WS Chronicle

Every year I look forward to viewing the Top 100 players of the NFL presented by NFL.com. I enjoy this list because it is voted on by the players, instead of media personalities or journalists. This year, however, I have a few problems with where some of the players are ranked.

Of course, I am not attempting to profess I am more knowledgeable about the NFL than the players themselves, but I must question where some of the players were ranked.

My first issue with the rankings is they have Tom Brady ranked 6th on the list. They also have Pat Mahomes ranked above him at 4th. I am taking nothing away from Mahomes, the 2019 MVP, but if I am not mistaken, Brady and the Patriots won the Super Bowl last season. Mahomes had a great year, one of the best in history, but Brady is still the best in the business until I see otherwise.

Before anyone thinks I am a Brady fan, think again. I despise the Patriots with every fiber in my body.  With that being said, I must give credit where credit is due and Brady deserves all the credit he has received. Brady threw for 4,355 yards and 29 touchdowns at 41 years of age. The guy is still the top quarterback in the league, sorry to say.

As a Washington Redskins fan, it pains me to speak about my next issue. Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is ranked 18th on the list, behind three other running backs. Todd Gurley (5), Alvin Kamara (14) and Saquon Barkley (16) are all ranked above Elliott. Gurley, Kamara and Barkley are all great backs, but Elliott has been nothing but productive since entering the league.

Elliott is entering his fourth season in the league. He has led the league in rushing twice and the year he missed games due to suspension, he was the leading rusher in the league from the time he returned to the field. Yes, I know the Cowboys have one of, if not the best offensive line in the league, but Zeke is the engine that makes that team go. Elliott racked up 1,434 yards rushing, with 77 receptions for another 567 yards in 2018. It’s hard to argue with those numbers.

The only other back I would possibly rank above Zeke would be Barkley. I say that because Elliott, Gurley and Kamara all have great talent surrounding them on the offensive side of the ball. Barkley does not have that luxury, but still put up great numbers as a rookie. Barkley rushed for 1,307 yards and 11 touchdowns and caught 91 passes for 721 yards and 4 more touchdowns, all of this while having Eli Manning as his quarterback.

Odell Beckham Jr. is ranked 23rd. There are 5 wide-outs ranked above him. Antonio Brown (7), Julio Jones (9), Deandre Hopkins (11), Michael Thomas (13) and Tyreek Hill (19) all rank above Beckham. Brown, Jones and Hopkins I can take being above Beckham, but not Thomas and Hill. They have the luxury of having Brees and Mahomes throwing them the ball, respectively. Beckham was catching balls from Eli Manning and still put up fantastic numbers since he entered the league.  

My last issue with the list was with where Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was ranked. Wilson came in at No. 25 on the list and the 7th ranked quarterback overall. Brees, Brady, Mahomes and Rodgers I can see being ranked above Wilson, but I have issues with Rivers and Luck. All the quarterbacks ranked above him have Pro-Bowl level receiver to complement them.  

Wilson threw for 3,448 yards and 35 touchdowns last season. Wilson has won at least 10 games every year of his career, except once and that year he won 9 games. Wilson belongs in the top 15 in my opinion.

There were a couple of other errors, but nothing too glaring. This column is another reason the NFL continues to be the top sport in America. Even when we are not watching games, people continue to talk about the league in eager anticipation of the season opener. Can’t wait to see how accurate this list is.