Top 100 NFL players entering the 2020 season: Nos. 50-41
By Samuel Teets
This edition of the top 100 features a plethora of All-Pros. Meet the top 50 players in the NFL.
Ranking the top 100 NFL players entering the upcoming season isn’t simple. Sometimes only the slimmest differences separate players. However, it became immensely more difficult to rank players within the top 50.
At this point, almost every player is a perennial Pro Bowler and an All-Pro candidate. These are the league’s elite and potentially transcendent stars.
Before continuing, I suggest reading the previous articles to get a better understanding of the rankings. As always, these selections aren’t based solely on the 2019 season, and no free agents, opt-outs or rookies made the list.
50. Chris Jones, DT, Kansas City Chiefs
Jones battled through injuries last season and still earned his first Pro Bowl appearance. The former second-round pick earned Second-Team All-Pro nods from the Associated Press (AP) and Pro Football Focus (PFF) in 2018, but he didn’t see the field enough to earn more accolades last year.
After producing 15.5 sacks, 29 quarterback hits and 49 pressures in 2018, Jones found himself hampered by injuries both early and late in the season. He still recorded nine sacks, 20 quarterback hits and 27 pressures in his 13 appearances. However, the big man’s greatest contributions came in the Super Bowl, where he hounded Jimmy Garoppolo and swatted down three pass attempts.
While he’s arguably the best pass-rushing defensive tackle not named Aaron Donald, Jones doesn’t pay enough attention to the running game. Usually, he’s looking for sacks, and that sometimes leaves running lanes open. The three defensive tackles ahead of Jones on the top 100 possess more well-rounded styles.
Hoping for another run at the Lombardi Trophy, Kansas City signed Jones to a four-year, $80 million extension this offseason.
49. Marcus Peters, CB, Baltimore Ravens
Based on last season alone, Peters deserves a higher spot on the top 100. However, the former Defensive Rookie of the Year remains wildly inconsistent from year to year. Peters earned First-Team All-Pro selections from the AP in 2016 and 2019 with a Second-Team All-Pro bid coming in 2015. However, he couldn’t even make the Pro Bowl in 2017 or 2018.
At times, Peters gets caught sleeping on the field, which opens up deep routes. Los Angeles Rams fans witnessed this first hand in 2018 when Peters allowed big plays all year. At the time, it looked like the former star could flame out. Luckily for Peters, Baltimore traded for him last year, and the 27-year-old experienced renewed success alongside Marlon Humphrey and Earl Thomas.
According to PFF’s Ben Linsey, Peters earned the second-highest grade in man-coverage among cornerbacks last year. Humphrey also cracked the top five. With two lockdown corners and a terrific safety duo, the Ravens built one of the NFL’s top defenses. If Peters maintains his All-Pro production in 2020, he’ll begin entering historic conversations.
Over his first five seasons, Peters has 27 interceptions, 77 passes defensed, and seven defensive touchdowns. When motivated, Peters is one of the league’s best cornerbacks. Unfortunately, we’ve seen him slip into periods of lackadaisical play too often to qualify for a higher spot on the top 100.