A to Z Sports' Top 105 NFL Players: One of the highest paid and most controversial QBs lands in 105-86
OTAs and Mandatory minicamps are officially over, which means we have entered the true -and only- dead period of the year.That also means it's LIST SZN and every outlet imaginable will be producing rankings, tiers, or whatever hierarchy strategy one can think of in order to create content and pass the time until training camp […]
OTAs and Mandatory minicamps are officially over, which means we have entered the true -and only- dead period of the year.
That also means it's LIST SZN and every outlet imaginable will be producing rankings, tiers, or whatever hierarchy strategy one can think of in order to create content and pass the time until training camp arrives.
We figured we'd join the party and assemble our very own list of the NFL's top-105 players heading into the 2024 season. We compiled the rankings via our staff and asked them to submit a ballot featuring what they believe comprises the top-50 players. From that point, we tallied each vote and subsequently ranked the players, accordingly.
So, let's stop wasting time and dive into Nos. 105-86.
105. CB Marshon Lattimore, New Orleans Saints
Points: 16
Average ranking: 35
Highest/lowest ranking: 35/35
Lattimore, when healthy, is one of the top cornerbacks in the NFC. His ability to shut down some of top wideouts in the league makes him the sort of “Alpha” DB that teams love to have. For the Saints, they’re happy to have him back healthy after he’s missed substantial time over the past two seasons with injuries. – Adam Holt, A to Z Sports New Orleans
104. EDGE Joey Bosa, Los Angeles Chargers
Points: 19
Average ranking: 32
Highest/lowest ranking: 32/32
Frankly, it's a bit of a miracle Bosa made the list, considering he's played in just 14 combined games over the last two seasons. However, he still managed to record 9.0 sacks over that span, showing he can still get it done at a solid level when he's healthy. – Evan Winter, A to Z Sports Washington
103. CB Trevon Diggs, Dallas Cowboys
Points: 19
Average ranking: 41.5
Highest/lowest ranking: 36/47
Trevon Diggs graduated from being a high-stakes gambler with boom or bust tendencies in 2021 as a cornerback to being one of the best cover defenders in the entire league, often asked to play man coverage by Dan Quinn the last few years.
Coming off an ACL injury in 2023 raises some question marks but if he gets back to his 2022 form, he’s one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. – Mauricio Rodriguez, A to Z Sports Dallas
102. LB Bobby Wagner, Washington Commanders
Points: 20
Average ranking: 31
Highest/lowest ranking: 31/31
Wagner just continues to find ways to not only produce, but produce major stat lines. I mean, he led the NFL in total tackles with 183, last year, and played in all 17 games.
His ability is on the decline, naturally, and his coverage abilities have taken the biggest dip. But at the end of the day, he can still play with the best and not only is he in a defense that he's comfortable with – he's instilling his championship/Hall of Fame mentality in those around whim, which should lift all boats on the Commanders defense.
There will honestly be zero surprise to see Wagner on this list in 2025, along with his 11th-straight All-Pro nod. – Evan Winter, A to Z Washington
101. S Jevon Holland, Miami Dolphins
Points: 20
Average ranking: 41
Highest/lowest ranking: 38/44
2024 is a key year for Holland. He’s been very good, but not yet proven to be elite. With a big extension in play and with Jordan Poyer lining up next to him, it could be a big season for him this fall. – Craig Smith, A to Z Sports Miami
100. CB Jalen Ramsey, Miami Dolphins
Points: 20
Average ranking: 41
Highest/lowest ranking: 33/49
Ramsey proved his value to Miami’s defense in his first game back from a training camp knee injury, snaring two interceptions in Miami’s win over the Patriots. He’s indicated he will be allowed to shadow top opposing receivers in Anthony Weaver’s defense this year, which is something he’s excelled at in the past. – Craig Smith, A to Z Sports Miami
99. LT Rashawn Slater, Los Angeles Chargers
Points: 21
Average ranking: 30
Highest/lowest ranking: 30/30
Slater bounced back nicely from an injury-shortened 2022 season and it has him back on the path that saw him finish fourth in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting back in 2021.
In other words: He's definitely on his way to fully regaining that form.
