.
Eric D. Williams: One of the
