Razor's Top 100 Players of 2016

[RazorStar 4,025]

Well shit, why do I let you guys talk me into this stuff? The offseason is dry and boring, and I don't want to try and pay attention to baseball for the next two months, so we're going to start working on a board project. Everyone please clap, this is very hard.

 

So I'm joining the ranks of the NFL players and making my own top 100, voted by me and me alone. So prepare for bias, discrimination, and 100% subjective truth. Ladies, Blotsfan, Gentlemen, it's time.

 

Ok I lied, this topic is actually going to start tomorrow, but I don't want to completely blueball you, so i'll be posting my honorable mentions today. These were my hardest cuts from my original list of 130 players that made my "worth consideration" list. From tomorrow on, I'll be dropping five players at a time until we finally reach number 1.

 

Current List:

 

100. Ben Roethlisberger

99. A.J. Bouye

98. Justin Tucker

97. Casey Hayward

96. Kawann Short

95. Rob Gronkowski

94. Jay Ajayi

93. Donald Penn

92. T.J. Lang

91. Ronald Darby

90. Brian Orakpo

89. Jimmy Graham

88. Amari Cooper

87. Haha Clinton-Dix

86. Devonta Freeman

85. Cameron Jordan

84. Jack Conklin

83. Jason Peters

82. Whitney Mercilus

81. Marcus Mariota

80. DeMarco Murray

79. Ezekiel Elliott

78. Dak Prescott

77. Xavier Rhodes

76. Malcolm Jenkins

75. K.J. Wright

74. Calais Campbell

73. Lavonte David

72. Ryan Schraeder

71. Josh Norman

70. Larry Fitzgerald

69. Delanie Walker

68. Joey Bosa

67. Kevin Zeitler

66. Marcus Peters

65. Thomas Davis

64. Jordy Nelson

63. Russell Wilson

62. Rodney Hudson

61. Leonard Williams

60. LeSean McCoy

59. Andrew Whitworth

58. Matt Paradis

57. Malcolm Butler

56. Devin McCourty

55. Michael Bennett

54. Luke Kuechly

53. Taylor Lewan

52. Mike Daniels

51. Darius Slay

50. Damon Harrison

49. Matt Stafford

48. Kelechi Osemele

47. Greg Olsen

46. Kirk Cousins

45. Jedeveon Clowney

44. Richard Sherman

43. Harrison Smith

42. Doug Baldwin

41. Trent Williams

40. Travis Kelce

39. Travis Frederick

38. Jordan Howard

37. Alex Mack

36. Aqib Talib

35. David DeCastro

34. Brandon Graham

33. Sean Lee

32. Chris Harris

31. Tyron Smith

30. David Bakhtiari

29. Kam Chancellor

28. Gerald McCoy

27. Mike Evans

26. Joe Thomas

25. Jurrell Casey

24. Patrick Peterson

23. A.J. Green

22. Derek Carr

21. Bobby Wagner

20. Chandler Jones

19. Le'Veon Bell

18. David Johnson

17. Odell Beckham

16. Geno Atkins

15. Earl Thomas

14. Drew Brees

13. Aaron Rodgers

12. Fletcher Cox

11. Julio Jones

10. Antonio Brown

9. Tom Brady

8. Zack Martin

7. Eric Berry

6. Landon Collins

5. Aaron Donald

4. Marshal Yanda

3. Khalil Mack

2. Von Miller

1. Matt Ryan

 

Edited July 20, 2017 by RazorStar

[RazorStar 4,025]

Honorable Mentions:

 

113. Cam Newton, QB

From MVP to super bowl cursed. To say the Panthers had an off year would be an understatement. I still think Cam is one hell of a player, but he didn’t look like the MVP in 2016, he looked merely average. Hell the coaches were so fed up with him he even got denied a start this season and missed all of one play before riverboat ron pulled his head out of his ass. He needs to have another job saving season in 2017 or Riverboat Ron is gonna be Toiletbowl Ron.

 

112. Jordan Reed, TE

He’s a physical athletic tight end, and one hell of a playmaker, but he just doesn’t stay on the field often enough to deserve a top 100 spot. The injury excuse is the same reason why I removed players like JJ Watt and Justin Houston who would be mainstays on this sort of list… if I did these lists year after year. Ah well.

