Most electric players in the NFL

A newcomer on an average-at-best Broncos team, Lindsay stands out when he enters games. The rookie with sub-4.4-second 40-yard dash speed hits holes quicker than just about any running back, and does so with a fury. The Colorado product possesses surprisingly advanced vision (for a non-Combine invitee), too. Lindsay has graduated from undrafted free agent with a goofy preseason number to one of the most explosive backs in the league. Sixth in the NFL in rushing and averaging at least a full yard per carry (5.7) more than the top five rushers, Lindsay's one of the bright spots for Denver's future. 

One of the league's best route runners, Allen brings rare quickness to his position and has been the Chargers' go-to wide receiver since entering the league in 2013. Having shaken off injuries that derailed his 2015 and '16 seasons, the Bolts' mid-range target is probably still an underrated presence. The fact he's now playing for a forgotten Chargers team in Los Angeles won't help with this, but Philip Rivers and Allen (1,393 yards last season) have the Bolts in position to be an AFC contender.

Were this Watt in 2015, he'd be higher on this list. That version was one of the greatest game-wreckers the NFL's ever seen. Amazingly, after two severe injuries, the best player in Texans history is back on track. Pro Football Focus ranks Watt second among edge defenders this season. He has eight sacks (tied for second in the NFL) and four forced fumbles. The 29-year-old superstar remains capable of taking over a game, and his routes to sacks/QB hits are usually rewind material for football diehards during games. 

A monster off the snap, Bosa is one of the best players in the league. The Chargers have obviously missed their defensive end dynamo's presence (he is out with a foot injury), but Los Angeles being 5-2 without him is a little scary and certainly puts the Bolts at the center of the darkhorse-contenders conversation. Bosa registered 23 sacks in his first two seasons, doing so at two different positions. The former Ohio State star's bevy of moves was on display last season when he forced four fumbles, and he can attack passers around the edges or through interior gaps.

Ed McCaffrey wasn't known much for quickness. He served as a high-end possession receiver for many years. His son is, however, qualified for this list because of an open-field prowess. His transcendent sophomore season at Stanford (2,664 yards from scrimmage in 14 games) showed late-night college football viewers what was ahead. The Panthers involve the shifty back constantly, and he's capable of between-the-tackles work while vexing linebackers in space. McCaffrey caught 80 passes last season and is already just 12 yards away from his rushing total in 16 games last season (435 yards). 

Quarterbacks are indeed eligible, and while not the same kind of athlete as most of the others on this list, Rodgers remains the NFL's most feared passer. His rapid-fire release and otherworldly accuracy are evident in each Packers game, but his electricity factor was most recently evident in comebacks against the Bears and 49ers. The future Hall of Famer, and arguably the most talented quarterback ever, lit up Chicago and San Francisco defenders in bursts, rescuing multiple Green Bay efforts. 

When the Patriots are desperate for points and key yardage, they still go to Gronk. Although he's probably not Apex Gronk anymore, given the injuries he's endured, the future Hall of Famer remains the most dominant tight end in the league. The Pats fired up Gronk to stop the Chiefs in one of the more explosive games in recent NFL history and would not have earned home-field advantage last season were it not for the menacing target's monstrous final-drive work in Pittsburgh. Appreciate him while he's still here because despite being 29, he may not be for much longer.

One of the most surprising breakouts in NFL history, Thielen has gone from Division II to being a tryout player (not a priority undrafted free agent, but a rookie minicamp body) to setting the NFL record for most 100-yard games to start a season. Thielen is more precise than electric, but the Vikings' No. 1 wideout has shown incredible consistency in breaking open as often as he does against every opponent. Although he's making almost $10 million a year less than teammate Stefon Diggs, Thielen leads the NFL ( by 113 yards) with 925 receiving yards.

One of the quickest players in the NFL, Grant does not offer the consistency most of the other athletes on this list do. The Dolphins don't use the 5-foot-7 wide receiver/return man as a starter; they barely utilized him on offense prior to this season. But through eight Miami games, the lethal gadget player already has three 50-plus-yard touchdowns and TDs in three varieties. Grant caught two TDs against the Raiders and has taken a kick and a punt back for six as well. The Dolphins may not be a great team, but they have a fun weapon. 

