Five best active NFL brother duos in 2022: Bosas, Watts lead group

Derek: Offensive linemen never get the love, but if I'm being honest, as an NFL quarterback, there is no one I love more on the football field than the guys in front of me. Guys like Zach and Nick devote their entire careers to protecting guys like me, and I have to honor them. Plus, Zach has been one of the best guards in the business since he came into the league, while Nick has been readily available over the last five seasons, missing just two games. A member of the Raiders last season, playing mostly on special teams, Nick is a great teammate and Zack is as well, from what I've heard.

David: Derek's right. O-linemen rarely ever get the credit they deserve. Zack certainly knows that as he helps pave the way for Dallas' offensive success. A great pass blocker and run blocker, he can play in multiple schemes. Having a top-tier guard is so important to an offense. Just ask the Cowboys. I'm not quite as familiar with Nick, but he's put together a respectable career. I'm following Derek's lead on this one.

Derek: The Diggs brothers are at the height of their careers with Stefon reaching the 1,000-yard mark in receiving yards for four straight seasons, including a league-leading 1,535 in 2020, and Trevon compiling a league-high 11 interceptions in 2021. It's obvious that their competitive nature and going against each other growing up -- even though Trevon didn't always play defense -- has made them into great players. A side note: I lined up out wide for one snap in last year's Thanksgiving Day game in Dallas and tried to get Trevon to come press me. He didn't, but I really felt like I could've won that matchup. Maybe next time.

David: The Diggs brothers are the only siblings on this list that could actually line up across from one another in a game setting. We saw a glimpse of what this matchup might look like in last year's Pro Bowl, but we will have to wait for a Cowboys-Bills tilt until the 2023 regular season unless these two teams appear in Super Bowl LVII. I believe growing up competing against Trevon has helped Stefon become one of the league's best route runners. Stefon isn't a Julio Jones or Randy Moss type -- two receivers who beat defenders with their freakish abilities. Rather, it's the competition that's helped him become a crafty playmaker who understands how to get an edge against a DB. It's the same sort of deal with Trevon. He's a high risk/high reward cornerback with ball skills that have carried over from his days as a wideout. He's only going to get better.

Derek: It's hard enough to make it to the NFL, let alone perform at the highest level at your respective position for a decade. That's essentially what both Jason and Travis have done. Between the two of them, they have two Super Bowl titles, 12 Pro Bowl nods and seven first-team All-Pro selections. Those are extraordinary accomplishments, and they're still adding to their legacies. Plus, Travis caught a touchdown pass from me in my first Pro Bowl after the 2015 season. He deserves a shoutout for that -- even though he plays for a division rival.

David: The Kelces bring such a great element to football with their competitive yet fun-loving personalities (SEE: Super Bowl parade speeches). Jason is the epitome of an NFL center. He puts his head down and leads through his high-level play. He's an extremely athletic anchor who uses his great footwork to his advantage, rarely getting bullied by defenders. As for Travis, it goes without saying that he's one of the best tight ends -- if not the best tight end -- in the game right now. What stands out most is despite having a 6-foot-5, 250-pound frame, he runs routes like Hunter Renfrow. He can body people up with his strength but has the wiggle to move laterally, and he sees the field as well as anybody.

Derek: These guys work extremely hard and their motors never stop. It's no shock that they both have won the Defensive Player of the Year award (three times, in J.J.'s case). J.J. gave me a "hey rookie" moment in Week 2 of the 2014 season, when he came off the edge on my blindside and hit me. That was a good one -- for him, not so much for me. And T.J., well, I have a scar on my arm from his facemask hitting me when the Steelers played us in 2018. Ask any QB who's played against the Watt brothers and they'll have similar memories. (Also, shout-out to Derek Watt for playing on the offensive side of the ball. I think it goes without saying that he's every quarterback's favorite Watt brother.)

David: The oldest Watt brother has been a great player for a long time. We're used to seeing him wreck games off the edge, and though injuries have slowed him down a bit in recent years, he makes up for it with his experience. He's still effective anywhere you line him up -- just not on every play. The youngest Watt is relentless in his pursuit of the quarterback and makes the most of his opportunities, recording a sack on a league-high 6.1 percent of his pass-rush snaps in 2021, per Next Gen Stats. We're watching T.J., who tied the NFL's single-season sack record (22.5) in 2021, in his prime, and boy, is it impressive. 

Derek: Even though the Bosa brothers play for the Chargers (a division rival we'll face in Weeks 1 and 13) and Niners (our Week 17 opponent), I can't help but praise their abilities. They both are in the top 10 in the league in terms of edge rushers -- impressive considering the quality of quarterbacks(!) in their respective divisions. These guys are unbelievable at what they do, and I'm looking forward to playing against them this season.

David: Both of these guys were instant game-changers when they came into the league. I think people started to doubt Joey for a minute during his rookie year -- when he was a preseason holdout and missed the first four games with a hamstring injury -- but once he got on the field, his impact was felt on almost every play. He posted 10.5 sacks in 12 games and won the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. He's never looked back. The crazy thing is that for as great as Joey is, Nick has that ability and then some. Nick, the winner of the DROY award in 2019, takes the 49ers' defense to another level when he's on the field. San Francisco ranked in the top 10 in points allowed in Nick's two healthy seasons but slipped to 17th in the category in 2020, when he was sidelined for all but two games with an ACL injury. I believe his potential is still pretty untapped, which is scary.