The NFL is a league obsessed with ranking, comparing, and determining who is the best. Whether that be the players of the decade or the much-debated “Greatest Of All Time,” such rankings provide hours of heated debate. However, as the ultimate team sport, one individual’s achievements are almost always dependent upon their supporting cast.
Athleticism, however, is the attribute of the individual. There can be no debate or argument about a player’s athletic ability, especially with the advancements in timing and measurements at events such as the NFL Combine. In the spirit of ranking, PFN used Relative Athletic Score to put together the top 10 most athletic NFL players of the 21st century.
There were some caveats. To be eligible for the ranking, a player must have played a minimum of three years in the NFL (unless drafted in 2018 or 2019) and made at least one start per year they were in the league. The results may surprise you.
Top 10 Most Athletic NFL players of the 21st Century
10. Manny Lawson, Linebacker
Like many of the players on this list of the most athletic NFL players of the 21st century, Manny Lawson had a track and field background that helped him excel on the football field. In high school, Lawson qualified for multiple state championship events, including both long and triple jump and multiple distance sprint events.
After a productive college career at North Carolina State, Lawson’s track and field background was particularly evident at the 2006 NFL Combine. His vertical and broad jumps earned him an elite explosion grade, while a 10-yard split of 1.53 contributed to an elite speed grade and an overall RAS of 9.98.
Lawson’s athletic ability allowed him to become a versatile and valuable piece in the NFL. The 22nd overall pick of the San Francisco 49ers would play both outside linebacker and defensive end. Lawson had an ability to get after the quarterback but also be proficient in pass coverage. He played for the 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals before finishing his career with a three-year spell with the Buffalo Bills.
9. Lorenzo Carter, Linebacker
After a dominant career on the field at Georgia, Lorenzo Carter dominated the linebacker field in the athletic testing at the 2018 NFL Combine. His RAS of 9.99 saw him ranked first of 1784 linebackers scored between 1987 and 2018.
Although Carter didn’t run a 3-cone or shuttle and therefore didn’t receive an agility grade, he posted elite grades for speed, size, and explosion. His 10’10 broad jump led all linebackers, while his 4.46 40-yard dash was second amongst the position.
Carter was drafted in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. In his first season in New York, he started two games, contributing four sacks and seven tackles for loss. In 2019, he logged his first career forced fumble, adding another four sacks and 13 quarterback hits in 12 starts.
8. Matt Jones, Wide Receiver
The Jacksonville Jaguars stunned the football world when they drafted former Arkansas quarterback Matt Jones as a wide receiver in the 2005 NFL Draft. Although Jones led the SEC in passing yards per attempt in 2003, he’d flashed his athletic ability on the ground, twice leading the SEC in rushing yards per attempt and setting the SEC record for rushing yards by a quarterback.
Jones earned his place as one of the most athletic NFL players of the 21st century at the 2005 NFL Combine.
He received a RAS of 10, with elite size, speed, and explosion after running a 4.4 40-yard dash and posting impressive broad and vertical jumps, hardly surprising for a former basketball player.
The 21st overall pick played four seasons for the Jaguars, with 2153 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns before multiple arrests and a failed attempt to make the Bengals team ended his career.
7. Evan Mathis, Guard
A multi-sport athlete in high school, Evan Mathis showed off his athletic ability as a wrestler, track and field standout and in the shot put before becoming a regular fixture on the offensive line at the University of Alabama.
Although Mathis gained weight at Alabama, his 304lbs measurement at the 2005 NFL Combine contributed to him only receiving a good size grade. However, with elite speed, explosion, and agility at the guard position, he received a RAS of 10.
Mathis was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the third round but will be best remembered for his time with the Philadelphia Eagles. He was an All-Pro in 2013 and rated as the best guard in the NFL between 2011 and 2013.
Mathis won the Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos before retiring as an Arizona Cardinal in 2017.
6. Taylor Lewan, Offensive Tackle
Taylor Lewan had received some attention for his athletic prowess before he became a highly decorated left tackle at Michigan. Coming out of high school, Lewan was ranked by Rivals as one of the most athletic and agile offensive tackles in the 2009 recruiting class.
Lewan’s performance at the 2014 NFL Combine provided further evidence of his athletic ability. With elite explosion and agility grades, and a frankly insane 4.87 40-yard dash at 309 pounds, Lewan earned an elite speed grade and an overall RAS of 10, making him one of the most athletic NFL players of the 21st century.
