JKFOOTBALL Top 100 Players for 2023: 80-61

 After kicking off the top 100 with a bang with the first 20 players the other day, we will continue to get down to the good stuff as we release another 20 here with players 80-61! Here we go.

80. Brian Burns, Edge Rusher, Carolina Panthers | LAST YEAR: #94 |

2022 stats: 63 total tackles, 12.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 3 pass deflections

Our second riser of the top 100 to this point: Brian Burns. After a 9 sack 2021, everyone knew Burns was ascending into one of the game's better pass rushers. He debuted on the list at 94 last season as I could see him building on that season and rising higher in 2022. That is exactly what he did, breaking the double digit sack mark for the first time in his young career with a whopping 12.5 along with 3 pass deflections and a forced fumble. While there was not much positive on the field in 2022 for the Panthers, Burns was certainly a lone bright spot. His mix of power and athleticism is so fun to watch and he is clearly becoming one of the best DL in the sport. Burns is just 25 and has not even entered his true prime yet. Could 2023 be a DPOY candidate worthy season? Time will tell. 

79. Tee Higgins, Wide Receiver, Cincinnati Bengals | LAST YEAR: N/A |

2022 stats: 74 receptions for 1,029 yards, 7 TDs receiving

After being pegged by me as a 'just missed' on last year's top 100, Higgins went crazy in 2022 and proved to me (and much of the NFL world) that he is one of the best players in the game, easily warranting a spot on the top 100. Higgins has easily proven that he is amongst the top 3 no. 2 wideouts in the game. Higgins recorded his second straight 1000 yard, 6+ TD season and it was on the back of making some of the most absurd circus catches you will ever see on a week to week basis. There is not a better jump ball receiver in the game probably. With Joe Burrow throwing the ball and running routes alongside the electric Ja'Marr Chase, Higgins is set to be a stud for years to come. At just 24 years old, Higgins is really only approaching his prime and should have a crazy ceiling he has not even yet discovered. This is one of the most underrated players in the game, and he finally makes his JKFOOTBALL Top 100 debut at the ripe spot of #79 heading into 2023.

78. Alvin Kamara, Running Back, New Orleans Saints | LAST YEAR: #44 |

2022 stats: 223 carries for 897 yards, 2 TDs rushing | 57 receptions for 490 yards, 2 TDs receiving

Another 1000+ scrimmage yard season for one of the most versatile RBs in the NFL in 2022. Alvin Kamara had his fair share of off the field concerns and injuries he played through, but there remains no denying just how electric this guy is with the ball in his hands no matter how you cut it. I will say, it was probably the worst season of the 27 year old former OROY's career, but the numbers show that bad for Kamara would be the wildest dreams of another player. There is some uncertainty with AK going into 2023, it appears he avoided suspension but it could still happen. He also will now cede some of his goal-line opportunities to the talented Jamaal Williams who the Saints brought in during FA. Kamara is in his golden years right now and he has never really let us down in terms of his play. I dropped him down on my list a bit this year due to some off the field uncertainty, but if all goes according to plan like it has every year for Alvin, he should be back inside the top 50 again in 2024. 

77. Austin Ekeler, Running Back, Los Angeles Chargers | LAST YEAR: N/A |

2022 stats: 204 carries for 915 yards, 13 TDs rushing | 107 receptions for 722 yards, 5 TDs receiving

Two of the best dual threat RBs in the game one after another here on the list. I am not quite sure how I left Ekeler off the list last season, but he darts into the list and nearly inside the top 75 this time around! Ekeler is just a crafty player. That is the best word I can use to describe him. He makes do with whatever play he is given. He is certainly not the biggest or fastest or most athletic guy, but damn does he make it work. He had over 100 catches which is pretty much unheard of for an RB along with also rushing for nearly 1000 yards as well. His 18 total TDs were amongst the most in the NFL. I will say, he is more of a numbers guy in my opinion than a translating to wins guy, but only to an extent when his numbers are this fricken' good. This guy has BEEN putting up numbers like this for multiple years now, and I don't expect him to slow down any time soon!

