Quarterback play is a massive part of success in the NFL, and all four teams in this year’s conference championship games are proof of that. Sam Darnold (Seattle Seahawks), Bo Nix (Denver Broncos), Drake Maye (New England Patriots) and Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams) all played pivotal roles in their team’s success this year. Three of them (excluding the injured Nix) will likely play big roles in Sunday’s games.
But they are not the only important players on the four rosters.
So let’s take a look at the top-10 non-quarterbacks in this Sunday’s conference championship games.
10. Zach Allen, defensive lineman, Denver Broncos
Allen has been a massive addition to the Broncos defense over the past three years, earning second-team All-Pro honors a year ago and first-team honors this season. He finished the 2025 season with seven sacks, a whopping 47 quarterback hits and six pass defenses.
9. Leonard Williams, defensive lineman, Seattle Seahawks
Williams has been a key cog in the Seahawks’ defensive transformation over the past few years and has been disruptive as both a pass-rusher and run-stopper. You could probably swap Allen and Williams on a ranking like this and not get much push-back. They are both impact players.
8. Garett Bolles, offensive lineman, Denver Broncos
The Broncos have one of the best offensive lines in the league, and Bolles might be the best player on that group. He did not allow a single sack all season and was a first-team All-Pro for the first time in his career. The Broncos will need a dominant game from him with a backup quarterback in the lineup.
7. Byron Young, Edge, Los Angeles Rams
Going into the 2023 season the Rams needed to badly revamp their pass rush. They did so with the selections of Young and Kobie Turner in the second and third rounds. Both selections have been home runs, with Young turning into a dynamic pass-rusher. The 2025 season was the best of his career with 12 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, 29 quarterback hits and a forced fumble.
6. Christian Gonzalez, defensive back, New England Patriots
For the most part the Patriots are a team where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. They do not have quite as many high-level players as the other three teams still playing. Maye and Gonzalez are the two exceptions to that. Gonzalez may not have intercepted any passes this season, but when teams threw in his direction they completed just 53% of their passes and managed only a 79.9 passer rating.
5. Nik Bonitto, linebacker, Denver Broncos
Bonitto is a finalist for defensive player of the year, and for good reason. He set a career high with 14 sacks, forced two fumbles, had 14 tackles for loss and is the anchor of Denver’s front-seven on defense.
4. Devon Witherspoon, defensive back, Seattle Seahawks
Witherspoon is all over the field and a constant force in the Seahawks’ secondary. He can shut down the pass, he tackles, he hits and sets the tone for a defense that has eliminated big plays from pretty much every opposing offense it plays.
3. Patrick Surtain II, defensive back, Denver Broncos
Surtain II is the reigning defensive player of the year, and even though he went from four interceptions down to just one, he was still just as dominant this season. Teams simply do not throw in his direction, and when they do is generally ineffective.
2. Puka Nacua, wide receiver, Los Angeles Rams
These games will not only feature strong quarterback play and superstar defensive backs, it will also feature two of the best wide receivers in the league. Nacua is one of them. He does everything you want a top wide receiver to do. He is sure-handed, he makes big plays, he blocks and is wildly consistent.
1. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks
With DK Metcalf out of the picture, Smith-Njigba got a chance to be the focal point of the Seahawks’ offense and did not disappoint. He led the league in receiving yards and yards per touch on offense, and has a great chance to be the NFL’s offensive player of the year.