Over the course of about six weeks in 2019, I unveiled my top 100 players (plus a handful of honorable mentions). Looking back, some of the selections were brilliant. Some of the selections were terrible.
The Good
Marlon Humphrey – No. 84
I correctly identified Humphrey as a 2019 All-Pro in my preseason predictions. At the time, many did not view Humphrey as a top-10 corner, but Humphrey was well deserving of his selection.
Tre’Davious White – No. 73
Eventually an All-Pro like Humphrey, White broke out into the mainstream in 2019. He was a darling in 2017 and 2018, and with Buffalo making the playoffs in 2019, more people focused on the elite cornerback.
Ryan Ramczyk – No. 46
Ramczyk was the highest-ranked right tackle in the top 100, and when I realize my 2020 edition, he will be the top-ranked tackle. Despite receiving little love in his first two seasons, Ramczyk jumped to the top of many people’s rankings in terms of tackles, and he was handsomely rewarded as an All-Pro.
Putting Christian McCaffrey above Alvin Kamara
Kamara dealt with some injuries in 2019, but McCaffrey stole the title of NFL’s best running back with a dynamic season. Kamara is quite good, and he has a decent chance of being on the 2020 edition of the top 100, but McCaffrey is squarely in the discussion for being in the top 10.
Stephon Gilmore – No. 17
“But Jalen Ramsey is better” was commented any time I said Gilmore was the best cornerback in the game. 10 months later, Gilmore is the best in the business while Ramsey might not be a top-three corner.
The Bad (underrated)
Tyrann Mathieu – Honorable Mention
Mathieu was the centerpiece in a solid Kansas City defense. I was out of place to leave him out of the top 100 entirely.
Deshaun Watson – Honorable Mention
This is a head-scratcher. Did I really think Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger were better than Watson? I guess I did.
Chandler Jones – No. 44
Jones was severely underrated at No. 44. He was one of the best players in football in 2019, and he will be much higher in the 2020 list.
George Kittle – No. 43
I eventually predicted Kittle to be an All-Pro, and he was, but putting him 27 slots below Travis Kelce was a colossal misstep.
Putting Russell Wilson over Patrick Mahomes
Wilson technically had a better 2019 regular season as he received Offensive Player of the Year votes and was a second-team All-Pro. However, Mahomes answered any concerns in 2019, and he is the reigning Super Bowl MVP. He will top the 2020 list, and he should top the list for much of the decade.
The Bad (overrated)
JuJu Smith-Schuster – No. 91
The Fortnite star was not a star on the field in 2019. He faced nagging injuries throughout the season and Pittsburgh had a terrible quarterback situation, but Smith-Schuster was abysmal in 2019. He should rebound in 2020, but his 2019 campaign was alarming.
Denzel Ward – No. 90
I was right about many rookies (notably Quenton Nelson), but Ward was a whiff in 2019. I defended the selection to no end, but Ward took a sizable step back. He did miss four games, but Ward needs to be better in 2020.
Le’Veon Bell – No. 77
Bell was as inefficient as they come in 2019. While many of his woes come from the subpar offensive line, Bell was a wreck. After not playing in 2018 and being one of the worst starting backs in 2019, Bell will not be in the top 100.
Earl Thomas – No. 54
A Pro Bowler in name, Thomas fell off a cliff in 2019. For every solid play he made, he was made to look like a fool. The playoffs left a bad taste in the mouths of Thomas fans, but he took a step back in 2019.
Todd Gurley – No. 42
The two-time All-Pro slumped to a meager 3.8 yards per carry in 2019. Gurley was cut by the Rams, and he recently signed with the Falcons. Gurley’s best days are almost certainly behind him, but he should be a solid back in Atlanta.
The Injured
C.J. Mosley – No. 98
After missing just three games out of 80 in Baltimore, Mosley played in just two for the Jets. Mosley had a pick-six and a fumble recovery in his debut, but he needs to be on the field more in 2020. The Jets had a sturdy defense without him, but Mosley could push the Jets into elite territory if he plays well.
Ben Roethlisberger – No. 83
Roethlisberger missed the final 14 games due to a shoulder injury. In his two games of action, he was poor, generating only 350 passing yards and an interception in 62 pass attempts. In fairness to him, he played against two future playoff teams: New England and Seattle.
Trent Williams – No. 50
Williams snapped his streak of seven consecutive Pro Bowls by not playing a down in 2019. He has been seeking a trade since last off-season, and the Redskins are angling to acquire draft compensation for the disgruntled star tackle.
Xavien Howard – No. 45
Howard was flat out bad in 2019. He was marred with injuries, but in the five games he played, Howard was consistently turned into burnt toast. He will not be the only player on the Miami defense in 2020 as star corner (and fellow top-100 player) Byron Jones signed with the Dolphins in free agency.
