It's that time of year again, when NFL players cast their votes to identify the best in the league heading into the 2020 NFL season. From Sunday through Wednesday, NFL Media will reveal a new set of names from the "Top 100 Players of 2020." Check in here and on NFL Network each day at 8 p.m. ET to see where your favorite players rank.
In his third full season as a starter, Hunter steadily blitzed around the edge and into enemy territory to the tune of 14.5 sacks, matching his 2018 output. At age 25, Hunter became the youngest player in NFL history to reach 50 career sacks after earning three takedowns in Week 14. After clocking in at No. 57 last year, Hunter further showed that his inclusion -- and steady rise -- is no fluke.
Mathieu’s play was so nice, they had to name him All-Pro twice. He finished his first season in K.C. with four INTs and 12 pass breakups -- his highest totals since 2015 -- to go with 75 tackles and two sacks. According to PFF, Mathieu was the only safety from Weeks 10-17 to not allow a TD and have three-plus INTs and PBUs, a strong stretch that certainly helped stabilize the Chiefs’ back end on their Super Bowl run. Not a bad way to crack the Top 100 again after a four-year hiatus, Honey Badger.
The third-year pro garners a well-deserved, first-time appearance after turning in a career campaign (86 receptions, 1,333 yards, nine TDs). Godwin led all WRs in receptions of 20 yards or more (25) and YAC (591), and ranked second in YPG (95.2). He also doubled his number of 100-yard games from 2018, making him one of six wideouts to record at least six such outings in 2019. And he did all of this while ranking 16th in receptions and 20th in targets (121), placements that will probably go up once Tom Brady arrives.
The numbers might not have been up to the brash cornerback’s standards but make no mistake about it, Ramsey is still elite. Despite a rough end to his time in Jacksonville, which included a three-week inactive stint before becoming the centerpiece of a blockbuster trade, Ramsey was voted to his third straight Pro Bowl after playing 12 games (nine with the Rams). A full season in L.A. should quickly remind everyone of what he’s capable of and help him make up the 10 spots he dropped on this list.
Chubb was four yards shy of the 1,000-yard rushing mark in Year 1; he made up for that in spades in 2019. The former Georgia Bulldog bulldozed his to way to 1,494 yards with an average of 93.4 YPG, both good enough for the second-highest marks in the NFL. He tied the league lead with 32 broken tackles, and his 1,772 yards from scrimmage (36 rec., 278 rec. yards) and 298 carries each ranked third. Expect the first-time Pro Bowler and Top 100 selection to be in the mix again this time next year.
After struggling to find his fit in Miami, Fitzpatrick came alive following an early season trade to the Steelers. In his first seven games in Pittsburgh, the sensational second-year safety logged 34 tackles, eight PBUs, a 43-yard fumble recovery TD and five (!) picks, one of which resulted in an absurd, league-best 96-yard pick-six. While his production did slightly fall off to end the year, PFF tabbed him as the highest-graded safety in red zone coverage. Fitzpatrick locking down his first All-Pro and Pro Bowl campaign served as a proper precursor to his Top 100 debut.
After a foot injury limited him to seven games in 2018, Bosa -- ranked No. 56 last year -- bounced back with gusto. He started a full slate and recorded 67 tackles, 18 TFL (third-most in the league) and 11.5 sacks, one off his career-high mark set in 2017. He also notched 49 defensive stops, the most of any edge rusher, and 72 pressures, according to PFF. A trip back to the Pro Bowl concluded arguably the best campaign of the 25-year-old's career.
Year 3 proved to be a charm for Jones, who emerged as one of the NFL’s most productive players. Jones debuts after compiling career highs on the ground (236 carries, 1,084 yards) and through the air (49 catches, 474 receiving yards). He tied for the league lead in rushing (16) and total TDs (19), and his 1,558 scrimmage yards ranked eighth. Two solid postseason games, the first of his career, fittingly punctuated the bruising back's breakout year.
After playing on an absolute steal of a one-year deal, it’s safe to say Barrett, who's making his Top 100 debut, proved it and then some in his first year in Tampa. The second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection was a stat sheet stuffer, tallying 58 tackles, 23 TFL, six forced fumbles, an INT and a league-leading 19.5 sacks, which bested the output of his first five years combined by five. Signing the franchise tag this offseason could create an even hungrier version of Barrett in 2020.
Barkley swiftly dodged excuses like an incoming LB, but it was clear he wasn’t right for much of the season. He returned three weeks after suffering an ankle sprain in Week 3 that was expected to keep him out up to eight weeks. It took a 92-yard effort in Week 17 to get him to 1,003 on the year, but, in doing so, he became the first Giants RB to begin his career with consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. An offseason of rest and rehab should result in the ever-competitive Barkley resembling his monstrous rookie form in no time.
