Execs and coaches audit NFL Rank: Hits and misses of top 100 - ESPN
This year's NFL Rank sparked plenty of debate — especially inside the league.
On Monday, our panel of NFL experts dropped a ranking of the league's Top 100 players based on performance expectations for the 2024 season in comparison to their peers.
The project arrives about a month after we put a bow on our annual Top 10s project, featuring NFL executives, coaches and scouts ranking the top players at each position entering 2024.
So it's only right to circle back with some of those same personnel evaluators to see how this Top 100 was perceived.
A review of the two rankings showed plenty of similarities in the order of each position — and a whole bunch of differences.
We took some of the most significant points of debate and the league's hot-button questions about the 2024 campaign to our network of NFL insiders. Among the finer points: The overall strength of several impressive teams and the overcooked importance of the quarterback position, which occupies five of the top 15 spots.
(All ranks reflect 2024 NFL Rank placement.)
The 49ers' A-list talent makes this close. It doesn't get any better than Trent Williams at left tackle and Christian McCaffrey at running back. George Kittle annually jockeys for position with Travis Kelce atop the tight end pantheon. Deebo Samuel Sr. and Brandon Aiyuk comprise one of the most versatile receiver duos in the league.
But Philly gets the slight edge with evaluators who spoke with us.
«Better offensive line, better core of receivers,» an AFC executive said. "Saquon (Barkley) will be a big piece. I'm taking the O-line. Very close. Some of what San Francisco does well is because Kyle (Shanahan) is making it work."
The Eagles have three elite linemen in Lane Johnson, Jordan Mailata and