We’re getting into the best of the best at this point. The NFL Network’s Top 100 players show is winding down to end right in time for training camps and the preseason. We’ve got three episodes left to argue about. I really only have a problem with two of the guys this high, but both deserve to be on the list.
No. 30 Drew Brees, Quarterback, New Orleans Saints
Brees at No. 30? It depends on who’s ahead of him, really, especially at quarterback. Brees has been an elite quarterback ever since he teamed up with Sean Payton in New Orleans. Last year, his 16th, he led the league in passing yards with 4,870, completed 68.3 percent of his passes for 32 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions. Last year: No. 30
No. 29. Geno Atkins, defensive tackle, Cincinnati Bengals
How many defensive tackles are ahead of Atkins on this list, because I can think of only one I’d put above him (Los Angeles Rams’ Aaron Donald). Atkins is a force in the middle of a loaded Bengals team. He bounced back from an off 2014 where he was still returning from a knee injury he suffered late in 2013 and back into the Top 100. Last year he had 42 tackles, 11 sacks and a forced fumble. Last year: Not on the list
No. 28. Tyrann Mathieu, safety, Arizona Cardinals
The honey badger is a great player, but I wouldn’t put him this high and I definitely wouldn’t put him above Kam Chancellor, Earl Thomas or Reshad Jones. Mathieu did have a terrific season last year. One for the ages at safety with 89 tackles, a sack, one force fumble, five picks and one defensive touchdown in just 14 games. He tore his ACL late in the season and you wonder how long it’ll take him to get back up to speed. Last year: Not on the list
No. 27. Larry Fitzgerald, Wide Receiver, Arizona Cardinals
Hey, I love Larry Fitzgerald and he’s probably one of the best big-game wideouts in history. He’s also too high on this list. It all comes because his biggest play of the season came so late, in the playoff game against the Packers. Fitzgerald punched his ticket to Canton with that playoff run and got put about 40 spots too high in the Top 100 from it. Last year: No. 68
No. 26. Justin Houston, Outside Linebacker, Kansas City Chiefs
Houston missed five games last year and that’s the only thing that kept him from putting up his fourth straight double-digit sack season. He did move up one spot on this list. He’s a complete player, not just a pass rusher. He plays coverage and had two picks last season and a defensive touchdown. The Chiefs didn’t fool around like the Denver Broncos are with Von Miller. They locked Houston down and paid him what he was worth and moved up a spot in the Top 100. Last year: No. 27
No. 25. Brandon Marshall, Wide Receiver, New York Jets
Marshall had the best season of his 10-year career last season and this is a good spot for him. At a time in a player’s career where they usually start downhill, Marshall looks better than ever. He caught 109 passes for 1,502 yards and 14 touchdowns last season and was a big reason the Jets were even in the playoff hunt in the final week of the season. Last year: No. 57
No. 24. Darrelle Revis, Cornerback, New York Jets
Revis has spent years near the top of this list and here, nine seasons in, still had five picks, led the NFL in fumble recoveries and defended nine passes, even though he missed a couple of games with injuries. He may not be the NFL’s best corner now, but he’s still up there in the Top Five. Last year: No. 17
No. 23. Joe Thomas, Offensive Tackle, Cleveland Browns
Poor Joe Thomas. He’s the best offensive tackle in football and he’s been stuck on the Browns his entire career. At the end of his time in the NFL he’ll probably make about 15 Pro Bowls and the Top 100 list every season yet never play in a playoff game. Maybe he’ll finally get there as a coach. Last year: No. 25
No. 22. Todd Gurley, Running Back, Los Angeles Rams
The debut for the newest super star in Los Angeles. It’s funny that Gurley got all the comparisons to Adrian Peterson before he was drafted and lived up to every single one of them. He’s the Rams’ first 1,000-yard rusher since Steven Jackson. He’s an underrated weapon in the passing game too and if the Rams open up their offense with Jared Goff this season, he’ll be moving up this list next year. Last year: Not on the list
No. 21. Ben Roethlisberger, Quarterback, Pittsburgh Steelers
Roethlisberger is on the downside of a Hall of Fame career that includes three Super Bowl trips and two wins. He missed four starts last season and you have to worry, especially with the beating he took against Cincinnati in the playoffs, that this may be the story of the next few years of his career. Last year: No. 26
