Top 100 players entering the NFL's 100th season
Ahead of the NFL's 100th season, theScore ranked the top 100 players in the game today, as voted on by our football editors. Players who are set to miss significant time due to either injury or suspension were not considered.
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100. Tre'Davious White
CB, Bills
After two years in the league, White has already established himself as one of the game's best corners. He allowed just 30 catches on 52 targets and two touchdowns in a stellar sophomore season.
99. Robert Woods
WR, Rams
Once a role player with the Bills, Woods is now part of Los Angeles' main cast. He blew up for 86 catches, 1,219 yards, and six touchdowns in 2018. His previous career highs were 56 receptions and 781 yards.
98. Ryan Ramczyk
OT, Saints
Part of the Saints' celebrated 2017 draft class, Ramczyk followed a breakout rookie season by cementing himself as one of the best at his position. In 2018, he allowed just four sacks and helped pave the way for the NFL's No. 6 running game.
97. Marshon Lattimore
CB, Saints
From the same draft class as Ramczyk, Lattimore followed up his Defensive Rookie of the Year campaign with another highly productive season, posting 59 tackles, two interceptions, 12 passes defensed, and four forced fumbles.
96. Leighton Vander Esch
LB, Cowboys
Vander Esch makes this list after leading the Cowboys with 140 tackles in his rookie season, a franchise record for a player in their first year - and good enough for third in the league in tackles.
95. Landon Collins
S, Redskins
The highest-paid safety in the NFL is also one of the league's hardest hitters. Despite a down year, Collins was on pace to again eclipse 100 tackles for the season before his rotator cuff injury.
94. Ndamukong Suh
DT, Buccaneers
Still a force to be reckoned with entering his 10th season, Suh is now something of a hired goon. Playing on a one-year deal, he helped the Rams come within one score of a Super Bowl title.
93. Melvin Ingram
DE, Chargers
One half of the Chargers' feared pass-rushing duo, Ingram took another big step in 2018. No game was more emblematic of his growth than his dominance of the Ravens in the playoffs when he posted seven tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble.
92. Baker Mayfield
QB, Browns
The heart and soul of the Browns, Mayfield is finally a quarterback Cleveland fans can be proud of. A proven winner, he turned the franchise's fortunes around immediately upon being installed as the starter in Week 3.
91. Cameron Heyward
DT, Steelers
Heyward appears to be getting better with age. The 30-year-old tallied eight sacks in 2018 after setting a career high of 12 the previous season. In the previous six years, he had a combined 25 sacks.
90. Kyle Fuller
CB, Bears
Chicago excelled last year thanks in large part to a talented secondary led by Fuller, who had an NFL-best seven interceptions and 21 pass deflections in 2018. Since 2017, Fuller has forced 42 incompletions, more than any other corner in the league.
89. Jaylon Smith
LB, Cowboys
Already prominent in coverage, Smith stepped up his run defense in 2018 and totaled 121 tackles with four sacks. The Cowboys sport one of the best linebacker duos in the league with the 24-year-old alongside Leighton Vander Esch.
88. Justin Houston
DE, Colts
Houston is still among the best pure pass-rushers in the game. His move to defensive end as part of a young, up-and-coming defense in Indy should help remind the rest of the league of his rare talent.
87. Amari Cooper
WR, Cowboys
Cooper looked like a man reborn after his midseason trade from Oakland to Dallas. If you expand the receiver's production with the Cowboys to 16 games, it works out to an elite 94-catch, 1,289-yard, 11-touchdown campaign.
86. Yannick Ngakoue
DE, Jaguars
Ngakoue's powerful hands and ability to explode off the line allowed him to lead the league in quarterback hits last year. The 24-year-old is entering the final season of his deal and could get elite pass-rusher money in a new extension.
85. JuJu Smith-Schuster
WR, Steelers
Smith-Schuster is one of only six receivers to catch 100-plus balls in their sophomore season, and of those, only Michael Thomas had a higher catch rate. JuJu was made to fill Antonio Brown's shoes.
84. Alex Mack
C, Falcons
Mack has missed just 11 games in his 10-year career, and in 2018, the eight-time Pro Bowler allowed only 14 pressures. Whether the game script dictates pass or run, there isn't a more reliable anchor on the line.
83. Stefon Diggs
WR, Vikings
Not only is Diggs one of the best route-runners in the league, but his sturdy hands also accounted for only one drop on his 102 receptions last year. The 25-year-old will be the one to thank in a bounce-back campaign for Kirk Cousins.
82. Xavien Howard
CB, Dolphins
Howard's uncanny ability to read plays and jump routes allowed him to nab a league-leading seven interceptions in 2018. In an offseason full of departures, the Dolphins doubled down on their star and made him the highest-paid corner in the NFL.
81. David DeCastro
G, Steelers
Pittsburgh's offensive line has consistently been ranked among the NFL's best - thanks in large part to its stability at right guard. DeCastro, an elite pass blocker, didn't allow a single sack throughout 2018.
80. Andrew Whitworth
LT, Rams
Whitworth showed signs of slowing down late last season, but for the most part, he remained one of the league's most effective blind-side protectors. Though his specialty is pass-blocking, the 37-year-old is also a strong asset in the running game.
79. Kawann Short
DT, Panthers
Short is coming off a down year rushing the passer, as his three sacks in 2018 marked his lowest total since his rookie year. However, he made his second Pro Bowl thanks to another excellent run-stuffing campaign.
78. Jurrell Casey
DT, Titans
A run-stopper first and foremost, Casey ranked fifth in tackles for loss among interior linemen. He's almost as good against the pass and has 13 sacks over the last two years.
77. Cam Newton
QB, Panthers
Injuries have bugged Newton over the last couple of seasons, preventing him from returning to his 2015 league MVP form. Still, he's always difficult to bring to the ground, and he's one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in NFL history.
76. Frank Clark
DE, Chiefs
Clark has upped his game each season that he's been in the league. He recorded a career-high 14 sacks for the Seahawks in 2018 before being traded and signing a five-year, $104-million contract with the Chiefs.
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