Depending on who you ask, you’ll hear anyone from Tom Brady to (although he didn’t play a single snap last year) Peyton Manning. Or some may even suggest Eli Manning, the defending Super Bowl MVP.
Even when the players voted on the ‘Top 100 Players of 2012‘ there wasn’t a unanimous decision. While it’s almost impossible to qualify what makes a player the best, it’s still worth a shot.
Quarterbacks have to know not only their own responsibilities on every play, but also the responsibilities of every offensive player. Especially in today’s NFL, teams rise and fall according to the play of their quarterback.
Are wins more important than stats? Are stats more important than wins? Should a great player be looked at less favorably because he plays on a good team? Are sacks more important than taking up double teams? What do you say about a player who has a bad regular season and a successful postseason, or vice versa? How important is past versus projected success?
All those questions are asked when evaluating the top players in the NFL. While they’re all valid, to me the main question to ask when determining who’s the best is: Would you trust this player with the game on the line?
That said, I’ve come up with a list of who I believe to be the top 100 players in the NFL today.
*These rankings are based on what a player is capable of doing at their fullest potential (assuming each player is 100 percent healthy).
Courtesy: ESPN
No. 80 Justin Tuck, Defensive End, New York Giants: From 2007-10, Tuck registered 39.5 sacks in 49 starts.
No. 79 Joe Staley, Tackle, San Francisco 49ers: In 2011, Staley helped the 49ers finish eighth in the league in rushing (127.8 yards per game), while also finishing sixth in the league in runs to the left of 10 yards or more (26).
No. 78 Von Miller, Defensive End, Denver Broncos: Miller was named a Second-Team All-Pro after his first year in the league (2011). He had 51 tackles, 11.5 sacks and three forced fumbles in 15 games played.
No. 77 Joe Thomas, Tackle, Cleveland Browns: In his five NFL seasons, Thomas has made the Pro Bowl each year and has been a First-Team All-Pro each year since 2009. Since he came into the league, Thomas has started every game in which he’s played (80 out of 80).
Courtesy: David Martin/Associated Press
No. 76 Michael Vick, Quarterback, Philadelphia Eagles: For his career, Vick averages more yards per carry (7.2) than yards per pass attempt (7.1). In 2010, the Associated Press named him the Comeback Player of the Year. Since 2010, Vick has averaged 12.7 yards each time he rushes or passes.
No. 75 Dwayne Bowe, Wide Receiver, Kansas City Chiefs: Bowe led the NFL in receiving touchdowns (15) for the 2010 season. He averaged 16.1 yards per reception that season, ranking third most among players with at least 70 receptions.
No. 74 Vincent Jackson, Wide Receiver, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: In seven seasons, Jackson has never averaged less than 15.2 yards per reception in a given year (has a career 17.5 yards per reception average).
No. 73 Nnamdi Asomugha, Cornerback, Philadelphia Eagles: Since 2006, Asomugha has led his defenses to nothing worse than a 10th place ranking in pass defense (including ranking second in 2010 and first in 2008).
No. 72 Patrick Peterson, Cornerback, Arizona Cardinals: Was a First-Team All-Pro in his rookie season (2011). Peterson also returned four punts for touchdowns during his rookie campaign, including the second-longest punt return of all-time (a game-winning, 99-yard punt return against the Rams in Week 9).
No. 71 Roddy White, Wide Receiver, Atlanta Falcons: Since 2007, White has caught at least 80 passes for at least 1,150 yards each season.
