"The Top 100 Players of 2023" -- voted on by the players themselves -- is underway on NFL+! The series concludes with a two-hour live show -- "The Top 100 Players of 2023: The Top 10" -- on Monday, Aug. 7, on NFL+.
Now 34 years old, Jordan recently ran his stretch of Pro Bowls to six and years with 7.5-plus sacks to 11. If he slowed down as the leader of a Saints defense that ranked top 10 in points and yards for a third consecutive season, opposing quarterbacks benefited little. His 115.5 career sacks place him second among active players, behind only Von Miller (123.5).
It took just two seasons for the 2021 No. 9 overall pick to be named to his first All-Pro team, Pro Bowl roster and Top 100 list. He has proven himself a lockdown corner, giving up a completion percentage of 56.2 as the nearest defender in coverage last year and placing fifth among corners by allowing an open target on just 28.8% of plays, per PFF.
Likely the best defensive free-agent signing of 2022, Reddick put himself on the map in Philadelphia. He finished tied with Myles Garrett for second-most sacks (16) while leading the NFL with five forced fumbles. He showed up in the clutch, too, adding 3.5 more sacks and another fumble created during the Eagles’ playoff run. Due $1.08 million in base salary heading into 2023, Reddick remains a massive bargain for the defending NFC champs.
A year after winning The Associated Press 2021 NFL Offensive Player of the Year and placing No. 4 on the Top 100, Kupp has fallen 43 spots. But unlike the Rams as a whole, Kupp didn’t have a down year -- he just got hurt. At the time of his season-ending ankle injury in Week 9, Kupp already had 75 receptions for 812 yards, still good for 27th and 36th, respectively, by year’s end.
The emotional leader in the middle of a top-five Jets defense, Mosley was ninth in the NFL in tackles in 2022 with 158, just 10 short of his career high a year prior. The former first-rounder also added a sack, fumble recovery and interception to earn his fifth Pro Bowl and fifth second-team All-Pro nod in eight seasons played.
Heyward continued his late-career surge last year, making his sixth consecutive Pro Bowl after he was shut out through his first six campaigns. He placed second on Pittsburgh’s defense with 10.5 sacks, his second-most ever, bringing his career total to 78.5. PFF also graded him the fifth-best interior defender of the year with a score of 89.8. Not too shabby for someone who turned 34 in May.
The 2021 No. 6 overall pick stiff-armed the sophomore slump, following up his rookie-record 104 receptions with 75 catches for 1,356 yards in Year 2. A twin blur next to teammate Tyreek Hill, Waddle was a breakaway threat on every touch. He set a new career high with eight scores and led the league with 18.1 yards per reception.
Another ageless wonder for the Saints, Davis is a tackling machine. He logged his sixth straight season with 100-plus tackles -- and his 10th straight with at least 90 -- to earn his first Pro Bowl nod in 2022. Davis wasn’t simply content to gobble up ball-carriers, though. He also recorded his third career interception and had a career-high 6.5 sacks.
For a quarterback with a reputation of disappearing in big moments, Cousins certainly made the jaws of defeat look toothless last year. He led the league with eight game-winning drives while captaining a surprise 13-4 Vikings team to the top of the NFC North. He flourished under first-time head coach Kevin O’Connell with his most passing yards (4,547) since 2016. Now, he’ll have a full year under the system to inflict damage.
Johnson is one of the most dominant linemen in the game, possessing the rare combination of mauling strength and quick feet. He’s a natural fit to block for mobile quarterback Jalen Hurts and the run-happy Eagles. Johnson was named to his second first-team All-Pro team in 2022 while earning the second-highest PFF pass blocking grade (90.1) among tackles, plus his position’s fifth-highest offensive grade overall (84.8).
