The NFL Network revealed the top 10 players in its annual ranking of the top 100 players in the league Monday night, with quarterback Tom Brady taking the top spot after leading the New England Patriots to a Super Bowl victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
The list, voted on by the players, featured the same four Redskins as it did last season: quarterback Kirk Cousins, tight end Jordan Reed, left tackle Trent Williams and cornerback Josh Norman.
Cousins and Reed both jumped up in the rankings this season, moving up from 85 and 77 to 70 and 65, respectively. And while Williams’s ranking pretty much stood pat, falling only two spots from 45 to 47, Norman’s status dropped significantly. The outspoken defensive back went from 11 after a career year in 2016 with the Carolina Panthers to 59 following his first year in Washington.
Surprises on the list included Dallas Cowboys offensive duo Ezekiel Elliot and Dak Prescott. Both enjoyed impressive rookie seasons last year and their peers certainly rewarded their efforts, ranking Elliot the seventh-best player in the league with Prescott not far behind at 14.
Last season’s top-ranked player, Carolina quarterback Cam Newton, suffered a similar fate to former teammate Newton. The 2015 NFL MVP fell to 44 after a disappointing 2016-17 campaign.
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