2021 NFL Position Rankings: Full Series Recap

Rules/Criteria Used When Assembling These Lists:

1.Rookies are ineligible 

2.Players are judged on where they currently stand in my opinion, not the player they once were or potentially could be.

3.Each player is listed as a member of the team they are expected to play for in 2021. If they are not on a roster at the moment, they are listed as a free agent.

4.Certain players were excluded from consideration due to question marks around their availability for the 2021 season (most notably Deshaun Watson).

Quarterback:

25.Sam Darnold (Panthers)

24.Andy Dalton (Bears)

23.Daniel Jones (Giants)

22.Jameis Winston (Saints)

21.Jimmy Garoppolo (49ers)

20.Ryan Fitzpatrick (Football Team)

19.Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers)

18.Joe Burrow (Bengals)

17.Carson Wentz (Colts)

16.Derek Carr (Raiders)

15.Jared Goff (Lions)

14.Kyler Murray (Cardinals)

13.Justin Herbert (Chargers)

12.Dak Prescott (Cowboys)

11.Baker Mayfield (Browns)

10.Matthew Stafford (Rams)

9.Matt Ryan (Falcons)

8.Kirk Cousins (Vikings)

7.Ryan Tannehill (Titans)

6.Lamar Jackson (Ravens)

5.Josh Allen (Bills)

4.Tom Brady (Buccaneers)

3.Russell Wilson (Seahawks)

2.Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)

1.Aaron Rodgers (Packers)

Running Back:

50.Tony Pollard (Cowboys)

49.Sony Michel (Patriots)

48.Jeff Wilson Jr. (49ers)

47.Jerrick McKinnon (Chiefs)

46.J.D. McKissic (Football Team)

45.Zack Moss (Bills)

44.Jammal Williams (Lions)

43.Chase Edmonds (Cardinals)

42.Darrell Henderson (Rams)

41.Tarik Cohen (Bears)

40.Phillip Lindsay (Texans)

39.D'Andre Swift (Lions)

38.James White (Patriots)

37.David Johnson (Texans)

36.Devin Singletary (Bills)

35.Wayne Gallman (49ers)

34.James Conner (Cardinals)

33.Raheem Mostert (49ers)

32.Nyhiem Hines (Colts)

31.Myles Gaskin (Dolphins)

30.Alexander Mattison (Vikings)

29.Mike Davis (Falcons)

28.Latavius Murray (Saints)

27.Gus Edwards (Ravens)

26.Cam Akers (Rams)

25.Clyde Edwards-Helaire (Chiefs)

24.Kenyan Drake (Raiders)

23.Leonard Fournette (Buccaneers)

22.Kareem Hunt (Browns)

21.Damien Harris (Patriots)

20.J.K. Dobbins (Ravens)

19.Miles Sanders (Eagles)

18.Chris Carson (Seahawks)

17.Antonio Gibson (Football Team)

16.Austin Ekeler (Chargers)

15.Ronald Jones (Buccaneers)

14.Melvin Gordon (Broncos)

13.David Montgomery (Bears)

12.Joe Mixon (Bengals)

11.Josh Jacobs (Raiders)

10.James Robinson (Jaguars)

9.Saquon Barkley (Giants)

8.Jonathan Taylor (Colts)

7.Ezkiel Elliott (Cowboys)

6.Aaron Jones (Packers)

5.Nick Chubb (Browns)

4.Alvin Kamara (Saints)

3.Christian McCaffery (Panthers)

2.Dalvin Cook (Vikings)

1.Derrick Henry (Titans)

Wide Receiver:

50.John Brown (Raiders)

49.Jamison Crowder (Jets)

48.CeeDee Lamb (Cowboys)

47.Russell Gage (Falcons)

46.Jakobi Meyers (Patriots)

45.Chase Claypool (Steelers)

44.Emmanuel Sanders (Bills)

43.Antonio Brown (Buccaneers) 

42.Nelson Agholor (Patriots)

41.Deebo Samuel (49ers)

40.Mike Williams (Chargers)

39.D.J. Chark (Jaguars)

38.Brandon Aiyuk (49ers)

37.Cole Beasley (Bills)

36.Curtis Samuel (Football Team)

35.Tee Higgins (Bengals)

34.Courtland Sutton (Broncos)

33.DeVante Parker (Dolphins)

32.Tyler Boyd (Bengals)

31.Marvin Jones Jr. (Jaguars)

30.T.Y. Hilton (Colts)

29.Will Fuller (Dolphins)

28.Corey Davis (Jets)

27.JuJu Smith-Schuster (Steelers)

26.Robby Anderson (Panthers)

25.Robert Woods (Rams)

24.Brandin Cooks (Texans)

23.Kenny Golladay (Giants0

22.Odell Beckham Jr. (Browns)

21.Amari Cooper (Cowboys)

20.D.J. Moore (Panthers)

19.Jarvis Landry (Browns)

