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).
No. 60 Vernon Davis, Tight End, San Francisco 49ers: In the 2011 postseason (two games), Davis had 20 receptions for 292 yards and four touchdowns.
No. 59 Jason Peters, Tackle, Philadelphia Eagles: Peters has been named to the Pro Bowl every season since 2007, including his first All-Pro selection (First-Team) last year. He helped the Eagles claim the third-best yards per rush average in the league (5.1), along with the second-most amount of rushes to the left of 10 yards or more (35).
No. 58 Marshal Yanda, Guard, Baltimore Ravens: Yanda has made 44 straight starts for the Ravens (playoffs included). While mostly a right guard, he’s also played right tackle. In 2011, he was named a Second-Team All-Pro.
Courtesy: nepatriotsdraft.com
No. 57 Vince Wilfork, Defensive Tackle, New England Patriots: While 2011 was Wilfork’s third-worst tackling season (32), he had career-highs in sacks (3.5) and interceptions (2). He’s made the Pro Bowl four out of the last five years.
No. 56 Tamba Hali, Defensive End, Kansas City Chiefs: Since 2010, Hali has recorded 117 tackles, 26.5 sacks and eight forced fumbles. He made his first Pro Bowl appearance in 2011.
No. 55 Eric Berry, Free Safety, Kansas City Chiefs: Berry burst onto the NFL scene in 2010, racking up 92 tackles, nine passes defensed and four forced fumbles in his rookie campaign.
No. 54 Earl Thomas, Free Safety, Seattle Seahawks: Thomas is the best player on the Seahawks, and helped them achieve the No. 9 overall defensive ranking in 2011. They finished 27th in 2010. Thomas has 174 tackles and seven interceptions in just two seasons.
No. 53 Darren McFadden, Running Back, Oakland Raiders: Although McFadden has only made 32 starts in four years, he’s made his touches count. For his career, McFadden is averaging 4.8 yards per carry and 10.3 yards per reception.
No. 52 Brandon Marshall, Wide Receiver, Chicago Bears: In 2008, Marshall made 18 catches against the Chargers, putting him at No. 2 all-time for receptions in a single game. A year later, against the Colts, Marshall set the all-time record for receptions in a single game (21). Since he’s become a regular starter (2007), Marshall has averaged 95 receptions for 1,188 yards and over six touchdowns per season.
Courtesy: Sports Illustrated
No. 51 Jamaal Charles, Running Back, Kansas City Chiefs: In Charles’ only playoff appearance (vs. Baltimore, 2010 postseason), he rushed nine times for 82 yards and a touchdown. That output was 45.8 percent of all the rushing yardage the Ravens gave up that postseason.
