Table of Contents
Jul 17, 2026, 06:00 AM ETOpen Extended Reactions
Over the course of 11 days, we unveiled rankings of the top 10 NFL players at every offensive and defensive position group. Just as teams rise and fall, so do players, and every group had at least one player who fell from last year’s charts, whether because of performance, injury or the strength of the rankings. Those players are represented here.
A reminder of the rankings process: Voters ranked their own top 10 players at a position, then we compiled the results and ranked candidates based on the number of top-10 votes, composite average and dozens of interviews, with research and film study help from ESPN NFL analyst Matt Bowen as well as ESPN Research. More than 70 voters submitted a ballot on at least one position, and in many cases all positions. Additional voting and follow-up calls with those surveyed contributed to placements.
This was not a five-year projection or a career achievement award, but meant to answer a simple question: Who are the best players right now?
Our rollout schedule: running backs (July 6), cornerbacks (July 7), edge rushers (July 8), defensive tackles (July 9), tight ends (July 10), offensive tackles (July 11), interior offensive linemen (July 12), quarterbacks (July 13), off-ball linebackers (July 14), wide receivers (July 15) and safeties (July 16).
Running backs
Josh Jacobs,Green Bay Packers (6): Jacobs couldn’t duplicate his 2024 Pro Bowl form. He averaged 4.0 yards per carry (down from 4.4) and his yards after contact plunged from third in the NFL to 17th. The 28-year-old is entering the third year of a four-year, $48 million contract.
Joe Mixon (9): Mixon’s 2024 debut season with the Texans was one of the best of his career. However, he missed all of 2025 with a foot injury and was released by Houston this March. He’s still unsigned as of July 17, as rookies begin to arrive to some training camps.
Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints (10): Kamara has long been one of the NFL’s most dynamic, versatile running backs. But that may be waning; he managed only 182 receiving yards in 2025, far short of his average of 595 over the rest of his career. His yards per carry also fell to 3.6, far short of his career average of 4.3.
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Jeremy Fowler’s takeaways from the top 10 NFL RBs
Cornerbacks
Jaylon Johnson, Chicago Bears (8): Johnson missed 10 games in 2025 after ranking eighth. An NFL personnel evaluator told Jeremy Fowler: “Time on task has been an issue. He missed a lot of camp and game action. But he’s young (27), so he should be able to get back to his top form. He’s got juice when he’s full tilt.”
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Edge rushers
Trey Hendrickson, Baltimore Ravens (6): After leading the league with 17.5 sacks, Hendrickson missed 10 games in 2025. One NFL personnel evaluator was concerned about what that means. “He’s been a great performer but doesn’t have the dominant traits as some of the others, so when age and injuries pile up, it’s harder for him to stay toward the top,” he said.
Jared Verse, Cleveland Browns (10): Verse was a very near miss, challenging Nik Bonitto for the last spot in this year’s list. The centerpiece of the Los Angeles Rams’ trade for Myles Garrett, Verse generates a lot of pressure and is a strong run defender, but only wound up with 4.5 sacks in 2025.
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Defensive tackles
Nnamdi Madubuike, Baltimore Ravens (7): Madubuike made Pro Bowls in back-to-back seasons, but he played only two games in 2025. He had neck surgery in April and is hopeful about playing this season.
DeForest Buckner, Indianapolis Colts (8): The two-time All-Pro has struggled to stay on the field, playing only 22 games over the past two seasons. An NFL defensive line coach had this to say: “No real drop-off in his play. He’s still elite — just older and injured.”
Vita Vea, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9): Vea is still widely feared as one of the league’s best nose tackles, but the 31-year-old’s pressure numbers have fallen, and he was not one of the top 10 run-stopping DTs in ESPN’s run stop win rate.
Cameron Heyward, Pittsburgh Steelers (10): Heyward is still a good player, but his sacks and QB hits fell by more than half from 2024 to 2025. The 37-year-old is eight sacks away from clearing 100 for his career.
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Tight ends
T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings (7): Hockenson was not alone, as the Minnesota offense struggled last season. But the 29-year-old ended the year with 438 yards and 3 touchdowns, pushing him out of the top 10.
Isaiah Likely, New York Giants (8): Likely played less in 2025 than 2024 because of a mix of injuries and the Ravens’ positional depth. He went for 307 yards and one touchdown, then followed former Ravens coach John Harbaugh to the Giants after signing a three-year, $40 million deal.
Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles (9): Goedert’s exclusion is a sign of the strength of young tight ends among the league, not his own drop-off. The 31-year-old started 15 games last season and caught a career-high 11 touchdown passes.
David Njoku, Los Angeles Chargers (10): Njoku started the same number of games (11) in each of the past two seasons. But he was targeted half as often in Cleveland last year. He then signed a one-year, $8 million contract with the Chargers.