 

111. Marcus Cannon, RG,

Talk about the tale of two seasons with this kid. When you look at how bad he and the rest of the Patriots OLine was in 2015 with their old offensive line coach and how good they were in 2016 with Dante Scarnecchia… it’s a world of difference. Cannon got the coaching he needed to go from scrub to stud. He doesn’t quite make my list, but another season of what he showed in new England will put him on the fast track to the top.

 

110. Todd Gurley, RB

Todd Gurley had one hell of a rookie season, but ran into a brick wall this year. He’s one hell of an athlete, but he’s not moses, and he can’t part the blue and gold sea. Part of this is wondering how he’d do if his offensive linemen weren’t scraping the bottom of the barrel, but the other part is simply that he didn’t produce like the other top running backs. It’s not in me to make excuses for a guy, and that’s why he’s my last running back cut from the top 100. We knows he’s a playmaker, but a playmaker has to make those plays to stay on top.

 

109. Everson Griffen, DE,

I like what Griffen and his fellow rusher Danielle Hunter did early in the season. If there was a top 100 for the first half of the season, I’d feel fine putting Griffen in. However… the Vikings faded down the stretch, their opponents figured out Sam Bradford’s small ball offense, and the defense crumbled because the offense could not sustain drives. Instead of making the plays he needed to to change games, the man disappeared, and that’s why he can’t be on this list.

 

108. Tyreek Hill, WR/KR

I just think he’s a piece of shit, and even though he’s a dynamic threat, he still beat the shit out of his GF. And I still almost put him in the top 100. That’s all the respect he gets from me.

 

107. Janoris Jenkins, CB,

The Giants pumped a lot of money into their defense and it paid big dividends. One of the key pieces of that rebuilding was this man right here. Pulled away from the Rams, he managed to play to great success in the Giants zone defense, constantly making big plays and letting his other DBs reap the benefits. He was a close cut, but I had so many talented corners to choose from.

 

106. Dont’a Hightower, LB

Hightower took a hometown discount to stay in New England this year, and judging by the way he played, he realized that Belichick was the coach who would maximize his performance. He’s not a big tackle accumulator like some other linebackers, he’s not the fastest guy, but he’s heady, quick and has a great motor. The Patriots always seem to have a playmaking linebacker or two, no matter who they dump in the offseason. Jamie Collins, Chandler Jones, Jerod Mayo, doesn’t matter, someone will step up and put up results. Just another close call to be cut.

 

105. Ndamukong Suh, DT,

Despite his attitude, and his contract, Suh is still a pretty good player. He’s a force up the middle, has great speed for his size, and a nasty streak worse than an italian with a napoleon complex. The question I asked was do I think he’s better than any of the other guys I have ahead of him, and the clear and present is no. I had some debate, but not enough to tip the scales in his favour.

 

104. Ramon Foster, LG,

I had way too many offensive linemen on my early draft, but these last two were the hardest cuts by far. Pittsburgh’s offensive line was much improved this year, and Le’Veon Bell went ham and cheese because of it. The interior in Pittsburgh is stacked, between Pouncey, DeCastro and Foster. I had to include the strongest link of the bunch, and was this close to putting in Foster too.

 

103. Bryan Bulaga, RT

Bulaga was the last unfortunate cut for the OLinemen… the Packers offensive line was stacked this year, and gave the time for Aaron Rodgers to make some ridiculous throws, and keep their run game relevant despite the number of injuries in that backfield. Bulaga kept the right side clean and tidy in the first season he started every single game in his career.

 

102. Tony Jefferson, S, ( last year)

Often considered just the other guy in Arizona, Tony Jefferson did a great job at keeping the secondary safe for players like Bucannon and Mathieu to roam the middle of the field like raving lunatics. A lot of safeties who play in the box need guys like Jefferson to keep the deep part of the field safe from bombs. Bob Sanders had Antoine Bethea, Troy Polamalu had Ryan Clark, and Honey Badger had Jefferson. He’s moving onto Baltimore now, where he’s sure to shine even brighter.