76. Jordan Mailata, Offensive Tackle, Philadelphia Eagles | LAST YEAR: #63 |

2022 stats: 1,024 snaps played, 7 penalties, 6 sacks allowed, 76.5 PFF grade

One of my favorite stories in the NFL continues to shine. Jordan Mailata made his debut on my top 100 last season at the high number of 63. While he was still pretty darn elite in 2022, I had him slightly lower after a slightly less productive season. The former rugby player who immigrated to the states to pursue NFL football is getting better and better in terms of a development standpoint. He has gone from a swing tackle for the Eagles to one of the best players on the NFC's best team. Mailata was a Pro Bowler this past season and for good reason, the 6 foot 8 beast was impossible to get around in both pass protection and run blocking. On the best offensive line in football, it is fair to say that Mailata has an argument of being the most important piece on it. Expect yet another elite season in 2023 for him. 

75. Talanoa Hufanga, Safety, San Francisco 49ers | LAST YEAR: N/A |

2022 stats: 97 total tackles, 4 INTs, 9 pass deflections, 2 forced fumbles, 2 sacks

Making his top 100 debut in just his second season INSIDE of the top 75, non other than the 49ers' diamond in the rough, Talanoa Hufanga. Hufanga was a classic 49er upside pick in the 2021 NFL draft, going late, in the 5th round, with not many knowing his name outside of the Bay area. After an up and down rookie year where he barely saw the field, no one could have seen coming the insane breakout Hufanga had on the horizon in 2022. Earning a starting safety role, Hufanga was amazing for the top ranked 49er defense. He was the definition of everywhere at once, stuffing the stat sheet with elite numbers in every main safety category, and then some. Hufanga was arguably the best safety in the league this season (again, just his second season) as he earned First Team All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl nod. Hufanga has a knack for finding the football and is a huge hitter as well. His 9 pass breakups and 4 picks illustrated the first part, while his 97 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, AND 2 sacks illustrated the second. At just 23, it appears the Niners have just found a building block for their secondary for the next decade. Many are beginning to give Hufanga comparisons to Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu! Insanity. If this is just scratching the surface for Hufanga, the rest of the league should be afraid to see what his ceiling may be...

74. Vita Vea, Defensive Tackle, Tampa Bay Buccaneers | LAST YEAR: #74 |

2022 stats: 31 total tackles, 6.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble (limited to 14 games)

One of the rare (and possibly only) times that a player has hit my list in the EXACT same ranking slot two seasons in a row. The crazier part about this is I don't look at last year's list when ranking this year's one, meaning that I put Vita Vea at 74 two years in a row almost randomly. Crazy coincidence, but Vea has proven that his skill as a perennial elite DT is not any kind of coincidence. This guy simply is a monster. The speed and skill he brings to the table at his size is nearly unmatched in the NFL. This guy eats up the entire middle of a line and makes it so damn hard to run against. The crazy part about Vea's 2022 season is that while he gets his flowers and makes his money for his skill in run defense, he is slowly but surely developing into one of the best interior pass rushers in the league as well. Vea's 6.5 sacks are a career high for him, and amongst the very most in the league for DTs. If 2022 was a sign of things to come for Vea in the pass rush department, he might be developing into an even better player than any of us could have seen coming. Expect another dominant season from Vea in 2023, even if the Bucs are not nearly as good of a team. 

73. Mike Evans, Wide Receiver, Tampa Bay Buccaneers | LAST YEAR: #52 |

2022 stats: 77 receptions for 1,124 yards, 6 TDs receiving

Back to back Bucs! And for Evans, back to back to back to back to back to back to back to back to back 1,000 yard seasons! In 9 seasons in the NFL, Mike Evans has NEVER been below the 1,000 yard mark! That is absurd, especially given some of the awful QB play he has had over the course of his career. Obviously, he has had the GOAT for the past couple of seasons, but still, the fact he was doing this before Brady, and the fact that he will be doing this after, is something pretty crazy. Baker Mayfield as his QB in 2023, I bet you (9),000$ he has an 1,000 yard season again. This level of insane consistency speaks to how good of a wideout Evans is, and how his ranking inside the top 100 is safe until we see otherwise. Evans now is the NFL record holder for amount of seasons straight to begin a career with 1,000 yards, and with Jerry Rice sitting at 11 straight seasons as the NFL record in general, Evans is totally coming for that spot, and a potential place in Canton! If you think about it, Mike Evans might be the most consistent player in the NFL ever, at any position. Maybe a stretch, maybe not.

