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Young vs. Old: Who'd win an All-Star matchup of Under-25s and Over-30s?

USA Today Sports / theScore

The physical demands of football will always make the sport more of a young man's game than anything else. This much is certain.

But that's not to say there aren't a host of NFL players bucking the trend and maintaining a high level of play well beyond the point others have given way to their more junior counterparts.

So rather than simply electing a team of Under-25 stars looking ahead to the 2017 season, why not evaluate how such a group stacks up against veterans still thriving at the opposite ends of their pro careers?

Here's a head-to-head comparison of theScore's All-Under-25 roster (comprised of those who will be no older than 24 when the season gets underway) and a 30-or-over team.

Let us know who you think would win in the poll below.

All-Under-25 Team

Position Player Week 1 Age
QB Marcus Mariota 23
RB Ezekiel Elliott 22
WR Odell Beckham Jr. 24
WR Mike Evans 24
WR Amari Cooper 23
TE Hunter Henry 22
OT Taylor Decker 24
G Shaq Mason 24
C Ryan Kelly 24
G Ali Marpet 24
OT Jack Conklin 23

Mariota gets the nod ahead of Jameis Winston because of his superior efficiency numbers. Winston's 50 touchdown passes through two seasons are five more than Mariota has tossed, but Winston has also given away 33 interceptions to Mariota's 19.

The strength of this offense is at the skill positions, where you can make a strong argument Elliott and Beckham are the best in the game at their respective positions regardless of age.

Though the All-Under-25 squad has five very promising young blockers up front, it could be a weakness the All-Over-30s can exploit.

Position Player Week 1 Age
Edge Joey Bosa 22
Edge Jadeveon Clowney 24
DL Leonard Williams 23
DL Chris Jones 23
LB Deion Jones 22
LB Kwon Alexander 23
CB Marcus Peters 24
CB Jalen Ramsey 22
S Landon Collins 23
S Keanu Neal 22
DB Byron Jones 24

Bosa and Clowney coming off the edge is enough to give any offense nightmares.

Speed is the focus at linebacker, with a pair of playmaking LSU grads with sideline-to-sideline range getting the nod.

If the linebacking corps sacrifices a little muscle for speed, the safeties make up for it. Both Collins and Neal are thumpers. Jones, capable of playing any position in the secondary, is the perfect chess piece to have as a fifth defensive back.

Position Player Week 1 Age
K Wil Lutz 23
P Riley Dixon 24
KR Tyreek Hill 23

Young kickers are rare, but at least Lutz is an NFL starter. This special teams unit gets a very big boost from the NFL's best return man in Hill.

All-Over-30 Team

Position Player Week 1 Age
QB Aaron Rodgers 33
RB Adrian Peterson 32
WR Jordy Nelson 32
WR Larry Fitzgerald 34
WR Julian Edelman 31
TE Greg Olsen 32
LT Joe Thomas 32
G Marshal Yanda 32
C Alex Mack 31
G Richie Incognito 34
RT Jason Peters 35

By age 30, many quarterbacks are just hitting their peak. Tom Brady has the resume, but Rodgers is the pick here because of his superior arm talent and athleticism.

If there's any running back capable of maintaining dominance well into his 30s, it's almost certainly the near-immortal Peterson. He could break records working with this beastly offensive line.

Don't expect any passes to be dropped by this ultra-reliable receiving corps. A fair concern with the trio, though, is the lack of high-end speed. Could the All-Under-25s take advantage with a more aggressive defensive scheme?

Position Player Week 1 Age
Edge Cameron Wake 35
Edge Michael Bennett 31
DL Ndamukong Suh 30
DL Calais Campbell 31
LB Sean Lee 31
LB Jerrell Freeman 31
CB Aqib Talib 31
CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie 31
S Eric Weddle 32
S Devin McCourty 30
DB Brent Grimes 34

It shows what a freak James Harrison is that at age 39 he narrowly missed selection to this squad. At 35, Cameron Wake almost seems youthful. The interior of this line should give the All-Under-25s all kinds of trouble.

Defensive backs tend to age poorly in the NFL, but it really doesn't show at all with this bunch. This is a star-studded cast that's well-equipped to give the talented, yet inexperienced group of receivers all they can handle in their passing-game matchups.

Position Player Week 1 Age
K Stephen Gostkowski 33
P Dustin Colquitt 35
KR Darren Sproles 34

There were several appealing options at kicker, but Gostkowski is the selection for his big leg and big-game experience. Sproles remains surprisingly spry for someone his age.

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