The NFL’s Best Players Under The Age Of 25

Youth is a precious resource in the NFL. The game too violent. Bodies are too smashed up. Young bones and tendons on cheap contracts are integral to building a viable NFL team.

ESPN’s Insiders (ooooooo!) took a look at the best players in the NFL under the age of 25. In this quest of theirs, they removed Patrick Mahomes from the list so it wouldn’t become a Dylan, Dylan, Dylan, Dylan, Dylan type of thing. The insiders picked a combination of Myles Garrett, Deshaun Watson, Joey Bosa, Ezekiel Elliot, Saquon Barkley, and Derwin James as the best players in the league less than a quarter century old.

This is what Mike Clay, who also made the case for Watson as the best fantasy quarterback in 2019, had to say about him.

Deshaun Watson, QB, Houston Texans. How about the guy whose ridiculously impressive 2018 season was overshadowed by Mahomes? The 23-year-old Clemson product has thrown 45 touchdown passes and 17 interceptions in 23 NFL games, adding 820 yards and seven scores as a rusher. While playing all but two of Houston’s offensive snaps last season, Watson averaged 8.2 yards per pass attempt (sixth best) and completed 68 percent of his passes (eighth best) despite an 8.6 average depth of throw (11th highest). Watson is already one of the league’s best.

You can read the other cases here.

Pull up a lawn chair next to the plastic flamingo. What do you think? Is Watson the best player in the NFL under 25 years ld? If so, why? If not, why would you put Mahomes or Garrett or Bosa ahead of him?