72. DeAndre Hopkins, Wide Receiver, Tennessee Titans | LAST YEAR: #34 |

2022 stats: 64 receptions for 717 yards, 3 TDs receiving (limited to 9 games; suspension)

DeAndre Hopkins checks in to the Top 100 at 72, fresh off of being all over the news for his recent decision to join the Tennessee Titans. I made this overall list ranking before the news, and I had him this high because I thought he would join a real contender. I didn't move him down for joining the Titans, but I am certainly not as excited about Hopkins in 2023 as I was before. After having made so much in his career, it made sense for Hopkins to finally join a stable franchise with an elite QB and/or defense. Instead, he clearly just went for the most money, which the Titans gave him on an expensive 2 year/$32 million deal. I do not think Ryan Tannehill has much left in the tank, but he is still one of the better QBs Hopkins will have ever played with in the NFL (the bar is low). Even after turning 30 last season and now 31, Hopkins did not look like he slowed down at all coming back from his suspension. Hopkins had back to back 100 yard games to start his season and went for at least 60 yards in all but 2 games he played the entire season. Hopkins still has probably the best set of pure hands in the league, and is an elite route runner and jump ball player. While I don't think the Titans as a team will go very far in 2023, I do think Hopkins will still have an 1,000+ yard season where he reminds everyone just how good he is. This ranking at 72 is clearly a fall from grace from his #34 ranking last season, but he may be able to prove us all wrong. Still, regardless of anything, I feel like DeAndre Hopkins is a bonafide top 75 player in the league still, even at age 31 on a rebuilding team. 

71. Danielle Hunter, Edge Rusher, Minnesota Vikings | LAST YEAR: N/A |

2022 stats: 65 total tackles, 10.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 3 pass deflections

I know he was coming off of a bad injury, but I am not quite sure how I left Danielle Hunter off last year's top 100. The 28 year old edge rusher is one of the best sack specialists in the league, and he is in the midst of his prime. He proved me very wrong, having another elite season in which he went for double digit sacks and was a terrorist off the edge in Minnesota. The Viking defense was much improved in 2022, and Hunter was a huge reason as to why. Hunter seems to get passed over in terms of being known as one of the very best of the best in terms of DE's, and I feel like it is firing him up. I expect even more sacks in 2023 from this guy. Finally on my list, I think he has a big 2023 season in store!

70. Geno Smith, Quarterback, Seattle Seahawks | LAST YEAR: N/A |

2022 stats: 4,282 yards, 30 TDs, 11 INTs passing | 68 carries for 366 yards, 1 TD rushing

It gives me immense pleasure to include Geno Smith inside of my top 100 for 2023! Geno Smith is coming off one of the biggest breakout seasons in NFL history, and now his ranking inside the top 70 of NFL players is extremely deserved! I don't think we have ever seen a guy break out the way Smith did at this stage of his career ever before. Smith was 31 years old, had been a backup for years, and never really showed any signs of anything more. With Russell Wilson traded to Denver, instead of drafting or signing someone, Pete Carroll and the 'Hawks decided to roll with Smith who had been the backup to Wilson for years. Boy did they look smart for it. Smith immediately came out hot, sticking it to Wilson and beating the Broncos in week 1. He went on a tear for much of the early season and was even an MVP candidate at points in the season. While he definitely wasn't AS insane to end the season, he still finished with over 4,000 yards and 30 TD passes, the usual elite mark in the NFL. He also led the NFL with his 69.8 completion percentage! The Seahawks made the playoffs behind Smith's leadership and Smith was a Pro Bowler for the first time in his career and won the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year award! In 2023, I expect even higher for Smith. He was amazing with Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, and Seattle added more juice with Ohio State's Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the first round of the 2023 draft! With the OL looking better and better as well, I think Geno could have his best season yet in 2023! What a story, and now Smith is an $100 million man as well. 

