Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is the reigning MVP and widely regarded as the best player in the NFL right now. But is he also the best player to build a team around for the future?
He is, at least according to his peers.
A Sports Illustrated poll asked 272 NFL players, “Who would you pick first if you were building a team from scratch?” Brady came in first, with 24 percent of the votes. Peyton Manning came in second, with 18 percent -- a result that likely would have been different if the poll had been taken later, as this survey was distributed to players before we all knew how severe Manning’s neck injury was. Coming in third place was Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, at 14 percent.
Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was the highest-ranked non-quarterback, at 7 percent. Eagles quarterback Michael Vick came in fifth at 6 percent, and Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, at 4 percent, was the only defensive player to make the Top 10.