18.Justin Jefferson (Vikings)

17.Tyler Lockett (Seahawks)

16.Cooper Kupp (Rams)

15.Terry McLaurin (Football Team)

14.D.K. Metcalf (Seahawks)

13.Mike Evans (Buccaneers) 

12.Calvin Ridley (Falcons)

11.A.J. Brown (Titans)

10.Chris Godwin (Buccaneers)

9.Keenan Allen (Chargers)

8.Julio Jones (Titans)

7.Adam Thielen (Vikings)

6.Allen Robinson (Bears)

5.Stefon Diggs (Bills)

4.Michael Thomas (Saints)

3.Tyreek Hill (Chiefs)

2.Davante Adams (Packers)

1.DeAndre Hopkins (Cardinals)

Tight End:

20.Kyle Rudolph (Giants)

19.Jack Doyle (Colts)

18.Logan Thomas (Football Team)

17.Robert Tonyan (Packers)

16.Zach Ertz (Eagles)

15.Evan Engram (Giants)

14.Tyler Higbee (Rams)

13.Noah Fant (Broncos)

12.Austin Hooper (Browns)

11.Mike Gesicki (Dolphins)

10.Jonnu Smith (Patriots)

9.Rob Gronkowski (Buccaneers)

8.Jared Cook (Chargers)

7.Dallas Goedert (Eagles)

6.Hunter Henry (Patriots)

5.T.J. Hockenson (Lions)

4.Mark Andrews (Ravens)

3.Darren Waller (Raiders)

2.George Kittle (49ers)

1.Travis Kelce (Chiefs)

Tackles:

30.Brian O'Neill (Vikings)

29.Mekhi Becton (Jets)

28.Mitchell Schwartz (Free Agent)

27.Charles Leno (Football Team)

26.Alenjardo Villanueva (Ravens)

25.Isaiah Wynn (Patriots)

24.Daryl Williams (Bills)

23.Rob Havenstein (Rams)

22.Taylor Lewan (Titans)

21.Tyron Smith (Cowboys)

20.Mike McGlinchey (49ers)

19.D.J. Humphries (Cardinals)

18.Taylor Decker (Lions)

17.Andrew Whitworth (Rams)

16.Dion Dawkins (Bills)

15.Tristian Wirfs (Buccaneers) 

14.Braden Smith (Colts)

13.Orlando Brown Jr. (Chiefs)

12.Taylor Moton (Panthers)

11.Lane Johnson (Eagles)

10.Duane Brown (Seahawks)

9.Laremy Tunsil (Texans)

8.Jake Mathews (Falcons)

7.Ronnie Stanley (Ravens)

6.Garrett Bolles (Broncos)

5.Jack Conklin (Browns)

4.Terron Armstead (Saints)

3.Trent Williams (49ers)

2.Ryan Ramcyzk (Saints)

1.David Bakhtiari (Packers)

Guard:

30.Ereck Flowers (Football Team)

29.A.J. Cann (Jaguars)

28.Alex Cappa (Buccaneers) 

27.Greg Van Roten (Jets)

26.Laurent DuVernay-Tardif (Chiefs)

25.Connor Williams (Cowboys)

24.Austin Corbett (Rams)

23.James Daniels (Bears)

22.Richie Incognito (Raiders)

21.Issac Seumalo (Eagles)

20.Laken Tomlinson (49ers)

19.Mark Glowinski (Colts)

18.Gabe Jackson (Seahawks)

17.Elgton Jenkins (Packers)

16.Graham Glasgow (Broncos)

15.Chris Lindstrom (Falcons)

14.Michael Owenu (Patriots)

13.Andrew Norwell (Jaguars)

12.Brandon Brooks (Eagles)

11.Kevin Zeitler (Ravens)

10.David DeCastro (Free Agent)

9.Rodger Saffold (Titans)

8.Wyatt Teller (Browns)

7.Shaq Mason (Patriots)

6.Brandon Scherff (Football Team)

5.Ali Marpet (Buccaneers) 

4.Joe Thuney (Chiefs)

3.Joel Bitonio (Browns)

2.Zack Martin (Cowboys)

1.Quenton Nelson (Colts)

Center:

20.Ethan Pocic (Seahawks)

19.Connor McGovern (Jets)

18.Trey Hopkins (Bengals)

17.Austin Reiter (Free Agent)

16.Mitch Morse (Bills)

15.Matt Paradis (Panthers)

14.Ryan Jensen (Buccaneers) 

13.Alex Mack (49ers)

12.David Andrews (Patriots)

11.Ryan Kelly (Colts)

10.Chase Roullier (Football Team)

9.Erik McCoy (Saints)

8.Cody Whitehair (Bears)

7.Ben Jones (Titans)

6.Brandon Linder (Jaguars)

5.Jason Kelce (Eagles)

4.Frank Ragnow (Lions)

3.J.C. Tretter (Browns)

