Best current (or most recent) NFL players by state

The state of Alabama has produced plenty of terrific NFL players, but Rivers stands atop the active list. He attended high school in the state before going to N.C. State for college and has a potential Hall of Fame résumé with the Chargers, throwing for more than 45,000 yards and 314 touchdowns.

Julio Jones is breathing down Rivers's neck for this seat, however, and very well may pass him in the near future. Other players of note include Marcell Dareus, Dre Kirkpatrick, Kwon Alexander and Jordan Howard.

The last player from Alaska to appear in the NFL, Bowman attended high school in Anchorage. He was last on the Dolphins roster in 2015 and was drafted by the Bears out of Nebraska in 2008.

The star pass rusher of the Saints, Jordan was born in the Phoenix area (Chandler). He has 46.5 career sacks in six seasons and has made two Pro Bowls.

A native of Little Rock, Clay attended Tulsa before being drafted in the sixth round by Miami in 2011. He signed a lucrative free agent contract with the Bills in 2015 and has more than 50 receptions in four straight seasons.

Darren McFadden and DeAngelo Williams also hail from Arkansas.

Brady is a native of the Bay Area and idolized 49ers quarterback Joe Montana while growing up. Now arguably the best quarterback in NFL history, Brady has won five Super Bowls with the Patriots. He tops a long and impressive list of current players from California that includes Aaron Rodgers, Carson Palmer, Richard Sherman and Marcus Peters.

Campbell grew up in Denver before attending Miami. He finds himself back in Florida after signing with Jacksonville in the offseason. He's made two Pro Bowls and had eight sacks with the Cardinals last season.

With Dwight Freeney still not under contract, Reed is the most accomplished current NFL player from Connecticut. The Washington tight end is from New London and has more than 2,600 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns over his four-year career.

A native of Wilmington, Worrilow attended college at Delaware. He's played for the Falcons over the last four seasons, though he only sporadically saw the field last season. Worrilow signed a one-year deal with Detroit in the offseason.

Now the owner of the biggest contract in the league, Stafford was born in Tampa before moving to Georgia and then Texas. He played his college ball at Georgia and went first overall in the 2009 draft. While he's made only one Pro Bowl, Stafford has established himself as an outstanding quarterback with six straight 4,000-yard passing seasons.

A very strong case could be made for Antonio Brown, who has made five Pro Bowls and three straight All-Pro teams, leading the league in receptions twice and receiving yards once. Other players of note include Frank Gore, Chris Johnson, Jason Pierre-Paul, Maurkice and Mike Pouncey, Geno Atkins, Patrick Peterson, Jabaal Sheard, Doug Baldwin, Olivier Vernon, T.Y. Hilton, Lavonte David, Xavier Rhodes and so many more.

A native son of the Atlanta area, Newton won the 2015 NFL MVP and helped the Panthers get to Super Bowl 50. The first overall pick in the 2011 draft out of Auburn, Newton has also made three Pro Bowls in his six seasons, which helped him edge excellent Georgia natives including Eric Berry, Demaryius Thomas, Justin Houston, A.J. Bouye, Vic Beasley and Tyreek Hill.

A former Heisman Trophy winner at Oregon, Mariota has established himself as one of the most exciting up and coming quarterbacks in football going into his third season with the Titans. Former All-Pro Saints center Max Unger followed the same path as Mariota, growing up in Hawaii before he attended Oregon.

Paul Kruger would get this nod, but the veteran defensive end is currently not on an NFL roster. That leaves Brock Osweiler as the most accomplished current player born in Idaho. The much-maligned quarterback is already on his third team in just his sixth season and is reportedly on the trade block with the Browns.

Castonzo has the tall task of protecting Andrew Luck's blindside in Indianapolis. While he's never made a Pro Bowl, Castonzo is one of the top paid offensive linemen in football. He grew up in Illinois before attending Boston College.

It's early in his career, but Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Zack Martin has made three Pro Bowls in three NFL seasons and was named All-Pro twice. A native of Indianapolis, he's the best player on the Cowboys' heralded offensive line and is off to one of the best starts for a offensive lineman ever. Indiana is also the birthplace of NFL stars Chandler Jones, Ryan Kerrigan, Jay Cutler and Tyler Eifert.

One of the top guards in the league, Yanda has made six consecutive Pro Bowls for the Ravens. He was born and bred in Iowa, eventually attending the University of Iowa before being drafted in the third round in 2007.

Cardinals do-it-all running back David Johnson is also from Iowa and well on his way to making his case as well. In just his second season in 2016, Johnson led the NFL in yards from scrimmage with 2,118 and rushing/receiving touchdowns with 20.

Nelson grew up in Manhattan and attended college down the road at Kansas State. He's developed into one of the NFL's top wide receivers, finishing with more than 1,200 yards receiving four times for the Packers.

