It’s no secret that a huge number of NFL players hail from the Sunshine State; the count of NFL players from Florida at the start of the 2021 season was a whopping 192. Maybe it’s the sunshine and the beaches or all the vitamin C from the oranges, but whatever the cause, many pro football players call the subtropical peninsula home.
Of these players, who are the best of the best? Let’s take a look at the top five NFL players from Florida, right now.
Top 5 NFL Players From Florida
5: Khalil Mack (LB, Chicago Bears – Fort Pierce, FL)
Khalil Mack suffered a season-ending foot injury back in October, but that shouldn’t exclude him from this list entirely. In his seven games played in 2021, Mack accumulated six sacks for Chicago, which put him on an impressive pace, especially from the linebacker position.
Expect to see Mack back to his usual dominant form when he’s healthy in 2022. For his NFL career, which dates back to 2014, he’s tallied 467 tackles (352 solo), 76.5 sacks, 23 forced fumbles, three inceptions, and two touchdowns. His stats have helped him amass the 2016 Defensive Player of the Year nod from the AP, six Pro Bowl appearances, and three All-Pro recognitions.
4: Dalvin Cook (RB, Minnesota Vikings – Miami, FL)
In 10 games played so far this season, the Vikings RB1 is averaging nearly 100 yards rushing per game and has scored six touchdowns. Despite having a 6-7 record at this point, Minnesota is in the hunt at No. 2 in the NFC North, and the Vikings lean heavily on Dalvin Cook for offensive production.
The Florida State product has rushed for more than 4,600 yards and scored 42 total touchdowns in 53 games played since entering the league in 2017. His efforts earned him a spot at the Pro Bowl in 2019 and 2020, with his contributions especially impressive in 2020, averaging 111.2 yards per game for the season.
3: Nick Bosa (DE, San Francisco 49ers – Fort Lauderdale, FL)
It was a tough 2020 for Nick Bosa, only featuring in two games in his sophomore NFL season because of a torn ACL. But he’s more than made up for it in 2021.
The third-year defensive end of the 49ers has come into his own this year. Bosa has notched 14 sacks and 18 tackles for loss so far this season, and he has shown no signs of slowing. Bosa’s rise has landed him among the NFL’s elite pass-rushers in 2021, and the future is bright for this young sackmaster from Fort Lauderdale.
2: Derrick Henry (RB, Tennessee Titans – Yulee, FL)
Although a broken foot has sidelined the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year for more than a month, Derrick Henry is eyeing a return to the gridiron before the playoffs. In his eight games this season, Henry is averaging more than 117 yards rushing per game and has scored 10 touchdowns.
The Titans running back plays with a unique combination of size, strength, and speed that leaves defenders scratching their heads when he gets the pigskin in his hands. Since entering the league in 2016, Henry has rushed for nearly 6,800 yards and scored 68 total touchdowns in 86 games. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2019 and 2020 and was named an All-Pro player last season. He rushed for at least 1,000 yards in each season from 2018-2020 and will likely make it four years in a row if he can get back onto the field in 2021.
1: Lamar Jackson (QB, Baltimore Ravens – Boynton Beach, FL)
The ultra-talented dual-threat quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens is one of the most exciting players to watch in the NFL. Lamar Jackson lights it up through the air and on the ground, and he is averaging more than 250 yards passing and 60 yards rushing per game this season. Jackson just suffered an ankle injury against the Browns, but up to this point, he has his Ravens 8-5 and sitting atop the AFC North.
The Boynton Beach native has started almost every game for the Ravens since they drafted him with the No. 32 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. The Heisman Trophy winner out of Louisville has already racked up almost 10,000 passing yards, 31 passing touchdowns, more than 3,600 rushing yards, and 21 rushing touchdowns in 58 games and 49 starts.
