Ranking the best Rams and Bengals players in Super Bowl 2022: Top 53 and where Aaron Donald, Joe Burrow, Matthew Stafford land
The Los Angeles Rams are set to play the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI on Sunday at SoFi Stadium, aiming to become the second team in as many years to win a home Super Bowl while vindicating their much-scrutinized team-building approach. The Bengals are appearing in their first Super Bowl since the late 1980s with a new feeling of hope thanks to the incredible play of Joe Burrow at quarterback and Ja’Marr Chase at receiver.
As we’ve done the previous few years, Pro Football Focus ranked all 44 projected Super Bowl starters along with nine rotational players whom we expect to play key roles. The order is heavily influenced by 2021 PFF grades and positional ranks — which are included for each player — but it isn’t solely based on that one data point, as the rankings also factor in past play and the role each player is asked to execute. We’re including the grades for all 53 players along with their overall rankings for their positions.
We kick things off with the headliners — the most important players in the game who probably will make the biggest impact.
1. Aaron Donald, DT, Rams
Grade: 93.5 | Position rank: 1
The two quarterbacks are slightly more valuable based on the position they play, but there’s no reason to pretend any player on the football field is better than Donald. He is the best player on the field every time he lines up and was again the best defensive player in football this season. He led all defensive interior players with an incredible 23% pass rush win rate.
2. Joe Burrow, QB, Bengals
Grade: 92.3 | Position rank: 1
Including the playoffs, Burrow has now surpassed Tom Brady for highest PFF grade by a quarterback this season. With how porous the Bengals’ offensive line is right now, Burrow is the most important singular figure in a Super Bowl in a long time, but he has the tools to get the job done. He’ll have to take care of the football, but he was fourth in the league this season with just a 2.3% turnover-worthy play rate.
3. Cooper Kupp, WR, Rams
Grade: 92.8 | Position rank: 1
Just barely edging out Packers super receiver Davante Adams by .1 points to sit at the summit of the receiver rankings, Kupp is a complete receiver. On any route that breaks hard — slants, outs, in-routes — he is the best receiver in the league. He finds separation at the break point of his route unlike any other player. His 3.05 yards per route run this year was tops in the league.
4. Jalen Ramsey, CB, Rams
Grade: 85.2 | Position rank: 1
The best cornerback in the league will be tasked with guarding Ja’Marr Chase. The Rams will have to decide whether to shadow Chase with Ramsey — for entertainment’s sake, let’s hope this is the game plan — or keep a safety over Chase and have Ramsey match up on Tee Higgins. Either way, wherever Ramsey goes, great cornerback play follows. Ramsey has forced 19 incompletions on throws at him, second highest in the league.
5. Matthew Stafford, QB, Rams
Grade: 85.1 | Position rank: 7
Stafford has the benefit of playing with a team of all-stars, but make no mistake: He’s the one pulling all the strings. However, the difference between Stafford and Burrow is that an average Stafford performance in the biggest game of the year means the Rams can still find a way to win, while an average Burrow performance might spell doom for the Bengals. Stafford finished sixth in the league with a big-time throw rate of 5.8%.
6. Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Bengals
Grade: 84.5 | Position rank: 7
Just like at the quarterback position, one could argue that Chase is more important as a singular player in this game than his Rams counterpart. The rookie has been one of the best players in the league this season on the vertical route tree. Back-shoulder sideline catches and “9” routes have become the norm, and the Bengals will need all that juice if they are going to win. Chase also finished third in total yards after the catch this season with 791.
7. Andrew Whitworth, OT, Rams
Grade: 85.7 | Position rank: 4
Whitworth slides in just ahead of Von Miller because of how important and sometimes dominant the Rams’ protection has been this year. Whitworth is still playing at a high level into his 40s, and the Rams find themselves in the Super Bowl partly because of the resurgence of this offensive line. His 89.6 pass-block grade leads the league.
8. Von Miller, Edge, Rams
Grade: 90.4 | Position rank: 4
The second future Hall of Famer on the Rams’ defensive line comes in at No. 8. It might have been a slow start for Miller as a Ram after his midseason trade from Denver, but he has been on a tear recently. From Week 5 — when he was still a Bronco — to Week 14 — four games into his Rams tenure — he did not record a sack. Since then? Six sacks in seven games. Good luck to the Bengals’ offensive line.
