theScore's NFL All-Half-Decade Team

Now that we're halfway through the 2020s, theScore's NFL editors assembled their All-Half-Decade Team with the best players from the past five seasons.

* = unanimous selection

Quarterback

Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)

Mahomes has established himself as the NFL's best quarterback - and one of the greatest of all time - with most of his accomplishments coming in the 2020s. The 2022 NFL MVP leads the league in passing yards and touchdowns over the past five seasons. Did we mention that he also engineered two fourth-quarter comebacks to win Lombardi Trophies, collecting Super Bowl MVP honors after both?

Running back

Derrick Henry (Titans, Ravens)

Earning the nickname "King Henry" in Tennessee, he now reigns in Baltimore. In addition to leading every main running back category, Henry made history over the past five campaigns. He eclipsed 2,000 yards to win the 2020 Offensive Player of the Year and surpassed 1,900 yards again five years later. Henry topped the league in carries three times and rushing touchdowns twice this decade.

Wide receiver

Justin Jefferson (Vikings)*
Tyreek Hill (Chiefs, Dolphins)

Jefferson's entire career has taken place in the 2020s, and he's building a near-unimpeachable case for being the top receiver of his generation. He leads all players in receptions and receiving yards this decade and has earned first-team All-Pro selections in two of his five seasons. The 2022 Offensive Player of the Year also has the best yards-per-game average (96.5) of any receiver in NFL history.

Hill may be football's most entertaining playmaker since 2020. Nearly unguardable in his prime, the speedster earned first-team All-Pro honors with the Chiefs and Dolphins. He led the league with 1,799 receiving yards and 13 TD catches in 2023.

Tight end

Travis Kelce (Chiefs)*

Kelce is in the conversation for the greatest tight end of all time, and a big part of his career accolades came within the past five years. The 10-time Pro Bowler set several records and had an even bigger impact in the playoffs to help Kansas City build a dynasty and win two Super Bowls since 2020.

Flex

Davante Adams (Packers, Raiders, Jets)

Adams has the most receiving touchdowns of any player this decade, and all three of his career first-team All-Pro selections came during the 2020s. Notably, he earned his most recent nod as a Raider without Aaron Rodgers, proving he can still be one of the league's most productive receivers even when he doesn't have an elite quarterback.

Offensive tackle

Trent Williams (49ers)
Lane Johnson (Eagles)

Williams aged like fine wine and became the most reliable left tackle in football after joining San Francisco in 2020, despite battling several injuries. He's claimed three first-team All-Pro honors since turning 32.

Johnson continues to be a foundational player for the Eagles into the second decade of his career. He's the rare tackle who gets universal praise while playing the right side of the offensive line. Johnson has earned one first-team All-Pro selection and the second Super Bowl ring of his career this decade.

Guard

Joe Thuney (Patriots, Chiefs)
Zack Martin (Cowboys)

Thuney has helped anchor two dynasties in his career, including one with the Chiefs during their three straight Super Bowl appearances in the 2020s. He has as many first-team All-Pro selections (two) as missed regular-season games since 2020.

Martin's career consistency at guard is remarkable. Though injuries forced him to miss several contests this decade, his play was up to par in the 68 starts he made in that span. Three of his seven first-team All-Pro nods came from 2021-23.

Center

Jason Kelce (Eagles)

Kelce retired after the 2023 season as arguably the greatest center in NFL history. A cornerstone of the Eagles' O-line for 13 years, he started all 50 games while earning three first-team All-Pro selections in his final four campaigns.

Edge rusher

T.J. Watt (Steelers)
Myles Garrett (Browns)

Watt led the league in sacks three times this decade - the first player to accomplish that feat since sacks became an official stat in 1982. He also has the most QB takedowns and forced fumbles since 2020, and he tied the single-season record with 22.5 sacks in 2021. Steelers fans are probably justified in their argument that he should have won a few more Defensive Player of the Year awards.