 

101. T.Y. Hilton, WR,

The very final honorable mention goes to one hell of a receiver in T.Y. Hilton. He lead the league in receiving yards, how does he not get a spot on my list? And the thing is he easily could have… but this is a numbers game, and he just happened to be the weakest link, in my opinion. It was super close, but someone had to be the cut. He’s not the biggest guy, but his speed and getaway ability is unreal, and he’s helped bail out his caveman QB out of a lot of jams. He’s a threat to score anytime, so you better have help deep if you want to survive the Colts offensive.

 

Injury Exclusions (Would be in for sure otherwise): Tyrann Mathieu, JJ Watt, Justin Houston

[.AirMcNair. 1,232]

Calling this a 2016 top players list and including guys like Gurley and Newton just outside the top 100 makes 0 sense. Gurley was straight garbage and you might be being kind when you call Newton average, but I don't know how you can claim he was average in 2016 then put him just outside the top 100 for 2016.

[RazorStar 4,025]

Yeah they weren't good enough. That's why they aren't on the list and are just in the honorable mention category. I do say this is a top 100 list based on 2016, but I do use some past knowledge to flavour the list a little, in order to have context to evaluate how good they actually were. Part of the honorable mentions are players that should be top 100 if they play up to their usual calibre. Since Gurley and Newton did not, they're left for the wayside as it were.

[RazorStar 4,025]

100. Ben Roethlisberger, QB,

Ben had a very good season last year, but with the weapons he had, and the best offensive line he’s ever had, you’d expect him to be a little more than what he was. He was virtually invisible in the postseason, and gave up a few too many turnovers to stay on pace with the cream of the crop QB’s. He’s definitely in a decline, but he can still play well enough to win a super bowl. He just needs the help on the defensive side of the football to make up for what injury and time has taken from him.

99. A.J. Bouye, CB, ( last year)

Bouye stepped up in a big way for the Texans this year, and got rewarded with a nice payday from the Jaguars. He took up a big role and did a fairly good job locking down number one threats in the AFC South. Because this is the first year we’ve seen anything resembling that sort of play from him and the fact he went to chase a big payday in Florida means I’m tempering my expectations that he’ll continue to lockdown receivers in the future. However this was a promising year for him, and worthy of notice on this list.

98. Justin Tucker, K,

A kicker? Really? Boy you must be dreaming. Well sleep no longer sheeple, Tucker is the salt and pepper of the Ravens team. In an era where the extra point is no longer certain, Tucker provides stability. In an era where 50+ yard kicks are hard, Tucker has the distance to make your field goal dreams come true. His only miss last year was a blocked kick, so no skin off of his back, he was perfect when he had time to make his kicks, and perfection is worthy of the top 100. But he’s still a kicker, and you can’t always season your lists with salt and pepper.

97. Casey Heyward, CB,

Not a lot went right for the Chargers last year, but Casey Heyward was a lone bright spot. He was always an impressive nickel corner in Green Bay, but he really got to shine alongside Jason Verrett in San Diego. He was constantly getting his hands on balls, and ended up with 7 interceptions last year. He was even better once Verrett went down. He’s definitely worth keeping an eye on in the future, because he has the speed to play with the best receivers in the game.

96. Kawann Short, DT,

His name may be short, but the way he plays is certainly not reminiscent of the battle of waterloo. Well, unless you consider opposing offensive lines the french army, but let’s not get too deep into metaphors here. The Panthers made sure to give him a big payday, and it’s well deserved. He’s got great speed for his size, and the shimmy to give guards and centres nightmares. He and his wingmate Star Lotulelei make sure the QB never has a chance to step up in the pocket and perform. I’m looking forward to seeing more of this kid, especially with all of the talented disruptive guys in the league right now. I want to see if he can continue to overtake some of the other guys on this list.

[seanbrock 1,684]

I wanted Bouye in the offseason. Corners that age don't come on the market very often and it seemed like he was available because the Texans had to make decisions in regards to the cap usage. The only thing that worries me is he got flagged an awful lot even with that front seven in front of him and he signed with the Jags and the Jags apparently are not allowed to have nice things.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

lol at the Packers not keeping Hayward. Especially for the relatively cheap money it was going to take to lock him down.

[RazorStar 4,025]

The Packers are always letting their young guys go to greener pastures.