9. Tee Higgins, WR, Bengals
Grade: 83.5 | Position rank: 9
If Jalen Ramsey is to shadow Ja’Marr Chase, it will be up to Higgins to show out with a monster effort against the smaller coverage people who will be matched up on him. Higgins found some space over the middle against the Chiefs late in the game and was a big reason the Bengals are playing in this game. Higgins had the fourth-most contested catches this season with 18.
10. Rob Havenstein, OT, Rams
Grade: 84.7 | Position rank: 1
The unsung hero of the Rams’ offense this season has been Havenstein, who doesn’t get the credit he deserves but has become a rock at right tackle for the Rams. He has posted above 80.0 grades in three of his past four seasons, with this season’s 84.7 grade the highest in his career.
11. D.J. Reader, DT, Bengals
Grade: 80.2 | Position rank: 9
Reader is the best player on the Bengals’ defense, and if the Rams want to run the ball, they will have to go through him. It’s going to be up to Reader to be a one-man wrecking show if the Bengals are to stay in two-high safety coverages to defend the Rams’ receivers. He has been a great run defender this season with the sixth-highest run-defense grade among interior players at 79.1
12. Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Rams
Grade: 73.9 | Position rank: 36
It didn’t happen immediately, but it seems like OBJ is starting to connect with Matthew Stafford at just the right time. At 84.3, he holds the fourth-highest grade by a receiver in the playoffs. Finding a way to double both Cooper Kupp and Beckham will be a tall task for the Bengals’ defense. Beckham could have a big game if Kupp is doubled.
13. Joe Mixon, RB, Bengals
Grade: 79.6 | Position rank: 13
Late in the AFC Championship Game, Mixon’s nifty runs on cutbacks were the difference between the Chiefs playing in the Super Bowl and the Bengals. He’ll have to do the same on Sunday. Without the benefit of even an average offensive line, Mixon will have to create yards for himself, and he is more than capable of doing that.
14. Trey Hendrickson, Edge, Bengals
Grade: 73.8 | Position rank: 26
Hendrickson has proved this year in Cincinnati that his 2020 campaign with the New Orleans Saints was no fluke. And he has only gotten better since the postseason began. Hendrickson’s 27.9% pass rush win rate in Cincinnati’s three playoff victories ranks first among all defenders entering the Super Bowl, and they’ll need that to continue to pull off the upset.
15. A’Shawn Robinson, DT, Rams
Grade: 75.3 | Position rank: 14
Sure, elite players up front such as Aaron Donald and Von Miller are big reasons the Rams were able to rank among the top five in yards allowed per run play despite more snaps than any other defense with six or fewer players lined up in the box. But Robinson, owner of a league-high nine run stops this postseason, has also been vital to their success.
16. Mike Hilton, CB, Bengals
Grade: 72.4 | Position rank: 19
Hilton has been yet another free-agent gem who has helped quickly turn around Cincinnati’s defense. He’s one of the better all-around slot defenders in the NFL, but his timing and speed off the edge on blitzes is what really separates him. Hilton’s 50 quarterback pressures since 2017 are over 20 more than any other cornerback.
17. Brian Allen, C, Rams
Grade: 76.2 | Position rank: 9
One of the underrated keys to the Super Bowl will be whether Allen and the rest of Los Angeles’ interior offensive line can create movement in the run game against Cincinnati’s interior of Reader and B.J. Hill. Allen has had success as a run-blocker this year, earning an 80.8 PFF run-blocking grade that ranks sixth among qualifying centers.
18. Leonard Floyd, Edge, Rams
Grade: 70.7 | Position rank: 31
Floyd is in the enviable position of rushing the passer alongside arguably the two best pass-rushers of the past decade. He has taken advantage of that with 70 quarterback pressures through the NFC Championship Game (10th among all defenders). He may not be elite in any one area, but he’s well rounded and durable with over 1,000 defensive snaps played each of the past two years.
19. Jessie Bates III, S, Bengals
Grade: 65.4 | Position rank: 43
Bates had a down year by his standards during the regular season, but that all changed once the playoffs rolled around. He has recorded more combined interceptions and forced incompletions in his past three games (four) than he has allowed receptions (three). Stafford has shown that he can give up turnover opportunities this year. Cincinnati needs Bates to capitalize on those chances.
