Tag: top 100 players

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!

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers ranked No. 3 in NFL Top 100 Players of 2022

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, the back-to-back NFL MVP, ranked No. 3 in the NFL’s Top 100 Players List entering 2022.

For the second consecutive season after winning NFL MVP, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers ranked No. 3 in the NFL’s Top 100 Players list for 2022.

Rodgers finished below Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady. The list is compiled by votes from players around the NFL.

Over the past two seasons, Rodgers has thrown 85 touchdown passes and only nine interceptions while leading the Packers to 26 regular season wins. He is the NFL leader in touchdown passes, touchdown percentage, interception percentage, passer rating and QBR since 2020.

Rodgers has been ranked in the top 10 of the rankings eight times in the past 12 years. His highest finish was No. 1 in 2012. He was ranked No. 2 in 2015.

Here’s his video revealing his ranking:

Rodgers and linebacker De’Vondre Campbell were the only two members of the Packers current roster to make the Top 100 list. Former Packers receiver Davante Adams ranked No. 7.

Bears DE Robert Quinn lands at No. 48 on Top 100 Players of 2022

Bears DE Robert Quinn is coming off one of his best NFL seasons, so it’s no surprise to find him among the NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2022.

After a rough first year with the Bears, defensive end Robert Quinn rebounded in a huge way for Chicago’s defense during the 2021 season. So it’s no surprise to find him earning multiple honors.

Quinn has landed at No. 48 on NFL Network’s Top 100 Players of 2022, which marks his second time being honored on the list.

Quinn is coming off one of the best seasons of his NFL career, where he set a Bears franchise single-season record with 18.5 sacks. He tallied 12 sacks in the final eight games, recording at least a half sack in 14 of 16 games. Quinn was voted to the Pro Bowl and named second-team All-Pro.

With the Bears in the middle of a rebuild, there’s been plenty of speculation about Quinn’s future in Chicago, including trade reports. But, for right now, Quinn is preparing to play the 2022 season with the Bears, where he’ll be the top guy off the edge following the departure of Khalil Mack.

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Pair of LSU players make ESPN’s top 100 list entering 2022

Kayshon Boutte and BJ Ojulari got the nod.

LSU isn’t seeing a lot of preseason hype or accolades after last season’s disappointing 6-7 campaign, which still saw a surprising exodus of talent with 10 players taken in the 2022 NFL draft.

However, that doesn’t mean the cupboard is bare this fall. ESPN recently released its list of the top 100 college football players entering the 2022 season, and a pair of Tigers cracked the list.

First up is [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag], who was on pace for an absolutely massive 2021 season before a broken ankle prematurely ended his campaign after six games. He’s expected to have a big year, and he came in at No. 11 on the list.

A season-ending injury against Kentucky last October cut short a nine-game run dating to Boutte’s freshman season in which he scored in every game and racked up 13 touchdowns. While there was concern early on that he wouldn’t mesh with new coach Brian Kelly, the decision to award Boutte the ceremonial No. 7 jersey in July signifies what’s expected of arguably the most talented player on the roster.

Also making the list — and in the top 50, no less — was edge rusher BJ Ojulari. After leading LSU in sacks as a sophomore, Ojulari is considered one of the SEC’s top pass rushers entering his junior season. A leader for LSU on and off the field that will wear the coveted No. 18 jersey this fall, he comes in at No. 43 on ESPN’s list.

The fact that Ojulari was selected to wear the coveted No. 18 jersey this season tells you what he means to the LSU team. It’s a tradition that has awarded the player who best exemplifies LSU football. The 6-3, 250-pound defensive end is one of the more explosive pass-rushers in the SEC. He finished with 11.5 tackles for loss, including seven sacks, last season.

This Tigers team may not be loaded with future first-round picks like the Alabamas and Georgias of the world are, but it has a solid pool of talent to work with entering coach Brian Kelly’s first season. Boutte and Ojulari could be two of the best players in the SEC for Kelly in Year 1.

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