2.Corey Linsley (Chargers)

1.Rodney Hudson (Cardinals)

Defensive Tackle:

35.Rakewon Davis (Dolphins)

34.Brent Urban (Cowboys)

33.Derrick Nnadi (Chiefs)

32.Taven Bryan (Jaguars)

31.Kawann Short (Free Agent)

30.Geno Atkins (Free Agent)

29.Derrick Brown (Panthers)

28.Jarran Reed (Chiefs)

27.Michael Pierce (Vikings)

26.Malik Jackson (Browns)

25.Grover Stewart (Colts)

24.Daron Payne (Football Team)

23.Brandon Williams (Ravens)

22.Sebastian Joseph-Day (Rams)

21.Folorunso Fatukasi (Jets)

20.Sheldon Richardson (Vikings)

19.Linval Joseph (Chargers)

18.David Onyemata (Saints)

17.Eddie Goldman (Bears)

16.Lawrence Guy (Patriots)

15.D.J. Reader (Bengals)

14.Poona Ford (Seahawks)

13.Javon Hargrave (Eagles)

12.Quinnen Williams (Jets)

11.Jonathan Allen (Football Team)

10.Dalvin Tomlinson (Vikings)

9.Shelby Harris (Broncos)

8.Akiem Hicks (Bears)

7.Vita Vea (Buccaneers) 

6.Kenny Clark (Packers)

5.Fletcher Cox (Eagles)

4.DeForest Buckner (Colts)

3.Grady Jarrett (Falcons)

2.Chris Jones (Chiefs)

1.Aaron Donald (Rams)

Defensive End:

35.Marcus Davenport (Saints)

34.Carlos Dunlap (Sehawks)

33.Chase Winovich (Patriots)

32.Emmanuel Ogbah (Dolphins)

31.Ndamukong Suh (Buccaneers) 

30.Mario Edwards (Bears)

29.Trey Hendrickson (Bengals)

28.Justin Houston (Free Agent)

27.Melvin Ingram (Free Agent)

26.Derek Wolfe (Ravens)

25.Yannick Ngakoue (Raiders)

24.Olivier Vernon (Free Agent)

23.Tyson Alualu (Steelers)

22.Brian Burns (Panthers)

21.Montez Sweat (Football Team)

20.Carl Lawson (Jets)

19.Nick Bosa (49ers)

18.Jeffrey Simmons (Titans)

17.Jadeveon Clowney (Browns)

16.Dexter Lawrence (Giants)

15.Arik Armstead (49ers)

14.Jerry Hughes (Bills)

13.Chase Young (Football Team)

12.Danielle Hunter (Vikings)

11.Trey Flowers (Lions)

10.Calias Campbell (Ravens)

9.Stephon Tuitt (Steelers)

8.Brandon Graham (Eagles)

7.Leonard Williams (Giants)

6.J.J. Watt (Cardinals)

5.DeMarcus Lawrence (Cowboys)

4.Myles Garrett (Browns)

3.Cameron Heyward (Steelers)

2.Joey Bosa (Chargers)

1.Cameron Jordan (Saints)

Outside Linebacker:

35.Dre Greenlaw (49ers)

34.Nicolas Morrow (Raiders)

33.Pernell McPhee (Ravens)

32.Sion Tiakaki (Browns)

31.Shaq Thompson (Panthers)

30.Bobby Okreke (Colts)

29.Harold Landry (Titans)

28.Lorenzo Carter (Giants)

27.Alex Highsmith (Steelers)

26.Anthony Barr (Vikings)

25.Jordan Jenkins (Texans)

24.Tyus Bowser (Ravens)

23.Hasson Reddick (Panthers)

22.Jaylon Smith (Cowboys)

21.Robert Quinn (Bears)

20.Shaq Lawson (Texans)

19.Andrew Van Ginkel (Dolphins)

18.K.J. Wright (Free Agent)

17.Bradley Chubb (Broncos)

16.Preston Smith (Packers)

15.Matthew Judon (Patriots)

14.Matt Milano (Bills)

13.Kyle Van Noy (Patriots)

12.Jamie Collins (Lions)

11.Myles Jack (Jaguars)

10.Jason Pierre-Paul (Buccaneers)

9.Leonard Floyd (Rams)

8.Bud Dupree (Titans)

7.Darius Leonard (Colts)

6.Von Miller (Broncos)

5.Chandler Jones (Cardinals)

4.Shaq Barrett (Buccaneers)

3.Za'Darius Smith (Packers)

2.T.J. Watt (Steelers)

1.Khalil Mack (Bears)

Inside Linebacker:

25.Denzel Perryman (Panthers)

24.Tremaine Edmunds (Bills)

23.Leighton Vander Esch (Cowboys)

22.Cole Holcomb (Football Team)

21.C.J. Mosley (Jets)

20.Joe Schobert (Jaguars)

19.Jordan Hicks (Cardinals)

18.Devin Bush (Steelers)