 

95. Rob Gronkowski, TE,

Gronk is one of the best tight ends to ever play this game, and when he’s playing he’s the hardest player to stop in the league, or at the very worst, in the top three. The big issue is the dude breaks like a porcelain doll and can almost always be counted on to miss a few games a season. He only played 6 games last year, and still ended up with a respectable 540 yards, dude is ridiculous. I’ll admit this does feel a little like an honors spot, but the Gronk is just that good.

94. Jay Ajayi, RB,

Talk about a breakout year for this kid. He found a way to have some seriously dominant performances this year, and could be a future climber depending on how well his offensive line gels together, and if he can improve on his consistency. 200 yard games are not easy for runningbacks to pull off, and Ajayi had three last year. He’s one of the few guys who are still workhorse material, and that rarity and skill makes him a highly valued commodity for the Fish. I still want to see him pull it off for an entire season, but for now, I’m impressed with his potential.

93. Donald Penn, LT,

Penn is one of those guys who just starts every game, plays well and does it in relative silence. He’s been hit or miss over his career, but this year was one of his best, being a force in pass protection and fairly reliable in the run game as well. People will point to the one sack he gave up last year because it’s the sack that broke Derek Carr, but that’s the kind of fluke that happens in football. He had a really good season last year and should do a good job making Beast Mode and Carr eat this season.

92. T.J. Lang, G/T, ( last year)

T.J. finally got the respect he deserved and got a big payday from the Lions this year. In 2016 he was responsible for the Right Guard spot, where he shined in keeping Rodgers clean and protected. We’ll see if he can provide the same benefits for Matt Stafford next year, and his positional versatility is a huge plus for them if the Lions decide they need to swing him outside instead.

91. Ronald Darby, CB,

2016 was a bit of a down year for the young CB, but the whole buffalo organization was pretty dysfunctional, so expecting perfection from a sophomore player may have been a bit much. He’s going to be taking a lot of responsibility on his shoulders with Gilmore’s departure, but he’s the kind of big physical corner that has thrived in Buffalo for a long time now, and I’ll be interested to see him match up against the best receivers in the league on a more consistent basis.

[seanbrock 1,684]

95. Rob Gronkowski, TE,

Gronk is the best tight end to ever play this game, and when he’s playing he’s the hardest player to stop in the league, or at the very worst, in the top three. The big issue is the dude breaks like a porcelain doll and can almost always be counted on to miss a few games a season. He only played 6 games last year, and still ended up with a respectable 540 yards, dude is ridiculous. I’ll admit this does feel a little like an honors spot, but the Gronk is just that good.

 

Fixed that for you. The injuries suck though you're right but his effectiveness as a blocker while being one of the 5 best receiving threats in football at the very least is just insane. I understand the ranking because of the injuries but prime vs prime there has never been a better TE.

[RazorStar 4,025]

I mean, I don't disagree, I just think there's an argument that can be made for Tony Gonzalez or Mike Ditka.

[seanbrock 1,684]

Tony G's argument over Gronk would be longevity because I think at best their receiving skills are a push. I saw both in their primes, you could argue QB and scheme but you can see on the field there's nobody who can cover this guy for 4 quarters. I saw one of the best defenses in my life time (your Broncos) hold him to nothing for 3 quarters and in the 4th he had multiple TD's and over 100 yards. Tony was great but never as dominant as Gronk at his best imo and as a blocker it isn't remotely close.

 

Ditka is tough because he's from a way different era and his stats are pretty insane. He was also a noted blocker. I never saw him play but his impact on the game is clear.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

TGP still disrespecting Suh despite the fact he continues to be one of the most dominant defensive players in the NFL.

 

Even the hipster PFF has stopped with the disrespect. Shorts was not better then Suh last year.

 

Only stats I can find where Shorts was any better then Suh would be TFLs and stuffs... And in TFL according to sportingchart he only has one more. This despite the fact that outside of Suh and occasionally Phillips, the Dolphins' DTs were absolutely dreadful.

[RazorStar 4,025]

I thought I gave that dirty player stomper exactly the amount of respect he deserved.

