Welcome to the reveal for players ranked 100-91 for this year’s r/NFL Top 100 Players for the 2020 Season!
Players whose average rank had them land in places 100-91 are on this portion of the list revealed today. Players are associated with the team they finished 2020 with.
Below you will see write-ups from rankers summarizing the players' 2020 season and why they were among the best in 2020. Stats for each player are from this season and are included below. Additionally, their previous ranks in this long running series are also available for all of you.
Lastly, we have a return of the individual player cards this year with some fun “facts” about each player.
Methodology
LINK TO THE HUB POST WITH A MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE METHODOLOGY
- A CALL FOR RANKERS just before the Super Bowl.
- Rankers for each team nominated players to rank. 10 Games Played Minimum Threshold. Players are associated with the team they finished the 2020 Season with.
- The Grind. Utilize ranking threads for individual rankers broken up by positional groups. Users were tasked with ranking players within the following tiers based on their evaluation: T-25, T-50, T-100, T-125 based on 2020 regular season only. There were no individual user case threads. There were no arbitrary position limit caps. Just questions and rankings.
- Users submitted their individual Top 125 list.
- User lists were reviewed for outliers by me with assistance from two former rankers. Users were permitted to correct any mistakes found. Once complete, lists were locked.
- Reveal the list… right now.
So now, without further ado, here are the players ranked 100-91 in the r/NFL Top 100 Players of the 2020 Season!
#100 - Brian Burns - EDGE Rusher (EDGE) - Carolina Panthers
Previous Ranks
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/R | N/A | N/A |
Written By: /u/Sanchise_9
Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can. At first, I didn’t quite understand why they gave Brian Burns this nickname in his rookie year. After watching Burns’ put his freakish athletic abilities on full display, I can say I understand. Moving to the edge full-time after lining up everywhere his rookie year, you see the combination of outside speed rush and inside spin move that made him a 1st round draft pick.
It’s funny that despite only being a 2nd year player in the league, Burns almost feels like a veteran given how many rookies the Panthers started on defense. However, despite the youth and inexperience around him, Burns' game took a massive step forward this year. He was an all-around force with 9 sacks, 21 QB hits, 4 Pass Deflections and 3 Forced Fumbles. Burns’ PFF pass rush rating reflected this, jumping from 68.7 as a rookie to 86.9 this past season.
Burns is one of the best young pass rushers in the league and will only get better, both in his own development and with the improvements on the Panthers’ defense around him. It’s gonna be fun continuing to see Burns corral QBs like Spider-Man captures his foes.
#99 - J.J. Watt - EDGE Rusher (EDGE) - Houston Texans
Previous Ranks
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | N/R | N/R | 11 | N/R |
Written By: /u/UnbiasedBrownsFan
You can't teach an old dog new tricks, but what if your old dog knows all the tricks? J.J. Watt is the answer to that question. In fact, J.J. Watt is the answer to most philosophical questions. What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? Why J.J. Watt of course. Despite being hampered by the combined forces of Father Time and devastating injuries, Watt managed to put together a 2020 campaign worthy of a fat contract with the Cardinals at the ripe age of 32. But what exactly are these tricks that Watt employs so well?
Well to start, there's the classic J.J. Swatt. Watt was no stranger to getting his hands on the football this season, and he even had to show off his wheels against the Lions for good measure. And even well past his prime, he is fully capable of wrapping up one of the most elusive men in football not once, but twice. And of course, the result of those beautiful J.J. Watt sacks is turnovers, turnovers, turnovers. So while this old dog may be headed to newer pastures, he's not ready to be put down. And if you thought I wasn't going to talk about euthanasia after all these dog analogies, you had another thing coming.
#98 - Demarcus Lawrence - EDGE Rusher (EDGE) - Dallas Cowboys
Previous Ranks
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | N/A | N/R | N/R | N/R | 29 | 29 | N/R |
Written By: /u/slayer1791
On a historically awful defense it can be difficult to identify players deserving of a top 100 ranking. In a pandemic impacted season, the brilliant Cowboys coaching staff decided to implement a complete defensive scheme change and failed to replace several key players on the d-line. Even with the organization seemingly working against him, Demarcus Lawrence showed the league in 2020 that he is still one of the top Edge Defenders.