One of the best deep threats in modern NFL history is still running by defenders at age 31. Averaging more than 22 yards per catch on 26 grabs this season, D-Jax may be on the verge of compiling a 1,000-yard season with a third franchise. Were he to keep up this pace, established with both Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jameis Winston in the lineup (though, he and Fitz have a stronger rapport), Jackson would notch a third 20-yards-per-catch season. Those aren't common. 

Known lately for his inability to cross goal lines, Jones has been dazzling audiences for eight seasons. However, the Falcons' best player is so consistent it can be forgotten what kind of speed-size specimen he is. Part of an all-time 2011 draft class, Jones has four 100-plus-yard games this season and is riding a streak of four straight 1,400-plus-yard campaigns. Even Antonio Brown doesn't have that on the 220-pound traveling mismatch. 

Mack's not quite as flashy as the player to whom he's most frequently compared, but the Bears now have the unquestioned best edge rusher in the NFC. Mack's electricity component couldn't have been doubted after his Week 1 showing when he forced a fumble, recovered it, deflected a pass and then intercepted another before returning that pick for a touchdown. If you didn't think the Raiders' trade would look too bad, Mack also forced fumbles in the Bears' ensuing three games. Now Mack's playing for a top-tier defensive coordinator, too, in Vic Fangio, which could further unleash him.

The player with the greatest Super Bowl defensive performance remains a must-watch performer. Miller doesn't have a Defensive Player of the Year award like Mack or Watt, finishing second to each, but no active player has his gifts around the edge. The Broncos' three-time All-Pro attacker's ability to contort his body to slither around tackles is unparalleled, and the 29-year-old superstar possesses underrated bull-rushing ability, too. Miller has eight sacks in 2018 and is in the thick of a heated DPOY race, joining Watt, Mack and the now-favored Aaron Donald.

The Panthers have an injury-plagued offensive line, and even with Greg Olsen back, their skill-position group is not especially intimidating. They do have maybe the greatest running quarterback in NFL history and one of the best athletes to ever play this position in the now-29-year-old Newton. The NFL record holder for rushing TDs by a QB, and he added to it Sunday with his 58th career score, Cam is no longer new to the league. But he remains one of the most unique players the NFL's ever seen. The 6-foot-5 passer's now thrown multiple TDs in six straight games — something he didn't even accomplish in his 2015 MVP slate.

Watson is newer to the NFL and is the closest thing the league has to the NBA Jam "He's on fire" sequence. The second-year quarterback isn't yet a polished passer and may have the worst offensive line in the game. But when he's on, the Texans are lethal. Watson showed this again on Thursday when he threw five touchdown passes to shred the Dolphins. An ACL tear robbed Watson of a surefire Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign, but Thursday showed rookie-year Deshaun still exists. He had three four-TD-pass games last season and may be rounding back into form.

The primary recipient of Watson's passes is better than the Detlef Schrempf to Watson's Reggie Miller because Hopkins has come down with some of this era's greatest catches. His most recent one (pictured) didn't count, but it was the catch of 2018 thus far. "Nuk" made probably the catch of 2017 as well and is the best the NFL has at contested catches. Despite having played with a litany of shaky QBs pre-Watson, Hopkins continually produces without having the speed or the QB aid some of his top wideout contemporaries do. 

Jordan Howard fantasy owners aside, Cohen's work as Chicago's do-it-all weapon has been one of this season's most aesthetically awesome elements. The 5-foot-6 agility maven provides weekly highlight material, the latest coming on Sunday on a 70-yard reception. (Cohen's lengthy grabs almost always require supreme RAC work, making the 2017 fourth-round pick's highlights some of the best in the game.) And now he's in Matt Nagy's new-age offense that better utilizes his skill set.