17.Josey Jewell (Broncos)

16.Corey Littleton (Raiders)

15.Benardrick McKinney (Texans)

14.Devin White (Buccaneers) 

13.Dont'a Hightower (Patriots)

12.Zach Cunningham (Texans)

11.Nick Kwiatowski (Raiders)

10.Alexander Johnson (Broncos)

9.Jayon Brown (Titans)

8.Roquan Smith (Bears)

7.Blake Martinez (Giants)

6.Deion Jones (Falcons)

5.Fred Warner (49ers)

4.Demario Davis (Saints)

3.Eric Kendricks (Vikings)

2.Lavonte David (Buccaneers)

1.Bobby Wagner (Seahawks)

Cornerback:

50.Byron Murphy (Cardinals)

49.Trevon Diggs (Cowboys)

48.Bashuad Breeland (Vikings)

47.Cameron Sutton (Steelers)

46.Donte Jackson (Panthers)

45.Cameron Dantzler (Vikings)

44.L'Jarius Sneed (Chiefs)

43.D.J. Reed (Seahawks)

42.Patrick Peterson (Vikings)

41.K'Wuan Williams (49ers)

40.Charvarius Ward (Chiefs)

39.Malcolm Butler (Cardinals)

38.Ronald Darby (Broncos)

37.Janoris Jenkins (Titans)

36.Shaq Griffin (Jaguars)

35.Richard Sherman (Free Agent)

34.Kendall Fuller (Football Team)

33.Desmond King (Texans)

32.Brian Poole (Free Agent)

31.Casey Hayward Jr. (Raiders)

30.Xavier Rhodes (Colts)

29.Troy Hill (Browns)

28.Mike Hilton (Bengals)

27.Bradley Roby (Texans)

26.Adoree' Jackson (Giants)

25.Jamel Dean (Buccaneers) 

24.Jonathan Jones (Patriots)

23.Bryce Callahan (Broncos)

22.Darius Slay (Eagles)

21.J.C. Jackson (Patriots)

20.Jason Verrett (49ers)

19.Kyle Fuller (Broncos)

18.Chris Harris Jr. (Chargers)

17.Marshon Lattimore (Saints)

16.Carlton Davis (Buccaneers)

15.Joe Haden (Steelers)

14.William Jackson III (Football Team)

13.Darious Williams (Rams)

12.Steven Nelson (Free Agent)

11.Denzel Ward (Browns)

10.Kenny Moore (Colts)

9.Byron Jones (Dolphins)

8.James Bradberry (Giants)

7.Marcus Peters (Ravens)

6.Tre'davious White (Bills)

5.Marlon Humphrey (Ravens)

4.Xavien Howard (Dolphins)

3.Stephon Gilmore (Patriots)

2.Jalen Ramsey (Rams)

1.Jaire Alexander (Packers)

Safety:

50.Eric Rowe (Dolphins)

49.Jarrod Wilson (Jaguars)

48.Kyle Dugger (Patriots)

47.Julian Blackmon (Colts)

46.Jordan Fuller (Rams)

45.Tre Boston (Free Agent)

44.Jaquiski Tartt (49ers)

43.Rayshawn Jenkins (Jaguars)

42.Jordan Whitehead (Buccaneers) 

41.Terrell Edmunds (Steelers)

40.Quandre Diggs (Seahawks)

39.Duron Harmon (Falcons)

38.Jeremy Chinn (Panthers)

37.Rodney McLeod (Eagles)

36.Xavier Woods (Vikings)

35.Juan Thornhill (Chiefs)

34.Ronnie Harrison (Browns)

33.Logan Ryan (Giants)

32.DeShon Elliott (Ravens)

31.Malcolm Jenkins (Saints)

30.Vonn Bell (Bengals)

29.Tashaun Gibson (Bears)

28.Landon Collins (Football Team)

27.Justin Reid (Texans)

26.Kamren Curl (Football Team)

25.Antonie Winfield Jr. (Buccaneers) 

24.Jabril Peppers (Giants)

23.Chuck Clark (Ravens)

22.Khari Willis (Colts)

21.Eddie Jackson (Bears)

20.Anthony Harris (Eagles)

19.Darnell Savage (Packers)

18.Devin McCourty (Patriots)

17.Jimmie Ward (49ers)

16.Derwin James (Chargers)

15.Kareem Jackson (Broncos)

14.Jordan Poyer (Bills)

13.Budda Baker (Cardinals)

12.Micah Hyde (Bills)

11.Tyrann Mathieu (Chiefs)

10.Kevin Byard (Titans)

9.Jamal Adams (Seahawks)

8.Jessie Bates (Bengals)

7.Marcus Maye (Jets)

6.Adrian Amos (Packers)

5.Minkah Fitzpatrick (Steelers)

4.John Johnson III (Browns)

3.Justin Simmons (Broncos)

2.Marcus Williams (Saints)