Now, some of you might look at Lawrence’s stats and say that he is lacking in the sack department. Well, I’m here to tell you that sack size isn’t everything. It is the motion to get to the quarterback that matters most and in that area Lawrence is elite. For the 2020 season, Lawrence ranked top 10 for pass rush win rate among DEs and was top 5 for run stop win rate. Dlaw is able to consistently win his match-ups and requires opposing teams to account for him at all times.
Heading into the 2021 season there is a lot of optimism that with an improved scheme and better players along the defensive front that Dlaw will get to the quarterback more. Hopefully Dlaw will build off his successful 2020 season and get the giant sack that matches his abilities.
#97 - Brandon Scherff - Offensive Guard (OG) - Washington Football Team
Previous Ranks
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/R | N/R | N/R | N/R | N/R |
Written By: /u/skinsballr
One of the best offensive linemen in the league, this bruising guard had the best season of his career and was rewarded with the team’s first All-Pro award since punter Matt Turk’s back in 1996, and his fourth Pro Bowl in his last five years. And Scherff received a second franchise tag on the off-season, meaning he will get paid handsomely for the foreseeable future.
But enough about accolades. We need to talk about Scherff’s play on the field. He sure was not the best guard – that goes to the Browns’ Wyatt Teller – but he played at an elite level all season. Scherff, in 850+ total snaps, only allowed three sacks, two quarterback hits, and committed only two penalties all season. According to Pro Football Focus (who you should not considered as a Bible, but a nice resource, nevertheless), Scherff was a top-10 guard and had the second-best pass blocking grade… only behind the Browns’ Joel Bitonio. And he finished just inside the top-10 as a run-blocking guard as well. Scherff held his own against the elite defensive lines of the Eagles, Rams, Buccaneers and Cowboys – all ranked by PFF in their end-of-the-season pass rush rankings.
All in all, Brandon Scherff had a heck of a season in 2020 and one to build on as the lone veteran holdover on the Washington Football Team’s offensive line in 2021.
#96 - Romeo Okwara - EDGE Rusher (EDGE) - Detroit Lions
Previous Ranks
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/R | N/R | N/R |
Written By: /u/mattkud
Not many people are going to understand the impact of Romeo Okwara last year on the Lions. In a year where according to this link: where the Lions allowed the most EPA per play since 1999, Romeo Okwara was still able to finish 5th among 82 eligible pass rushers in Pass Rush Productivity (Pressures per Pass Rush), 8th in sacks, and 5th in pressures.
He was able to achieve this while being next to one of the worst IDLs in the league. The Lions highest graded IDL was Da'Shawn Hand at 65.8 (62/139). The rest: Kevin Strong 133/139, John Penisini 130/139, Danny Shelton 114/139, and Nick Williams 71/139. On the other side for EDGE, Trey Flowers only played 7 games and only generated 13 pressures, but graded well at 83.3, outside of that he had Everson Griffin (67/124), Christian Jones (121/124) and Austin Bryant (102/124).
Romeo had 0 help and with Patricia as coach, the worst graded secondary in the league, and the worst LB group (Tavai/Jarrad Davis), it just makes those numbers even more impressive.
Now down to his actual play. Brandon Thorn, the OL/DL guru, had Romeo Okwara as his third most underrated EDGE of 2020. Also according to Brandon Thorn he had Romeo Okwara as having the 5th best sack score, where he graded each sack each EDGE had on the year only behind Myles Garrett, Haason Reddick, TJ Watt and Zad Smith.
Here is a pressure vs Ryan Ramczyk where he uses quick hands to disrupt Brees. Another pressure vs Tunsil where bullrushes him into Deshaun Watson. Here he uses a nice swim move on PFF's 5th highest graded tackle DJ Humphries to get the sack. He has great speed that most tackles have trouble containing. He also uses great anticipation of the opposing OT (this is probably on Tannehill but found it cool anyways). He's also great at getting sacks when needed too. This play here basically clinched a W against Chicago. Did I mention he can do this on special teams too? He blocked a punt vs Minnesota and also blocked a field goal this season as well.
Romeo Okwara was one of the most underrated EDGE of the year and has a rightful place in this Top 100.
