The NFL has experienced a changing of the guard in recent years, and the infusion of talent ensures that the league is in good hands in the future. However, this has arguably made it more difficult than ever to identify the league's top-of-the-line talent from the saturated pool of elite players.

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The cream of the crop of today's game features a healthy dose of established veterans and younger players whose best football could still be ahead of them. Nevertheless, regardless of what stage of their career they may be at, they have dominated their competition and deserve recognition as the best of the best.

10 Quenton Nelson

Quenton Nelson
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Rarely is there a consensus on the best overall player at any position, but you would be hard-pressed to find someone who does not think Quenton Nelson is the best guard (or offensive linemen, for that matter) in the league. The four-time Pro Bowler led the way for Jonathan Taylor to have one of the most prolific seasons from a running back in recent memory in 2021.

Nelson was lauded as a generational prospect when he was coming out of Notre Dame in 2018, and it is safe to say he has lived up to that billing thus far. The 26-year-old will be a lock for the Hall of Fame if he continues on this trajectory, and he is trending toward first-ballot status after four years of sheer dominance.

9 Cooper Kupp

Cooper-Kupp-1
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Cooper Kupp has flown under the radar despite being one of the league's best pass-catchers over the first four years of his career, as his success was attributed to Sean McVay scheming him open. However, that all changed during his historical 2021 campaign when he won the Offensive Player of the Year Award after setting an NFL record for yards for scrimmage from a receiver.

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The 28-year-old might not be the biggest, strongest, or fastest, but one could argue that he is the hardest-working. Likewise, his route-running ability is top-notch, which allows him to thrive in a variety of roles within the Rams' offense. There is reason to believe he can be even better as he continues to build a rapport with Matt Stafford.

8 Davante Adams

Davante Adams
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The Raiders' aggressive move to trade for Davante Adams could be a fruitful franchise-altering move if he can reignite the chemistry he had with Derek Carr at Fresno State. There is a reason the Packers, who matched the offer sheet Adams signed with Las Vegas, did all they could to keep the pass-catcher, as he has evolved into the league's best pass-catcher.

Like Kupp, Adams' physical ability fails to stand out among the pool of talented pass-catchers in the NFL. However, the 30-year-old is downright hard to cover despite being the player every opponent tried desperately to take out of the game. While we have yet to see Adams without Aaron Rodgers at the NFL level, it feels safe to assume that he will maintain his status as a savvy playmaker in Vegas.

7 Derrick Henry

Derrick Henry
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It may have taken Derrick Henry a few years to get his feet underneath him, but there was no stopping him once he did (just ask Earl Thomas). His rare combination of size and speed makes him a threat to take any play the distance, and he is one of few backs whose team trusts him enough to hand him a heavy workload.

Henry has been the most unstoppable running back in the league since assuming the role as Tennessee's workhouse late in the 2018 season, and he was on pace for the most prolific three-year stretch of any running back in league history before getting hurt last season. Henry is nearing the tipping point where typical running backs tend to decline, but it would not be wise to bet against him, as the 28-year-old has proven to be nothing of the sort.

6 Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers
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Aaron Rodgers receives his fair share of criticism for Green Bay's lackluster success in the playoffs, but there is no denying that he is one of the best players in the league. The 38-year-old may be nearing the end of his career, but you would not know it from his play on the field, as he is still more than capable of taking over a game at a moment's notice.

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While the back-to-back NFL MVP may not be the best quarterback in league history, he is arguably one of the most talented and is capable of making small-window throws few others could have pulled off. Nevertheless, the most impressive aspect of his game is his innate ability to protect the football, as he has the best career touchdown-to-interception ratio by a wide margin.

5 Josh Allen

Josh Allen
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Deciding who is the better player between Josh Allen and Rodgers came down to a coin flip. This time, Josh Allen won. In all seriousness, Allen is one of the most unique athletes to play the quarterback position, as he blends Cam Newton's athleticism with a bazooka for a right arm and the ability to make pinpoint tight-window throws with the best of them.

While Patrick Mahomes and 2021 second-year sensation Joe Burrow might get more love from the national media, the pride of Western New York is just as good as either of them. As scary as it sounds, the best could still be yet to come for the 26-year-old, as he could still improve on some minute aspects of his game and become even more dangerous.

4 T.J. Watt

T.J. Watt
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T.J. Watt is coming off one of the most dominant seasons from a pass-rusher in league history, as he only needed 15 games to tie Michael Strahan's sack record with 22.5 quarterback takedowns. While most elite edge-rushers are known for a specific skill set of moves in their arsenal, Watt is a part of a rare breed that is good at everything.

The NFL's premier quarterback hunter has led the league in sacks, pressures, and QB hits in back-to-back seasons and has improved on his sack totals every year he's been in the NFL. While the 27-year-old would be hard-pressed to improve on the mark for the fifth straight year, it would not be wise to bet against him, as the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year is aging like fine wine.

3 Tom Brady

Tom Brady
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Speaking of aging like fine wine, Tom Brady is not only the greatest football player of all time, but one could also argue that his list of accolades rivals any athlete in professional sports. Unlike other all-time great passers, the seven-time Super Bowl champion is undefeated against father time, as he has thrown for more yards in his 40s than he did in his 20s.

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While the 44-year-old's best days may be behind him (probably?), he is still playing at a very high level and is the last quarterback an opposing team would want to see in a two-minute drill with the game on the line. The signal-caller completely turned around the Buccaneers' culture and has proven that he had just as much impact on the Patriots' dynasty as Bill Belichick.

2 Patrick Mahomes

Patrick Mahomes
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Some speculated the league had figured out how to corral Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs' high octane offense after he threw nine interceptions in their first seven games, four of which were Kansas City losses. Nevertheless, Mahomes promptly quieted the doubters after he cut down on the turnovers, and the Chiefs only lost one more regular season contest (to the AFC Champion Bengals) the rest of the way.

The 26-year-old is in rare company with the breakneck pace that he has been on to begin his career, and he can make some off-platform throws that no other quarterback in league history would even be able to attempt. The 10-year, $503 million deal he signed with the Chiefs in 2020 could soon look like a bargain once other inferior players begin to sign similar contracts (in terms of yearly average) in the coming years.

1 Aaron Donald

Aaron Donald
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Aaron Donald is not only one of the most dominant defenders in the league today, but he is also widely regarded as one of the best defensive linemen in NFL history. The 30-year-old has made the Pro Bowl every year and has been the epitome of excellence since entering the league.

There have been rumors the three-time Defensive Player of the Year could soon be closing out this chapter of his life, as he is already a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame, and there is nothing left for him to accomplish. However, it feels safe to assume that offensive linemen around the league are crossing their fingers the rumors come to fruition, as he has shown no signs of slowing down.