 

90. Brian Orakpo, OLB,

Brian Orakpo has found his groove in Nashville. He’s always been an overlooked player, but when he’s on his game he can play at an elite level. He managed to break 10 sacks this year, but he’s also a reasonable force in run support. He’s the kind of player where you don’t know what you’ve got till he’s gone, and I’m certain the Redskins are kicking themselves for letting him go. He’s still got a few years left of great play in the tank, and maybe he’ll help bring the Titans to a division title next season.

89. Jimmy Graham, TE,

Speaking of players who found their groove, let’s talk about Jimmy Graham. He was a receiving beast in New Orleans, but it took him a coupla years to get used to the improv session that is the Seahawks offense. But he’s back to his high flying, basketball playing form, catching Wilson’s prayers like he’s a priest at confession.

88. Amari Cooper, WR,

Amari Cooper is starting to break out as a legitimate threat in this league. He’s still working out the kinks of his game, and the learning curve of a WR is surprisingly tough, but he’s got the athleticism, the fire, and the Quarterback to make the impossible seem mundane and trivial. He faded a little bit down the stretch last year thanks to his QB’s injuries, but he’s the kind of impact player the highest paid QB in history needs. God just saying that sounds weird. Amari is a gosh dang beast though.

87. HaHa Clinton-Dix, S,

Part of the reason the Packers can release defensive backs left and right is because they seem to find guys to step in the draft each and every year. The philosophy burned them on cornerbacks last year after a few injuries forced them to roll out rookies, but despite all that the safety play was intense, and that’s thanks to the man with the worst name in the NFL. HaHa gets all over the field, but he’s best at playing in the box and being a loud distraction. And if you try and ignore him, ooh baby you’re gonna get sacked or swatted down. HaHa is still a young kid but he’s got a lot of potential to climb even higher on these lists in the years to come.

86. Devonta Freeman, RB,

Freeman is one hell of a sneaky threat in the Falcons offense. You focus too hard on stopping Matt Ryan and his deep passing attack, he’ll dump it to Freeman in the flat and make magic happen. You don’t respect him in the box? He’ll elude you, confuse you, and take the Falcons to the promised land on the grave of your broken ankles. The kid is a monster threat, who only lacks the excuse of playtime for why he’s not higher. The Falcons have two very talented backs who split the carries, so Freeman is doing more with less. It was his second straight 1000 yard rushing season, with 10+ rushing TD’s, and in the modern age that’s just not common. Of course, Freeman is anything but a common man. If the Falcons had just relied on him a little more in the super bowl, perhaps they’d be hoisting the Lombardi. No… there’s no perhaps about it.

[RazorStar 4,025]

Let's move right along to the next batch.

 

85. Cameron Jordan, DE,

Jordan combines versatility with a never say quit attitude, he’s been functional as a 3-4 DE before, but he still puts offensive lines to shame as a 4-3 DE. The Saints defense is slowly improving as a whole, but having Jordan stuff the run and put up pressure makes the conversion that much easier for the young guys like Sheldon Rankins and Vonn Bell.

84. Jack Conklin, RT,

Oh shit I put a rookie on here, better change that real quick… nah I can’t do that. Conklin was really damn good last year. And while this may be comparing apples to apples on how bad their offensive line was last year, the combination of Conklin and Lewan gives the Titans a young beastly pair of tackles, just like what they had a few years back with David Stewart and Michael Roos. Hell, the AP named him a first team all pro and while I think that is a little bit premature, to say he’s not well on his way would be a blatant and utter lie. Dude looks well prepared for life as a Right Tackle in the NFL.

83. Jason Peters, LT,

The old man still has it! I lamented having too many Eagles on my list, but Peters deserves the recognition. He kept a rookie QB relatively unmolested for 16 games at the age of 34. He may be old, but he’s not too slow to kick out and pound a guy coming off the edge. He’s the rare and amazing Fathlete, and should be treasured as such. He doesn’t get the accolades of a Joe Thomas or a Walter Jones, but he just puts up consistent results year in and year out. Carson Wentz will cry when the old man finally hangs up the cleats, that’s for sure.

