Each year NFL players rank their peers in the NFL Top 100. This list counts down from 100, with the top 10 being a place where elite players usually land. The top of 2019’s rankings included Patrick Mahomes, Khalil Mack, and Aaron Donald. The 2020 rankings are out and no team has more players on the list than the New Orleans Saints. Seven current Saints players made the list. These rankings can prove controversial for some players. Disrespect can often be felt by some players with low rankings or left off the countdown entirely. The Saints being tied with the most players on the list is a huge honor and shows this might be the most talented roster in Saints history. These are the Saints players who made NFL Top 100 as ranked by NFL peers.
NFL Top 100 New Orleans Saints Review
Ryan Ramczyk – #82
Ryan Ramczyk makes the list at number 82 in his third year in the league. He started every game for the Saints in 2019 and was highly influential in the run game. The Saints ground game averaged 4.3 yards per carry in 2019 and that average increased by 5.4 yards if Ramczyk was the lead blocker. He also only committed four penalties the entire year. The respect for Ryan around the league increased greatly in 2019 as he was named First Team-All Pro and made the NFL Top 100 for the first time.
Marshon Lattimore – #76
Marshon Lattimore is oftentimes forgotten about as a top corner in the league. Lattimore was not ranked in 2018 but this year vaulted to #76. He is a former Defensive Rookie of the Year and made the Pro Bowl in his rookie season. Lattimore was among the top of the league in passes defended in only 14 games last year. Lattimore’s best game came against Mike Evans in 2019. Week 5 saw Lattimore hold Mike Evans to zero catches. Evans credited the entire Saints defense with the zero-catch-performance in the NFL special, avoiding giving praise to the Saints cornerback. Lattimore will look to build on his 2019 performance going into the 2020 season.
Demario Davis – #67
Another player that was unranked in 2018, Demario Davis storms into the rankings at #67. On and off the field, Davis made a huge leap in 2019. He stepped into the leadership void left by Drew Brees, following Brees’ injury in 2019, by leading pregame warmups in Brees’ absence. On the field, Davis had a breakout 2019. He led the Saints in tackles with 111 and had a career year in passes defensed. Davis tied Luke Kuechly in 2019 with the most passes defended by all linebackers. Demario Davis is a very important player for the Saints in 2020 and that shows by his recognition as an NFL Top 100 player.
Alvin Kamara – #42
The Saints leading running back comes in at #42 on the NFL Top 100 list. After being ranked #14 in 2018, Alvin Kamara battled injuries most of 2019 and slid in the rankings because of that. But even with an injury-plagued year, Kamara still managed to rack up 1,330 all-purpose yards in 2019, while only starting nine games, and he also averaged 4.7 yards per carry. Among his total yards were 533 receiving on 81 receptions. In each of Kamara’s first three seasons, he has caught the ball an impressive 81 times. A fully healthy Kamara will again be a focal point of a suddenly deep Saints offense in 2020.
Cameron Jordan – #23
Another defensive riser for the Saints, Cameron Jordan vaulted up the rankings from number 41 in 2019 to number 23 in 2020. A huge reason for this rise is due to Jordan’s 15.5 sacks in 2019. If having these amount of sacks wasn’t enough for Saints fans, Cam tops it off by having sacked division rival Matt Ryan four times in 2019’s Thanksgiving prime time game. The 15.5 sacks in 2019 were third in the entire NFL. Jordan has recorded over 10 sacks in each of his past three seasons, making the Pro Bowl in each. Jordan is also remarkably consistent at the position. He has started 16 games in all but one year of his nine-year career. Jordan has become a representative of the Saints and continues to build his potential Hall of Fame resume every year in New Orleans.
Drew Brees – #12
Even though he slipped from number two in 2019’s rankings, Drew Brees’ legend actually grew in 2019. He now owns the most touchdown passes in NFL history, the career passing yards record, highest single-season completion percentage, and set the single-game highest completion percentage. In Week 14, Brees finished the game 29/30 (96.7%), setting the single-game record against the Indianapolis Colts. This game came after Brees’ injury earlier in the season but an injury that did not affect his overall statistics. Brees finished the season with the highest completion percentage in the league at 74.3% and 27 touchdowns even after missing five games. Xavier Rhodes called Brees a “magician” on the special. Former teammate Mark Ingram summed up Brees in one simple word: G.O.A.T.
Michael Thomas – #5
What more can be said about Michael Thomas? His 149 receptions in 2019 set an NFL record. He accounted for 81 Saints first downs, nine touchdowns, and over 1,700 yards receiving. When Teddy Bridgewater had to take over for the Saints in 2019, Michael Thomas’ production stayed consistent. Thomas quickly became Bridgewater’s favorite target and helped stabilize the Saints offense. Thomas has been named an NFL First-Team All-Pro each of the past two years and a pro bowler each of the last three. The statistics for Thomas have improved each year and shows his drive to be the best. If Thomas improves anymore, that could be downright scary for the rest of the league. Thomas’ numbers earned him the top receiver on the list (number five overall). As most players stated on the NFL Special, and as his Twitter handle says, defenders simply “can’t guard Mike.”
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