20. Chidobe Awuzie, CB, Bengals
Grade: 75.0 | Position rank: 15
Awuzie’s season has had the opposite trajectory of Bates’ season. He had one of the best statistical performances of any cornerback in the league during the regular season, finishing with PFF’s third-highest coverage grade. He has been beaten by the big play in the postseason, though. Awuzie has allowed over 22 yards per reception (on 10 catches) in the playoffs after allowing fewer than 10 yards per reception (9.8) during the regular season.
21. Vonn Bell, S, Bengals
Grade: 76.3 | Position rank: 13
Bell is in the midst of a career year in coordinator Lou Anarumo’s defense, providing reliable play for Cincinnati both in the run game and in coverage. The latter is where Bell has made the biggest leap in 2021, though. His 9.4 yards allowed per reception and 96.0 passer rating allowed as the primary coverage defender both stand out as career-best marks.
22. Tyler Higbee, TE, Rams
Grade: 69.1 | Position rank: 19
Higbee’s injury status entering Super Bowl LVI, after reportedly spraining an MCL in the Rams’ NFC Championship Game victory over the 49ers, isn’t insignificant. Higbee was taking on a larger role in the passing offense as the season progressed and was a reliable target in close quarters all season. His 69% contested catch rate in 2021 ranked seventh among 72 players with at least 15 such targets.
23. B.J. Hill, DT, Bengals
Grade: 73.0 | Position rank: 21
Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin should win some kind of award for turning backup center Billy Price into Hill this preseason when he traded for the interior lineman right before rosters were cut to 53 in September. Hill has been a quality rotational player on the defensive line since the Giants selected him in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft, and that hasn’t changed in Cincinnati where he has gotten the opportunity to start alongside Reader.
24. Tyler Boyd, WR, Bengals
Grade: 70.4 | Position rank: 50
The Bengals’ sudden wealth of talent on offense is highlighted by the fact that Boyd — one of the best slot receivers in the NFL — is their No. 3 option at wide receiver. The only wide receiver with more receiving yards from the slot than Boyd since 2017 (3,201) is his counterpart in this matchup, Cooper Kupp (3,771).
25. Jonah Williams, OT, Bengals
Grade: 76.5 | Position rank: 14
There has been a lot of talk about how weak the Bengals’ offensive line has been, and that talk will continue through the offseason, regardless of the outcome in the Super Bowl. But the left side hasn’t been the issue. Williams has played well enough in pass protection this season while improving his PFF run-blocking grade from 53.4 in 2020 to 77.3 this year.
26. Quinton Spain, G, Bengals
Grade: 68.9 | Position rank: 11
Spain’s career got off to a promising start in Tennessee before trailing off the past two seasons in Buffalo and Cincinnati. He has been able to recuperate in 2021, which is opportune timing given that free agency is right around the corner. Spain and Trey Hopkins were the only two Bengals offensive line starters to allow a pressure rate below 4.0% this season.
27. Greg Gaines, DT, Rams
Grade: 67.4 | Position rank: 32
Gaines recorded all of 11 quarterback pressures across his first two seasons in the NFL. This year, he has 43 across the regular season and postseason combined, as he has stepped up to play a big role in coordinator Raheem Morris’ defense with Sebastian Joseph-Day going down early in the year. Gaines’ 451 defensive snaps lined up over or shading the center rank second most among all defenders — behind only Grover Stewart.
28. Darious Williams, CB, Rams
Grade: 59.5 | Position rank: 85
Williams isn’t having his best season, as he already has allowed as many touchdowns (three) as in his past two years combined, but those previous years show the kind of player he is and can be in any given game. Williams has allowed a 96.2 passer rating when targeted this season — up over 40 points from his number a year ago.
29. Eric Weddle, S, Rams
Grade: 69.4 | Position rank: N/A
Weddle was signed off the couch to provide reinforcements for the Rams after injuries struck the secondary. Somehow, despite retiring after the 2019 season, Weddle has stepped in and been a solid contributor for the team in the playoffs. In three postseason games, he has six defensive stops, including leading the team in that category in the NFC Championship Game.
