1. Khalil Mack
Who else would it be?
Khalil Mack is not only the best player on this team, but he’s one of the best players in the entire league. Plain and simple, Mack is an animal.
He’s a dominant force, and a freak of nature. Whatever cliche or phrase you want to use to describe him is acceptable and justified.
Mack is dominant against the run, consistently wrecking double teams and making plays behind the line of scrimmage. When he’s not making the play himself, it’s a safe bet someone else made the play because Mack blew it up.
That was the case in his rookie season as well, when he first started to show that he was a special player. But in his second season, Khalil made a huge leap with his pass rushing ability. He finished second in the NFL with 15 sacks, while maintaining his dominance against the run. The ONLY player who can say the same thing is J.J. Watt.
This year, Mack looks even bigger. He’s only 25, so I’m sure there will be no loss of speed or overall athleticism. It’s a scary thought, that a player of his caliber, with his ability, can get even better. But with Mack, it really feels like he’s just scratching the surface.
– Nick Hjeltness