In honor of the NFL kicking off its annual Top 100 Players countdown, let’s rank our top 10 players in football heading into the 2026 season!
First things first, let’s start with a few honorable mentions who deserve some recognition for how good they are.
Matthew Stafford and Drake Maye had MVP-caliber 2025 seasons and are just a tier below the quarterbacks on our list. Micah Parsons is the next closest game-wrecker to Myles Garrett, though he’ll unfortunately miss possibly half of the season as he recovers from an ACL tear. Jaxon Smith-Njigba nearly racked up 1,800 receiving yards last year… and won a Super Bowl. And then there are the running backs: Christian McCaffrey, Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Saquon Barkley, who are some of the most talented players in the game but are hurt by the positional value.
Alright, onto the top 10.
1. Myles Garrett
The newest Los Angeles Ram — that’s going to take some getting used to — is Myles Garrett. There is just no arguing with the consistency, durability, and production of the best player in football. Eight straight double-digit sack seasons, capped off by a record-breaking 23 in 2025.
Garrett is just physically dominant in every facet of the game, and his numbers could get even better now on a legitimate Super Bowl contender in Los Angeles. At 30 years old, it will be interesting to see how much longer that dominance lasts, but nobody should be doubting the 6-foot-4, 272-pound freak of nature.
2. Josh Allen
Speaking of physically dominant, how about a 6-foot-5, 237-pound quarterback who has a cannon for an arm and can also run past — and through — you? Well, that’s Josh Allen. He makes everyone better around him and produces at a superstar level no matter how good or bad his supporting cast is.
There’s not much convincing we need to do to justify Allen here. If anything, you could argue whether he should be No. 1 over Garrett. Winning — or even reaching — that all-elusive Super Bowl in 2026 might just vault him to the top of next year’s list.
3. Lamar Jackson
Next up is Lamar Jackson, our favorite player to watch in the NFL. One of the best dual-threat quarterbacks of all time who makes video game-esque plays with his legs that nobody else can. Not to mention, he’s a much better passer than many people give him credit for.
Injuries ruined both his and the Baltimore Ravens’ 2025 season, so prepare for a major bounce-back from Lamar and company. As long as Jackson stays healthy, he’ll be in the running for his third MVP award in 2026, and hopefully a deep playoff run on top of it.
4. Patrick Mahomes
To finish off our little quarterback run, there is, of course, Patrick Mahomes. The numbers, quite frankly, haven’t been pretty in recent years, but this is still Patrick Mahomes we’re talking about. Three Super Bowls, three Super Bowl MVPs, and two league MVPs all before age 30.
The hope is that he’ll be ready for Week 1 after tearing his ACL late last year. Combine that with the motivation of missing the playoffs for the first time in his career in 2025, along with improved weapons to work with, and Mahomes could get back to putting up the numbers we’re used to seeing next season.
5. Ja’Marr Chase
Now onto Ja’Marr Chase, our No. 1 wide receiver in football. The production since entering the league in 2021 is just unreal, whether Joe Burrow is under center or not. That’s because Chase is a threat to score the moment he touches the ball, with an explosive ability that very few possess.
Not many players are taking slants to the house like that. Crazy enough, Chase only turned 26 in March and still might have some of the best years of his career ahead of him as he and Burrow look to get the Cincinnati Bengals back into the postseason and contending for a championship.
6. Puka Nacua
Wide receiver No. 2, Puka Nacua. What a story the 2023 fifth-round pick (177th overall) has been. After Year 1, some thought he was just a product of Sean McVay and his system. Well, all he’s continued to do since then is prove he’s actually just that guy.
His 129 catches, 1,715 yards, and 10 touchdowns last season will tell you that, but so will the eye test. Nacua’s combination of speed, strength, and smarts makes him almost impossible to contain. Pair that with his chemistry with Matthew Stafford, and good luck to opposing defenses.
7. Penei Sewell
Time for some offensive line love. It’s perhaps the least flashy position in all of sports, but man is Penei Sewell good at it. It’s no coincidence that the Detroit Lions’ turnaround came soon after drafting the right tackle seventh overall in 2021. He doesn’t give up sacks, is an elite run blocker, and is as good an athlete as you’ll find.
Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Amon-Ra St. Brown are all great, but having this guy blocking for you certainly helps.
8. Pat Surtain II
Our first and only cornerback on the list is Pat Surtain. PS2 is far and away the best corner in football and a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate. His first few years in the league were very good, but over the past three seasons he’s taken his game to another level as a true lockdown corner and the face of the franchise in Denver.
Surtain possesses all the tools you’d want in a CB1 and gives No. 1 wide receivers around the league — and their offensive coordinators — fits whenever they face the Broncos. At 26 years old, he won’t be going anywhere anytime soon, either.
9. Justin Jefferson
Justin Jefferson and the Minnesota Vikings’ 2025 season was a mess, but don’t even think about writing this guy off. We know it was the quarterback play that ruined his numbers. Jefferson was probably the consensus WR1 in the NFL before last year, and the 27-year-old didn’t all of a sudden lose his unguardable route running or incredible hands.
Yes, he caught that. One of the craziest catches we’ve ever seen. As long as Kyler Murray — or whoever is playing quarterback in Minnesota this season — can get him the ball, we’ll all get to watch the real Jefferson in 2026.
10. Joe Burrow
Lastly, to round out the list is our fourth quarterback in the top 10, Joe Burrow. He’s just as talented as Allen, Jackson, and Mahomes, and his numbers are often even better. The problem is it hasn’t translated into enough team success, and his unfortunately lengthy injury history hasn’t helped either.
It’s crazy to think that a Bengals team with two of the top-10 players in the world can’t even make the playoffs some years. A healthy, bounce-back 2026 could push Burrow even further up this list, especially if he gets back to the postseason and does damage.
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