#95 - Bryce Callahan - Cornerback (CB) - Denver Broncos
Previous Ranks
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/R | N/R | N/R | N/R | N/R |
Written By: /u/HungryCheeseMonster
Entering the 2020 season, cornerback was one of the biggest concerns for the Broncos. With a combination of aging vets and rookies, it was a disaster. The Broncos fielded some of the worst cornerback play in the NFL last year, especially after injuries began to pile-up. However, there was one bright spot at the position – Bryce Callahan. After signing a three-year contract with the Broncos, Callahan proceeded to miss the entire 2019 season and left Broncos fans saying that he didn’t even exist. In 2020, Callahan put those jokes to rest as he played at a level that would fit right in with the No Fly Zone.
Callahan allowed the lowest passer rating in coverage of any cornerback in the NFL at 47.8. Better than Ramsey. Better than Howard. Better than Alexander. Callahan had a slow start to the year, allowing an 80% completion percentage the first two weeks of the season. From there, he locked down everyone he covered. The highlights of his season were our week six matchup against New England where he allowed -2 yards in coverage, and our week 8 matchup against the Chargers. In that game, he allowed 2 receptions for 7 yards, along with the game-saving interception of Justin Herbert in the end-zone that made the Broncos 21-point comeback possible. Callahan played so well in close wins against New England, LA, and Miami, we legitimately would have gone 2-14 without him.
Going back to the stats, Callahan allowed a meager 20 receiving yards per game on the season and only 6.6 yards per catch. The longest pass he gave up all year? 19 yards. He also didn’t give up a touchdown in coverage. Callahan was the best slot corner in 2020 and it’s not even close. He allowed 6 receptions in 120 coverage snaps in the slot. When targeting Callahan in slot coverage, QBs had a 10.7 passer rating. The passer rating for throwing the ball at the ground every play would be 39.6. That’s absolutely insane.
Seeing this, you may wonder why Callahan isn’t ranked higher in the top 100. Unfortunately, he couldn’t escape the injuries that have
plagued his career, only playing in 10 games. When you only play 10 games in two years, it leads your team to sign two new cornerbacks in free agency and use the ninth overall pick on another one. With his injury history, it’s likely 2021 is Callahan’s last season in Denver, but it was fun watching him when healthy.
#94 - Chase Young - EDGE Rusher (EDGE) - Washington Football Team
Previous Ranks
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Written By: /u/skinsballr
The one people dub, “The Predator”. Young feasted on opposing backfields much like Kelvin Benjamin feasts on all-you-can-eat barbecues. The reigning Defensive Rookie Player of the Year finished the season with 6 sacks, 40 pressures, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and only one missed tackle all year. Decent, not eye-popping numbers, but a building block for a potential future DPOY.
Young has all the tools to become that next Michael Strahan or DeMarcus Ware – a premier franchise cornerstone pass-rusher – the only problems were injury (missed one game and was limited in others with a painful groin strain early in the season), the lack of a signature move (like Von Miller’s speed rush or Dwight Freeney’s spin movie), and oftentimes using the wrong combination of moves at inopportune times.
But it was late in the season where Young shined the brightest and put most of his tools in his proverbial toolbox to work. Young’s signature game against the San Francisco 49ers in week 14 (when he won Defensive Player of the Week honors with a sack, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown) showed how one defender can change the fortunes of a game, and a season. His weaker bull-rush early on in 2020 became more effective over the last four weeks of the regular season, as his sack percentage (1.2% to 1.4%), hurry percentage (5.2% to 7.9%) and pressure percentage (7.1% to 12.1%) all significantly increased compared to the first 13 weeks of the regular season.
What I have not mentioned yet is that Chase Young is a very underrated run-stopper, as his football IQ and playstyle in this department belongs among the league’s best for elite pass rushers. According to PFF, his 80 grade as a run defender ranks higher than that of DeMarcus Lawrence, Myles Garrett, Shaquil Barrett and Za’Darius Smith, among others. Only edge rushers like Khalil Mack, the Watt brothers and Joey Bosa ranked higher. And Young was only a rookie, so the potential is limitless for this future All-Pro.
Am I getting ahead of myself as a homer, placing The Predator as a future Defensive Player of the Year and All-Pro after a great (but not elite) season? Sure. But it is Young’s inconsistency as a young defender (pun intended!) that held him back last season. As such, a 94 overall ranking on r/NFL’s Top 100 list this year sounds like a reasonable placement.
