I really find it amazing how NFL players can screw up these rankings. As I pointed out before, if you’re in an office, you and your other co-workers can probably rank the best employees and come to a smart consensus. NFL players, however, continuously bungle things like this, probably because many of them don’t watch film or pay attention to the other games. They ranked Michael Turner in the top 100 ten years ago, yet the guy couldn’t even move. Six years ago, Carson Palmer was 12th, Blake Bortles was 56th, and Chris Ivory was 78th! Here was my reaction:
OH MY GOD. CHRIS IVORY IS 78TH?!??!?! ARE YOU F***ING SERIOUS??? CHRIS IVORY… IS 78TH!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!
Five years ago, DeMarco Murray was voted in as the 31st-best player in the NFL. Yes, DeMarco Murray, the guy who lost his job during the year. The NFL players ranked Murray ahead of Kam Chancellor, Joey Bosa, Bobby Wagner, Trent Williams and Jadeveon Clowney.
The following year, Case Keenum was 51st. Let me repeat that. Case Keenum was 51st. Here’s what I wrote:
CASE KEENUM IS 51ST!? WHAT!?!?!?!? HOW IN HELL IS CASE KEENUM BETTER THAN PHILIP RIVERS!?!?!?!?
The NFL players thought that Case Keenum was a better player than Philip Rivers. It was almost as bad in 2019, when Jared Goff was slotted in 32nd place. Yes, NFL players thought Goff was the 32nd-best player in the NFL. Like I said, these players have no clue.
The big screw-up in 2020 was Jimmy Garoppolo, who was somehow slotted at No. 43. Here were my thoughts:
HAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!1
WHAT THE F**K IS THIS!? BUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA!!!!!!!! WOWOWOWOWOWOWOW HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAH LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLLLL!!!!!
NFL PLAYERS THINK JIMMY GAROPPOLO IS BETTER THAN J.J. WATT!!!!!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHAAHAHAAHAAHHAAHAHHAALAOALAOLOLOLOLAHAHAHAHAHALOLOOLLLHAHAHA!!!!!
I don’t think 2021 was as bad, but the players still put Ryan Tannehill at No. 83. I wonder if they feel differently now that they saw him implode in the team’s first playoff game.
Predictably, there were some very dumb choices in the NFL Top 100 Players of 2022. I’ve highlighted them, marking the underrated players in blue and overrated players in red.
NFL Top 100 Players of 2022: 100-91:
100. Kyle Juszczyk, FB, 49ers
99. Kirk Cousins, QB, Vikings
98. David Montgomery, RB, Bears
97. Leonard Williams, DT, Giants
96. Jimmie Ward, S, 49ers
95. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Cowboys
94. Justin Tucker, K, Ravens
93. Von Miller, DE, Bills
92. Tyron Smith, OT, Cowboys
91. Kyle Pitts, TE, Falcons
First of all, let me say how nice it is to finally see fullbacks and kickers on this list. Justin Tucker is the best kicker in the NFL, so he should’ve been in the top 100 for quite some time. That said, I don’t know how you can definitively state that he’s worse than 97 players. How can you compare the best kicker to the 10th-best running back?
99. Kirk Cousins: I recently published my NFL Quarterback Power Rankings, and I slotted Cousins 13th on that list. Not counting fullbacks, kickers and punters, there are 12 regular positions in the NFL (quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, offensive tackle, guard, center, edge rusher, interior defensive lineman, linebacker, cornerback, safety.) If Cousins is equal to the 13th-best players at the other positions, that would put him around No. 156 overall. So, I definitely have to disagree with Cousins being in the top 100 if he’s not guaranteed to crack my top 150!
98. David Montgomery: LOL what. David Montgomery wouldn’t even crack my top 200. He’s just a mediocre plodder. But don’t take my word for it. Here’s Kenny’s rant about why Montgomery is not a good player:
92. Tyron Smith: My gripe with this Tyron Smith ranking is that he can’t stay healthy. He’s great when 100 percent, but he’s been injured frequently since the infamous bulging “disc” incident.
NFL Top 100 Players of 2022: 90-81:
90. Odell Beckham Jr., WR, None
89. Marshon Lattimore, CB, Saints
88. Jonathan Allen, DT, Redskins
87. Denzel Ward, CB, Browns
86. Shaq Barrett, DE, Buccaneers
85. Mac Jones, QB, Patriots
84. Roquan Smith, LB, Bears
83. Wyatt Teller, G, Browns
82. Kenny Moore, CB, Colts
81. Justin Simmons, S, Broncos
87. Denzel Ward: Some argue that Denzel Ward is the best cornerback in the NFL. He’s certainly close to the top of the list, so he should be higher in these rankings.