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Offensive tackles
Rashawn Slater, Los Angeles Chargers (6): Slater signed a four-year, $114 million extension with the Chargers before the 2025 season, but injuries kept him out for the entire campaign. “He’s absolutely a top-10 tackle. He’ll be back on it next year, I believe,” an NFC executive told us.
Dion Dawkins, Buffalo Bills (8): Dawkins made his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl, but he just barely missed this year’s top 10 rankings. “A solid starter, plays with an edge, can be good in both phases but shows inconsistent effort,” an NFC executive said.
Christian Darrisaw, Minnesota Vikings (9): Darrisaw was the top-ranked tackle in ESPN’s run block win rate metric, but he was not in the top 10 in pass block win rate.
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Interior offensive linemen
Landon Dickerson, Philadelphia Eagles (5): Dickerson made three consecutive Pro Bowls before last season, but evaluators were less high on his performance in 2025. He and the Eagles amended his deal after the season, and he’s now under contract through 2027, not 2028 as previously agreed to.
Elgton Jenkins, Cleveland Browns (9): Jenkins played only nine games in 2025 and was released by the Green Bay Packers. He signed a two-year, $24 million deal with the Browns in free agency.
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Quarterbacks
Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders (5): Daniels won the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year award, but he struggled alongside his team last season, playing in only seven games and seeing his numbers decline across the board. The 25-year-old has plenty of time to reclaim his status as a top QB.
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles (9): The Eagles’ 2025 issues have been well documented, and Hurts is not blameless. He still has plenty of believers around the league, like one AFC offensive coach who told us: “I know it has been up and down, but I’m still betting on the Super Bowl credentials, the intangibles and the toughness.”
Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10): It’s easy to forget Mayfield was an MVP candidate early last season. That’s because after Week 7, he went from monumental to mediocre, with a 61.5% completion rate and 14 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. He is entering the final year of a three-year, $100 million contract.
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Off-ball linebackers
Frankie Luvu, Washington Commanders (5): Luvu excelled in his first season as a Commander and was a second-team All-Pro. However, he fell off in every major statistical category in Year 2 as the Commanders’ defense plunged to last in the NFL in yards allowed (6,533).
Tremaine Edmunds, New York Giants (6): The Chicago Bears released Edmunds despite a season in which he made 112 tackles and picked off four passes. He signed a three-year, $36 million contract with the Giants.
Lavonte David (retired, 7): David capped off his 14-year career with another strong season. Will he reach the Hall of Fame? The bar is high, but there’s a case to be made for David, who’s seventh all-time in career tackles and fourth in tackles for loss.
DeMarvion Overshown, Dallas Cowboys (8): Overshown played in six games as he recovered from an MCL, ACL and PCL tear. Despite his absences, he has plenty of believers. “He moves like a safety. Incredibly talented. I want to see how he does this year after the injuries,” an NFC scout told us.
Dre Greenlaw, San Francisco 49ers (9): Greenlaw played only eight games for the Broncos, who released him one year into a three-year contract. The Niners promptly brought him back, and he said he’s happy to be there.
Quincy Williams, Cleveland Browns: Williams was a first-team All-Pro with the New York Jets in 2023, but he has struggled to find that form since. He signed a two-year, $13 million deal with the Browns in March.
Jeremy Fowler’s takeaways from the top-10 NFL LBs
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Wide receivers
Tyreek Hill (3): The four-time first-team All-Pro played only four games in 2025 before tearing multiple ligaments. The Dolphins released him early in the offseason, and the 32-year-old remains a free agent.
Malik Nabers, New York Giants (7): Nabers was a phenomenon in his rookie season, catching 109 passes for 1,204 yards. He tore his ACL last September and is still recovering, so voters favored receivers whose health was more certain. “He’s easily a top-10 receiver. The knee situation is worrisome, but hopefully he bounces back soon. But he can do everything you need,” an AFC executive said.
Mike Evans, San Francisco 49ers (9): Notice a trend? Evans’ prodigious streak of 11 consecutive 1,000-plus-yard seasons ended last year, as he played only eight games for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He signed a three-year, $42 million contract with the 49ers in free agency.
Garrett Wilson, New York Jets (10): Wilson missed 10 games in 2025 and his per-game averages fell off as the Jets’ offense struggled. He signed a four-year, $130 million extension before the season and remains a big part of the Jets’ future.
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Safeties
Minkah Fitzpatrick, New York Jets (9): Fitzpatrick was traded from the Steelers to the Dolphins and missed the Pro Bowl for the first time since 2021. The 29-year-old signed a three-year, $40 million contract with the Jets.
Julian Love, Seattle Seahawks (10): Love played only eight games in the regular season. He came back strong in the playoffs, picking off a pass in the Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots and returning it 35 yards.
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