82. Whitney Mercilus, OLB,

Mercilus stepped up big time while JJ Watt was out with an injury. The Texans defense did not miss a beat, and played well enough to carry their team to the playoffs despite dragging around a dead weight Brock Osweiler lead offense. Even though his sack total was low, he was still putting the fear of god in opposing QBs, RB’s and everyone else. Hell, he’s not even dead weight in coverage. With a name like that, you have to have game, and Mercilus delivers.

81. Marcus Mariota, QB,

It’s time to start knocking down the QB’s from this list, and we’ll start with Mariota who broke out big time this year. There’s no denying the kid’s athleticism, but he made some smart intelligent calls this year as a thrower, and that’s the key to QB success in this game. He suffered an unfortunate injury at the end of the season which dashed the Titans playoff hopes, but they were right in the mix until the end. He’s still young, and still has some inconsistencies in his game, but the Titans have given him all the pieces a young QB could want. This could be the year he breaks into the next echelon of quarterbacks.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Gronk plays like 4 games a year, I almost don't care how good he is. That's just a waste.

[seanbrock 1,684]

Peters was on an island over at LT last year too because the Eagles were forced to help on the right side with a 5th round pick rookie starting at RT for the majority of the season. It's pretty crazy the amount of disrespect he gets from Philly media and some Philly fans. It's pretty outrageous to want to cut a hall of famer after he kept your rookie QB clean all year and is still one of the best at his position.

[Omerta+ 1,206]

Gronk plays like 4 games a year, I almost don't care how good he is. That's just a waste.

 

I was having this discussion with a friend the other day. It is akin to the Terrell Davis Hall of Fame discussion. When Gronk is in, he is a phenom. He is nothing like anything we have ever seen at the position before, unless you count athletically superior older generation players that were not a feature part of the offense like TE's today. When Gronk is playing he is the most dangerous TE in history, other than Aaron Hernandez but for different reasons.

 

TD was the best running-back for 4 or 5 years and was a mercurial guy, but it was short lived. Is their on field dominance however brief enough to carry them? Who knows.

[.AirMcNair. 1,232]

If Mariota is making your list, I'm already worried that far too many QBs have made your list, or you have Mariota far higher than he should be.

 

Orakpo is also a little iffy, not sure he's top 100, but I guess it's close enough to not worry about arguing. Lewan, Casey and Walker are the 3 Titans that belong in a top 100 I feel. Conklin and Orakpo the two guys that have arguments but not sure I'd include.

[RazorStar 4,025]

I have 11 QB's, which may be a little higher than normal, but QB's are so important to a team's success, that it felt like I was only slightly over par. I do love me some QB's...

[RazorStar 4,025]

80. DeMarco Murray, RB,

Talk about spicy, DeMarco Murray was nothing with the Eagles and Chip Kelly, but behind an offensive line without a dumb gimmicky scheme, Murray was fire once again. He’s always been the quintessential hit the hole and go kind of runner, and the Titans gave him the opportunity to run wild. Having a strong running game gave the Titans surprising versatility last year and actually made them somewhat entertaining for once. Murray is always going to be the guy who needs the right scheme to succeed, he’s no transcendental running back, but when he’s in that scheme he delivers exactly what you need.

79. Ezekiel Elliott, RB,

And we follow it up with another running back who is not transcendental, but the sports media world would have you think otherwise. He made the top ten of the NFL players list. Top Ten! I think he’s good, but I don’t think he’s that good. Every running back on this top 100 could do what he did behind Dallas’ offensive line, and that’s exactly why there are three of them way ahead of him on this list. Zeke’s main claim to fame is that he can get a full head of steam behind perfect blocks, shed the first tackler and run to daylight. While it does take some talent to develop the vision to see the hole and the power to shed tackles, I still need to see more of it, and if he could do the same things behind a lesser offensive line. If Dallas is smart however, they keep their three pro bowl offensive linemen locked up for a long time. Well he’ll become a great dallas running back on the backs of his offensive line. That sort of sounds familiar...

78. Dak Prescott, QB,

Razor you have too many quarterbacks, Dak Prescott is a system quarterback behind a great offensive line. Bitch shut up I know it. But the thing about pure game manager types ala your Alex Smith’s and Brad Johnson’s is their efficiency stats don’t actually put them up near the top players in the league, they end up around league average. Dak Prescott… well he was third, which does count for something, believe it or not. Guys like Ben Roethlisberger and Russell Wilson were the same early in their careers. I’m not ready to jump onto the just a game manager bandwagon because Dakota was legitimately impressive last year, and his game can only improve over time. I do expect a bit of a sophomore slump as teams adjust to his game tape, and study his performances in the Giants games, but he’s well on his way to becoming the next great Cowboy QB.