It's rare to know a player is bound for Canton early in their career, but we do with Garrett. He's notched four first-team All-Pro selections (all in the 2020s) and 100 career sacks before turning 30. Garrett has been the constant for a Browns franchise that's nearly always in turmoil, and he'll remain that after signing a historic extension with Cleveland this offseason.

Interior defensive line

Aaron Donald (Rams)*
Chris Jones (Chiefs)

Donald didn't need to play all five seasons to earn a unanimous selection on our team. The defensive tackle had one of the most dominant careers in league history before retiring following the 2023 campaign. His resume this decade included a Defensive Player of the Year award, a Super Bowl title, and three first-team All-Pro nods. We'll have to wait a long time before seeing another defensive player as impactful as Donald.

Jones is the Chiefs dynasty's defensive cornerstone, and it's fair to wonder how many Lombardi Trophies his team would have won without him. He made the first-team All-Pro team in the past three seasons and always seems to step up in the most high-pressure situations. (See: his key pressure of Brock Purdy in overtime of Super Bowl LVIII.)

Linebacker

Fred Warner (49ers)*
Roquan Smith (Bears, Ravens)

Warner is the perfect modern off-ball linebacker thanks to his ability to create plays, force mistakes, and cover opposing pass-catchers. He's one of the leaders of San Francisco's defense, earning four Pro Bowl nods and four first-team All-Pro berths this decade.

Smith's impact is tangible on basically every Ravens defensive snap. His tackling ability is well known, but the former first-round pick offers much more than that. Over the past five campaigns, he's averaged two interceptions and three sacks per season while capturing three first-team All-Pro selections.

Cornerback

Jalen Ramsey (Rams, Dolphins)
Patrick Surtain II (Broncos)

If you could grow a cornerback in a lab, he'd likely resemble Ramsey. His physicality, competitiveness, and ball-hawk skills make him a nightmare matchup for opposing receivers. He's picked up four Pro Bowl selections, two first-team All-Pro nods, and a Super Bowl ring in the 2020s alone.

Surtain has only been in the NFL for four seasons, but his career is as impressive as could be. Widely regarded as the sport's best corner nowadays, Surtain already has two first-team All-Pro nods and a Defensive Player of the Year award on his resume. He's totaled 11 interceptions with 47 pass breakups, cementing his status as a premier shutdown defender.

Safety

Justin Simmons (Broncos, Falcons)
Minkah Fitzpatrick (Steelers)

One of the decade's most underrated stars, Simmons found a way to stand out on mediocre Broncos squads for years. No one has more interceptions in the 2020s or picks off Mahomes, the era's top quarterback. Simmons earned two Pro Bowl nods this decade and tied for the league lead in interceptions in 2022.

Fitzpatrick has fit like a glove in black and gold, earning his spot among the best defenders in recent franchise history. Perhaps no safety closes distances faster to lay a big hit or intercept a floating pass. And Fitzpatrick has the accolades this decade to back it up: two first-team All-Pro appearancs and four Pro Bowls.

Defensive back

Marlon Humphrey (Ravens)

Humphrey is best known for his ability to make plays on the ball, whether it be a pass breakup, an interception, or a forced fumble. He led the league in the latter category in 2020, a rarity for a defensive back. Humphrey had a bounce-back season last year to earn a first-team All-Pro selection and his third Pro Bowl nod of the decade.

Kicker

Justin Tucker (Ravens)

Known as the most accurate kicker in the game, Tucker converted 89% of his field goals from 2020-23 before posting a down year in 2024. In 2021, he set the record for the longest field goal in league history (66 yards).

Punter

AJ Cole (Raiders)

No other punter earned more first-team All-Pro selections over the past five years than Cole, who garnered two nods. He averaged at least 50 yards per punt in three of those campaigns and unleashed an NFL-best 83-yarder in 2023.

Return specialist

Cordarrelle Patterson (Bears, Falcons, Steelers)

Patterson has the most kickoff return touchdowns in NFL history, two of which came this decade to go with a first-team All-Pro selection. He cemented his place as one of the best returners ever during the 2020s.