#93 - Keenan Allen - Wide Receiver (WR) - Los Angeles Chargers
Previous Ranks
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | N/R | N/R | N/R | N/R | 39 | 82 | 86 |
Written By: /u/BigLewi
Forever reliable, Keenan Allen made Justin Herbert's surprise transition into a starting NFL QB a breeze. Unbelievable footwork paired with sure hands, Allen's dominance over the middle of the field is a true art form when you consider his lack of straight-line speed compared to many of the other elite receivers in the NFL. Crisp footwork combined with strong body control off the line makes his release at the snap extremely difficult to read. Knowing this, Allen routinely shifts his opposing DB’s weight to the wrong side of his break, allowing for Herbert to have a consistent safety blanket in the short-to-intermediate levels.
Although finishing under 1000 yards for the first time since he tore his ACL in 2016, Allen still managed to catch 100 of his 147 targets, good for 7th in the NFL. Success on 3rd Down was another area Allen thrived in, leading the league with 28 receptions resulting in a 1st Down. Though he only played 14 games and missed large portions of 2 others, Keenan Allen finished in the top 10 for first downs, receptions per game and yards after catch for all Wide Receivers. Regarded as one of the premier route runners in the league, Allen has a huge opportunity to build on his strengths and continue to be a favourite target for Justin Herbert for a number of years to come. Overall, there are no numbers that will tell you Keenan Allen’s true value, sometimes you just have to let the tape do the talking.
#92 - Rodney Hudson - Center (OC) - Las Vegas Raiders
Previous Ranks
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/R | N/R | N/R | N/R | 90 | 82 | 43 | 31 |
Written By: /u/Beehay
Rodney Hudson is consistently dominant at a key position to the point where it's expected.
He's gone multiple seasons in between giving up sacks. Insane.
He allows pressures on only 1.3% of snaps. Absurd.
He has averaged only a sack per season. Another adjective.
In the offseason he was traded from Vegas to Phoenix in a surprising move to most. He trades the guard pairing of Gabe Jackson and Richie Incognito for Justin Pugh (who has been entirely disappointing in the desert) and Justin Murray/Brian Winters (bleak). It will be interesting to see if he keeps his level of play in a new offense, with a different supporting cast. If he does, the Cardinals will be drastically better due to decades of anemic line play (outside of DJ Humphries last year, rank him higher cowards!).
#91 - Adrian Amos - Safety (SAF) - Green Bay Packers
Previous Ranks
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/R | N/R | 86 | 93 | N/R |
Written By: /u/JinterIsComing
Hello there. You may notice that I am not a Packers fan, and yet I am still writing up a Packers player. This is, of course, due to the relative paucity of players that the rightful lords of the NFL, my New England Patriots, have on this esteemed list for this past season. BUT KNOW THAT WE WILL BE BACK AND YOU WILL WEEP BITTER TEARS AS WE RIP AND TEAR THROUGH THE-
Ahem, sorry, my Masshole tendencies got the best of me. Let us move on.
Despite a heartbreaker of a loss in the NFCCG to the Tompa Bay Gronkaneers and their immortal GOAT of a QB, and the image of Kevin King playing his patented Cover Zero People defense against Scotty Miller, Green Bay actually had the #7 ranked defense against the pass last year. Even with the regression of the Brothers Smith in the pass rush, the secondary was ably propped up most of the time by two absolute stalwarts in CB Jaire Alexander, and my subject, safety Adrian Amos.
Amos is a versatile, hard-nosed safety who's started 88 of 92 games he has appeared in since entering the league in 2016 with the Bears. In 2020, he was all over the field for the Packers and played extremely well down the stretch. His 71.7 QB Rating against was 4th best in the league behind only Bates, Hyde and Fitzpatrick despite having more targets thrown at him (42) than both Hyde and Fitzpatrick combined (19 and 18 respectively).
He allowed only a 62% completion rate against him and gave up only two TDs on the 42 targets while picking off a pair of passes and tying for 3rd in the league with seven PBUs from the safety position. On 12 pass rush snaps, he even contributed a pair of sacks. As Green Bay looks forward to a dark, unknown future with the Aaron Rodgers saga still playing out, they may at least take comfort in knowing that Amos and Alexander continue to be foundational pieces in the secondary for them.
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