Seasons in the NFL: Three
Age: 23
You might recognize him from: The end zone, where he spent most of the year, scoring 13 rushing touchdowns—more than any other running back in the league. (He won Offensive Player of the Year, beating out some geezer named Brady.)
You might also recognize him from: The sky, if you're an opposing defender. Gurley made a habit of effortlessly hurdling over people on the other team, who were left tackling air, wondering how a six-foot-one, 230-pound man had simply vanished.
How does he know when to hurdle? “It's a last-minute decision, man. It just happens. Most of the time, defenders are going for your legs or your knees. With all the new rules in the NFL—staying away from the head and neck areas—it forces defenders to go low.”
If he weren't playing football… “I played basketball. You know, that's everybody's real dream. But that didn't work out too well.”
Would he rather be playing basketball? “Most definitely. I'd be on the Cavs, hanging out with LeBron right now. I could get at least 15 for him.”
—Kevin Nguyen
Styled by Kelly McCabe / Grooming by Hee Soo Kwon using MALIN+GOETZ.
Seasons in the NFL: One
Age: 23
Where you've seen him: All over the damn field. He's a running back who's had more receiving yards (826) than rushing yards (728). If that versatility confused opposing defenses (he scored 13 total TDs), it didn't confuse everyone watching: He won Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Where's that R.O.T.Y. trophy at now? “It's just in the closet. It's, like, under a whole bunch of shit, honestly. I can't even lie. It's still in the case that they sent it to me in.”
Post-game ritual: Walking from the Superdome to his New Orleans apartment, rain or shine. “We leave the locker room, me and whoever it is that came to the game—family, friends. It'll be hot sometimes or raining. They're like, ‘Man, we're gonna have to call an Uber.’ And I'm like, ‘I'll meet y'all at the house.’ ”
On reminiscing with his high school buds Migos: “They talked about ‘we gonna be the biggest shit in rap.’ And I'm like, ‘I'm about to do this in football.’ And it's like: Damn, it's happening.”
Do players talk trash about the nose ring during games? “People always go, ‘Ah, little Young Thug motherfucker. I'm gonna pull your nose ring out.’ I just smile. 'Cause you know I wear my gold teeth. Obviously, y'all not paying attention to the score.”
How does he feel? “Man, ascending. Hashtag ascending.”
—Sam Schube
Styled by Kelly McCabe / Grooming by John Wright using Kiehl's.
Seasons in the NFL: One
Age: 22
Why you need to know him: About halfway through his rookie season, Watson's dual-threat skill set—pinpoint accuracy with his arm, video-game speed with his feet—made him a legit contender for MVP. Then an ACL tear ended his season. Which means: If he stays healthy, “Deshaun Watson, MVP” may be a phrase we'll be saying in the very near future—and then for a long time after that.
Best birthday ever: He turned 22 on the day of his first NFL start. His gift to himself (and all of us watching)? A beautiful, wily 49-yard scramble for his first-ever rushing touchdown.
His reaction when he found out his ACL was torn: “I'm a man of faith, so I just walked off the field and got checked by the doctors. And the news came out, and I just had to live with that. It didn't really rattle me.”
How does he feel about making it into the NFL's Pre-Season Top 50 Players after only seven games? “It's pretty dope. I only played half the season, so I'm just kind of curious what I can do with a full season.”
Where does he think he'll be after a full season? “I mean, my expectation is number one. But we'll have to see.”
—Clay Skipper
Styled by Kelly McCabe / Grooming by Victoria Callaway for VCI Artists Agency.
Seasons in the NFL: Two
Age: 23
You might recognize him as: The guy standing over your quarterback, offering up his patented celebration: a big ol' shrug. (With 23 QB sacks in just 28 games, he's become very good at shrugging.)
What do players talk about on the sidelines, anyway? Netflix. “Usually it starts with what happened the last series on the field and then just whatever show you've been watching.”
Are you a trash-talker? “I don't talk shit—like, ever. So I don't really get it back to me. It's funny when people talk shit and I'm still kicking their ass.”
On the NFL's new anthem policy: “I'm going to stand for the anthem, but I support any of my teammates in what they decide to do—whether it be my opinion or not, it doesn't really matter. They're not trying to disrespect the flag or the country or anything like that. I don't care if you say it is disrespectful. They're just trying to make a point in a big public area where a lot of people are going to see it.”
—Jay Willis
Styled by Kelly McCabe / Grooming by Sussy Campos using R+Co.
Seasons in the NFL: Two
Age: 23
His signature move: Lockdown defense (or trash talk). When wide receivers find themselves matched up with Ramsey, they rarely see the football, suffocated by his defense and the endless stream of taunts that follows. He's like a blanket. A blanket that talks a lot.
The most recent victim of his shade? Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. “I think Ryan's overrated. You can't tell me you win MVP two years ago, then last year you're a complete bust. And you still got Julio Jones? There's no way that should ever happen.”
Why he talks so much trash: “It makes me focus more. If you're talking, you gotta back it up. When you're a little kid, and you know you're the fastest in your grade, and y'all go out for Field Day, you tell everybody you're gonna win. You're not worried about it, because you know you're the fastest.”
Did he win Field Day? “Always.”
When is he quietest? “When I'm asleep. Or playing a video game.”
How to win friends and influence people: “I'm just me, unapologetically. God didn't make me to be on this earth by myself. There are a trillion other people in the world—somebody's gonna like me.”
—C.S.
Styled by Kelly McCabe / Hair by Teraino Albritton / Grooming by Chrischun Mcmullen.
This story originally appeared in the August 2018 issue with the title "The NFL's New Class of Badass."