30. Taylor Rapp, S, Rams
Grade: 65.5 | Position rank: 44
Rapp’s overall PFF grade is solid, but the weakest facet of his play has been coverage, where his 58.8 grade is a career low and ranks 66th among safeties. In the box, Rapp has fared well against the run and is a very solid tackler, missing just 7.0% of his attempts over the year while not missing a single attempt since Week 12.
31. David Edwards, G, Rams
Grade: 67.3 | Position rank: 16
The starting left guard for the Rams all season, Edwards has had another solid year, posting a career-best 69.2 PFF pass-blocking grade. Edwards has allowed 39 pressures and six sacks across 790 pass-blocking snaps. He has allowed zero pressures across five games on the season, but he has had numerous outings in which he has struggled as well.
32. Logan Wilson, LB, Bengals
Grade: 58.8 | Position rank: 38
A 58.8 PFF grade may look rough on the surface, but it’s actually slightly above the average threshold at the linebacker position. Wilson has delivered two of his better performances of the season in the past two weeks with an 85.0 overall grade since the divisional round vs. Tennessee.
33. Sam Hubbard, Edge, Bengals
Grade: 66.6 | Position rank: 49
Hubbard had one of the best games of his season in the AFC Championship Game against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, as he recorded an 80.4 PFF game grade in addition to accumulating three pressures and two sacks. Hubbard now has 64 pressures on the season, but it has taken him 646 pass-rushing snaps to get there.
34. Austin Corbett, G, Rams
Grade: 68.8 | Position rank: 14
The starting right guard for the Rams has now played almost 1,300 snaps this season, allowing 40 pressures from 790 pass-blocking snaps. Corbett had a mini-run of rough games to end the regular season and begin the playoffs, but he posted a 74.7 PFF game grade in the NFC Championship Game and allowed only one pressure.
35. C.J. Uzomah, TE, Bengals
Grade: 62.8 | Position rank: 39
An unfortunate knee injury early in the AFC Championship Game makes Uzomah’s effectiveness in the Super Bowl a looming question, but he has been a valuable target for Burrow over the middle because he has enough physical skills to turn in the occasional huge play for the Bengals. Uzomah has averaged a career-best 5.9 yards after the catch this season while catching 50% of the contested targets sent his way.
36. Cam Akers, RB, Rams
Grade: 43.9 | Position rank: N/A
Akers returning this season from a torn Achilles is truly remarkable, but it has masked how ineffective he has been since returning, outside of a notable game against Arizona that was due far more to the Cardinals’ run fits on defense. Akers has averaged just 2.6 yards per carry — 2.3 of which has come after contact — while breaking six tackles across 59 carries.
37. Van Jefferson, WR, Rams
Grade: 59.0 | Position rank: 99
Jefferson has big-play potential — six touchdowns this season and a 16-yard average per catch — but the consistency of a top receiver isn’t there. He has caught only 57.9% of the targets thrown his way and gained 1.35 yards per route run — a figure that suggests there are far too many plays in which he is not maximizing his opportunities.
38. Joe Noteboom, OT, Rams
Grade: 77.7 | Position rank: N/A
Noteboom could arguably rank much higher on this list, but sample size holds him back. When Andrew Whitworth was injured, Noteboom started at left tackle and filled in well, allowing five pressures on 142 pass-blocking snaps of play while performing admirably against some legitimate opposition.
39. Travin Howard, LB, Rams
Grade: 82.6 | Position rank: N/A
Howard has just four starts under his belt this season and 214 snaps, but those snaps have been impressive, which is why he has jumped ahead of some starters on this list. Howard has two interceptions and three pass breakups from only 135 snaps in coverage.
40. Sony Michel, RB, Rams
Grade: 63.8 | Position rank: 50
Michel doesn’t bring much to the passing game, but he has straight-line speed and the ability to turn creases of space into significant gains on the ground. He has nine breakaway runs of 15 or more yards on the season and 39 broken tackles. Michel has fumbled only one time over the past two seasons.
41. Eli Apple, CB, Bengals
Grade: 60.8 | Position rank: 73
Apple is a much-maligned cornerback but has had some high-end play to his name, too. He has had passes thrown by Patrick Mahomes in his hands in each of the two games against Kansas City, even if he failed to intercept either. Passes thrown into his coverage this season have generated a passer rating of 95.4.
