Tag: top 100 players

Cameron Jordan narrowly misses the NFL Top 100 list

Cameron Jordan narrowly missed NFL Network’s list of the Top 100 Players of 2024, but it’s more surprising to see Tyrann Mathieu snubbed:

For the first time since 2017, New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan has missed out on the NFL Top 100 Players list, which has become a summer tradition since 2016. That was also the last time Jordan missed the Pro Bowl until 2023. It’s no coincidence the rankings and the years align.

Jordan had the worst year of his career since his rookie season. He hasn’t hit sack numbers, tackles for a loss, or total tackles this low since he entered the league in 2011. He did deal with an ankle injury, so this coming season will go a long way in deciding what may be the trajectory of Jordan’s career.

Despite these struggles, Jordan narrowly missed the Top 100 list. NFL Films released essentially an honorable mention list of the 10 players who make up 101-110. Jordan made that list.

Demario Davis will likely be the only Saints player on the list. There isn’t anyone on offense who was a viable candidate. Jordan and Tyrann Mathieu were the most likely players to make it next to Davis.

It’s surprising to see Mathieu snubbed like this, assuming he doesn’t make the top 30. He is still playing at a high level and truly settled in as a leader for the Saints. Outside of the intangibles, Mathieu has amassed seven interceptions over the last two seasons. He also returned one of his four picks for a touchdown in 2024. If he isn’t on the list, it’s even more surprising to see him not be an honorable mention.

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Demario Davis ranked a top-50 player by Pro Football Network

Pro Football Network released their ranking of the top 100 players of 2024, and Saints linebacker Demario Davis cracked the top half of that list:

Pro Football Network released their top-100 players of 2024 list, and New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis cracked the top half of that list.

The veteran was the third linebacker on the list only behind San Francisco 49er Fred Warner and Baltimore Ravens Roquan Smith. This is extremely high praise for the veteran. If you isolate it by position, Davis would rank higher on this list than ESPN’s recent top-10 rankings. Here’s why PFN’s Dallas Robinson is so high on him:

While he’s entering his age-35 campaign, Davis is still among the most productive linebackers in the league. He’s received a first- or second-team All-Pro nod in five consecutive seasons and has been named a Pro Bowler the last two. His 6.5 sacks in 2023 ranked second among off-ball linebackers.

This is the same skillset coaches around the league have praised Davis for cultivating. For the second year in a row, Davis had the second most sacks on the team. His coverage ability used to be more prevalent, but now it’s his effectiveness blitzing that is his X-factor.

His ability to fight downhill has also allowed him to cross the double-digit tackles for a loss threshold 7 years in a row, predating his time in New Orleans. He’s also had 100 or more tackles each year during this time span. There aren’t many linebackers like him, and there isn’t anyone in the game today who has been as consistent as Davis for so many years. The Saints are very fortunate to have him.

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Several Saints highlighted in CBS Sports’ top 100 players of 2024

Several New Orleans Saints playmakers made the cut on CBS Sports’ list of the Top 100 Players of 2024, but they all play defense:

The long summer break between minicamp and training camp is a great opportunity to recalibrate and evaluate players around the NFL. Who is rising? Who is falling? How has the last year changed perceptions?

Here’s one good example. CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco shared his list of the Top 100 Players of 2024. There isn’t any scientific criteria or studious film work going into this list, so think of it more as a heat check from a national analyst. How did the New Orleans Saints make out?

Two Saints players were included in Prisco’s top-100 and a third was singled out as an honorable mention, but so was their former teammate Trey Hendrickson; the defensive end rocketed up to No. 33 overall after bagging nearly as many sacks (17.5) as the entire Saints defensive line combined for (22). But which Saints players were featured?

After not being listed at all last offseason, linebacker Demario Davis slotted in at No. 50 on Prisco’s list:

He is one of the leaders of their defense and one of the more underrated players in the league. He excels in both pass coverage and the run game. The only issue is his age at 35.

Davis was selected for just his second career Pro Bowl in 2023, but he earned his fifth consecutive spot on the All-Pro team. He and Bobby Wagner are the only players in the NFL to accomplish that. And Davis wasn’t alone on Prisco’s list.

