The annual NFL Top 100 list is finally here, and with it comes the controversial debates from fans everywhere.
The good news is, once you see these rankings start to pop up everywhere, you know the upcoming football season is right around the corner.
The bad news is, very seldom is every fanbase satisfied with the outcome of these types of rankings. Fans almost always believe the players on their favorite team should be ranked higher, or in some cases, they feel as if they’re snubbed altogether.
Unfortunately, you could make an argument that the Titans have two players who recently fell into each of those categories.
Safety Kevin Byard just missed the top 100, coming in at No. 108, according to NFL Films. Meanwhile, newly signed wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins had the lowest ranking of his career (No. 90) since he debuted on the list at No. 19 back in 2016.
Our new WR making his mark as one of the best in the league!@DeAndreHopkins comes in at #️⃣9️⃣0️⃣ on the #NFLTop100
Stream #NFLTop100 on NFL+ pic.twitter.com/HhzapGTMiX
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) July 26, 2023
Just to note, NFL Network is doing a slow rollout of the rankings (Nos. 100-71 have been revealed as of this writing), so Hopkins may not be the only Titan to make the cut.
Hopkins’ previous lowest ranking came after his injury-riddled 2021 season, which subsequently led to him being ranked No. 37 on last years list.
To be perfectly honest, it’s easy to understand why D-Hop took a tumble in the rankings.
Following a season where he suffered the first (and only) major injury of his career, the All-Pro wideout immediately followed it up by getting suspended a handful of games (six) to start the 2022 campaign.
However, the second Hopkins stepped back on the field, he was back to being his dominant self.
— Deandre Hopkins (@DeAndreHopkins) July 21, 2023
In total, Hopkins averaged over 79 yards per game in 2022, which would’ve been good enough for a 1,300-yard season had he played in all 17 games. Also bear in mind, his quarterback, Kyler Murray, was absent for four of those games and exited another one of them early.
For that reason, I find it hard to believe there are 89 players better than Hopkins, but I can at least understand why many began to overlook him when making these lists since there was a really lengthy period where we didn’t get to see Nuk play football.
As for Byard, he undoubtedly took a small step back from his phenomenal 2021 campaign, but to not even have him in the top 100 is a bit absurd.
Especially when you consider the fact that the All-Pro safety has proven that he’s an elite ball-hawking safety whenever he has consistent help around him, in particular when it comes to having an actual pass-rush.
When you combine things like this with his recent pay cut, it’s a safe bet that Byard is entering the 2023 season with a massive chip on his shoulder.
Let’s hope both Hopkins and Byard play themselves into a more respectable on next year’s list that better suits their talent level.