42. David Long Jr., CB, Rams
Grade: 60.1 | Position rank: 76
With Jalen Ramsey now playing the majority of his snaps in the slot, Long plays as the third cornerback on the outside. He has allowed 63.2% of passes thrown into his coverage to be caught this season for a 78.8 passer rating. He has been penalized just twice all year.
43. Germaine Pratt, LB, Bengals
Grade: 49.5 | Position rank: 58
Pratt has been the linebacker paired with Logan Wilson in the heart of the Bengals’ defense all season, playing 855 snaps. He has 36 defensive stops but also 16 missed tackles while allowing more than 500 yards in coverage.
44. Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Edge, Rams
Grade: 79.5 | Position rank: 17
A situational pass-rusher, Okoronkwo has been a productive member of the Rams’ defensive line rotation, notching 21 pressures from 146 pass-rush snaps this season. His best game this season came in the playoffs — a four-pressure outing against Tom Brady and the Bucs in the divisional round.
45. Trey Hopkins, C, Bengals
Grade: 52.2 | Position rank: 35
Cincinnati’s offensive line is better than it was a season ago but still a weakness, particularly on the interior. Hopkins has been passable in pass protection, allowing 21 pressures all season, but has a PFF run-blocking grade below 50 and has coughed up five sacks.
46. Drew Sample, TE, Bengals
Grade: 56.6 | Position rank: 53
Sample hasn’t had the expected impact from a tight end drafted in the second round, particularly as a receiver. His 0.8 receiving yards per route run since 2019 are the third fewest among 51 tight ends who have run at least 500 routes. That could be an issue if Uzomah isn’t able to return from his injury.
47. Troy Reeder, LB, Rams
Grade: 42.6 | Position rank: 74
Reeder has stood out as a weak point in coverage on Los Angeles’ star-studded defense. His 34.1 PFF coverage grade through the NFC Championship Game is one of the lowest marks at the position, and 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan was able to exploit that weakness last week to the tune of 87 passing yards into Reeder’s coverage.
48. Nick Scott, S, Rams
Grade: 59.3 | Position rank: 66
Scott has been forced to take on a larger role in the postseason because of all the injuries the Rams have suffered in the secondary, and he has risen to the occasion after a shaky regular season. Scott has allowed just one reception into his coverage throughout the playoffs while missing no tackles on 11 attempts.
49. Samaje Perine, RB, Bengals
Grade: 60.8 | Position rank: 55
A solid contributor at running back for the Bengals, Perine spells Mixon and has enough skills to occasionally make a big play. He has averaged 4.4 yards per carry this season — 3.96 of which has come after contact. As a receiver, he has 31 catches from 37 targets.
50. Kendall Blanton, TE, Rams
Grade: 52.5 | Position rank: N/A
With injuries hitting the Rams’ tight end room, they have been forced to use Blanton over the past few games, and he has been productive. He has 15 targets on the year — eight of which have come in the past two games — resulting in seven catches for 75 yards and a touchdown. Blanton was barely featured outside of those games, but he has flashed the ability to be a factor in key situations.
51. Isaiah Prince, OT, Bengals
Grade: 55.4 | Position rank: 43
An injury to starter Riley Reiff at right tackle thrust Prince into the starting lineup, which has been a clear downgrade. Prince has allowed five sacks and 29 pressures from 352 pass-blocking snaps and has been penalized 10 times on the season.
52. Jackson Carman, G, Bengals
Grade: 54.2 | Position rank: 38
The rookie right guard has had his struggles but is arguably a better player already than Hakeem Adeniji, who probably will start in front of him. The two split time in the AFC Championship Game. Carman struggled in pass protection but at least he offset that with some punishing run blocking.
53. Hakeem Adeniji, G, Bengals
Grade: 44.9 | Position rank: 39
Adeniji is a big potential problem for the Bengals heading into this game. He has struggled mightily in the postseason against players such as Jeffery Simmons and Chris Jones. Now, he has to survive against Aaron Donald, the best pass-rusher in the game. Adeniji has allowed six sacks in fewer than 500 pass-blocking snaps.
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