Per Pro Football Focus, Slater allowed the 13th-fewest pressures (38) on an NFL-high 762 pass blocking snaps during the 2023 regular season. He tied for the sixth-fewest allowed sacks (3.0) and his 97.1 pass blocking efficiency rating was eighth-best out of 32 qualifying tackles that played at least 922 pass blocking snaps. If you're into grades, he finished with the second-best pass blocking grade (84.7), 11th-lowest run blocking grade (59.5), and ninth-best overall grade (76.6).
It's easy to see why Slater made the list and there will be zero surprise if he's ranked even higher, next year. – Evan Winter, A to Z Sports Washington
98. WR Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers
Points: 21
Average ranking: 45.75
Highest/lowest ranking: 41/50
While he may have taken a backseat to Brandon Aiyuk, 2023 was something of a bounce-back year for Samuel after what he openly admitted was a disappointing 2022. He finished with over 1,000 yards from scrimmage and had 12 total touchdowns, with his devastating three-touchdown display against the Eagles serving as catharsis after the NFC Championship Game of the previous season.
A three-game losing streak coinciding with Samuel suffering a shoulder injury and the 49ers’ initial struggles without him in the Divisional round against the Packers illustrated just how important he still is to San Francisco. If 2024 is, as many suspect, to be Samuel’s last year with the Niners, they better have a damn good succession plan. – Nicholas McGee, A to Z Sports San Francisco
97. QB Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons
Points: 21
Average ranking: 44
Highest/lowest ranking: 34/39
Kirk Cousins has been playing in three NFL for 12 seasons and he has yet to lose his touch as one if the most reliable passers in the league. Before he tore his Achilles in 2023, Cousins was the fourth-highest rated QB, averaging 291 passing yards and 2.3 touchdowns per game. Sure, winning in the playoffs hasn’t been his forte but at least he’s gotten his teams there and he can do the same, and more, in Atlanta by unlocking his new offense’s full potential. – Kelsey Kramer, A to Z Sports Atlanta
96. RB Raheem Mostert, Miami Dolphins
Points: 22
Average ranking: 40
Highest/lowest ranking: 40/40
Mostert set a career high in rushing yards and no one had more rushing TDs last year than him with 18. He will cede more work this year with Jaylen Wright in the mix and De’Von Achane continuing to develop and his statistical production will likely decrease. However, he’ll still be a key cog in Miami’s offense. – Craig Smith, A to Z Sports Miami
95. RB Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers
Points: 24
Average ranking: 39
Highest/lowest ranking: 39/39
A former first-round pick, he suffered with the situation of the running back market, but the Packers exploited that to sign him to a team-friendly deal, without guarantees beyond 2024. He's three years younger than Aaron Jones, and the Packers' expectation is that Jacobs can carry a heavier workload than Jones did. Jacobs was impressively effective and a locker room leader for the Las Vegas Raiders, and the Packers believe they can extract even more out of him as a pass-catching option. – Wendell Ferreira, A to Z Sports Green Bay
94. RB Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns
Points: 25
Average ranking: 38.5
Highest/lowest ranking: 37/40
Chubb’s 2023 season was cut short just the second week into the season when he suffered a catastrophic knee injury. At this time there is no timetable on when he will return during the 2024 season it is all really an unknown at this point. However, the Browns expect him to still be a major contributor when he returns to the field. If you know anything about Chubb, all he does is work and there isn’t a whole lot of talk to him. Expect one of the NFL’s best pure running backs to still be among the best when he gets going in 2024, whenever that is. – Brandon Little, A to Z Sports Cleveland
93. EDGE Montez Sweat, Chicago Bears
Points: 26
Average ranking: 42.33
Highest/lowest ranking: 34/48
When the Bears traded for Montez Sweat during the 2023 season, the entire organization viewed him as a multiplier. From the time Sweat arrived in Chicago, the Bears defense looked like a completely new unit. Sweat finished the year with double digit sacks for the first time in his career (6+ sacks with two different teams). Sweat already entered the league as a freak of an athlete in 2019 and after claiming his first Pro Bowl nod in 2023, he has the ability to continue rising up this list in the very near future. – Kole Noble, A to Z Sports Chicago
92. LT Andrew Thomas, New York Giants
Points: 19
Average ranking: 32
Highest/lowest ranking: 32/32
