10. Von Miller– This is always a fun time of the year for me. It’s August, all 32 teams are in camp or have kicked off the preseason and my annual Summer project is set to begin. Welcome back to my ten best players list, the 2019 edition. I had a lot of fun with this project last year. I’m expecting to have more fun again with this one. I can speak hours and hours about this guy every single year. When I begin to brainstorm this list before I present it to you, he’s becoming one of the first five or six names that come up. I don’t think people knew what he’d become when he was drafted in 2011. I’m talking about Von Miller. He’s back on my list and kicks off the 2019 edition as my tenth best player in the NFL and third-ranked defensive player.
Since he broke into the league in 2011, he has become one of the best all-around defensive players in our game. When I often think of a motor that’s always revved up, I think of number 58 in Denver. This guy always gives 150 percent on each play and you must respect that. If you’re a defensive player and need to study a player when it comes to a pure release off the snap, watch this guy. His first step is remarkable, I can’t say enough about it. He displays phenomenal speed, he pursues the football by all means meaning he can come in to stop the run, he can force the quarterback out the pocket to the opposite and even on screen passes, he’s able to make those stops to make a tackle. I’ve often referred to him as a running back playing on the defensive side because he has the speed of a running back. He’s clearly more than just a pass rusher as I explained up top. But when it comes to getting to the quarterback, he’s been one of the very best at it for years. The minute you see him in a one on one situation, he’s already won, period. This guy can make it a long day for your offense. I think of what he did in Super Bowl 50 back in 2016 against the Carolina Panthers. He took that game over, made the then-MVP in Cam Newton look out of sync and won himself a Super Bowl ring and won Super Bowl MVP.
You can automatically pencil him in to have a season of double-digit sacks. The Denver Broncos have a new head coach in Vic Fangio who just so happens to be a defensive-minded guy. You add him along with Von, this is a matchmade in football heaven. I’m expecting Von to have a bigger year than he already has in his career. Although Denver has struggled in recent memory, he’s been the one shining point for this organization.
