# Who is the best NFL player born in 1997?

> MVP trophies and Super Bowl rings sit beside quieter résumés earned in the trenches, and this cohort is still adding chapters.

*By YPB Team · Published November 8, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/who-is-the-best-nfl-player-born-in-1997*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Lamar Jackson** — score 1000/1000
   Baltimore Ravens quarterback who won the NFL MVP award unanimously in 2019 and won it again in 2023.
2. **Saquon Barkley** — score 877/1000
   Running back who was 2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year with the Giants, then rushed for 2,005 yards and won Super Bowl LIX with the Eagles in the 2024 season.
3. **Alex Highsmith** — score 746/1000
   Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher, a 2020 third-round pick, who recorded 14.5 sacks in 2022.
4. **Nick Bosa** — score 653/1000
   San Francisco 49ers defensive end who was 2019 Defensive Rookie of the Year and 2022 Defensive Player of the Year with 18.5 sacks.
5. **Tony Pollard** — score 583/1000
   Running back who made the Pro Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys in 2022 after a 1,007-yard rushing season.
6. **Sam Darnold** — score 570/1000
   Quarterback drafted third overall by the Jets in 2018 who made the Pro Bowl after leading the 2024 Vikings to 14 wins.
7. **Roquan Smith** — score 521/1000
   Linebacker drafted eighth overall by the Bears in 2018 who was named first-team All-Pro with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023.
8. **Denzel Ward** — score 521/1000
   Cleveland Browns cornerback drafted fourth overall in 2018 who became a multiple-time Pro Bowl selection.
9. **DK Metcalf** — score 521/1000
   Wide receiver who spent his first six seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, including a 1,303-yard season in 2020.
10. **Josh Sweat** — score 521/1000
   Edge rusher who made the 2021 Pro Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles and had 2.5 sacks in Super Bowl LIX.
11. **Jessie Bates III** — score 466/1000
   Safety who started for the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI and made the Pro Bowl in his first season with Atlanta in 2023.
12. **Jaire Alexander** — score 466/1000
   Cornerback drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the first round in 2018 who made the Pro Bowl in 2020 and 2022.
13. **Maxx Crosby** — score 466/1000
   Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher, a 2019 fourth-round pick, who became a multiple-time Pro Bowl selection.
14. **L'Jarius Sneed** — score 466/1000
   Cornerback drafted by Kansas City in the fourth round in 2020 who won Super Bowls LVII and LVIII with the Chiefs.
15. **Chauncey Gardner-Johnson** — score 466/1000
   Defensive back who tied for the NFL lead with six interceptions for the Eagles in 2022 and won Super Bowl LIX with them.
16. **Quinnen Williams** — score 404/1000
   Defensive tackle drafted third overall by the New York Jets in 2019 who was named first-team All-Pro in 2022.
17. **Michael Pittman Jr.** — score 404/1000
   Wide receiver drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in 2020 who caught 109 passes for 1,152 yards for them in 2023.
18. **Daron Payne** — score 333/1000
   Washington defensive tackle drafted in the first round in 2018 who recorded 11.5 sacks in 2022.
19. **Jeffery Simmons** — score 333/1000
   Defensive tackle drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the first round in 2019 who became a multiple-time Pro Bowl selection.
20. **Kyler Murray** — score 333/1000
   Quarterback who won the 2018 Heisman Trophy, went first overall to Arizona in the 2019 draft and was 2019 Offensive Rookie of the Year.
21. **Daniel Jones** — score 333/1000
   Quarterback drafted sixth overall by the Giants in 2019 who led them to a playoff win over Minnesota in the 2022 season.
22. **Justin Reid** — score 333/1000
   Safety who began with the Houston Texans and won Super Bowls LVII and LVIII with the Kansas City Chiefs.
23. **Dexter Lawrence** — score 251/1000
   Nose tackle and 2019 first-round pick who spent his first seven seasons with the New York Giants and earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2022 and 2023.
24. **Josh Hines-Allen** — score 251/1000
   Jacksonville Jaguars edge rusher drafted seventh overall in 2019 who set the franchise single-season record with 17.5 sacks in 2023.
25. **Ed Oliver** — score 251/1000
   Buffalo Bills defensive tackle drafted ninth overall in 2019 out of Houston.
26. **David Montgomery** — score 251/1000
   Running back who began with the Bears in 2019 and scored 13 rushing touchdowns in his first season with the Detroit Lions in 2023.
27. **Jordan Mailata** — score 155/1000
   Australian former rugby league player who became the Philadelphia Eagles' starting left tackle and won Super Bowl LIX.
28. **A. J. Brown** — score 155/1000
   Wide receiver drafted by the Titans in 2019 who had 1,496 receiving yards for the Eagles in 2022 and won Super Bowl LIX.
29. **Chris Lindstrom** — score 155/1000
   Atlanta Falcons guard drafted in the first round in 2019 who was named second-team All-Pro four straight times from 2022 to 2025.
30. **DJ Moore** — score 155/1000
   Wide receiver who posted three straight 1,000-yard seasons with the Panthers and 1,364 yards in his first year with the Bears in 2023.
31. **Deonte Harty** — score 0/1000
   Undrafted New Orleans Saints return specialist who made the Pro Bowl and was named first-team All-Pro as a rookie in 2019.

Tags: sports, american-football, players, nfl, 1997