85. Mac Jones: Mac Jones is 16th on that aforementioned quarterback ranking list. He has no business being in the top 100, especially in the wake of his struggles in training camp.
82. Kenny Moore: Kenny Moore? Huh!? Moore is a solid slot cornerback for the Colts, but the thought never occurred to me that he would ever make it into the NFL’s top 100 list.
NFL Top 100 Players of 2022: 80-71:
80. James Conner, RB, Cardinals
79. Rashawn Slater, OT, Chargers
78. Trey Hendrickson, DE, Bengals
77. Darius Slay, CB, Eagles
76. Brian Burns, DE, Panthers
75. Antoine Winfield, S, Buccaneers
74. Demario Davis, LB, Saints
73. Cordarrelle Patterson, RB/WR, Falcons
72. Quandre Diggs, S, Seahawks
71. Jason Kelce, C, Eagles
80. James Conner: As soon as I saw James Conner, I yelled, “Oh my God.” Why in the world is Conner on this list? Because he scored 15 touchdowns last year? He couldn’t even average 3.8 yards per carry! Conner is due for some major stat regression, and when that happens, he won’t be anywhere near the top 100.
73. Cordarrelle Patterson: Patterson is a dangerous gadget player who can go the distance whenever he touches the ball. However, he’s still just a gadget player, and I don’t think someone like that should be ahead of the likes of Trey Hendrickson, Darius Slay and Antoine Winfield.
NFL Top 100 Players of 2022: 70-61:
70. Tyrann Mathieu, S, Saints
69. Cameron Jordan, DE, Saints
68. Zack Martin, G, Cowboys
67. Budda Baker, S, Cardinals
66. DeForest Buckner, DT, Colts
65. Derek Carr, QB, Raiders
64. Devin White, LB, Buccaneers
63. Jaylen Waddle, WR, Dolphins
62. Chandler Jones, DE, Raiders
61. Russell Wilson, QB, Broncos
70. Tyrann Mathieu: Mathieu is instinctive and creates turnovers, but he can be a bit of a liability at times because injuries have sapped his athletic ability. He’s also in his 30s, so he could continue to decline.
68. Zack Martin: Martin is arguably the best guard in the NFL, so he should be much higher than this.
65. Derek Carr: What is this? Why is Derek Carr considered the 65th-best player in the NFL? He’s not better than Zack Martin. In fact, Martin is more than 100 players better than Carr. I had Carr ranked 14th on my quarterback list, so it’s insane to think that he should be No. 65.
61. Russell Wilson: NFL players think Russell Wilson is only four spots better than Derek Carr!?!?! LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!
NFL Top 100 Players of 2022: 60-51:
60. Corey Linsley, C, Chargers
59. Maxx Crosby, DE, Raiders
58. Darren Waller, TE, Raiders
57. Kyler Murray, QB, Cardinals
56. Xavien Howard, CB, Dolphins
55. Joel Bitonio, G, Browns
54. Jeffery Simmons, DT, Titans
53. Mike Evans, WR, Buccaneers
52. Matthew Judon, DE, Patriots
51. Alvin Kamara, RB, Saints
Nothing bad in this group. Given the other crappy rankings, I’m shocked the NFL players didn’t put someone like Daniel Jones or Mitchell Trubisky here.
NFL Top 100 Players of 2022: 50-41:
50. Micah Hyde, S, Bills
49. De’Vondre Campbell, LB, Packers
48. Robert Quinn, DE, Bears
47. Fred Warner, LB, 49ers
46. Austin Ekeler, RB, Chargers
45. Jordan Poyer, S, Bills
44. Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys
43. Derwin James, S, Chargers
42. Cameron Heyward, DT, Steelers
41. Tristan Wirfs, OT, Buccaneers
49. De’Vondre Campbell: De’Vondre Campbell had an amazing 2021 campaign, earning himself a $50 million contract. However, this was his only positive season in the league. Perhaps he’ll continue this extremely high level of play, but I’m not ready to rank him in the top 50 just yet.
46. Austin Ekeler: Austin Ekeler is better than Fred Warner, Alvin Kamara, Jeffery Simmons, and Maxx Crosby? I’m not buying it. Ekeler is a dynamic receiving threat and belongs in the top 100, but not inside the top 50.
