Top 100 Players of 2022, Nos. 90-81: Free-agent Odell Beckham Jr. at No. 90

After joining the Rams midseason, Beckham went on to win his first career championship. It must have been bittersweet for the mercurial star, who caught the game’s first touchdown but then was carted off with an ACL injury in the second quarter. Currently a free agent, the eight-year veteran has 57 career touchdowns. It’s been a roller-coaster career for OBJ, who once peaked at No. 8 in the 2017 rankings but now returns to the Top 100 after away.

Lattimore, the No. 11 overall pick out of Ohio State in 2017, has been selected to four Pro Bowls in his first five seasons. Last season, he had a career-best 68 tackles to go with three interceptions and 19 passes defensed. Lattimore was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2017, a season in which he recorded five interceptions. The 26-year-old has started every game he has played in New Orleans and was signed to a five-year, $97.6 million extension in Sept. 2021.

The only Washington player in the Top 100, Allen has been a key part of the Commanders defense since 2017, when he was selected with the 17th overall pick. The 27-year-old Alabama product registered nine sacks last season, earning his first Pro Bowl selection. Physical at the point of attack, Allen was the most consistent defensive lineman on Washington’s roster. In 69 career games, Allen has recorded 264 tackles and 26 sacks.

The fourth overall pick in the 2018 draft, Ward has earned two trips to the Pro Bowl (2018, 2021). He’s proven to be a blanket corner, thanks to his excellent speed, agility and fluidity. Ward had three interceptions for the Browns last season, including a 99-yard return for a score against the Bengals in Week 9. In April, the former Ohio State Buckeye signed a five-year, $100.5 million extension, making him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history. 

Barrett has been one of the top pass-rushers in the NFL since joining Tampa Bay prior to the 2019 season. He put up solid but unspectacular numbers in five years in Denver, but Barrett then came to the Bucs and has put together jaw-dropping sack numbers the last three seasons. He has averaged 12.5 sacks per season over that stretch and has become a threat when dropping back into coverage, with seven interceptions over that same timeframe. The two-time Super Bowl champion has become a leader of the star-studded Bucs defense.

Jones passed for 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns as a rookie, leading the Patriots to the playoffs and earning a selection to the Pro Bowl. The 15th overall pick in the ’21 draft, the 23-year-old led the Patriots to a perfect 4-0 record in November, completing 76-of-99 passes for 854 yards and seven touchdown passes over that span.

The eighth overall pick in the ’18 draft, Smith became the first Bears player since 1994 to reach 500 career tackles in 58 career games. Entering his fifth season, the Georgia product has averaged 131 tackles a season and has totaled 14 career sacks. The 25-year-old finished last season with one interception and 163 tackles, fifth-most in the NFL and earning a spot on the AP All-Pro second team for the second straight season. It's only a matter of time before the linebacker is selected to the Pro Bowl.

A top run-blocking guard, Teller has been named second-team All-Pro the past two seasons and also earned his first Pro Bowl nod in ’21. An athletic mauler, the 27-year-old opens gaping holes inside and can pull and crush defenders in space. Last November, the fifth-year player out of Virginia Tech signed a four-year, $57 million extension with the Browns, keeping him in Cleveland through the 2025 season.

It’s hard to believe that Moore was signed by the Patriots in 2017 as an undrafted free agent. Although he never took a snap in New England, the 26-year-old out of Valdosta State has thrived with the Colts ever since he arrived in Indianapolis. Moore matched his career high last season with four interceptions, registered 102 tackles (82 solo) and 13 passes defensed. After being named to his first career Pro Bowl, Moore has All-Pro in his sights for 2022.

An excellent Red Zone defender, the 28-year-old Simmons tallied 80 tackles, 12 passes defensed and another five interceptions in ’21. The do-it-all Broncos safety was named second-team All-Pro, a year after earning his first Pro Bowl nod. Entering his seventh season in the league, the Boston College product has 21 career picks, with 14 of those coming in the last three seasons. He’ll need to have another solid season if Denver aims to compete in a loaded AFC West.