21st Century All-Super Bowl Team: Who joins Tom Brady on best squad of past 25 years?

Eric Williams

NFL Reporter

Super Bowl LIX is the 25th NFL title game of the century, starting with the Rams’ victory in January 2000, so it’s a perfect time to roll out our 21st Century All-Super Bowl team, featuring the very best to play in the big game at every position.

It’s hard to make this list without it being dominated by dynasties — the Patriots’ especially, but also the Chiefs and their run of four (soon to be five) Super Bowls with much the same stars leading the way. How do you weigh one amazing game against three really good ones? That was the task for FOX Sports NFL reporters Greg Auman and Eric D. Williams.

Here’s their lineup, which, of course, is open for debate.

Quarterback: Tom Brady, Patriots/Buccaneers

Hard to argue this: 25 Super Bowl touchdown passes, when nobody else has more than seven. Brady played in 10 Super Bowls and won seven, including five Super Bowl MVP awards. In time, Patrick Mahomes might catch him, but it’s hard to argue he’s more than halfway there, as great as Kansas City’s QB has been.

Runner-up: Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs

Running Back: Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks

This is the position where the last 25 Super Bowls aren’t nearly as good as the first 33. The most rushing yards in Super Bowls since 2000 belongs to … Antowain Smith, with 175. There are nine guys with more Super Bowl rushing yards pre-2000: Franco Harris, Terrell Davis, Emmitt Smith among them. But in this century, we choose Lynch, who had 141 yards and two touchdowns in his two Super Bowls.

Runner-up: James White, Patriots

Wide Receivers: Julian Edelman, Patriots; Cooper Kupp, Rams; Santonio Holmes, Steelers

You could almost go all Patriots here. They have the top four spots in Super Bowl receiving yards since 2000, led by Edelman, who had 337, though with only one touchdown. Kupp reminds us how hard it is for a non-QB to win a Super Bowl MVP, having earned one three years ago in the Rams’ win with two touchdowns, including the game-winner with 1:25 left. Holmes got his game-winner for the Steelers with 35 seconds left in Super Bowl XLIII, even better.

Runners-up: Hines Ward, Steelers; Danny Amendola, Patriots; Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals

Tight End: Rob Gronkowski, Patriots

This is a legitimately tough choice, and the runner-up here probably deserves a first-team spot more than any back or most receivers. Gronkowski has played in one more Super Bowl than Travis Kelce (at least for a few days) and has a slight edge in yards: 364-350. But what gives Gronk the nod are his five touchdown catches, compared to two for Kelce.

Runner-up: Travis Kelce, Chiefs

[Prepare for the epic Eagles-Chiefs matchup on FOX Sports’ Super Bowl LIX hub]

Tackles: Orlando Pace, Rams; Jonathan Ogden, Ravens

We’re just going to pick the best two tackles and not get lost in left vs. right here. Pace played in two Super Bowls, winning one, while Ogden played in one. That we didn’t go with Brady’s best tackles in his Super Bowl runs is essentially trying to avoid a million Patriots on here, but give credit to the runners-up for nine Super Bowls (and five wins) between them.

Runners-up: Matt Light, Patriots; Nate Solder, Patriots

Guards: Alan Faneca, Steelers; Joe Thuney, Patriots/Chiefs

Thuney is a rare crossover between dynasties. He went 2-1 in Super Bowls with the Patriots and played in one win with the Chiefs, missing another due to injury. He gets the nod over Nick Allegretti, who has already been to four Super Bowls with Kansas City, starting in two of them. Faneca played in only one Super Bowl but gets the nod for the other spot.

Runners-up: Nick Allegretti, Chiefs; Marshal Yanda, Ravens

Center: Jason Kelce, Eagles

Another tough call involving a Kelce. If we waited until after Sunday’s game, we might give this to the Chiefs’ Creed Humphrey, who has started in three Super Bowls already. Kelce was such a central part of two Eagles Super Bowl teams, including one champ, that we chose him for the first-team nod, but Humphrey is building his case with each appearance.

Runner-up: Creed Humphrey, Chiefs

Edge Rushers: Von Miller, Broncos/Rams; Justin Tuck, Giants

The ultimate closer on defense, Miller is tops since 2000 with 4.5 sacks in two Super Bowl appearances. The speedy edge rusher also has two forced fumbles to his credit. Tuck was a member of one of the most fearsome defensive lines in Super Bowl history and totaled four sacks over two Super Bowl appearances, both victories for the Giants.