69. Tyson Campell, Cornerback, Jacksonville Jaguars | LAST YEAR: N/A |

2022 stats: 70 total tackles, 3 INTs, 15 pass deflections, 1 forced fumble

Even after an extremely promising rookie season, no one saw Tyson Campbell taking a Sophomore jump this good but himself. Campbell went from a promising prospect to an elite CB in the span of one off-season! The 23 year old CB was lockdown in 2023. Teams would shy away from throwing to the speedster, but when they did, it rarely ever worked out. Campbell had a whopping 15 pass breakups along with a very very good 3 INT mark as well. He was a great tackler from the CB position with 70 tackles and he even knocked a ball out for a forced fumble. The Jaguars were amongst the hottest teams in the NFL down the stretch, largely in part to their revamped defense led by Campbell as their best player. Entering his age 23 season, the sky is the limit for this young buck who has already proven so much. The Jags have a true chance at a Super Bowl appearance for the first time in a decade and a lot of that will live and die based off of Campbell's success as their CB1. I think he is up for the challenge as he is already a top 70 player in the NFL two seasons in and I can't wait to see how high he can rise in his third season as a pro.

68. Roquan Smith, Linebacker, Baltimore Ravens | LAST YEAR: N/A |

2022 stats: 169 total tackles, 4.5 sacks, 3 INTs, 6 pass deflections

Another guy that I'm not sure how I left off the list in 2022. He was on my just missed section, but still, not sure how he did not make the list for me. The Ravens surely knew just how elite of an LB he was, making a massive blockbuster move for him at the deadline and then paying him a mega-deal to be a Raven for a long long time. Smith is one of the most productive ILBs in football. His 169 total tackles was easily top 5 in the league and his other numbers show just how much he can do. Smith also had a whopping 4.5 sacks for an LB along with 3 picks and 6 pass breakups. This is the kind of guy every team wants in the middle of their defense, messing up plays for opposing offenses and anchoring their defensive unit. The Ravens boast a top flight defense year after year, and it only will be better in 2023 when they have a full year of Smith calling plays in the middle of it. Truly a do it all player at a position that feels like it has less and less talent than ever before. Smith was a First Team All-Pro member and Pro Bowler this past season, for good reason. Not a bad pickup at the mid-season for Baltimore. 

67. DeForest Buckner, Defensive Tackle, Indianapolis Colts | LAST YEAR: #51 |

2022 stats: 74 total tackles, 8 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 3 pass deflections

A perennial top 100 player finds his name at #67 on the big list. DeForest Buckner has consistently been one of the best defensive linemen in the entire league since entering in 2016, and he has seemingly only upped his floor since the trade to Indianapolis a few seasons back. Buckner has been well worth the 1st-round pick the Colts gave up for him, and the mega-deal that came with it. There are few better at creating pressure from the interior than Buckner in the NFL. His 8 sacks were 6th most for DTs in 2022 and that wasn't even the whole story. This guy eats up blocks like crazy and the pressures he gets let everyone around him on his DL eat. While the Colts were not as good of a team in 2022, don't start to underrate this guy. He was arguably the best player on the team and is the best player on the field a fair amount of the time. Some might consider this a 'down year' for him, which could be an All-Pro season for almost any other DT in the league. The Colts should be better in 2023, which in turn could have Buckner's name back inside the top 50 a year from now!

66. Matthew Judon, Edge Rusher, New England Patriots | LAST YEAR: #90 |

2022 stats: 60 total tackles, 15.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 3 pass deflections

When the Patriots inked Matt Judon to a huge deal in the 2021 off-season, I was a bit skeptical. He was about to turn 30 and was a player who had never hit 10 sacks in a single season. I thought his best days were behind him and it was a not so unusual Patriot overpay. I was so wrong. Judon had the best year of his career in 2021, tallying 12.5 sacks and earning a spot inside my top 100 at #90. One year later, he has risen a whopping 24 spots after a 15.5 sack season !! Judon had the 4th most sacks in the entire league and suddenly turned into one of the best edge rushers in all of football. Bill Belichick truly is a defensive genius. For a good part of the year, Judon was considered a DPOY FRONTRUNNER. That is crazy for a guy who never had 10 sacks in his first 5 seasons, to suddenly turn it on the way he has. Judon has gone from a great rotational rusher to a guy who has made 5 straight Pro Bowls and is coming off a !15.5! sack season! It is clear that Judon is in the midst of a late prime, and I can't wait to see how good he is in 2023! 