It took some time, but the fourth-overall pick from the 2020 NFL Draft is finally living up to the hype. Following his career best season in 2022, Thomas' 2023 campaign was shortened to just 10 games due to a injury, but he firmly legitimized his development in the games he did play last year. His return to the field in Week 9 helped Tommy Devito take the NFL by storm as he allowed just 13 pressures in the final nine games. There are not many more well-rounded blindside protectors in the league. – John Sheeran, A to Z Sports Cincinnati
91. QB Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Points: 19
Average ranking: 32
Highest/lowest ranking: 32/32
Trevor Lawrence is now one of the highest-paid players in NFL history. They don't give that kind of money to just anyone – you have to show that you're worth it, and beyond being marketable to a small market fan base, Lawrence does everything else right, too. Sure, he hasn't won as much as he would have liked, but when you look at his total body of work, he is worth every penny. Lawrence is one of the best pure passers in the league, and if you watch the tape from last season, you will see that he made a lot of elite throws that resulted in drops, it certainly doesn't help he played through several different injuries. The guy is the real deal and he could be even better in 2024 with the changes the Jacksonville Jaguars have made. – Justin Churchill, A to Z Sports Las Vegas
90. S Derwin James, Los Angeles Chargers
Points: 37
Average ranking: 37.5
Highest/lowest ranking: 37/38
James' talent is undeniable, and he has certainly been one of the top safeties in the NFL. However, injuries have prevented him from playing consistently, and last year it showed. Even though James had his first season with a 1,000 defensive snaps since his rookie year in 2018, the performance wasn't as good as it had been with a lower playing time. Maybe it was an athletic and physical issue, maybe it was just the entire Los Angeles Chargers defense falling apart. He still was able to have 125 tackles, seven passes defended, two sacks, and an interception.With that versatility to cover and blitz at a good level, hopefully for the Chargers Derwin James can show once again in 2024, under new defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, that he is still one of the most impactful defensive backs in the league. – Wendell Ferreira, A to Z Sports Green Bay
89. OL Zach Tom, Green Bay Packers
Points: 28
Average ranking: 23
Highest/lowest ranking: 23/23
Tom hasn't received the national recognition that he probably deserves, but he's been a high-level player since he took over as a starter. For a fourth-round pick, his performance is even more impressive. There's a fair argument to be made that Tom is the most valuable offensive player on the Packers outside of Jordan Love, and he has the potential to be a long-term starter at each of the five position along the offensive line. – Wendell Ferreira, A to Z Sports Green Bay
88. RB Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
Points: 29
Average ranking: 22
Highest/lowest ranking: 22/22
Bijan Robinson shockingly did not reach 1,000 rushing yards in his first NFL season, which had less to do with him and a lot more to do with the Atlanta Falcons’ poor coaching and quarterback play. Despite those obstacles, he still managed to log 976 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 214 carries. He also hauled in 58 catches for 487 yards and four touchdowns. We can expect a lot more from Robinson in 2024 under new head coach Raheem Morris and reliable veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins. – Kelsey Kramer, A to Z Sports Atlanta
87. S Xavier McKinney, Green Bay Packers
Points: 29
Average ranking: 41.33
Highest/lowest ranking: 40/43
The Packers allowed three safeties (Darnell Savage, Rudy Ford, Jonathan Owens) to walk in free agency, and their expectation by giving McKinney a four-year, $67 million contract is that he can be a real difference-maker, on and off the field. He was by far the best safety in free agency, and the New York Giants let him walk because their roster-building timeline wasn't ideal to pay that much for a non-premium position player. However, the Packers are more than happy to do so. – Wendell Ferreira, A to Z Sports Green Bay
86. RB Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams
Points: 30
Average ranking: 41
Highest/lowest ranking: 25/49
To say Kyren Williams exceeded expectations last year would be an understatement. The Rams 2022 fifth-round pick took the reins on the team's rushing attack and was able to rush tor 1,144 yards and 12 touchdowns in just 12 games of action. Just imagine what he could potentially do in Sean McVay's offense with a full season of reps. 2024 looks bright for Williams and I don't think the Rams drafting Blake Corum is going to deter him much, at all. – Destin Adams, A to Z Sports Indianapolis
Be sure to check back in for the coming weeks, as we'll release the next 20 players each week until training camp starts.