77. Xavier Rhodes, CB,

I like Rhodes’ game a lot. He’s a big physical corner who can lock down your opponent’s number one receiver and make the game virtually 10 on 10. Throwing his way is only a little bit better than just throwing it into the turf every single down. However I don’t think he’s quite a true elite cornerback yet and that’s because he takes a lot of penalties. Being aggressive is good and all, but he hasn’t quite figured out how to get away with it. 2016 is also the first year he’s had multiple INT’s in his career, which is a positive. Turnovers are the best thing you can do on defense, after all. If he can shore up his penalties a bit, he could easily be in the running for best CB in the league.

76. Malcolm Jenkins, S,

Jenkins has been something like a bargain bin Brian Dawkins for the Eagles since he arrived. Sure he’ll never be quite as dynamic as the Weapon X was, but he’s more than good enough to dance with the big boys in this game. His game doesn’t have any overwhelming weaknesses, he’s good in coverage, he’s good in run support, he can play zone, man, or crowd the box, and that sort of versatility is a virtue in a safety. He’s a good fit in Philadelphia, and should be for a few more years.

[BJORN 679]

After next year, Mariota will be above Prescott! Book it Dano.

[RazorStar 4,025]

Bold statement, Cotton. Let's see if it pays off.

 

75. K.J. Wright, OLB,

K.J. is such an interesting player, he never stands out like the other players on his defense, but he’s just as important a role player as the rest of the legion of boom is. He stays on the field every down, helps immensely in coverage, and makes tackling running backs look easy. When you look at linebackers, you want a guy who can benefit your team on every single down, and KJ is one of the few who can.

74. Calais Campbell, DL, ( last year)

Jeez, the Cardinals are just hemorrhaging their best players, first Jefferson and now Calais. Chunky Soup has been a force as a 3-4 DE, often just being a step behind JJ Watt when it came to putting pressure on the QB. He’s been at it for 10 seasons now, and the Jags just gave him a big pay day, so we’ll see if he can perform up to the standard he set in Arizona.

73. Lavonte David, OLB,

Another defender today, and Lavonte is probably used to higher praise than this honestly. He’s a sideline to sideline defender, but I have him neck and neck with KJ Wright, so it didn’t make sense for me to put up 30 to 40 spots more than him. Dude is relentless though, and he may not always get the tackle the first time through, but he’s not going to give up until he gets it.

72. Ryan Schraeder, RT,

And the award for my best Right Tackle goes to Ryan Schraeder this year. The Right side needs love too you know. And while teams often put their best offensive line talent at left tackle, you want a guy who can handle his business on the right, and Schraeder handles business. He plays mean and nasty, pushes guys around to open holes for his defense, and isn’t a liability in pass coverage, like so many RT’s seem to be. If he needs to hold a block for a few seconds, he’ll do it. The Falcons put a lot of money into their offensive line, but it’s one of the undrafted free agents that really shined on that team.

71. Josh Norman, CB,

Sorry Josh, looks like Odell wins again. … Oh you wanted a write up on Norman? He’s pretty good I guess. His game is more bark than bite, but he can still play ball against the best receivers in the game. He won’t shut them down completely, but he can harass them, and he has a talent for getting inside dudes heads. He’s a scrappy dude and he gives the Redskins “dat swagger” which is not a quantifiable football metric. Would like to see Washington have him chase the team’s number 1 all season long instead of just a few games a season.

[RazorStar 4,025]

70. Larry Fitzgerald, WR,

Fitzgerald is just a consistent mainstay on these sorts of lists. Doesn’t matter who is throwing the ball his way, he’s gonna catch it and move the sticks. While he’s not in the elite tier, he’s still doing work, styling on chumps, and reminding the rest of the league to never underestimate him.

