Sporting News Top 100 players

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Sporting News' annual ranking of the NFL's top 100 players. Don't take it from us; take it from the blue-ribbon voting panel of 106 experts we assembled. It included 27 Hall of Famers and past and present Pro Bowlers, executives and coaches.


SN's TOP 100

1. Peyton Manning, QB, Colts
2. Tom Brady, QB, Patriots
3. Adrian Peterson, RB, Vikings
4. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals
5. LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, Chargers
6. Albert Haynesworth, DT, Redskins
7. Ed Reed, S, Ravens
8. Randy Moss, WR, Patriots
9. Troy Polamalu, S, Steelers
10. Tony Gonzalez, TE, Falcons
11. Ray Lewis, ILB, Ravens
12. Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Steelers
13. Dwight Freeney , DE , Colts
14. Steve Hutchinson, G, Vikings
15. DeMarcus Ware, OLB, Cowboys
16. Julius Peppers, DE, Panthers
17. Brian Westbrook, RB, Eagles
18. Drew Brees, QB, Saints
19. James Harrison, OLB, Steelers
20. Nnamdi Asomugha, CB, Raiders
21. Jared Allen, DE , Vikings
22. Donovan McNabb, QB, Eagles
23. Andre Johnson, WR, Texans
24. Steve Smith, WR, Panthers
25. Kurt Warner, QB, Cardinals
26. Champ Bailey, CB, Broncos
27. Shawne Merriman, OLB, Chargers
28. Osi Umenyiora, DE , Giants
29. Walter Jones, OT, Seahawks
30. Kevin Williams, DT, Vikings
31. Anquan Boldin, WR, Cardinals
32. Antonio Gates, TE, Chargers
33. Terrell Owens, WR, Bills
34. Alan Faneca, G, Jets
35. Patrick Willis, ILB, 49ers
36. Mario Williams, DE , Texans
37. Jeff Saturday, C, Colts
38. Jason Witten, TE, Cowboys
39. Brian Dawkins, S, Eagles
40. Matt Birk, C, Ravens
41. Joe Thomas, OT, Browns
42. Michael Turner, RB, Falcons
43. Clinton Portis, RB, Redskins
44. Bob Sanders, S, Colts
45. Terrell Suggs(notes), OLB, Ravens
46. Justin Tuck(notes) , DE , Giants
47. Pat Williams(notes), DT, Vikings
48. Joey Porter(notes), OLB, Dolphins
49. Reggie Wayne(notes), WR, Colts
50. Eli Manning(notes), QB, Giants
51. Brett Favre, QB, Vikings
52. Asante Samuel(notes), CB, Eagles
53. Chris Snee(notes), G, Giants
54. Philip Rivers(notes), QB, Chargers
55. Jordan Gross(notes), OT, Panthers
56. Charles Woodson(notes), CB, Packers
57. Lance Briggs(notes), OLB, Bears
58. Tommie Harris(notes), DT, Bears
59. Antonio Cromartie(notes), CB, Chargers
60. Jammal Brown(notes), OT, Saints
61. Brian Urlacher, MLB, Bears
62. Matt Light, OT, Patriots
63. Matt Ryan, QB, Falcons
64. James Farrior, ILB, Steelers
65. Vince Wilfork, NT , Patriots
66. Adrian Wilson, S, Cardinals
67. Lofa Tatupa, MLB, Seahawks
68. Jay Cutler, QB, Bears
69. Kris Jenkins, NT , Jets
70. Chris Johnson, RB, Titans
71. Shaun Rogers, NT , Browns
72. Julian Peterson, OLB, Lions
73. Kyle Vanden Bosch, DE, Titans
74. Trent Cole, DE , Eagles
75. Darnell Dockett, DT, Cardinals
76. Antoine Winfield, CB, Vikings
77. Willie Parker, RB, Steelers
78. Brandon Marshall, WR, Broncos
79. Leonard Davis, G, Cowboys
80. Aaron Kampman, OLB, Packers
81. Jon Beason, MLB, Panthers
82. Calvin Johnson, WR, Lions
83. Kris Dielman, G, Chargers
84. Andre Gurode, C, Cowboys
85. Jay Ratliff, NT , Cowboys
86. DeMeco Ryans, MLB, Texans
87. Roddy White, WR, Falcons
88. Michael Vick, QB, Eagles
89. Michael Roos, OT, Titans
90. Cortland Finnegan, CB, Titans
91. Ryan Clady, OT, Broncos
92. Haloti Ngata, NT , Ravens
93. John Abraham, DE , Falcons
94. Casey Hampton, NT , Steelers
95. Logan Mankins, G, Patriots
96. Steven Jackson, RB, Rams
97. Richard Seymour, DE , Raiders
98. Darrelle Revis, CB, Jets
99. LaMarr Woodley, OLB, Steelers
100. Dallas Clark, TE, Colts

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

:shock: When is this from? 2006?

[papillon]

No Aaron Smith? :wft

Pappy

[BURGH86STEEL]

No Aaron Smith? :wft

Pappy

He is one of the most underrated players in the league.

[ikestops85]

I'm a FWP supporter but I don't believe he belongs on the list. Aaron Smith should take Willie's place.

[Shoe]

I'm a FWP supporter but I don't believe he belongs on the list. Aaron Smith should take Willie's place.

That is painfully obvious...

BTW, I thought it takes 2 years to recover from an ACL? I guess that doesn't apply to Brady*.

[JTP53609]

how can you have a list of top 100 FOOTBALL PLAYERS, and Hines Ward is not on that list, are these the same "experts" who put the Steelers as the #8 NFL franchise

[Discipline of Steel]

I think Darelle Revis and overRayted Lewis should switch places at 98 and 11 respectively.

[Djfan]

You have to wonder about these things. There is no way he expects everyone to agree with him, so in light of that it's OK with me.

Still, Ray Lewis is great, but above all of those others? That would be tough to back up. And the glaring non-mentions such as Ward.

It just seems that these writers at times get lazy with their job and just go with the flow of popular veiws of things.

To his credit thought, Farrior should be on this list. Also, no OchoEgo makes it that much more legit to me.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Yeah, it is a dumb list. There are a bunch of guys in the 80's and 90's (Calvin Johnson, Michael Roos, Ryan Clady, Haloti Ngata, Darrelle Revis, etc.) that I'd take over a bunch of older guys in the top 20 that were once great but seem to be on their last legs now (LaDainian Tomlinson, Randy Moss, Ray Lewis, Julius Peppers, Bryant Westbrook, etc.).

[rpmpit]

Stopped reading after LT was #5.

Besides, really, how do you compare a qb to a lb to a placekicker?? These lists are meaningless and so full of crap that it makes me angry :twisted:

Ok, not that angry :lol:

[pfelix73]

Dallas Clark at 100?

OKKKKKKKKKK

:tt1

[Mel Blount's G]

:lol:

[aggiebones]

I also stopped at LT for number 5. He's done nothing the last several years and even less in a playoff atmosphere. He shouldn't be on the list at all, let alone #5. That's insane.

[TallyStiller]

This thing suffers from the same flaw as Pro Bowl voting. Widespread awareness of performance usually lags the actual performance by about 3 years, which is why the Pro Bowl always features a ton of washed up veterans and often has very few players in it from the teams that actually win at crunch time in any given year.