Nos. 40-31 on the top 100 NFL players entering 2020 feature two of the league’s best safeties and defensive tackles.
Injuries, poor supporting casts, and plenty of other unpredictable factors alter how players perform year-to-year. However, these NFL superstars almost always maintain high levels of play.
Even in the worst situations, the top 40 players can produce All-Pro numbers and sometimes drag their teams to victories.
The previous edition of the top 100 marked an incursion into the league’s elite class. However, the upcoming group only features stars who rank among the top four or five players at their positions. It’s a whole new ball game.
40. Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
A dominating 6-5, 231-pound receiver, Evans recorded his sixth consecutive 1,000-yard season in 2019. Despite instability at Tampa Bay’s quarterback position, Evans hasn’t dipped below 1,000 yards in a season since entering the NFL. The former seventh overall pick flashed his true potential in 2018, hauling in 86 receptions for 1,524 yards and eight touchdowns.
The sports pundits remain mixed on where Evans belongs in the wide receiver hierarchy. Most acknowledge that he belongs in the top ten, but they can’t agree on much after that. Evans only has three Pro Bowl appearances despite producing at the same rate as A.J. Green, who opened his career with seven consecutive Pro Bowl bids.
Throughout his career, Evans is averaging 5.1 receptions and 80.7 receiving yards per game. Pro Football Focus (PFF) gave him a First-Team All-Pro nod in 2016 and a Second-Team All-Pro selection this past season. The Associated Press (AP) hasn’t rewarded Evans since 2016, when he received a Second-Team All-Pro selection.
With Tom Brady moving to Tampa Bay, we’ll see if Evans can elevate his game.
39. Lavonte David, ILB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
David only has one Pro Bowl appearance and two total All-Pro selections from the AP. It’s disgraceful considering the 30-year-old’s accomplishments on the field. He should have a résumé on par with New York’s C.J. Mosley at the very least. The London Fletcher of his generation, David isn’t celebrated enough for his success since entering the NFL in 2012.
During his first eight seasons, David played in 121 games, amassing 1,008 tackles, 116 tackles for loss, 22.5 sacks, 21 forced fumbles, 14 fumble recoveries, 11 interceptions, 45 passes defensed and three defensive touchdowns. To put that in perspective, Luke Kuechly compiled 1,092 tackles, 75 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, 18 interceptions, and seven forced fumbles in 118 games.
David’s numbers even match up well with Bobby Wagner’s. The superstar Seahawks linebacker tallied 1,075 tackles, 58 tackles for loss, 19.5 sacks, ten interceptions, and five forced fumbles during his first 119 games. While gold jackets await Kuechly and Wagner, David continues getting overlooked because he plays in a small market, on a losing team.