top 50 players – Syndication Server

Pro Football Focus ranks Demario Davis in their top 50 players of 2024

Pro Football Focus ranked Demario Davis inside their list of the top 50 players of 2024. The Saints defense might go as far as he can lead them:

Do the New Orleans Saints have a better player on their roster than Demario Davis? Maybe, depending on just how highly you value guys like Chris Olave or Marshon Lattimore, but Davis has the most convincing case of the bunch. You just don’t see many players performing as consistently as he does at such a high level so late in their careers.

So it’s not too surprising that Davis was the only Saint on this list of the NFL’s best 50 players of 2024 from Pro Football Focus. Here’s why PFF’s Sam Monson ranked him at No. 45 overall, third-best among all linebackers currently in the game:

At 35 years old, Demario Davis just continues to play elite-level football at linebacker for the Saints. Last season, he posted an 89.6 PFF overall grade, his best mark since 2019, racking up 48 defensive stops and missing only 11 tackles. He allowed an 89.3 passer rating when targeted in coverage, some 15 points lower than the average at the position.

Maybe this is the year Davis slows down. Maybe it isn’t. Either way, the Saints defense seems like it’ll go as far as he can lead them. He puts in a tremendous amount of work to maintain his body and remain in top condition, and the results speak for themselves. Davis is the one of two players to be recognized on the All-Pro teams every year for the last five seasons. He’s earned that reputation.

But he won’t be around forever. The Saints must develop star talent who can take on the leadership role Davis has held ever since he came to New Orleans back in 2018 — real playmakers who can take charge of a situation and help improve those around them. We’ve seen flashes of it from Olave, and when he’s healthy and locked in there isn’t a better cover corner than Lattimore. So far, though, there hasn’t been anyone in the black and gold who can keep pace with Davis. Let’s see if someone steps up in 2024.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

The six players who should have made our ’50 most dominant’ list — but didn’t

The NFL Wire’s list of the 50 most dominant players was great, but here are six players who should have made the cut… and didn’t.

There’s no doubt whatsoever that every player on the NFL Wire’s list of the 50 most dominant in the league today is a great player. You don’t make those lists if you’re historically average, and there are reasons for inclusion for each player.

That said, when you have dozens of editors and analysts voting for players, and you tabulate the results at the end, things will skew in this direction and that, and you won’t always be able to include every player deserving of inclusion.

So it is with our list, which you can read in two parts here:

50 most dominant NFL players of 2023, Nos. 50-26

50 most dominant NFL players of 2023, Nos. 25-1

Now, based on the results, and the players who missed the cut, here’s my list of the players who deserved to be in the Top 50, and were not for whatever reason.

Three Longhorns listed on ESPN’s top 50 players in college football

Although three Texas players were listed on ESPN’s top 50 players in college football, Sam Cosmi’s positioning may surprise you.

This year has been anything but normal. Continue reading “Three Longhorns listed on ESPN’s top 50 players in college football”

Notre Dame Football: Pair of Irish named to CFN’s Top 50 list

A pair of Notre Dame players showed up on the CFN Top 50 players list entering 2020. Who didn’t make the cut that’s the surprise, though.

We’re just 13 days until Notre Dame kicks off against Duke and the 2020 college football season gets underway for Fighting Irish fans.

As we’ve gone over the rankings of best teams each time we can find one, we haven’t done much on the actual best players outside of Notre Dame.

College Football News did that recently, naming the 50 best players in college football entering the 2020 season. In order to make their list you have to be on a team that is scheduled to play this fall, not in the winter or spring.

With that in mind, know that two Notre Dame players made the list but they probably aren’t the two you’re guessing.

If you’re like me your first thought is probably “OK, its Kyle Hamilton easily and did they go with Koramoah or Eichenberg as the second?”

Well, about that.

They didn’t actually go with Hamilton in the top 50, instead ranking offensive tackle Liam Eichenberg as the 11th best player and linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah as the 34th best player.

Here’s what they said about both. First up, 11th ranked Eichenberg:

Pages: 1234