Raiders already have more players named to NFL Top 100 than 2019
By Brad Weiss
The NFL Network released a portion of their Top 100 players for 2020 on Sunday, and the Las Vegas Raiders already have more players named than last year.
The NFL Network has been posting a list of the Top 100 players for each season for the last ten seasons, and every year it is a topic of discussion. Last year, Aaron Donald was the No. 1 voted on player, followed by Drew Brees, Khalil Mack, Patrick Mahomes, and Todd Gurley rounding out the top-5. For the Raiders, they did have one player named, although that player would not play a single snap for the team.
Wide receiver Antonio Brown came in at No. 7 on the list, but in terms of play, the only team he actually appeared for was a one-game stint with the New England Patriots.
On Sunday, the NFL Network began releasing the Top 100 players for 2020, a list voted on by the players themselves. For the Raiders franchise, they already have more players named to the list than they did last season.
Waller at 99, Jacobs at 72
The Raiders got the party started early in the ranking, as tight end Darren Waller was named at No. 99 overall. Waller is coming off one of the more prolific tight end seasons in team history, hauling in 90 catches for over 1,100 yards and three touchdowns. In his short time with the franchise, he has rounded into a premier weapon at his position group.
Later on, second-year running back Josh Jacobs was named at No. 72, and him being included on the list was a no-brainer. This is a guy who should have been the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year this past season, and the player who beat him out for the honor, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, came in at No. 90.
Jacobs had over 1,100 yards on the ground as a rookie despite playing in only 13 games, and for nearly half his season, he played with a fractured shoulder. He will be featured more in the passing game in 2020, and should have a meteoric rise up this list with another standout year in the Silver and Black.
Next. Raiders QB Derek Carr will be measured by wins only in 2020. dark
For these two young stars, this will probably be the lowest they will be ranked for a while, as they are just entering their prime, and have so much good football left to play. The argument could be made that their rankings are actually lower than where they should be, but the fact that the team already has two players named says a lot about the overall talent on this roster heading into 2020.