1.Harrison Smith (Vikings)

Kicker:

20.Joey Slye (Panthers)

19.Dustin Hopkins (Football Team)

18.Tyler Bass (Bills)

17.Kai'mi Fairbain (Texans)

16.Robbie Gould (49ers)

15.Ryan Succop (Buccaneers) 

14.Nick Folk (Patriots)

13.Daniel Carlson (Raiders)

12.Cairo Santos (Bears)

11.Josh Lambo (Jaguars)

10.Graham Gano (Giants)

9.Greg Zuerlein (Cowboys)

8.Jason Myers (Seahawks)

7.Mason Crosby (Packers)

6.Chris Boswell (Steelers)

5.Will Lutz (Saints)

4.Younghoe Koo (Falcons)

3.Jason Sanders (Dolphins)

2.Harrison Butker (Chiefs)

1.Justin Tucker (Ravens)

Punter:

20.Ty Long (Chargers)

19.Andy Lee (Cardinals)

18.Pat O'Donnell (Bears)

17.Bradley Pinion (Buccaneers) 

16.Rigoberto Sanchez (Colts)

15.Cameron Johnston (Texans)

14.Jordan Berry (Steelers)

13.Bryan Anger (Cowboys)

12.Mitch Wishnowsky (49ers)

11.Sam Martin (Broncos)

10.Kevin Huber (Bengals)

9.Sam Koch (Ravens)

8.Brett Kern (Titans)

7.Logan Cooke (Jaguars)

6.Corey Bojorquez (Bills)

5.Michael Dickson (Seahawks)

4.Jack Fox (Lions)

3.Jake Bailey (Patriots)

2.Tress Way (Football Team)

1.Johnny Hekker (Rams)

Top 10 Appearances by Team:

Green Bay Packers-9 (Davante Adams, Adrian Amos, Jaire Alexander, David Bakhitiari, Kenny Clark Mason Crosby, Aaron Jones, Aaron Rodgers, Za'Darius Smith)

New Orleans Saints-9 (Terron Armstead, Demario Davis, Cameron Jordan, Alvin Kamara, Will Lutz, Erik McCoy, Ryan Ramcyzk, Michael Thomas, Marcus Williams)

Tennessee Titans-9 (Jayon Brown, Kevin Byard, Bud Dupree, Derrick Henry, Ben Jones, Julio Jones, Brett Kern, Rodger Saffold, Ryan Tannehill)

Baltimore Ravens-8 (Mark Andrews, Calias Campbell, Marlon Humphrey, Lamar Jackson, Sam Koch, Marcus Peters, Ronnie Stanley, Justin Tucker)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers-8 (Shaq Barrett, Tom Brady, Lavonte David, Chris Godwin, Rob Gronkowski, Ali Marpet, Jason Pierre-Paul, Vita Vea)

Cleveland Browns-7 (Joel Bitonio, Nick Chubb, Jack Conklin, Myles Garrett, John Johnson III, Wyatt Teller, J.C. Tretter)

Kansas City Chiefs-6 (Harrison Butker, Tyreek Hill, Chris Jones, Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes, Joe Thuney)

Minnesota Vikings-6 (Dalvin Cook, Kirk Cousins, Eric Kendricks, Harrison Smith, Adam Thielen, Dalvin Tomlinson)

Seattle Seahawks-6 (Jamal Adams, Duane Brown, Michael Dickson, Jason Myers, Bobby Wagner, Russell Wilson)

Atlanta Falcons-5 (Grady Jarrett, Deion Jones, Younghoe Koo, Jake Matthews, Matt Ryan)

Chicago Bears-5 (Akiem Hicks, Khalil Mack, Allen Robinson, Roquan Smith, Cody Whitehair)

Denver Broncos-5 (Garrett Bolles, Shelby Harris, Alexander Johnson, Von Miller, Justin Simmons)

Indianapolis Colts-5 (DeForest Buckner, Darius Leonard, Kenny Moore, Quenton Nelson, Jonathan Taylor)

Los Angeles Rams-5 (Aaron Donald, Leonard Floyd, Johnny Hekker, Jalen Ramsey, Matthew Stafford)

New England Patriots-5 (Jake Bailey, Stephon Gilmore, Hunter Henry, Shaq Mason, Jonnu Smith)

New York Giants-5 (Saquon Barkley, James Bradberry, Graham Gano, Blake Martinez, Leonard Williams)

Pittsburgh Steelers-5 (Chris Boswell, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Cameron Heyward, Stephon Tuitt, T.J. Watt)

Arizona Cardinals-4 (DeAndre Hopkins, Rodney Hudson, Chandler Jones, J.J. Watt)

Buffalo Bills-4 (Josh Allen, Corey Bojorquez, Stefon Diggs, Tre'davious White)

Dallas Cowboys-4 (Ezekiel Elliott, DeMarcus Lawrence, Zack Martin, Greg Zuerlein)

