NFL pundit ranks Seahawks rising star as best player in Super Bowl LX

The last time the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots met in the Super Bowl, there was no denying who the headliner was. With a little help from Darrell Bevell's playcalling and injuries to Cliff Avril and Jeremy Lane, Tom Brady added to his collection of rings, while Seattle suffered the most mortifying loss any NFL team ever has in a championship game.

This time around there is no GOAT for the broadcasters to thirst over, and the question of who the best player on the field will be on Sunday afternoon is an open one.

In an effort to break that down, CBS Sports analyst Pete Prico has come out with a ranking of all 44 of the Seahawks and Patriots starters. The guy at the top of his list is Seattle's breakout superstar wide receiver, Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

"He is one of the favorites to be the Offensive Player of the Year. He has developed into a true No. 1 receiver and they do a great job of moving him around."

Here's how the rest of Prisco's top-10 Super Bowl performers played out.

CBS ranks Super Bowl players

1. Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba

2. Patriots QB Drake Maye

3. Seahawks CB Devon Witherspoon

4. Seahawks DT Leonard Williams

5. Seahawks LT Charles Cross

6. Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez

7. Seahawks DT Byron Murphy II

8. Seahawks RT Abe Lucas

9. Patriots OL Mike Onenwu

10. Seahawks QB Sam Darnold

Most of the time we disagree pretty heartily with Prisco's opinions, but at least for these top 10 he's hit pretty close to the bullseye. The only question is if Drake Maye is ranked too high, owing to the absurdly easy schedul that the Patriots faced during the regular season. Matt Stafford should win the MVP award, but that's a story for another day.

Prisco also got the very bottom of his list right. Seahawks right guard Anthony Bradford was ranked the worst starter for either team on both sides of the ball.

"He is the weak link of their offensive line, which could be a problem against the interior of the New England defensive line. He really struggles in pass protection."

So far Bradford's issues in pass protection have not been a deal-breaker for the Seahawks this season, so this would be a very bad time to start. A lot of the credit for that has to go to Darnold, whose greatest improvement this year was in adjusting to pressure and making off-script plays.

The Seahawks are never more dangerous than when Darnold rolls out and targets JSN deep - it may only take one or two of those plays turning out successful to seal the win for Seattle.

Dec 28, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) warms up before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

CBS ranks Super Bowl players

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