July is the driest month of the year when it comes to NFL news, which makes it the perfect time for something like a top 100 players list. For the fourth straight year, we’re happy to bring you our 2025 NFLTR Top 100 Players. 

We’re not the only outlet that does a top 100 — NFL Media has done one with at least some democratic input from current players since 2011 — but our goal is to give more credit to players and positions that are often easy to overlook, especially in the trenches. We build it using traditional and advanced statistics, awards, positional value, career trajectory and a good old-fashioned dash of the eye test. Our list won’t be perfect but the goal is to give as much credit where it’s due as possible. 

We’ll be rolling this list out over the next couple of weeks, so keep checking back for updates to our 2025 NFLTR Top 100 Players list. 

Resources: 

• Pro Football Reference
• QB advanced stats
• Win rates from ESPN for OL and DL
• PFF advanced stats (grades, pass rush productivity, blocking efficiency, coverage stats)
• ESPN WR tracking metrics
• Past NFLTR Top 100s 

100 – Steelers DB Jalen Ramsey

This is the lowest ranking for Ramsey in four years of doing this list, as he debuted at No. 15 in 2022, then slid to 36th and 58th in the past two years with the Dolphins. Injuries and the undefeated march of time have taken a toll, and in his age-30 season in 2024, Ramsey set inauspicious career highs in missed tackles (14) and completion percentage allowed (70.8). 

However, Ramsey held onto a spot in the top 100 because he remains a versatile defensive back who is still capable of game-changing plays. He had two interceptions and 11 pass deflections, while PFF still had him graded as the No. 11 overall corner. First-year Dolphins DC Anthony Weaver moved Ramsey around the defense far more than his predecessor, DC Vic Fangio. 

*per PFF

That’s partially why Ramsey’s completion percentage was higher, as his average depth of target also fell to a career low at just 7.7 yards. From the slot, he was able to be a factor as a blitzer with 12 total pressures, leading all cornerbacks last season, and a sack. It stands to reason the Steelers will look to use Ramsey in a similar way. 

99 – Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill

Hill’s statistics and level of play fell off dramatically last year. After combining for over 3,500 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns in his first two seasons in Miami, Hill was held to 959 yards and six scores in 2024. That, combined with a massive year for the receiver position with several bright new stars, contributed to a slide from No. 11 to No. 99 on this list. Although he played all 17 games, Hill never seemed healthy the entire season and had surgery this offseason to correct an issue with his wrist. 

Perhaps a healthy Hill rebounds in 2025, even though he’ll be 31. There were some signs last year that the speedy Hill is still capable of outrunning the age cliff. Hill ranked No. 8 in the NFL in ESPN’s open score, which uses tracking data to measure how well receivers create separation, suggesting Hill still has his legs, his greatest weapon as a player. Given his track record and the context surrounding last season, it was enough to give him the benefit of the doubt and keep him in the top 100 for another year. 

98 – Commanders LB Bobby Wagner

In all likelihood, Wagner will be a Hall of Famer after he decides he’s done playing. The 35-year-old linebacker keeps proving he still has gas left in the tank, though. While it’s indisputable Wagner doesn’t have the same range he did in his prime, he has remained a solid starter and was able to turn back the clock last year in Washington. He finished with an outstanding 88.3 overall grade from PFF, No. 3 at the position, and recorded 75 solo tackles, 10 tackles for loss, two sacks, one forced fumble, two recoveries and four pass deflections. 

The advanced stats look even better. Wagner was fifth in the league in pressures among all off-ball linebackers and did it on significantly fewer opportunities than the other four. His 5.7 percent missed tackle rate was also the fifth-best of any linebacker last year, and his 56 stops were 10th. Even in coverage, which is one of the weaker parts of his game at this stage of his career, Wagner had the fourth-lowest completion percentage allowed at his position.

Beyond any stats, the intangible impact Wagner’s leadership and performance had on a Commanders team that dramatically exceeded even the wildest preseason expectations has to be acknowledged. The defense punched above its weight for most of the season and Wagner was a big part of that. 

97 – Eagles CB Cooper DeJean

DeJean had to wait to really get his Eagles career off the ground, as he missed significant time in the spring and summer while getting healthy. The team took it slow with him to start the season and he didn’t play more than a handful of snaps on defense until mid-October. 

From there, DeJean took off. He finished the year as PFF’s No. 1 graded cornerback and had his best play in the Super Bowl with a pick-six off Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes. He didn’t stuff the stat sheet with crazy numbers, finishing with no interceptions in the regular season, six pass deflections, one forced fumble, half a sack and three tackles for loss. But his ability to seamlessly take to nickel corner duties in Fangio’s defense was notable. PFF credited him with 25 stops, 14th among all corners, and his 8.2 yards per catch allowed despite 97 targets was the fifth-best mark. Perhaps most impressive, PFF didn’t chart him as allowing a single touchdown all season. 