Los Angeles Chargers-4 (Keenan Allen, Joey Bosa, Jared Cook, Corey Linsley)

Philadelphia Eagles-4 (Fletcher Cox, Dallas Goedert, Brandon Graham, Jason Kelce)

Detroit Lions-3 (Jack Fox, T.J. Hockenson, Frank Ragnow)

Jacksonville Jaguars-3 (Logan Cooke, Brandon Linder, James Robinson)

Miami Dolphins-3 (Xavien Howard, Byron Jones, Jason Sanders)

San Francisco 49ers-3 (George Kittle, Fred Warner, Trent Williams)

Washington Football Team-3 (Chase Roullier, Brandon Scherff, Tress Way)

Cincinnati Bengals-2 (Jessie Bates, Kevin Huber)

Carolina Panthers-1 (Christian McCaffery)

Houston Texans-1 (Laremy Tunsil)

Las Vegas Raiders-1 (Darren Waller)

New York Jets-1 (Marcus Maye)

Free Agent-1 (David DeCastro)

Quick Movie Reviews: Fatherhood, Good on Paper, The Ice Road

Fatherhood: It's no secret that Fatherhood is designed to be an over-the-top sentimental tearjerker about the difficulties of single parenthood-particularly as a widow-told from the underrepresented perspective of a father. While its generic structure and reliance on big soap opera crescendos to sell the emotional moments certainly evoke some eye rolls, the pure love behind its messaging and Kevin Hart's strong performance as the man trying to figure out how to grieve the death of his wife and raise his daughter make its heavy-handed melodrama work more often than not. 

Grade: B-

Good on Paper: Veteran stand-up comedian Iliza Shlesinger's latest attempt to transition into the world of acting is a complete non-starter. This semi-autobiographical comedy based on a popular bit she did about a man (Ryan Hansen-whose subtle sleaziness/sociopathy makes him the clear MVP here) she dated earlier in her career proving to not be who he says he is isn't clever, shocking or interesting enough to justify a feature-length treatment and both Shlesinger and Margret Cho-who portrays her bar owner best friend-have a stiffness on screen that is the complete antithesis of the towering presences they are when they take the stage to do comedy.

Grade: C-

The Ice Road: Not since The Hurricane Heist has shoddy, cheap filmmaking been so fun. The Ice Road sees a band of actors (Liam Nesson, Amber Midthunder, Benjamin Walker, Laurence Fishburne, Holt McCallany) that are far too good to be appearing in a high-end VOD production like this being handed aggressively stupid material that is delivered with a completely straight face then thrown into assorted cold weather disaster situations that heavily rely on CGI that wouldn't have passed as acceptable in 1991, let alone 2021. Any fan of rampant filmmaking ineptitude and non-stop preposterous plot developments should sit down and bask in The Ice Road's unintended idiotic glory ASAP.     

Grade: B- 

2021 NFL Position Rankings: Top 20 Punters

()=2020 ranking

+=Unranked or not eligible in 2020

20.(11) Ty Long (Chargers)

19.(4) Andy Lee (Cardinals)

18.(+) Pat O'Donnell (Bears)

17.(+) Bradley Pinion (Buccaneers)

16.(+) Rigoberto Sanchez (Colts)

15.(7) Cameron Johnston (Texans)

14.(19) Jordan Berry (Steelers)

13.(10) Bryan Anger (Cowboys)

12.(+) Mitch Wishnowsky (49ers)

11.(15) Sam Martin (Broncos)

10.(16) Kevin Huber (Bengals)

9.(6) Sam Koch (Ravens)

8.(2) Brett Kern (Titans)

7.(9) Logan Cooke (Jaguars)

6.(+) Corey Bojorquez (Bills)

5.(18) Michael Dickson (Seahawks)

4.(+) Jack Fox (Lions)

3.(+) Jake Bailey (Patriots)

2.(3) Tress Way (Football Team)

1.(1) Johnny Hekker (Rams)

Chris Pratt Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked"-where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related accolades. This week, I'm profiling the work of Chris Pratt-whose latest project "The Tomorrow War" starts streaming on Amazon Prime Video this Friday.

Chris Pratt's Filmography Ranked:

20.What's Your Number? (D-)

19.Movie 43 (D)

18.Passengers (C)

17.Take Me Home Tonight (C)

16.Onward (C)

15.Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 (C+)

14.Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (C+)

13.Delivery Man (B-)

12.The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (B)

11.The Five-Year Engagement (B)

10.Zero Dark Thirty (B)

9.Jurassic World (B)

8.The Lego Movie (B+)

7.Her (B+)

6.Avengers: Endgame (A-)

5.The Magnificent Seven (A)

4.Wanted (A)

3.Guardians of the Galaxy (A)

2.Moneyball (A)

1.Avengers: Infinity War (A)

Top Dog: Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

The MCU is such a carefully calculated behemoth of an entity that when they divert even a little bit off their established course, the results can be very exciting. Infinity War introduced something that our titular team had never faced in any of their past missions: the real prospect of not being able to save the day. Thanos possessed a level of power courtesy of the Infinity Stones that exceed all of theirs combined and the escalating sense of impending doom that comes with them being on the wrong side of a battle for once made this an unbelievably engrossing film that's worthy of its epic billing.