65. Dalvin Cook, Running Back, FREE AGENT | LAST YEAR: #35 |

2022 stats: 264 carries for 1,173 yards, 8 TDs | 39 receptions for 295 yards, 2 TDs receiving

It is beyond me that Dalvin Cook is a free agent right now. Cook might be the first player in the three year history of this list that is not on a team when the list is being published. And not only that, he's in the top 65, with an argument that he could be much higher than this. Cook has long been a top 3-5 RB in the whole NFL. There are few players more consistent than this guy, and the Viking offense has long run through him (until Justin Jefferson entered the picture). Cook is coming off his fourth straight 1,000+ yard rushing season, and he is also coming off a productive receiving season as well. RBs are being historically undervalued right now, leaving Cook no choice but to wait until he gets the offer he so clearly deserves to receive. He will obviously sign eventually, but it is crazy to me he is a free agent still entering the end of July and training camp. To me it does not matter where he lands, he is going to do big things. Cook is only 27, in the midst of his prime, and is coming off his first fully healthy season in a couple years. Someone is going to get a deal with him, and the rest of the league is going to look silly. Hey NFL, the #65 player in the game is available, someone come get him!!

64. Mark Andrews, Tight End, Baltimore Ravens | LAST YEAR: #30 |

2022 stats: 73 receptions for 847 yards, 5 TDs receiving (limited to 15 games)

After a TE season for the ages in 2021, Mark Andrews' stock was at an all-time high. He caught over 100 balls for 1,300+ yards and 9 scores. I ranked him inside the top 30!! It is so hard to achieve that level of production from the TE spot. We all know how highly everyone thinks of Travis Kelce, just a year ago, a lot of people thought Andrews was better. 2022 was a down year for Andrews. Lamar Jackson got hurt and things were not the same for Andrews, or the Ravens' offense as a whole. Andrews was still elite for a TE in terms of production, but not elite in terms of pass catchers overall. We have come to see Andrews as basically the de facto WR1 for Baltimore. 2023 promises to be better. Lamar Jackson is healthy going into the season and the Ravens signed OBJ and drafted Zay Flowers in the first round of the draft, taking a lot of pressure and eyes off of Andrews. I expect a big time season for him in the works. While he may have fallen 34 spots, he is still a top 65 player even after a rough season. That is how good we all know he is, and I expect him to be well within the top 50 this time next year. Remember, this list tries to be happy medium in terms of 2022 production, and 2023 projection! 

63. Minkah Fitzpatrick, Safety, Pittsburgh Steelers | LAST YEAR: N/A |

2022 stats: 96 total tackles, 6 INTs (one returned for TD), 11 pass deflections (limited to 15 games)

After a one year hiatus, Minkah Fitzpatrick is BACK inside my top 100 heading into 2023! For the third time in his young career, Fitzpatrick was named First Team All-Pro this past season. Pretty damn impressive from a guy who is just 26 years old. Fitzpatrick had a 'down season' for his standards in 2022, but rose back up to the occasion in 2023, having tied for the most INTs in the NFL with 6, breaking up 11 passes, and also being one of the best tackling DBs in football with 96. This was the Minkah we all know and love, who seems to be everywhere at once and truly anchors one of the best defenses in football. He is one of the most fun DBs to watch in the game, and makes an impact play (or two, or five) every single Sunday. After one year off, Minkah is back within my top 65 heading into 2023.