 

69. Delanie Walker, TE,

Nice. Ok sex number jokes aside, Delanie is the true number one option for the Titans offense. A solid blocker, but his skills shine brightest as a safety valve receiver for a young QB. He wasted away in San Francisco behind Vernon Davis, but in the tail end of his career, he’s really brought a dynamic weapon to Nashville which they haven’t seen since… Derrick Mason? It’s been a while.

 

68. Joey Bosa, DE,

While the Chargers may have alienated their fanbase, and almost lost this guy due to their penny pinching, butthole clenching ways, they are certainly glad a guy like Joey Bosa caved and decided to play for them. He’s young, fast and has some real power in his moves. The AFC West could not stop this guy, and he’s gonna be a menace in that division for years to come. Unless Los Angeles decides to short change him before he hits free agency. His Great Grandpa was a mob boss so you better watch your ass Spanos.

 

67. Kevin Zeitler, RG, ( last year)

The Browns are finally pouring some money into their dilapidated franchise, and Zeitler is a good start. He’s been a workhorse for the Bengals ever since he arrived in the league, opening up holes for Gio Bernard and Jeremy Hill, while keeping Andy Dalton clean of interior pressure. He’s moving across the state to the join the Browns, who are secretly building up a really powerful line with his addition. He and Bitonio may be competing for best Guard tandem in the league when the season is all knotted up.

 

66. Marcus Peters, CB,

Peters better hope he’s gay because he’s a ball magnet. I should have ranked him 69 to make that joke, fuck. Anyway, Peters is very talented at one thing and that thing is baiting QB’s to throw the ball his way, and then make plays on that ball. That style holds it own risks, and it’s something risk averse defensive coordinators are loathe to try, but Bob Sutton doesn’t give a fuck. Peters gives you enough turnovers to make that style worthwhile, especially when you have other talented defensive backs to support him. As his game improves, teams are gonna become more and more wary of throwing it to his side of the field, because he is dangerous. Keep your safety blankets away from this wild dog.

[RazorStar 4,025]

65. Thomas Davis, LB,

Davis has been doing this for years, sideline to sideline defense with a smile. He had to take a bigger role on defense thanks to Kuechly’s injuries, but he responded with aplomb. He’s had a real resurgence since a bunch of injuries from 2009-2011 nearly ended his career. He’s had 5 straight seasons with 100+ tackles, and the 34 year old shows no signs of slowing down. He will eventually, but 2016 was not that year.

 

64. Jordy Nelson, WR,

Welcome back to the land of the living, Jordy. A healthy Jordy is such a huge difference in the Packers offense, since no one on the field can match his speed when he’s on point. It took him a little while to get going, but he was money anywhere on the field, and just casually caught 14 touchdowns this year. Now that he’s fully recovered from his ACL to start the season, he should ball out in 2017.

 

63. Russell Wilson, QB,

Another quarterback down! Looking at Wilson’s season you could think, oh he wasn’t up to his usual 4th quarter horseshoe bullshit self, but you’d be dead wrong buster. He’s playing around with one of the worst offensive lines in the league, he was fighting an ankle and MCL sprain to start the season, but he still carried his offense to another division title and not miss a single game. This is low for what Wilson can do, and if he’s going into 2017 healthy… clench your buttholes, NFC.

 

62. Rodney Hudson, C,

Hudson’s evaluation went way up in my eyes after his display in 2016. The Cowboys may have the best line in the league, but the Raiders aren’t that far behind, and Rodney Hudson helps make that argument sound. He kept the Raiders run game churning, Derek Carr safe on his feet, and was just raw power in combination with another player on this list. The big downside on him is the high penalty count, but that’s so many Raiders, and it’s kind of a rite of initiation for them honestly.

 

61. Leonard Williams, DE,

And last we have the lone bright spot for the Jets. In a sea of terrible QB play, poor draft decisions, injury woes, and Christian fucking Hackenberg, Leonard Williams proves that a broken team can be right every once in a blue moon. A threat as a 3-4 Defensive end, but the Jets found a way to make him shine as a Nose Tackle. Finding a talented Nose is hard to find in this game, but Leonard is a true powerful penetrator anywhere on the line, and can clog up the centre in the run game. Dude is a pure beast, and his talent is wasted in New York.

[RazorStar 4,025]

Update will be much later tonight, things came up.