Lowlight: What's Your Number? (2011)

It takes a special kind of shit movie to cancel out the talent/charm of Anna Farris, Chris Evans, Pratt, Andy Samberg and several other great performers. What's Your Number? is the kind of tacky, joyless trash that soils the entire reputation of the romantic comedy genre by assaulting the audience with lazy jokes and some stunningly regressive views towards sex and love for a film that is just shy of 10 years old.    

Most Underrated: Wanted (2008)

Wanted may not be as delightfully unhinged and darkly funny as something like Crank or Shoot' Em Up, but it's still an elite piece of cartoony action madness that rides its combination of stylized bloody shootouts, explosive car chases and self-aware overacting from huge stars (James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman) to B-movie glory.

Most Overrated: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

The biggest letdown in recent Marvel history also happens to be the most shocking failure they've ever churned out. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a party comparable to the first installment when it sticks to what it does best: let its lovable goofball characters riff and engage in some fun fight scenes. However, James Gunn for some reason decided to spend more time exploring themes of family, and it results in a whole lot of forced melodrama that completely clashes with and takes away from its proven lighthearted strengths.    

Top Contender for the Crown of the Most Mediocre Movie I've Ever Seen: Passengers (2016)

A part romance, part sci-fi blockbuster starring two of the most charismatic actors (Pratt, Jennifer Lawrence) working today shouldn't have been so god damn mid. Passengers kind of just aimlessly floats for roughly 2 hours, treating everything from the burgeoning romance between its lead characters to the sci-fi peril that could potentially kill them and the other people on the spacecraft that they're traveling on with stunning indifference.

Movie Review: F9

In late April, Vin Diesel triumphantly reemerged into public life with a video PSA-that has since been parodied on Saturday Night Live-declaring it was time for audiences to return to the MOOVIES. Mr. Diesel wasn't suggesting that people go see A Quiet Place Part II, Cruella or any of the other titles that were tasked with kicking off this unconventional 2021 summer movie season, he was angling for people to make F9 their first trip back to theaters since the pandemic started. If you happened to be one of the folks that listened to the sage wisdom of Dominic Toretto and made the ninth installment of the Fast and Furious franchise your big screen comeback trip, you were treated to another round of the rousing over-the-top spectacle that this series so proudly revels in.

Positioning F9 as the first true blockbuster in a summer slate that's being handed the difficult task of attempting to re-ignite public interest in theatrical moviegoing is really a genius move by Universal and Hollywood as a whole. With its rabid fanbase, massive scale that is optimized by the top shelf audio/video setup that theaters provide and over-the-top setpieces that are capable of birthing a really infectious energy when experienced with a large, engaged crowd, F9 checks every box a studio would want while they're pumping up the value of the theatrical experience. So, does F9 continue the franchise's proud legacy of being the biggest and baddest brand in the world of maximalist action movies? That's a silly question, of course it does!

F9 welcomes back franchise veteran Justin Lin to the director's chair for the first time since Fast and Furious 6 and that extended time away didn't dull any of his sensibilities. He doesn't take for granted that there are dozens of established directors that would kill to have this big of a sandbox to play around in and Lin beautifully conveys that uninhabited freedom by placing a sense of wide-eyed joy into every car chase, fist fight or whatever new piece of groundbreaking insanity they've cooked up. Getting to make a movie where high-powered magnets, jumping cars off cliffs and space expeditions that don't involve NASA are part of an average day of production is a gig that no one else in the business has and Lin seems like he's going to relish that good fortune until this franchise reaches its end.      

While its pleasures remain as fun and creative as ever, there are a couple of elephants in the room that need to be addressed that prevent F9 from hitting the level of excellence they've achieved and maintained since Fast Five. For starters, there's a Rock-sized hole in the dynamic of the "family" that is impossible to overlook. Dwayne Johnson's introduction to this series was a huge reason why it was able to blossom into a kick ass, globe-trotting action franchise. The machine still may be able to run fine without him (the goofy Ludacris/Tyrese dynamic and Sung Kang's long-awaited return as Han are largely responsible for making that happen), but Johnson's charisma and comedic timing is the brand of oil that keeps the engine humming at peak performance and it's not exactly difficult to notice when it's been swapped out for something that's functional yet clearly not as good as what you've been using for the past decade (John Cena as Dom's estranged "evil" brother).

