On Monday, The folks at Pro Football Focus put out their list of the top 101 players of the 2021 season, a way of surveying the best overall player grades, regardless of position, from the year that just concluded. The Kansas City Chiefs placed six total players on the list, all of them within the top 70.
Rookie center Creed Humphrey had an excellent first year in the pros, and PFF has celebrated his production all season long with high grades game after game. He led all Chiefs players on the list and came in at No. 27 overall with a grade of 92.5. That the Chiefs got this sort of performance from a rookie investment bodes well for the line going forward.
That’s especially true because Humphrey is lining up next to left guard Joe Thuney, who came in at No. 63 on the list. Thuney was the big-money signing for the Chiefs last spring after landing a five-year deal worth up to $85 million, so to see instant returns like this on both investments make the front office look very good.=
Creed Humphrey was the top-ranked of six total players from the KC Chiefs on PFF’s list of the top players for the 2021 season.
Travis Kelce was second on the list among Chiefs players at No. 32 and he was followed closely by wide receiver Tyreek Hill at No. 53. Both of the team’s primary offensive weapons had incredible seasons, once again, in 2021 and both seemed destined for not only the team’s Ring of Honor at this point but for potential inclusion in Canton, Ohio as well at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Perhaps Hill needs another year or two of dominant stats, but both players are excelling.
The Chiefs defense finally got on the board at No. 38 with the slotting of defensive tackle Chris Jones. Jones even played outside for a bit before working his way back in as the season progressed, but PFF credited him with 65 regular season pressures and another 10 in the playoffs.
Finally, the team’s biggest star, Patrick Mahomes, rounded out the list at No. 69. Feels silly to see the team’s star quarterback placed so low, but Mahomes did have a down year by his own lofty standard as he adapted to working behind a new line and as defenses significantly adjusted the way they played the Chiefs offense. Still, his final line kept him in the MVP conversation until late in the season, which speaks more to his greatness than anything else.