A starting defensive tackle for the Cardinals, Peters has been a regular starter over his seven-year career. He was born in Louisville and attended college at Kentucky.

The Manning brothers grew up in the New Orleans area after their father, Archie, played for the Saints. Eli eventually attended Ole Miss, like his father. A potential a future Hall of Famer, he's won two Super Bowls and made four Pro Bowls.

Manning’s teammates Odell Beckham Jr. and Landon Collins are also Louisiana natives who could take the mantle sooner rather than later. Other notables include Kyle Williams, Stephen Gostkowski, Matt Forte, Michael Bennett, Andrew Whitworth, Tyrann Mathieu, Jarvis Landry, Dak Prescott and La’el Collins.

Bates was promoted from the practice squad by the Colts last season, his first in the league. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 2016 draft by the Colts out of Maine and is now with the Patriots.

A late bloomer, Wake has become one of the league's top pass rushers after a stint in the CFL. He has 81.5 sacks over eight seasons and has made five Pro Bowls with the Dolphins. He grew up in Maryland before attending Penn State.

Talents such as Stefon Diggs, Todd Gurley, Ronald Darby, Joe Haden and NaVorro Bowman also hail from Maryland.

Alonso was born in Massachusetts before heading to the West Coast, attending high school in California and college at Oregon. He had 114 tackles with the Dolphins last season.

One of the greatest tight ends in the history of the NFL, Gates is heading toward the end of his career. A native of Detroit, Gates is a converted basketball player who played at Kent State. He has 897 receptions for 11,192 yards and 111 touchdowns over his career.

Allen Robinson, Kirk Cousins, Nick Perry, T.J. Lang, Brandon Graham, Joe Staley and David Harris are other notable players born in Michigan.

Fitzgerald edges out Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs as the best player born in Minnesota, though both players are likely headed to the Hall of Fame. Fitz continues to play at a high level in his mid-30s, leading the league with 107 receptions last season. He's made a remarkable 10 Pro Bowls in 13 seasons. Born in Minnesota, Fitzgerald attended Pitt.

An elite interior defensive lineman, Cox has made the Pro Bowl with the Eagles over the last two years, accumulating 16 sacks in that time span. He grew up in Mississippi and attended Mississippi State.

Malcolm Butler, Donte Moncrief and K.J. Wright are also from Mississippi.

Now with the Ravens, Maclin has had a strong career between the Eagles and Chiefs. He has two 1,000-yard seasons and nearly 6,400 receiving yards for his career. He grew up in the St. Louis area and attended college at Mizzou.

Other notable stars born in Missouri include Ezekiel Elliott, Kony Ealy and Sheldon Richardson.

A special teamer who attended Montana, Coyler signed with the 49ers this offseason after three years in Seattle.

Woodhead has had quite an NFL career as a versatile running back. He has more than 4,600 career yards from scrimmage and 32 touchdowns in eight seasons, mostly with New England and San Diego. He signed with the Ravens in the offseason. Woodhead grew up in Nebraska and attended Chadron State.

Murray attended Oklahoma after growing up in Las Vegas. He has three 1,000-yard rushing seasons in his career and led the league with 392 carries, 1,845 yards rushing yard, 13 rushing touchdowns and 2,261 yards from scrimmage in 2014.

A tight end who was born in New Hampshire and attended UConn, Griffin is the only player born in the New England state currently on an NFL roster. As a backup, he’s caught 99 passes for 1,028 yards and six touchdown over his four NFL seasons.

Flacco is remembered for attending college at Delaware, but he grew up and attended high school in New Jersey. The former Super Bowl MVP has an 83-55 record during the regular season for his career.

Muhammad Wilkerson, Mark Ingram, Brian Cushing, Kenny Britt, Malcolm Jenkins, Greg Olsen and Robert Ayers also were born in New Jersey.

Branch has had a long and productive career between Arizona, Seattle, Buffalo and New England. Now in his 11th NFL season, Branch has 10.5 career sacks and does an excellent job plugging the run for the Patriots. Branch was born in Albuquerque.

A game changer at the tight end position, Gronk grew up in upstate New York. He's on a Hall of Fame path with 405 receptions for 6,095 yards and 68 touchdowns in seven seasons.

Peppers is capping off his Hall of Fame career where it all started, with the Panthers. The second overall pick in the 2002 draft by the Panthers, Peppers has 143.5 career sacks. He grew up in North Carolina and is a Tar Heel. The nine-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro has a Hall of Fame résumé.

Other notable North Carolina natives include Jimmy Graham, Brandon Spikes, Keenan Allen and Jamison Crowder.

Wentz had a solid rookie season with the Eagles after going second overall in the 2016 draft out of North Dakota State. He's considered one of the brightest young quarterbacks in the league.