While he took a small slide down the rankings after clocking in at No. 81 a year ago, safety Tyrann Mathieu was still comfortably inside the top-100. Prisco put him at No. 92:

Even at the age of 32, he continues to be a playmaker on defense. He has a knack for the ball and can do a lot of things. He can play near the line of scrimmage and also excel on the back end.

Mathieu has been a great pickup for the Saints. He’s intercepted more passes (7) than anyone else on the team since he signed his contract, and while he didn’t match his career-high 91 tackles from 2022 he was still very active and made a positive impact at every level of the field. If the Saints had a safety with more range to hang back deep, his versatility and dynamism would be even more obvious.

Additionally, cornerback Paulson Adebo was recognized as an honorable mention. He bounced back really well from a 2022 season that was full of penalties and injuries, setting new personal-bests for interceptions (4), passes defensed (18), forced fumbles (2), fumble recoveries (2), and tackles (76). He’s well on his way to stamping himself as a top-10 cornerback in this league, and it’s happening at the perfect time for him in the final year of his contract.

What’s troubling is that all three of these players line up on defense. At some point the Saints need to make more investments in their offense and ensure they can score points when the defense gets outmatched. There are some encouraging young players on that side of the ball like Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, but they can’t do it all by themselves. Let’s see if anyone steps up at training camp in a few weeks.

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One Wisconsin Badger makes ESPN’s ‘Top 100 Players of 2023’

One Wisconsin Badger makes ESPN’s Top 100 Players of 2023

Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen was the only Badger to make ESPN’s Top 100 players of the 2023 season. He barely made the cut, slotting in at No. 96.

The list, headlined by LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, is thorough. Allen was joined in the 95-100 range by Colorado State DE Mohamed Kamara, Kentucky CB Maxwell Hairston, UTSA LB Trey Moore, Notre Dame QB Sam Hartman and Alabama OLB Chris Braswell.

I can’t speak for everybody, but I know a lot more about Braelon Allen’s game than that of a defensive end at Colorado State or linebacker at UTSA. The point: I won’t say other members of the Badgers (CB Ricardo Hallman, S Hunter Wohler, K Nathanial Vakos) were snubbed, as I myself couldn’t have named Trey Moore as a starter at UTSA.

That said, Allen did cap off his Wisconsin Badger career with 984 yards (third in the Big Ten) and 12 touchdowns (second). While we didn’t see the dominance we saw in previous years, it was another solid season as the engine of the Badgers’ offense.

He now enters the NFL Draft with the hope of following in the footsteps of the long list of successful Wisconsin running backs at the next level.

Demario Davis is the latest Saints standout named to NFL Network’s Top 100 Players list

Demario Davis is the latest New Orleans Saints standout named to NFL Network’s Top 100 Players list, as voted on by the players themselves:

Demario Davis is the latest New Orleans Saints standout named to NFL Network’s list of the Top 100 Players of 2023, as voted on by the players themselves. Davis is the highest-ranked member of the team so far, clocking in at No. 46.

He joins teammates Cameron Jordan (50), Marshon Lattimore (89), and Jamaal Williams (95), but not Alvin Kamara (who just missed the cut).

Davis earned his first-ever Pro Bowl appearance last season after playing all 100% of his team’s defensive snaps — the only linebacker in the entire league to do so. Not bad for someone who also celebrated his 34th birthday this offseason.

You’d be forgiven for expecting regression out of the Saints defense given how many moving pieces they’ve dealt with in recent years, but Davis has remained his constant. his rare combination of football smarts, athletic ability, and leadership skills has made him indispensable for New Orleans, and it’s great to see him receive his due credit on lists like these.

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Cameron Jordan climbs higher in NFL Network’s Top 100 players list

New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan climbed higher in NFL Network’s Top 100 players list, as voted on by the players themselves:

The stats might say that Cameron Jordan took a step back in 2022, but don’t tell that to his fellow players. This year’s list of the Top 100 Players of 2023 from NFL Network put Cameron Jordan at a higher slot than he saw last summer — a list voted on by the players themselves. After clocking in at No. 69 in 2022, Jordan has risen to No. 50 overall after winning the Saints’ all-time sacks record.

