34. George Kittle, TE, San Francisco
Just two years after he was the 146th overall pick in the draft, it’s utterly amazing that Kittle is considered one of the best players in the NFL. On the other hand, he’s a tight end from Iowa, so we shouldn’t be all that surprised at his success. To be fair, Kittle put up modest numbers as a rookie, only to set an NFL record for the most receiving yards by a tight end in 2018 by amassing 1,377 yards on 88 catches. Perhaps the most amazing part is that Kittle did that with the 49ers playing mostly backup quarterbacks.
Obviously, we have to worry a little about Kittle becoming a one-season wonder. But with Jimmy Garoppolo coming back healthy in 2019, there’s a good chance Kittle will have another good season. Of course, it’ll be difficult to live up to last year’s production. But Kittle seems to have all of the tools to be one of the top tight ends in the NFL in 2019 and beyond.
33. Patrick Peterson, CB, Arizona
After eight seasons, most NFL fans are starting to take Peterson for granted. But he never hurts to remember that he’s one of the elite cornerbacks in the NFL. After all, he’s been selected to the Pro Bowl in all eight of his pro seasons. It’s also easy to forget about Peterson because he plays in Arizona, but he remains one of the few bright spots on the Cardinals. He’s also an occasional threat on punt returns, which adds to his value.
Unfortunately, Peterson’s stretch of eight straight Pro Bowls and 128 consecutive games will come to an end in 2019. He will miss the first six games of the season because of a PED suspension that will also prevent him from being named to the Pro Bowl. However, if the Cardinals can remain in contention beyond Week 6, he’ll have a chance to be a difference-maker on their defense during the second half of the season.