Lewan has put his athleticism to good use on the field, earning a spot on the NFL All-Rookie Team in 2014 and is, without a doubt, one of the best offensive tackles in the league right now. He flashed his combine speed on a 10-yard scamper into the endzone for a receiving touchdown in the 2016 Week 7 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
5. Cam Newton, Quarterback
With his 2010 Heisman winning season for Auburn, Cam Newton raised the bar for athletic quarterback play. He lit up the college football world in one of the most exciting and dominant seasons in recent memory with 1473 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns to go with 2854 passing yards and 30 touchdowns.
Newton confirmed his athletic ability with an impressive display at the 2011 NFL Combine. He received a RAS of 10, which was comprised of elite size, speed, explosion, and a great agility score. His broad jump of 10’6 ranked third of 394 quarterbacks between 1987 and 2011.
Newton’s combination of athleticism and arm strength revolutionized the quarterback position in the NFL. He has broken multiple records and received numerous accolades, including the 2015 Most Valuable Player Award, since being drafted with the first overall pick by the Panthers.
Newton’s combination of size and speed is a nightmare for defensive coordinators to gameplan against. After working with the less athletically gifted Tom Brady, New England Patriots offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels, will get to work with one of the most athletic NFL players of the 21st century in the 2020 NFL season.
4. Calvin Johnson, Wide Receiver
Forget being one of the most athletic NFL players of the 21st century, Calvin Johnson may well be one of the most athletic players in NFL history. His rare blend of size, speed, and explosion earned him the nickname “Megatron” when he arrived at the Detroit Lions, and it may be one of the most iconic and relevant nicknames in sport.
Reportedly six feet tall in middle school, Johnson was clearly gifted from a young age. A multi-sport athlete, he excelled on the football field. He set school receiving records at Georgia Tech, leading the program in career receiving yards and touchdowns.
At the 2007 NFL Combine, Johnson received a RAS of 10. With an all-round athletic display of excellence, he received elite size, speed, and explosion grades. His vertical and broad jumps were particularly impressive, as was his 4.35 40-yard dash.
With 11,619 receiving yards and 83 touchdowns, Johnson made his athletic ability count on the field in the NFL. The three-time All-Pro will always be considered as one of the great wide receivers in the game.
3. Chris Chester, Guard
Despite playing just one year as an offensive lineman at Oklahoma, Chris Chester was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft.
Although lacking elite height and strength for an offensive lineman, Chester’s athleticism allowed him to have an 11-year career in the NFL, which culminated in a trip to the Super Bowl with the Atlanta Falcons.
Chester received a RAS of 10 at the 2006 NFL Combine after receiving elite speed and agility grades. He ran a 4.88 40-yard dash at 303lbs, which included a 1.67-second 10-yard split, which ranks as the fastest of 182 offensive centers between 1987 and 2006.
Chester’s athleticism came from being a converted tight end. He played the position for three years at Oklahoma, having been a high school standout at the position. The Baltimore Ravens returned him to tight end for several weeks in 2018 despite having made four starts on one of the most efficient offensive lines in the league as a rookie in 2017.
2. Justin Fargas, Running Back
A high school state champion at the 100 meters, Justin Fargas, translated that track speed to a college career as a running back at Michigan and the University of Southern California. After rushing for 715 yards in his final college season at USC, the Oakland Raiders selected Fargas with the 96th pick in the 2003 NFL Draft.
Fargas put his track history to good use at the 2003 NFL Combine, recording a 4.4 40-yard dash as part of an elite speed grade. He also showcased impressive strength with 27 reps on the bench press and elite explosion with an 11’05 broad jump. His overall RAS was 10.
After a slow start to his Raiders career, Fargas achieved his first, and only, 1000+ yard season in 2007 while scoring a career-high four touchdowns. He followed that up with 853 yards in 2008.
Sadly for a player who was one of the most athletic NFL players of the 21st century, Fargas’ career with the Raiders came to an end with an allegedly failed physical before the 2010 season.
1. Anthony Becht, Tight End
When he was drafted in 2000, Anthony Becht became a part of NFL history. That year, the New York Jets held an unprecedented four first-round picks, a feat that remains un-repeated to this day. Although Becht was the final one of those four first-round picks, he was the most athletic NFL player of the 21st century by RAS.
During his college career at West Virginia, Becht racked up 1173 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. After a senior season where he was the team MVP and made Second Team All-Big East, Becht entered the NFL Draft.
He earned a 10 RAS with a combination of elite size, explosion, and agility. His short shuttle and 3-cone drill times both ranked in the top 10 for the tight end position between 1987 and 2000.
Over an 11-year career with the Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, St. Louis Rams, Arizona Cardinals, and finally, the Kansas City Chiefs, Becht secured 1537 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns. Although his receiving yardage total seems meager by modern tight end standards, Becht’s five touchdowns in 2001 were only beaten by Marcus Pollard and Tony Gonzalez, one of the best tight ends of all time.