62. Budda Baker, Safety, Arizona Cardinals | LAST YEAR: #45 |

2022 stats: 111 total tackles, 2 INTs, 7 pass deflections, 1 forced fumble (limited to 15 games)

Back to back do-it-all DBs. While Minkah Fitzpatrick may have had the slightly better statistical 2022 season, I still perceive Baker ever so slightly higher than him. There is arguably not a better leader from the Safety spot in football than Baker. Even when the Cardinals were a bottom-feeder this past year, Baker still showed up every Sunday and gave it all, and led his defense. While his days may be numbered in the desert, the 27 year old is in the midst of his prime, and is going to be a factor whether he's on a 13-3 team, or a 3-13 one. If you considered 2022 a down year from him, first of all, that would be the best season of a career for many, and second, he is primed for a bounce-back. Check his ranking a year from now. 

61. Bobby Wagner, Linebacker, Seattle Seahawks | LAST YEAR: #93 |

2022 stats: 140 total tackles, 6 sacks, 2 INTs, 5 pass deflections

When I put Bobby Wagner at 93 last year, it was more of an honor than a prediction. By that, I mean that I thought it was the end of an illustrious career and that it would probably be the last time anyone ranked Wagner inside a top anything list for the rest of his playing career. At age 32, Wagner proved everyone wrong. In his one and only season not in the blue and green, Wagner turned back the clock and was AMAZING. The Rams were not, but Wagner proved he is an unquestioned leader who will always give it all (similar to Budda Baker). The 32 year old Wagner earned Second Team All-Pro honors with the Rams, having one of the best single seasons of his career. He was still the amazing tackler he made his name for, he had the most sacks he's ever had in a season with a whopping 6 from the LB spot, and he read QBs like a book, picking off two passes and breaking up 5 more. Wagner returns to Seattle, where he is likely in line for another elite season, despite his age. The Seahawk defense is much improved and he will be their unquestioned leader in the middle of it. I cannot wait to see him back where he belongs, and I have learned to never count a future Hall of Famer like Wagner out again.

Now that we have gotten through the first 20 players of my top 100, I figured now would be the time to feature the guys I had in my initial brainstorm of players who deserved to make the list but just missed. I initially made a list of 150+ players, and had to trim it down to 100 which was brutally hard. This definitely will spoil some guys who I barely had miss out who some might have thought were going to be on this list inside maybe even the top 60, but here it is anyway.

Just Missed (not ordered): Cameron Jordan (DE, Saints), Stephon Gillmore (CB, Cowboys), Tony Pollard (RB, Cowboys), Charles Cross (OT, Seahawks), DJ Reed (CB, Jets), Justin Fields (QB, Bears), Russell Wilson (QB, Broncos), Tua Tagovailoa (QB, Dolphins), Jared Goff (QB, Lions), Matthew Stafford (QB, Rams), Penei Sewell (OT, Lions), Rashawn Slater (OT, Chargers), Alijah Vera-Tucker (OG, Jets), Breece Hall (RB, Jets), CJ Mosley (LB, Jets), TJ Hockenson (TE, Vikings), Chris Olave (WR, Saints), Mike Williams (WR, Chargers), Christian Kirk (WR, Jaguars), Christian Darrisaw (OT, Vikings), Elgton Jenkins (OG, Packers), Chris Lindstrom, (OG, Falcons), Joe Thuney (OG, Chiefs), Josh Uche (DE, Patriots), Alex Highsmith (DE, Steelers), Uchenna Nwosu (DE, Seahawks), Rashan Gary (DE, Packers), Dexter Lawrence (DT, Giants), Fletcher Cox (DT, Eagles), Javon Hargrave (DT, 49ers), Christian Wilkins (DT, Dolphins), Jonathan Allen (DT, Commanders), Da’Ron Payne (DT, Commanders), Matt Milano (LB, Bills), Devin White (LB, Buccaneers), James Bradberry (CB, Eagles), Marshon Lattimore (CB, Saints), AJ Terrell (CB, Falcons), Xavien Howard (CB, Dolphins), CJ Gardner Johnson (DB, Lions), Jamal Adams (S, Seahawks), Ryan Neal (S, Buccaneers), Jordan Poyer (S, Bills), Micah Hyde (S, Bills), Justin Simmons (S, Broncos), Kevin Byard (S, Titans), Jevon Holland (S, Dolphins), Joe Mixon (RB, Bengals), Jamaal Williams (RB, Saints), Amari Cooper (WR, Browns)

The top 100 will continue within the next few days as we release players inside the top 60!