Then there's the much more subtle, but equally important departure of screenwriter Chris Morgan. Morgan had been responsible for the script of every single film from Tokyo Drift through Hobbs & Shaw-which means that he's been the unsung architect behind the franchise's upward trajectory in terms of both quality and popularity. Although Lin's contributions to the script prevent it from completely losing its long-established DNA, Morgan's primary replacement Daniel Casey (Kin) doesn't have the same finesse when it comes to navigating the tricky-ish tonal balance the previous installments aced. The shameless melodrama/self-aware stupidity pendulum often swings too far in the former direction-particularly in the less action-driven middle section of the film, and deciding to spend so much energy diving into the soapy family drama shit between the Toretto brothers puts a pretty sizable dent into the franchise's usually electric pacing. If the upcoming final installments are going to completely stick the landing, both Johnson and Morgan are going to have return to their esteemed positions on this NOS-powered pirate ship.

F9 may be the least electrifying installment of the series since 2009's Fast and Furious, but it still manages to deliver more than enough of that signature F and F entertaining absurdity to work. This franchise has set an extremely high bar for itself and since there's only a couple of small tweaks required to get it back to that place, the family could very well be flying high again on their next deadly high stakes mission.           

Grade: B+

2021 NFL Position Rankings: Top 20 Kickers

()=2020 ranking

+=Unranked or not eligible in 2020

20.(+) Joey Slye (Panthers)

19.(12) Dustin Hopkins (Football Team)

18.(+) Tyler Bass (Bills)

17.(14) Kai'mi Fairbain (Texans)

16.(8) Robbie Gould (49ers)

15.(+) Ryan Succop (Buccaneers) 

14.(+) Nick Folk (Patriots)

13.(+) Daniel Carlson (Raiders)

12.(+) Cairo Santos (Bears)

11.(2) Josh Lambo (Jaguars)

10.(+) Graham Gano (Giants)

9.(7) Greg Zuerlein (Cowboys)

8.(17) Jason Myers (Seahawks)

7.(9) Mason Crosby (Packers)

6.(6) Chris Boswell (Steelers)

5.(3) Will Lutz (Saints)

4.(15) Younghoe Koo (Falcons)

3.(+) Jason Sanders (Dolphins)

2.(4) Harrison Butker (Chiefs)

1.(1) Justin Tucker (Ravens)

Fast and Furious Ranked

Welcome to Ranked-where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out various related accolades. This week, I'm profiling the illustrious Fast and Furious franchise ahead of the release of the latest installment "F9" in theaters on Friday. 

Fast and Furious Movies Ranked:

9.The Fast and the Furious (B-)

8.Fast and Furious (B)

7.2 Fast 2 Furious (B+)

6.Fast and Furious 6 (B+)

5.Hobbs & Shaw (A-)

4.The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (A-)

3.The Fate of the Furious (A)

2.Furious 7 (A)

1.Fast Five (A)

Top Dog: Fast Five (2011)

Fast Five was the entry that changed the entire DNA of the franchise and ahead of F9, it remains the high point. Transitioning into a bigger scale, broader action movie, embracing a lighter tone that provided a great opportunity to highlight the strong buddy rapport that already existed between its established ensemble and adding the wildly charismatic Dwayne Johnson to the cast gave this series a level of creative juice and wall-to-wall fun that it didn't have when it was strictly about street racing. 

Lowlight: The Fast and the Furious (2001)

Its unspectacular origin is a big part of why the Fast and Furious franchise's evolution into the biggest and best action blockbuster franchise on the planet has been so impressive. The original Fast and Furious is a merely passable relic from an era where seemingly every movie aimed at teenagers looked and felt like a long music video that is saved from total mediocrity by some cool cars/street racing scenes and what proved to be the early stages of the development of some strong chemistry between the leads (Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster).  

Most Underrated: The Fate of the Furious (2017)

The non-stop dazzling stunts and moving emotional highs of Furious 7 made it a hard film to follow up, but The Fate of the Furious did so with as much grace as possible. F. Gary Gray brought his signature infectious energy to the director's chair for an installment that features some of the most creative, insane action sequences of the entire series (the prison fight, baby rescue and "flying" car scenes are particularly noteworthy), an exceptional villain turn from Charlize Theron and the introduction of  Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham as an antagonistic comedy duo that was so great that it landed them their own spinoff in short order.

Most Overrated: The Fast and the Furious (2001)

Even when compared to the OG street racing entries outside of Fast and Furious, The Fast and the Furious just can't match up. Everything from the overall entertainment value down to the sense of spectacle behind the direction is light years away from what the franchise has been consistently delivering over the past decade.  

Best Street Racing Installment: The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift has gained a pretty sizable cult following in recent years and as far as I'm concerned, that appreciation is long overdue. Not only did does the drifting technique and crowded, colorful Tokyo setting result in the most electrifying racing sequences of the entire franchise, the film introduced the two individuals (director Justin Lin and writer Chris Morgan) to the fold that were largely responsible for turning this franchise into an innovative, fun as shit powerhouse that has  achieved a decades-spanning longevity that no one could've ever imagined.