New England Patriots and Denver Broncos: Ranking The 30 Best Players

Jan 30, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller attends the Madden Bowl XX Red Carpet event at the USS Intrepid Mandatory. Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Tier Two (25 points): Players 7-6

7. Aqib Talib, Broncos

When Talib got injured in the 2012 AFC Championship, Joe Flacco proceeded to shred the Patriot secondary. When Talib got injured in the 2013 AFC Championship, Peyton Manning proceeded to shred the Patriot secondary. Little more needs to be said about Talib’s impact on the field. The question, then, becomes: can he stay on the field? With the addition of Talib, the return of Chris Harris, and the recently drafted Bradley Roby, the Broncos have done an excellent job rebuilding their secondary this off-season.

6. Von Miller, Broncos

A year removed from being one of the more dominant defensive players in the NFL, a [healthy] Miller must be accounted for at all times. That Miller consistently draws double teams, Demarcus Ware should have the chance to flourish in 2014: that’s a scary proposition for opposing offensive lineman.