CBS NFL analyst, Pete Prisco, released his annual top 100 NFL players list going into the 2024 season. In the list, Prisco named six Eagles players to the top 100 players. This further shows how vastly talented the Eagles are as a roster. Two Eagles players increased their ranking, while three others lost some ground in the top 100.
Two players just missed out on the list, Saquon Barkley and Landon Dickerson. Barkley is a tremendous talent, but it was hard for him in 2023 to find consistency. A bad New York Giants offensive line and a non-existent passing attack were detrimental for Barkley. Landon Dickerson not making the list is a bit of a surprise. While offensive guards are not the flashiest, Dickerson has been incredible over his time in the NFL. Nonetheless, here’s where the six Eagles made the top 100 NFL players list.
6 Eagles Make CBS Analyst’s Top 100 NFL Players
Top 100: #93 Jalen Carter, DT & #82 Devonta Smith, WR
It was good to see Jalen Carter make the list after his rookie year. Often, people will require more experience from players before ranking them in these lists. However, Carter is, and should be, an exception. In his rookie year, Carter amassed 6 sacks, two forced fumbles, and even a ‘scoop and score’ touchdown. However, he was even more disruptive than the stats say. Honestly, he should be ranked even higher than 93rd, but he’s absolutely one of the top 100 NFL players. Regardless, fans should expect a huge year out of him in 2024 and to make his way up the list.
Devonta Smith ranked 82nd in Prisco’s 2024 list, after ranking 69th last year. It was a drop-off in production in 2023 that caused Smith to fall lower in 2024. However, Prisco still noted the talent that Smith possesses. Prisco writes, “Smith is sometimes overlooked in the Eagles offense because of A.J. Brown, but he shouldn’t be.” While his production was less in 2023, he still showed a ton of explosiveness and reliability in the passing game.
Top 75: #53 Jalen Hurts, QB & #52 Lane Johnson, RT
The Jalen Hurts ranking is sure to be contentious, to say the least. There’s a crowd that will believe Hurts is ranked too low, especially with his ranking last year being 31st. There will also be others who think he’s ranked too high on the list as well. The pressure is on for Hurts this season, and some believe he could be on the way out without another great season in 2024. For a quarterback who followed a fantastic year, with a year showing some of his major flaws, this is a fair ranking. Everyone is in a bit of a ‘wait and see’ approach with Hurts right now and it’s understandable.
Lane Johnson was the biggest faller of the group, dropping 34 spots from 18th in 2023. Johnson is an aging tackle who seems low on the list but was the 5th highest-ranking tackle in Prisco’s top 100 NFL players list. He is a player that fans are going to expect to be higher off name value alone. However, Johnson turned 34 this offseason and while he’s still awesome, it has declined a tiny bit while others have overtaken him.
Top 50: #32 Jordan Mailata, LT & #27 A.J. Brown, WR
Another of the bigger surprises in Prisco’s top 100 NFL players, was Jordan Mailata coming in at 32nd. Last year he was ranked 60th, making this a jump of 28 spots for him. Prisco writes, “The bruising left tackle continued to improve in 2023 in both the run game and in pass protection. He doesn’t get the hype of Lane Johnson on the other side, but he’s been the better of the two last season.” It’s time for fans and other analysts to start giving the respect Mailata deserves. He was ranked as the fourth-best tackle in the NFL by Prisco and still has the potential to keep climbing.
A.J. Brown was another riser in Prisco’s rankings, going from 47 in 2023 to 27 in 2024. Everyone knows the talent that Brown has and how dangerous he is. He was ranked as the sixth-best receiver in the NFL, just behind CeeDee Lamb and Davante Adams. Receiver rankings will generally always be different from person to person. However, Brown deserves to be named in the top 20 players in the NFL and the ranking does seem too low. Lamb and Adams are great receivers, but Brown is the more explosive and dangerous threat, while also showing consistency the past two seasons. Stats may not always back up Brown’s claims to be higher, but the impact is always visible.
Final Takeaways
All in all, the talent the Eagles have on the roster is legit and everyone has known it for the past few years. However, the fall of many Eagles in Prisco’s rankings is a result of their epic collapse at the end of 2023. Yet, many of the Eagles on the list can shoot back up on the top 100 NFL players list with a big bounce-back year that many expect. Additionally, players like Saquon Barkley, Landon Dickerson, and Bryce Huff could be newcomers to this list in 2025.
Main Photo: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
