Super Bowl 2023: Ranking each Chiefs and Eagles starter leading up to Super Bowl 57 matchup in Arizona – CBSSports.com
For every Super Bowl, I rank the 44 starters in the game to see if that can help get a gauge on where the game is heading. In the past, I’ve done 46 starters to include the nickel corners. But they are now full-fledged starters in the NFL, so the third linebacker isn’t getting graded as we prepare for Super Bowl LVII between the Chiefs and Eagles this Sunday in Glendale, Arizona.
Based on my analysis, the Kansas City Chiefs have the top stars but, on paper, in terms of my top-10 players, the game looks even. Each team has five players in my top 10, with the Chiefs having the top three.
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Those three at the top are quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and defensive tackle Chris Jones. The Eagles‘ top-ranked player is center Jason Kelce, who is fourth on my list. That means the Kelce family has two of the top-four players in the game. That’s simply amazing.
If we dive deeper into the numbers, the Eagles have 12 of the top 20 players, with three of their offensive linemen in the top 14. They are Jason Kelce, right tackle Lane Johnson at No. 5 and left tackle Jordan Mailata at No. 15. The other two starters, guards Isaac Seumalo and Landon Dickerson are both inside the top 26 in the game, which shows just how good that line is for the Eagles.
While the Chiefs have Jones at No. 3 and pass rusher Frank Clark at No. 18 from their defensive line, the other two defensive line starters are at the bottom of the rankings. They are defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi and defensive end George Karlaftis. They both have to be better than they’ve played this season, with Nnadi needing to come up big against the run, if the Chiefs are to slow the Eagles.
If the Eagles front vs. the Chiefs defensive line decides this game, the Eagles should win. But we know how stars can change that, which is why the Chiefs having the top three players in the game, including Mahomes, balances that out. The game is close to a pick ’em for a reason, at least according to the ranking of the players.
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