Oakland Raiders center Rodney Hudson snubbed from NFL Network Top-100
By Brad Weiss
Though he is clearly one of the elite centers in all of football, Oakland Raiders offensive line anchor Rodney Hudson was not rated one of the top 100 players in football.
Inside the Oakland Raiders organization, they know what a special player they have playing the center position for them. Since coming over to the organization prior to the 2015 NFL season, Rodney Hudson has not only been the consummate professional, but an elite player, consistently ranking as one of the best in the game at his position.
A two-time Pro Bowler since putting on the Silver and Black, something that bothers me as well, because he should have been named to the Pro Bowl last year, Hudson seemingly does not get the respect he deserves. Recently, the NFL Network put out their top-100 players list, as voted on by the players, and Hudson was left off.
That is a pretty incredible thing, as he is not only the best offensive lineman on the Oakland Raiders, but is widely regarded as one of the best protectors in all of football. He almost never allows Derek Carr to be touched, and aside from being outstanding at pass blocking, he is an elite run blocker as well.
What blows my mind is the fact that this list is not voted on by so-called experts, but by the players in the NFL themselves. You would think that the guys go up against this mauler on a week to week basis would have rated him as one of the best 100 players in the game, but the fact that he plays for the Raiders could have hurt him.
Remember, not even quarterback Derek Carr was rated in the top-100, falling behind guys like Baker Mayfield, Kirk Cousins, and Cam Newton.
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The only center voted to this list by the players was Jason Kelce, who is rightfully one of the better offensive linemen in the NFL, as well as an elite center for the Philadelphia Eagles. For Hudson not be on this list is a travesty, and hopefully, if the Raiders can turn things around in 2019, he can start getting some well-deserved respect.