Ohio's best football player attended college in Ohio, but it wasn't the state's flagship football school, Ohio State. Roethlisberger went to Miami of Ohio before being drafted 11th overall by the Steelers in 2004. He's had a Hall of Fame career, winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year, making five Pro Bowls and leading Pittsburgh to two Super Bowl victories.

His talented teammates Le'Veon Bell and James Harrison also hail from Ohio, football-rich state that also includes natives such as Aquib Talib, Kyle Rudolph, Travis Kelce, Whitney Mercilus, Luke Kuechly, Micah Hyde and more.

The third overall pick in the 2010 draft, McCoy has been an elite defensive tackle during his NFL career with five straight Pro Bowls and 42.5 career sacks. He grew up in Oklahoma and is a Sooner.

Born and raised in Oregon, Suh attended college at Nebraska. He was taken second overall by the Lions in the 2010 draft and has 47 sacks in seven seasons.

The state of Pennsylvania has been a hotbed for quarterbacks over the years, and Ryan is the best one currently. The 2016 NFL MVP went to high school in Pennsylvania before attending Boston College. He's made four Pro Bowls with the Falcons.

Other big names born in the Keystone State include Brandon Marshall, Brent Grimes, Paul Posluszny, LeSean McCoy, Sean Lee, Terrelle Pryor and Aaron Donald.

The only current NFL player from Rhode Island, Blackmon has played 11 NFL season for four different teams. The native of Providence is currently on Washington.

South Carolina has its fair share of NFL players. Green is currently the best, a star wideout for the Bengals and native of Summerville. His streak of five straight seasons with 1,000 yards to start his career ended last year due to injury, but he was named to his sixth straight Pro Bowl.

Josh Norman, Carlos Dunlap, Johnathan Joseph, Lawrence Timmons, Robert Quinn, Alshon Jeffery, Stephon Gilmore, DeAndre Hopkins and Jadeveon Clowney are also South Carolina natives.

While South Dakota hasn't produced many NFL players, Vinatieri is a surefire Hall of Famer at kicker. He started his NFL career with the Patriots in 1996 after attending South Dakota State and has been known for his clutch kicks over the years between New England and Indianapolis.

Witten has been one of the best players in Cowboys history and is still going strong at age 35. He grew up in Tennessee and attended the University of Tennessee before Dallas selected him in the third round of the 2003 draft.

Golden Tate, Randall Cobb, Dontari Poe, Dont’a Hightower, Jalen Ramsey and Darron Lee also hail from Tennessee.

Nowhere is football bigger than in Texas. Brees leads an incredible list of current NFL players that also includes Von Miller, Adrian Peterson, Jason Peters, Derrick Johnson, Earl Thomas and Dez Bryant. The Saints signal caller attended school in the Dallas area before going to Purdue and has led the league in passing yards in five of the last six seasons.

A second-round pick by the Texans in 2014, Su'a-Filo emerged as a starting guard last season. He grew up in Utah before attending UCLA.

Vermont currently has no players in the NFL. In fact, the last player from the state to appear was Steve Wisniewski in 2001.

A multi-sport athlete in both football and baseball, Wilson grew up in Virginia. He played quarterback at both N.C. State and Wisconsin before going in the third round of the 2012 draft to Seattle. Over five NFL seasons, he's made three Pro Bowls and won one Super Bowl.

His Seattle teammate, Kam Chancellor, is also from Virginia and the only current NFLer born in Virginia who has an argument as the best over Wilson.

Smith was born in Seattle but went to high school in the San Diego area. The Chiefs quarterback went first overall to the 49ers in the 2005 draft and has spent his last four seasons in Kansas City.

Pro Bowl Falcons corner Desmond Trufant also hails from Washington.

Colleges in West Virginia have produced plenty of NFL players of consequence in recent seasons, but the state has bred few native sons. Goodson has played cornerback for the Packers since 2014. Born in West Virginia, he attended high school and college in Texas.

Arguably the best offensive lineman of the current era, Thomas has been a Pro Bowler in all 10 of his NFL seasons and named All-Pro six times. He was born in Wisconsin and played football for the Badgers.

Fellow Badger J.J. Watt is right there, of course, and while the three-time Defensive Player of the Year has a case, he hasn’t done it as long as Thomas, who has been every bit as dominant as Watt.

Beadles has been a starting guard since he was drafted by Denver in 2010. He's entering his second year with San Francisco. Born in Casper, Wyoming, he attended high school and college in Utah.

OK, Washington, D.C. is not technically a state, but we'd be remiss if we didn't mention that the nation's capital also represents the NFL. Andrew Luck is the best of the bunch presently, though recent injuries have his status to start 2017 up in the air. Still, the first overall pick of the 2012 NFL Draft has already made three Pro Bowls and began his career with three straight 11-5 seasons. If he can stay healthy, most expect Luck to have quite a long and productive career. His Indy teammate Vontae Davis and his older brother Vernon, currently with Washington, were also born in D.C.