Now that’s impressive. Jordan is still one of the team’s best defenders (our own list of the top 25 Saints players has him at No. 5) as he begins the next stage of his career, having celebrated his 34th birthday this summer. We’ll see whether the Saints can find a worthy successor for him at defensive end, but a new contract extension for Jordan would do a lot to ease fans’ concerns.

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Marshon Lattimore makes the cut for NFL Network’s Top 100 Players of 2023

Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore repeats at No. 89 in NFL Network’s Top 100 Players of 2023, as voted on by the players:

Here’s another New Orleans Saints standout in the mix for NFL Network’s Top 100 Players of 2023, as voted on by the players: cornerback Marshon Lattimore. He’s listed at the same spot as he was in 2022’s list (No. 89 overall) despite having been limited to just seven games last season.

The stats won’t blow you away — Lattimore was credited with 29 combined tackles, 20 of them solo, along with 1 interception and 4 passes defensed — but the work he put in against some top-flight receivers is impressive. He returned to action without an ounce of rust in the year’s final weeks, and he’s going to be a critical building-block for New Orleans moving forwards.

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Alvin Kamara missed the cut for NFL Network’s Top 100 Players list for first time

Alvin Kamara won’t be included in this year’s NFL Network Top 100 list. As voted on by his fellow players, Kamara missed the cut for the first time | @DillySanders

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With NFL Network releasing their Top 100 players of 2023 list, they also announced those who just missed the cut. Among those players is New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara, who comes in at No. 103. That’s behind his new teammate Jamaal Williams, who ranks at No. 95.

That is a large drop from last season where Kamara came in at No. 51. This will be the first time that Kamara has missed the top 100. He debuted at No. 20 as a rookie and has two finishes at No. 14, for 2019 and 2021.

Kamara missing the cut comes after a career-low of just four total touchdowns last season. I would say that it is fair to see him drop off of the list after a year where it felt like there was a disconnect between him and the offensive staff for a lot of the season, especially in the red zone.

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Bears QB Justin Fields among the NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2023

This is not a drill: Bears QB Justin Fields has been voted to the NFL’s Top 100 Players list by his peers.

Bears quarterback Justin Fields emerged as one of the NFL’s most exciting young players last season, and he’s certainly garnered respect from his peers around the league.

NFL Films shared a sneak peek clip at the NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2023 countdown, which all but indicates Fields has earned a spot on the list.

“He’s probably the best running quarterback I’ve seen,” said 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa, who’s faced Fields twice now. “I think his throwing ability is going to keep getting better.”

The first 10 names of NFL Network’s Top 100 players list will be revealed Monday on NFL+, and it certainly sounds like Fields landed among that group. If that’s the case, this would be the first time in the program’s 13-year history that a Bears quarterback has made the list.

Fields is entering a pivotal third season where the expectation is he’ll take a step forward in his development. While he’s already proven to be arguably the NFL’s best running quarterback, he needs to improve as a passer.

That’s why the Bears have spent the offseason building around him, including acquiring a No. 1 wide receiver in DJ Moore, who should help Fields elevate as a passer. Chicago also shored up needs along the offensive line with the additions of Nate Davis and rookie Darnell Wright.

Given the roster upgrades, the expectation is Fields should emerge as a true dual-threat quarterback in 2023.

5 Alabama players land inside On3’s top 100 players for the 2023 college football season

5 Alabama players land inside On3’s top 100 players for the 2023 college football season!

As the clock slowly ticks one day closer at a time toward the start of the college football season, lists continue to drop all over the place.

One such list was dropped earlier on Thursday when On3 released its top 100 players of the 2023 college football season. According to the piece, Charles Powers and Clark Brooks worked together to put together this list in all its glory.

While the list is not as littered as some might expect, Alabama is still very well represented. In total, the Crimson Tide had five players make the top 100 according to On3.

Let’s take a look at who made it and where!