10 Most Intriguing Players of the 2022 NFL Season

The NFL season is approaching and this is a sports site so here is some junk food to get you ready for Week 1. Here are the 12 most intriguing players of the 2022 NFL season:

1. Khalil Mack

The Chargers signed 5-time All-Pro edge rusher, Khalil Mack, and for some reason there an NFL experts who don’t think they’re the best team in the AFC West. And that’s fine, the Chiefs are perennial Super Bowl favorites. I get it. But there are people who think the Denver Broncos or Las Vegas Raiders will have better seasons.

Cool. We’ve already seen Derek Carr get sacked so hard that he literally cried on the field. What do you think will happen when he meets Khalil Mack? Russell Wilson is none for trying to extend plays by running around in the pocket for no reason at all. Cool. Now try that with Khalil Mack chasing after you like a wild grizzly bear.

2. Matt Ryan

I’ve already written about Matt Ryan’s move to Indianapolis way more times than I have ever written about Matt Ryan while he was in Atlanta but if he can be slightly better than Carson Wentz—the worst starting quarterback in the NFL—then expect the Colts to easily walk into the playoffs this year.

3. Saquon Barkley

Saquon Barkley is entering his 5th season and I still have nooooo idea if he’s good. I do know, however, that he is absolutely not worth the no. 2 overall draft selection and Dave Gettleman should be arrested for his war crimes. Seriously, I still cannot believe the Giants allowed that loser to gracefully retire a week before he knew he was going to be fired.

Anyway, with a new front office and coaching staff, let’s see if they can unlock a version of Saquon that can actually catch the ball in space instead of forcing him up the middle for a 1-yard gain knowing damn well that’s not Saquon’s skillset.

4. JuJu Smith-Schuster

For the past decade, the Pittsburgh Steelers have done an amazing job of gathering the most annoying wide receivers we’ve ever seen. Just absolutely sociopaths. Somewhere in the world, Antonio Brown is alone in an empty room laughing his ass off at a joke he said in his head.

JuJu gets a fresh start on the best offense in the NFL. He’s also joining a Chiefs team that encourages all weirdo Instagram Live/Tik Tok nonsense as the star QB’s lame-ass brother is constantly performing on the sidelines. That JuJu/Jackson Mahomes collab is going to be the most exhausting bullshit we’ll see all year.

5. AJ Terrell

One of my favorite types of players to watch is the star cornerback on a team with a terrible quarterback because you know they are going crazy every day in practice embarrassing the bums throwing the ball.

Whether it’s Darrelle Revis against Mark Sanchez every day or Jalen Ramsey against Blake Bortles, these corners get all the confidence in the world at practice and then go out on Sunday to have historic performances.

AJ Terrell has Marcus Mariota and the rookie, Desmond Ridder. Terrell might win the Defensive Player of the Year award unanimously.

6. Von Miller

Von Miller seemed cooked in Denver. Then he arrived in Los Angeles and that sunshine truly revitalized his career. Miller had 2 sacks and 3 QB hits in the Super Bowl. If all it takes for Von Miller to transform back into one of the best defenders in the league is playing for a contender then signing with the team many believe will make the Super Bowl will unleash prime Von. Also, playing against a Patriots team twice a year that has Matt Patricia running the offense will juice his stats.

7. Julio Jones

I have always considered Julio Jones to be one of the most overrated players in NFL history. For a player who is always discussed as one of the greats, it’s odd that he’s only finished in the top 10 for touchdown passes once in his entire career. In a sport where the team who scores the most points wins, Julio has a shitload of yards but rarely does any scoring, ya know, that thing that wins games.

Now he’s in Tampa Bay with Tom Brady so he will be under a microscope. Perhaps he’ll even catch some passes in the endzone. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful new thing for him?

8. Trevor Lawrence

Urban Meyer was the first head coach in NFL history to work remotely. He treated being a head coach like some part-time after-school job to give him some extra spending money for the bars on the weekend. Trevor Lawrence didn’t stand a chance to succeed.

I have a hard time believing that one of the greatest quarterback prospects in the history of the sport suddenly has no idea how to throw a football. I imagine Urban Meyer’s playbook was one sheet of looseleaf that Urban wrote ‘do good’ on.

Doug Pederson got to a Super Bowl with Carson Wentz and Nick Foles. Trevor Lawrence is about to be an MVP candidate.

9. Michael Thomas

In 2019, Michael Thomas broke the NFL single-season record for most receptions. Anddddd you haven’t heard his name discussed again since. CantGuardMike miiiiiight be super easy to guard this year. OR, he and Jameis Winston are going to go crazy. It’s literally a coinflip at this point.