The Ugly
Baker Mayfield – Honorable Mention
After nearly stealing Offensive Rookie of the Year from Saquon Barkley in 2018, Mayfield ran into a wall in 2019. The former Oklahoma Sooner tossed 21 interceptions, the second-most in the NFL. He just turned 25, so there is still time.
Philip Rivers – No. 100
Rivers is arguably a more egregious misstep than Mayfield. While Mayfield has the benefit of being a young quarterback, Rivers heaved 20 interceptions for the third time in his career. Am I supposed to believe he can lead the Colts to the playoffs?
Xavier Rhodes – No. 95
Joining Rivers on the Colts, Rhodes was comically bad in 2019. The 2017 All-Pro managed to be named to the Pro Bowl roster despite being one of the worst corners in football. You may not trust Pro Football Focus, but he was ranked as the 106th (out of 112) best corner in 2019. Yikes.
Antonio Brown – No. 40
Brown played one game in 2019, hauling in four passes for 56 yards and a touchdown. For as good as he is when he is on the field, he has been a train wreck off the field. Antonio Brown with the Patriots may be the last we ever see (on the field) of the four-time All-Pro.
The Retired
Marshal Yanda – Honorable Mention
The longtime stalwart of Baltimore’s interior line, Yanda announced his retirement in March of 2020. He would likely be included in the top 100 of 2020, but the 13-year vet decided to call it a career after a terrific 2019 season. Yanda might be on his way to Canton in a couple of seasons.
Andrew Luck – No. 28
I was all-in on Luck having a great 2019 season. I predicted he would win MVP, but weeks later, he suddenly announced his retirement. Luck is still only 30, but it seems that the years of hits have piled up too much.
Luke Kuechly – No. 7
Kuechly would have been a shoo-in as a top-10 player in the 2020 list, but the seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro has decided to hang up his cleats. He will be in Canton in a few years.
The 2019 List
- Aaron Donald
- Khalil Mack
- J.J. Watt
- DeAndre Hopkins
- Julio Jones
- Von Miller
- Luke Kuechly
- Fletcher Cox
- Bobby Wagner
- Russell Wilson
- Patrick Mahomes
- Akiem Hicks
- Saquon Barkley
- Ezekiel Elliott
- Michael Thomas
- Travis Kelce
- Stephon Gilmore
- Derwin James
- Jamal Adams
- David Bakhtiari
- Jalen Ramsey
- Tom Brady
- DeMarcus Lawrence
- Zack Martin
- Eddie Jackson
- Quenton Nelson
- Chris Jones
- Andrew Luck
- Odell Beckham
- Cameron Jordan
- Aaron Rodgers
- Drew Brees
- Christian McCaffrey
- Alvin Kamara
- Darius Leonard
- Jason Kelce
- Tyron Smith
- Zach Ertz
- Leighton Vander Esch
- Antonio Brown
- Terron Armstead
- Todd Gurley
- George Kittle
- Chandler Jones
- Xavien Howard
- Ryan Ramczyk
- Calais Campbell
- Geno Atkins
- Davante Adams
- Trent Williams
- Damon Harrison
- Chris Harris
- Tyreek Hill
- Earl Thomas
- Lane Johnson
- Keenan Allen
- Malcolm Jenkins
- David DeCastro
- Adam Thielen
- Harrison Smith
- Myles Garrett
- Joey Bosa
- Danielle Hunter
- Cameron Heyward
- Mike Evans
- Mitchell Schwartz
- Melvin Ingram
- Alex Mack
- Joel Bitonio
- Byron Jones
- Grady Jarrett
- Jadeveon Clowney
- Tre’Davious White
- Jurrell Casey
- Jaylon Smith
- Shaq Mason
- Le’Veon Bell
- Amari Cooper
- Matt Ryan
- Desmond King
- Kevin Byard
- T.Y. Hilton
- Ben Roethlisberger
- Marlon Humphrey
- A.J. Green
- A.J. Bouye
- Duane Brown
- Dee Ford
- Melvin Gordon
- Denzel Ward
- JuJu Smith-Schuster
- Lavonte David
- Brandon Graham
- Deion Jones
- Xavier Rhodes
- Kyle Fuller
- Michael Pierce
- C.J.Mosley
- Phillip Lindsay
- Philip Rivers
Honorable Mentions (no order)
- Carson Wentz
- Landon Collins
- Tyrann Mathieu
- Trey Flowers
- Patrick Peterson
- Blake Martinez
- Deshaun Watson
- Darius Slay
- David Johnson
- Marshal Yanda
- Eric Ebron
- Marshon Lattimore
- James Conner
- Julian Edelman
- Baker Mayfield
The 2020 list will be released in 11 parts in June and July.
