We are finally ready to kick off Super Bowl week with the opening night ceremony scheduled to begin today at 4:00 p.m. EDT. It all leads up to this coming Sunday, when either the Seattle Seahawks or the New England Patriots will hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy. With that in mind, let's unveil our rankings of the 15 best players participating in Super Bowl LX.
15. WR, Rashid Shaheed. Seahawks
Shaeed is arguably the most electric player in the Super Bowl this year. He may have only touched the football seven times in the playoffs, but two of those touches ended up being touchdowns. That means he averages a touchdown every 3.5 times he gets his hands on the ball. On those seven touches, he averages 32.1 yards per play. The guy is a big play waiting to happen. If the Seahawks are smart, they'll make sure to get him involved in their gameplan.
14. DL, K'Lavon Chaisson. Patriots
Chaisson is one of the better stories in the NFL this year. After being a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft who failed to meet expectations with the Jacksonville Jaguars, it looked like he would end up being just another cast-off. However, he has carved out a role as one of New England's best pass rushers. He set new career highs in sacks (7.5) and tackles for loss (ten) during the regular season. More importantly, he leads all New England Patriots in sacks (three) and tackles for loss (three) in the playoffs.
13. DB, Marcus Jones. Patriots
As a defensive back, he has four total touchdowns during the regular season and playoffs. In the postseason, he has a sack, a forced fumble, four pass deflections, and an interception that he returned for a touchdown. Jones ranks third amongst all players in the postseason in punt return average (8.1 yards per return). On top of all that, he is tied for second on the team in solo tackles with 11. He has emerged as the Pats' do-it-all guy.
12. RB, Rhamondre Stevenson. Patriots
I think rookie TreVeyon Henderson is the long-term starter for New England at the running back spot, but Rhamondre Stevenson has played very well during the postseason. He’s averaging 93.3 scrimmage yards per game and is responsible for 13 of the team's 43 first downs (30.2%). After it felt like he was going to have his job stolen by Henderson, it seems like Stevenson has gotten back into the Pats' good graces, as proven by the fact that Stevenson has more than twice the number of rushing attempts in the playoffs.
11. QB, Drake Maye. Patriots
Normally, Drake Maye would be much higher on this list, but we have to acknowledge how his play has gotten worse since the postseason started, with his passer rating dropping from 113.5 to 84. However, he is still a great QB with five total touchdowns against three of the NFL's top defenses. Maye is also a dangerous threat as a runner, averaging a team-high 5.9 yards per rushing attempt. His ability to hurt teams on the ground and through the air makes him one of the best players in this year’s Big Game. If he had performed better against the Chargers or the Broncos, he would be a top-five player on this list.
10. DL, DeMarcus Lawrence. Seahawks
Lawrence may be the most consistently good defensive lineman in this contest, with five Pro Bowls to his name. Once again, he dazzled voters and earned a Pro Bowl berth after recording six sacks during the regular season while leading Seattle in tackles for loss (11). He also scored two touchdowns on fumble recoveries this year! Amongst 115 defensive ends graded by Pro Football Focus, his 82.9 overall grade ranks 13th.
9. RB, Kenneth Waker III. Seahawks
His four rushing touchdowns are the most by any player in the 2026 postseason, and he did that in just two games! Walker is PFF's second-highest-graded running back this season (88.4) and has averaged 128 scrimmage yards per game in the playoffs. He’s the clear-cut number-one rushing option in Seattle, with 21 more rushing attempts than all other Seahawks players combined this postseason. Simultaneously, he ranks third on the team in receiving yards (78). Since the postseason began, Walker has averaged 5.7 yards per play every time he has touched the football, which is invaluable production from a running back.
8. LB, Ernest Jones IV. Seahawks
With 14 total tackles in the playoffs, he's averaging the most total tackles per game amongst all players in the Super Bowl (seven). He's also responsible for relaying playcalls to the rest of the Seahawks' defense, which might explain why they're the league's top-ranked unit in terms of scoring (17.1 points per game allowed). Perhaps the most underrated aspect of his game is his pass defending. Jones' 66.6 passer rating allowed this year is basically the same mark recorded by All-Pro and 2024 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II, who allowed a passer rating of 66.5 when targeted this season.