NFL Top 100 Players of 2022: 40-31:
40. Justin Herbert, QB, Chargers
39. Chris Jones, DT, Chiefs
38. Joe Mixon, RB, Bengals
37. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Cardinals
36. Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens
35. Keenan Allen, WR, Chargers
34. Kevin Byard, S, Titans
33. Nick Chubb, RB, Browns
32. Mark Andrews, TE, Ravens
31. Dalvin Cook, RB, Vikings
I don’t see anything wrong with this list, aside from Justin Herbert being listed a bit too low. I’m glad to see Kevin Byard finally getting some respect!
NFL Top 100 Players of 2022: 30-21:
30. Joey Bosa, DE, Chargers
29. Bobby Wagner, LB, Rams
28. Quenton Nelson, G, Colts
27. Matthew Stafford, QB, Rams
26. Stefon Diggs, WR, Bills
25. Nick Bosa, DE, 49ers
24. Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Bengals
23. Trevon Diggs, CB, Cowboys
22. George Kittle, TE, 49ers
21. Joe Burrow, QB, Bengals
29. Bobby Wagner: Bobby Wagner deserved a spot here a couple of years ago, but he’s nowhere near the player he once was. Wagner has slowed down and probably shouldn’t be in the top 100 anymore.
23. Trevon Diggs: Trevon Diggs being at 23 is insane. Diggs is a terrific play-maker, but he was also torched relentlessly last year. He has the ability to improve for 2022, but he doesn’t belong anywhere near the top 25.
NFL Top 100 Players of 2021: 20-11:
20. J.C. Jackson, CB, Chargers
19. Deebo Samuel, WR, 49ers
18. Shaq Leonard, LB, Colts
17. Justin Jefferson, WR, Vikings
16. Micah Parsons, LB, Cowboys
15. Tyreek Hill, WR, Dolphins
14. Trent Williams, OT 49ers
13. Josh Allen, QB, Bills
12. Derrick Henry, RB, Titans
11. Myles Garrett, DE, Browns
I have no significant issues with this group, though I find it odd that Josh Allen fell from 10 to 13 despite his ridiculous performance against the Chiefs in the playoffs.
NFL Top 100 Players of 2021: 10-1:
10. Travis Kelce, TE, Chiefs
9. Jalen Ramsey, CB, Rams
8. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs
7. Davante Adams, WR, Packers
6. T.J. Watt, DE/OLB, Steelers
5. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Colts
4. Cooper Kupp, WR, Rams
3. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers
2. Aaron Donald, DT, Rams
1. Tom Brady, QB, Buccaneers
These were my predictions:
10. Jalen Ramsey
9. Travis Kelce
8. Jonathan Taylor
7. Davante Adams
6. Cooper Kupp
5. Aaron Rodgers
4. Tom Brady
3. Patrick Mahomes
2. T.J. Watt
1. Aaron Donald
When trying to guess the top 10, I couldn’t remember Jalen Ramsey to save my life. I thought about the final name for hours. I don’t know why I blanked on Ramsey because he definitely belongs.
I don’t hate anything in the top 10, though I don’t know why Patrick Mahomes would go from No. 1 to No. 8. I think Mahomes is a better quarterback than Tom Brady right now.
NFL Top 100 Players of 2021 – Snubs:
A.J. Brown, WR, Eagles – If you’re not convinced that A.J. Brown is extremely impactful, just look at how Tennessee’s offense has performed without him. Brown was a dynamic producer despite being paired with Ryan Tannehill.
Lane Johnson, OT, Eagles – When healthy, Lane Johnson is arguably the best right tackle in the NFL. Despite this, he never makes it into the top 100.
DeMarcus Lawrence, DE, Cowboys – Lawrence missed some time last year, but was still a dominant pass rusher when he returned to action.
Shaq Mason, G, Buccaneers – Shaq Mason is one of the top guards in the NFL, yet continues to be left out of the top 100 for some reason.
D.K. Metcalf, WR, Seahawks – D.K. Metcalf is due for a down year because of the quarterback change, but keeping him off the top 100 is a mistake.
Ryan Ramczyk, OT, Saints – Here’s another right tackle who should be in the top 100. The fact that Tristan Wirfs is in the top 50, yet Johnson and Ramczyk didn’t make the cut doesn’t make any sense.
Preston Smith, DE, Packers – Preston Smith was rewarded with a $52 million contract this offseason because of his great play with the Packers. He has 25 sacks in three years with Green Bay.
A.J. Terrell, CB, Falcons – A.J. Terrell is a top-five cornerback; there’s no doubt about that. He might even be the No. 2 cornerback in the NFL behind Jalen Ramsey. I don’t understand how he was held out of the top 100.
NFL Top 100 Players of 2022 – Snubs:
Will be posted once the list is complete.
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NFL Power Rankings - Dec. 9
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