In trading away multiple defensive starters in a 24-hour span, the Giants are trying to become one of the most talented teams to ever obtain a No. 1 overall pick. They used envied draft real estate last year to land Barkley, who looks like one of the most talented backs to enter the NFL in many years. Possessing top-flight balance and a power-speed combination that blew away scouts, the Penn State product has flashed weekly as a pro. He's capable of stealing scenes in games that feature the Giants on the wrong end of blowouts, doing so despite a bad offensive line. 

The 2010s' premier wide receiver blends elite route-running with sublime run-after-catch work. Brown is the Steelers' best player, and it's not that close — especially with Le'Veon Bell AWOL. Brown can destroy opponents from the slot or the outside, with his toe-tap game reminding of peak Marvin Harrison. Brown already has eight touchdown receptions this season, continuing his career-defining rapport with Ben Roethlisberger, and isn't showing many signs of slowing down at age 30. Appreciate the remainder of Brown's prime; the Central Michigan-produced sixth-round pick is one of the game's great success stories.

The NFL's "Wow" defender of the moment is one of the many Rams dominating in 2018. Donald, however, is a cut above his teammates, at least compared to his defensive tackle peers. Donald has somehow gone up a level from his Defensive Player of the Year form. He has an NFL-high 10 sacks, and they've all come in the past five games. The short-area burst warlord's been bulldozing guards and centers for five years; Sunday, he displayed quickness resembling an edge rusher in taking down Aaron Rodgers. Donald's on pace to be one of the greatest to ever play in the NFL.

The pilot of a machine-gun Chiefs attack is having one of the greatest sophomore seasons in NFL history. Mahomes throws the ball to more athletic players, but as a first-year starter and centerpiece of the league's most innovative offense, the 2017 first-round pick may be the league's most watchable player at the moment. Mahomes now leads the league in passing yards (2,526) and touchdowns (26), and the laser-armed QB is the reason football followers aren't expecting a Chiefs letdown like they once did with Alex Smith in command. The 23-year-old's emergence has the NFL in a better place.

Beginning his career behind both Mark Ingram and Adrian Peterson, Kamara's morphed into the most dangerous of Drew Brees' toys. Gliding through tackles thanks to deceptive power, Kamara is rapidly on the verge of becoming overqualified to be grouped with Reggie Bush or Darren Sproles. After posting 1,554 yards from scrimmage as a rookie, he may already be there. New Orleans deploys Kamara on inside runs and toss plays, but he's most electric in the passing game. The Saints aren't receiving Rams- or Chiefs-level publicity despite having won six straight; Kamara could be the one to change that.

Is Beckham as good as Antonio Brown? Probably not. Is he as consistent as Julio Jones? No. But the Giants' listed-at-6-foot wide receiver's style is unlike just about anything the NFL's seen. Beckham can be frustrating and is trapped on a bad team, but he fuses historically good catching ability with a rapid cutting acumen and breakaway speed. Beckham looks bigger than he actually he is thanks to the dominance he'll often exhibit. He carried the 2016 Giants to the playoffs and is by far the flashiest wideout in football. 

Gurley-Le'Veon Bell was the closest fantasy football's come to a seminal draft decision like that of 1998's Manning-Leaf debate or 1984's Bowie-Jordan call, and the owners who came away with Gurley are mid-party montage. This is the ideal modern running back, and he's on pace for an all-time season despite playing in an era geared for aerial success. Gurley rampages through holes that his high-qualify offensive line opens and is an open-field demon. He's on pace for 2,300-plus yards from scrimmage and 30 touchdowns, if the Rams play their starters throughout. Gurley makes Sean McVay's offense the NFL's most dangerous.

But in terms of terrifying, this is currently Hill's corner. He's not Usain Bolt fast, but he moves like few NFLers ever have. If the third-year Chief devoted his talents to track and field, he could legitimately push for a spot on almost every Olympic team. Hill uses his unmatched (among NFLers) leg turnover to create strange sequences. His touchdowns against the Patriots this year and Cowboys last season were unlike what other receivers contribute. Deployed in myriad ways, Hill blends world-class speed with burgeoning route-running ability and is playing in a perfect system for his talents. He's vital for Andy Reid's experiments.