Every summer, NFL Network starts a slow-drip reveal of its annual list, and every summer, Twitter (or X, whatever) absolutely loses its mind. It’s a tradition as old as training camp itself. We see a middle-tier quarterback ranked ahead of a Hall of Fame lock, or a rookie who played five games suddenly appearing in the top 50, and we scream about "disrespect."
But here is the thing: we’re looking at it all wrong.
The NFL Network Top 100 isn't a statistical breakdown. It isn't a scouting report from guys like Daniel Jeremiah or Bucky Brooks. It’s a popularity contest held in the world’s most intense workplace. When you realize how the sausage is actually made, the weird rankings start to make a lot more sense.
The Voting Glitch Nobody Talks About
You’d think there is this massive, scientific ballot sent to every player with checkboxes for every athlete in the league. Nope. Not even close.
The reality is way more chaotic. Most players are asked to list their own personal top 20. That’s it. Just twenty names.
Then the math kicks in. If a player puts Saquon Barkley at number one, Saquon gets 20 points. If he’s at number 20, he gets one point. The NFL Network Top 100 is just the aggregate of these points. This creates a massive "math hole" for the guys ranked 60 through 100.
👉 See also: Messi Wins World Cup: What Really Happened on That Wild Night in Qatar
Think about it. For a guy to be ranked 85th, he likely didn't show up on many ballots at all. He probably just got a handful of "number one" votes from his own teammates or a couple of guys he flattened the week before. This is why you see massive, 80-spot jumps. Just look at the 2025 list where Saquon Barkley rocketed 85 spots to take the number one overall seed. One year he's barely on the radar; the next, he's the king of the mountain after a 2,000-yard season and a Super Bowl run with the Eagles.
Why 2025 Changed Everything
The most recent 2025 rankings felt different because the "old guard" finally started to slip. For years, the top of the list was a revolving door of Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Patrick Mahomes.
But the 2025 list, which concluded in September, saw a seismic shift:
- Saquon Barkley became only the second running back ever to hit #1 (joining Adrian Peterson from way back in 2013).
- Lamar Jackson grabbed the #2 spot, confirming that the players value his "dual-threat" headache more than almost any other scheme.
- Tyreek Hill, who was #1 in 2024, fell significantly, proving that in this league, if you aren't the newest "it" thing, the players move on fast.
Honestly, the players are suckers for recency bias. If you had a monster December, you’re basically a lock for the top 50. If you got hurt in October? Forget about it. You’re invisible to them.
The Locker Room Politics of the NFL Network Top 100
There is a legendary story from NFL Films producers about the Minnesota Vikings locker room back in the day. Apparently, the debates got so heated that teammates were nearly throwing hands over who should be on the list.
Players don't watch All-22 film of every team. They watch the guys they have to line up against. A defensive end like Maxx Crosby (who dropped out of the top 10 in 2025) gets votes because offensive tackles are terrified of him, not because a spreadsheet says his "win rate" is high.
"It's a joke... content filler." — Andrew Whitworth, former Rams tackle.
Whitworth isn't alone. D.J. Humphries and others have called the list "made up" or "bullshit" because, frankly, not everyone even fills out the ballot. Some players just write down their friends. Others skip it entirely. When only about 25-30% of the league actually votes, you get some weird outliers.
Who the Players Actually Fear
If you look at the 2025 Top 10, it tells you exactly who the players don't want to see on Sunday:
- Saquon Barkley (RB, Eagles)
- Lamar Jackson (QB, Ravens)
- Josh Allen (QB, Bills)
- Ja’Marr Chase (WR, Bengals)
- Patrick Mahomes (QB, Chiefs)
- Joe Burrow (QB, Bengals)
- Derrick Henry (RB, Ravens)
- Myles Garrett (DE, Browns)
- Justin Jefferson (WR, Vikings)
- Patrick Surtain II (CB, Broncos)
Notice anything? It's heavily weighted toward guys who can make you look stupid on a highlight reel. Patrick Surtain II winning Defensive Player of the Year honors in the eyes of his peers shows that the "shutdown corner" is still the most respected defensive role in the game.
✨ Don't miss: Rams vs Buccaneers: What Most People Get Wrong About This NFC Rivalry
The "Respect" Factor vs. The "Stat" Factor
Fans love PFF grades. Players? Not so much.
A player might have a 90.0 PFF grade but if he’s a "trash talker" who doesn't back it up, he’s getting snubbed. Conversely, a veteran like T.J. Watt or Chris Jones stays high on the list even during "down" years because of the sheer aura they carry.
Take Jayden Daniels or Brock Bowers in 2025. They debuted high because they came in and immediately caused problems. The players respect the "dog" in a rookie more than they respect the veteran who is just "solid" every year.
How to Use This Information
Stop arguing that the list is "wrong." It’s not a ranking of who is best—it’s a ranking of who the players think is best. Those are two very different things.
If you want to use the NFL Network Top 100 for anything useful, use it to find the "Peers' Choice" breakout stars. When you see a guy like Derek Stingley Jr. jump into the top 20 (as he did in 2025), that’s a signal. It means the receivers he’s covering are telling the world, "I can’t get open against this guy."
Actionable Next Steps:
- Follow the "Riser" Trend: Look at players who jumped 30+ spots. This usually indicates a change in how league coordinators are forced to gameplan for them.
- Ignore the QB Order: Players are notoriously bad at ranking QBs. They often rank them based on who has the best "vibe" or leadership rather than pure accuracy or decision-making.
- Watch the Contract Years: Notice how players who are about to hit free agency often get a "bump" on the list. This is the ultimate "get my brother paid" move by fellow athletes.
The list is flawed, biased, and mathematically chaotic. And that’s exactly why we can’t stop talking about it.