Depending on who you ask, you’ll hear anyone from Tom Brady to (although he didn’t play a single snap last year) Peyton Manning. Or some may even suggest Eli Manning, the defending Super Bowl MVP.
Even when the players voted on the ‘Top 100 Players of 2012‘ there wasn’t a unanimous decision. While it’s almost impossible to qualify what makes a player the best, it’s still worth a shot.
Quarterbacks have to know not only their own responsibilities on every play, but also the responsibilities of every offensive player. Especially in today’s NFL, teams rise and fall according to the play of their quarterback.
Are wins more important than stats? Are stats more important than wins? Should a great player be looked at less favorably because he plays on a good team? Are sacks more important than taking up double teams? What do you say about a player who has a bad regular season and a successful postseason, or vice versa? How important is past versus projected success?
All those questions are asked when evaluating the top players in the NFL. While they’re all valid, to me the main question to ask when determining who’s the best is: Would you trust this player with the game on the line?
That said, I’ve come up with a list of who I believe to be the top 100 players in the NFL today.
*These rankings are based on what a player is capable of doing at their fullest potential (assuming each player is 100 percent healthy)*
Courtesy: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
No. 90 Carlos Rogers, Cornerback, San Francisco 49ers: Rogers posted 52 tackles and six interceptions last season for San Francisco (the league’s best defense).
No. 89 Carl Nicks, Guard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Was named a First-Team All-Pro by the Associated Press in 2011, and was a Second-Team All-Pro in 2010.
No. 88 Elvis Dumervil, Defensive End, Denver Broncos: Dumervil has racked up 26.5 sacks in his last 30 games.
No. 87 Hakeem Nicks, Wide Receiver, New York Giants: Nicks averaged 15.7 yards per reception in 2011, ranking fifth among players with at least 75 receptions.
No. 86 Derrick Johnson, Inside Linebacker, Kansas City Chiefs: In 2011, Johnson was a First-Team All-Pro after totaling 104 tackles, nine passes defensed, two interceptions and two sacks. In seven seasons with the Chiefs, he’s played every linebacker position.
No. 85 Champ Bailey, Cornerback, Denver Broncos: Bailey made every Pro Bowl from 2000-11, with the exception of 2008 (when he played only nine games due to a groin injury).
No. 84 Brian Urlacher, Inside Linebacker, Chicago Bears: Urlacher was named a First-Team All-Pro player four times in his first seven NFL seasons (2001, 2002, 2005, 2006). In 2010, he led a Bears defense than ranked second in the league against the run (90.1 yards per game).
No. 83 Michael Turner, Running Back, Atlanta Falcons: Over the last four years, Turner has finished among the top 10 runners in rushing touchdowns and rushing yards per game (average). From 2010-11, he totaled 2,711 rushing yards and 29 rushing touchdowns.
Courtesy: The Bleacher Report
No. 82 Nick Mangold, Center, New York Jets: Mangold’s absence from Weeks 3 and 4 last year marked the first time in his six-year career he missed a game. The Associated Press named him to their First-Team All-Pro list in 2009 and 2010, and to their Second-Team All-Pro list in 2011.
No. 81 A.J. Green, Wide Receiver, Cincinnati Bengals: Green made the Pro Bowl in his rookie season (2011). He recorded 65 receptions for 1,057 yards (16.3 yards per reception) and seven touchdowns. He also had five carries for 53 yards on the year.