7. WR, Stefon Diggs. Patriots
There's no doubt that Diggs is the best pass catcher on the Pats' roster. With 96 receptions and 1,086 receiving yards (which both lead the team), nobody else in New England has been able to come close to his level of productivity. The Patriots' second-best receiving option - tight end Hunter Henry - has 30 fewer catches and 237 fewer receiving yards than Diggs. His numbers have taken a hit in the postseason, but that's because Diggs demands so much attention, and New England has faced three elite defenses. He’s one of those guys who doesn't have to make catches to be a difference-maker on the field. The attention he draws has allowed other guys, like Kayshon Boutte and Hunter Henry, to thrive.
6. DL, Milton Williams. Patriots
He may not have the most mind-blowing stats in the playoffs, but Milton Williams has been the heart and soul of the new-look Patriots defense. After recording just 3.5 sacks during the regular season, he already has two in the playoffs. That's very impressive for a defensive tackle, considering they often have much lower sack outputs than defensive ends or linebackers. In the playoffs, his run defense grade has jumped from 48.4 to 69.9. Meanwhile, his pass-rushing grade (71.5) ranks 25th out of 134 defensive tackles.
5. QB, Sam Darnold. Seahawks
Sam Darnold has been lights out for basically the entire season. If we take away his four-interception game against the Los Angeles Rams, he threw for 4,239 yards, 29 touchdowns, and just ten interceptions, which would give him a 104.58 passer rating on the season. He also has the highest passer rating in the playoffs by a wide margin (122.4). Most importantly, Darnold silenced the doubters with a 346-yard, three-touchdown performance in the NFC Championship Game. Drake Maye might've been the better QB during the regular season, but right now, Sam Darnold looks like one of the best players in the NFL.
4. DL, Leonard Williams. Seahawks
Leonard Williams ranks higher than Milton Williams because he has much better stats, even though they play the same position. Amongst all DTs this season, he ranks in the top five in defensive stops (39), sacks (eight), quarterback hits (14), and total pressures (58). Also, he earned Second-Team All-Pro Honors and was named to his second consecutive Pro Bowl this season. After being a top-ten pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Leonard Williams is living up to the expectations that were placed on him so many years ago.
3. CB, Devon Witherspoon. Seahawks
Outside of Seattle, fans might not be very familiar with this third-year cornerback, but they should start to learn his name. Devon Witherspoon has been a Pro Bowler every season he has played in the NFL. Plus, he is PFF's highest-graded cornerback this season (89.9). If he does allow a pass, the player he's assigned to doesn't go far because he ranks second on the Seahawks in solo tackles (nine) and total tackles (14). It's also worth noting that Witherspoon is a menace getting after QBs and opposing running backs since he is first in total pressures (ten) amongst cornerbacks and fourth in defensive stops (30).
2. CB, Christian Gonzalez. Patriots
Nobody has stepped their game up more in the biggest moments this postseason than Gonzalez. He caught the game-winning interception in the AFC Championship Game. Also, he has allowed just two catches for 12 yards on eight targets in the fourth quarter of playoff games this season, which equates to a 0.0 passer rating allowed. Gonzalez is tied for the third-most tackles amongst Patriots (15) while also having a sack, a tackle for loss, a forced fumble, four passes defended, and an interception. When targeted this season, he allows a passer rating of 64.4, which means that players throwing at Christian Gonzalez have a passer rating lower than Shedeur Sanders' (68.1).
1. WR, Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Seahawks
Similar to Saquon Barkley in last year's Super Bowl, it didn't feel like there was any doubt that Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the best player in Super Bowl LX. Out of 81 wide receivers graded by PFF, Smith-Njigba had the second-highest grade (93.4). In fact, he is currently the third-highest-graded player on PFF this season behind only Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (96.1) and Detroit Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell (95.2). Smith-Njigba ranks second in receptions (132) and receiving yards (1,965) during the regular season and the postseason combined. His 86 receiving yards per game in the postseason are the third-most amongst all players who have played in at least two playoff contests. He has taken the jump from a good wide receiver to one of the elite wideouts in the NFL, making him the best player in Super Bowl LX.