Runners-up: James Harrison, Steelers; Mike Vrabel, Patriots

Interior Defensive Linemen: Aaron Donald, Rams; Chris Jones, Chiefs

The greatest defensive player of his generation, Donald sealed a victory for the Rams in Super Bowl LVI by pressuring Bengals QB Joe Burrow into an incompletion on L.A.’s final defensive play of the game, pointing to his finger and saying “Ring me” after the big play. Donald finished with two sacks in the game. Jones has been the most dominant player for Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo’s group, with 13 combined tackles and 10 quarterback pressures in three Super Bowl appearances.

Runners-up: Casey Hampton, Steelers; Richard Seymour, Patriots

Aaron Donald points to his ring finger after forcing a turnover on downs against the Bengals to secure a 23-20 win for the Rams in Super Bowl 56. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)

Linebackers: Derrick Brooks, Buccaneers; Ray Lewis, Ravens; Bobby Wagner, Seahawks

The defensive signal-caller for the “Legion of Boom” defense, the cerebral Wagner notched 22 combined tackles in two Super Bowl appearances. Brooks was a foundational player for one of the best defenses in NFL history with Tampa Bay. And Lewis was the centerpiece of Baltimore’s stingy defense, finishing with five combined tackles and four pass breakups to win MVP honors in Super Bowl 35.

Runners-up: Tedy Bruschi, Patriots; Nate Bolton, Chiefs; Dan Morgan, Panthers

Safeties: Rodney Harrison, Patriots; Ed Reed, Ravens

Harrison has the most tackles of any player in Super Bowl history with 34 in four appearances. The hard-hitting safety also has two sacks and two interceptions. Reed served as the center fielder for one of the most dominant defenses in league history, finishing with five combined tackles and an interception in Baltimore’s win over San Francisco in Super Bowl 42.

Runners-up; Dwight Smith, Buccaneers; Logan Ryan, Patriots

Cornerbacks: Ty Law, Patriots; Malcolm Butler, Patriots

A play-making cornerback on the back end defensively for New England, Law had 12 total tackles, two pass breakups and an interception returned 47 yards for a score in three Super Bowl games. Butler is responsible for one of the most famous plays in Super Bowl history, stepping in front of receiver Ricardo Lockette for a game-saving interception at the goal line in New England’s victory over the Seahawks.

Runners-up: Trent McDuffie, Chiefs; Duane Starks, Ravens

Kicker: Adam Vinatieri, Patriots

If you’re going on straight statistics, you can make a case for Harrison Butker, who’s 9-for-10 on field goals in his four Super Bowls, while Vinatieri is 7-for-10 in his four games. But Vinatieri had two game-winning kicks in the final seconds, while Butker has one (with another to force overtime in an eventual win). You can make a case for either, and Butker will have a chance to add to his case on Sunday.

Runner-up: Harrison Butker, Chiefs

Punter: Johnny Hekker, Rams

The punter is the last guy you want to see on the field in a Super Bowl, so it’s a strange honor to hand out. Still, congrats to Hekker, who had 417 yards on nine punts in the Rams’ 13-3 loss to the Patriots, with no touchbacks and only two return yards. He had six more punts in the Rams’ win over the Bengals.

Runner-up: Tommy Townsend, Chiefs

Kickoff return: Devin Hester, Bears

There have been five kickoff return touchdowns in the past 25 Super Bowls, but Hester’s came on the opening kickoff against the Colts in 2007, an electric start to the biggest game there is. While we only have one runner-up, we’ll throw a mention here to Percy Harvin, a close third:

Runner-up: Jacoby Jones, Ravens

Punt return: Kadarius Toney, Chiefs

There are not nearly as many big plays on punt returns in Super Bowls since 2000, but none was bigger than Toney’s 65-yard return in the fourth quarter against the Eagles two years ago, setting up a score in an eventual win. That’s more yards on a single return than nearly anyone’s career Super Bowl totals in the past 25 years. Edelman had 69 yards on eight returns this century.

Runner-up: Jordan Norwood, Broncos

Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He previously spent a decade covering the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.

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