96 – Panthers CB Jaycee Horn

It might be a little strange to have a player from the NFL’s worst defense on a top 100 list, but Horn did everything in his power to stem the bleeding in Carolina last year. The raw stats are decent — one interception, 13 pass deflections, two sacks and five tackles for loss — and Horn did make the Pro Bowl largely off the back of those numbers. A closer look reveals a more impressive effort, though. 

Horn was targeted 70 times last season, per PFF, but allowed just 38 completions for a percentage of 54.3 that was 14th in the league.  He did get burned for six touchdowns, partially a product of how bad the rest of the defense around him was, but his forced incompletion rate was also strong. Horn was good on the margins, too, recording 26 stops which was 11th among all cornerbacks. He blitzed six times all year but was dynamite when he did, getting home twice for sacks and two other times for hurries. 

Most importantly for Panthers fans, Horn played 15 games and signed a long-term extension keeping him in Carolina for a while. He and the rest of the team are poised to potentially take a big step forward in 2025. 

95 – Chargers S Derwin James

2023 was a rough year for James and it seemed like all the injuries might finally have been catching up to him, even if he was still just 28. But new HC Jim Harbaugh and DC Jesse Minter revitalized James like they revitalized a lot of players in Los Angeles. James returned to the Pro Bowl for the fourth time in his career and was a second-team AP All Pro. 

The veteran safety has a unique skillset for his position, and Minter was able to tap back into it. He’s at his best close to the line of scrimmage and that’s where Minter put him, with 410 snaps in the box or at defensive line. James hit double-digit tackles for loss for the first time in his career and led all safeties with 5.5 sacks. His numbers weren’t as stellar in coverage but he only allowed two touchdowns on the year. 

94 – Bills DT Ed Oliver

Oliver’s numbers weren’t as gaudy this past year as in 2023, when he flirted with double-digit sacks and had 72 total pressures — fourth-best among all defensive tackles. However, his underlying metrics were remarkably similar. Oliver had a 12 percent pass rush win rate in 2024 after hitting 13 percent in 2023, and PFF still credited him with 49 total pressures which ranked 14th in the league. 

He continued to make his impact felt in other areas as well, forcing three fumbles and notching three stops. Even if his production was down, he still finished with the highest PFF grade of his career, which is worth noting. 

93 – Lions S Kerby Joseph

Joseph was a ball-hawk in his first two years, picking off eight passes in that span. He took it to another level last year, though, leading the NFL with nine interceptions and knocking down another 12 for good measure. Although he was a Pro Bowl snub, Joseph earned first-team All Pro honors, which is the more coveted and rigorous award, and was also PFF’s top-graded safety. 

Unlike the other safeties mentioned here, Joseph did most of his damage from deep looks. Over half of his snaps were from a deep alignment and yielded just 16 receptions on his 28 targets. That 57.1 completion percentage allowed was ninth in the league. He was also a sure tackler with just six misses in over 1,100 snaps. Combined with the next player on the list, the Lions have a compelling case for the best safety tandem in the league. 

92 – Lions S Brian Branch

Branch has been stellar for two years in a row now after the Lions ended his surprising slide to the second round of the draft in 2024. Detroit moved him around a lot more in 2024 after playing him primarily as a nickel corner during his rookie year, and Branch responded well to the challenge. He notched 44 stops for the second straight season, second among all safeties, and while his completion percentage allowed was virtually the same, Branch cut down his touchdowns allowed from five to three. Branch had similar pass rush production but did it on notably fewer opportunities, becoming more efficient. 

His counting stats were great, too. Branch picked off four passes, giving him seven in two seasons, and broke up 16 others. He forced a fumble, pulled down a sack and added eight tackles for loss, numbers also remarkably similar to his rookie output. There really isn’t much of a hole to point to in his game at this point. 

91 – Giants OLB Brian Burns

Success in the win/loss column remained elusive for Burns after his trade from the Panthers to the Giants last offseason. But with the chance to play on a better defense and to put some nagging injuries behind him, Burns put out better tape than he did in 2023. He still didn’t crack double-digit sacks, partially because the Giants played from behind so often, but he took the opposing QB down 8.5 times which is still a respectable number. 

Perhaps more importantly, Burns’ underlying pass rush metrics remain strong. He increased his pass rush win rate to 23 percent which was the fourth-best mark among all edge rushers on ESPN’s leaderboard. PFF tracked him with 60 total pressures, 16th at his position and more in line with some of his previous production. Burns has also worked hard to round out his game as a complete edge rusher, and set a new career-high last year with 42 stops to rank second in the NFL at his position. 

At 27 years old, the clock is ticking on Burns to translate his sky-high potential into a commensurate level of production. He’s an outstanding player but probably still a tier or two below the level the Giants paid for between his trade and contract last year. With the best supporting cast around him on the defensive line that he’s ever had, however, the ingredients are in place for Burns to take a huge jump on the stat sheet in 2025.