Quarterbacks who could be listed ahead of Big Ben in the NFL Top 100
The NFL started their Top 100 players list several years ago, as an obvious attempt to fill airtime on their network while football is out of session. The ranking claims that players vote for those on the list, though many players deny ever doing so. That makes the ranking system something that even casual fans roll their eyes at. Regardless, there’s still intrigue surrounding who makes the list, and where they place.
Even if it is the great Wizard of Oz himself behind the curtain, there’s one thing that has been consistent throughout the life of the list: Ben Roethlisberger‘s rating.
I think I’ve made enough of a case for “who cares” when it comes to these lists; and if anyone is rolling their eyes at the Top 100, it would be Big Ben himself. Players don’t need these rankings to establish themselves among the best of the best: that happens on the field. Yet, it’s intriguing to witness what others think about what we already know here in Pittsburgh: that Ben is one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game.
Each year, the list is intended to be a look at the upcoming season. Therefore, Roethlisberger’s 2016 stats have some bearing on his position. Ben dropped back one spot in this year’s ranking to 22nd, down from 21 in 2016. But rather than think about whether the Steelers passer should be ranked higher or lower, I’d prefer to focus on where his peers fall on the list.
Interestingly enough, last season two quarterbacks were ranked one and two on the list, with five coming ahead of Big Ben at 21. Those six quarterbacks in the top twenty of last year’s list include Tom Brady (1), Cam Newton (2), Aaron Rodgers (6), Carson Palmer (12), and Russell Wilson (17).
With twenty spots remaining, I started wondering who might be ranked ahead of Big Ben this time. One thing we know for sure is that Newton and Wilson won’t wind up ahead of the Steelers QB on the 2017 edition. Newton, the Carolina Panthers signal caller, fell from the top spot in 2016 all the way down to 44 on this year’s list. Wilson dropped, but nowhere near as dramatically, from 17 in 2016 to 24 for 2017.
The remaining names, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Carson Palmer, haven’t heard their names called yet. I’m up in the air if Palmer makes the list at all this time. He threw nine fewer touchdowns and three more interceptions from his previous season. I’d expect Tom Brady to compete for the top spot, seeing as he led his team to a come from behind win in the Super Bowl. Aaron Rodgers should also be a shoe-in for one of the twenty remaining spots, as the Packers also made their conference championship.
Will Ben finally be recognized as one of the top five quarterbacks in the league? Or will someone else have their name called higher on the list?
A few players who could be in contention are Matt Ryan, Drew Brees, Eli Manning, Derek Carr, and Dak Prescott. Of the three, Ryan is the most deserving, having led the Falcons to the Super Bowl following a season where he ranked second in passing yards and touchdowns.
Brees once again topped the 5,000 mark, throwing for 5,208 yards and 37 touchdowns, and has consistently been one of the best passers in the league.
Personally, I don’t picture Derek Carr or Eli Manning making the list. The Raiders and Giants became contenders once again. Carr only threw six interceptions to 28 touchdowns, but Manning gave 16 passes away while only throwing for 26. The edge goes to Carr, but are either quarterback in Roethlisberger’s league?
I say no. Unfortunately, I’d say the same for Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott too. Prescott came out of nowhere as a rookie to lead his team to a 13-3 regular season record. However, Prescott was 16th in the league in passing TDs and 19th in passing yards. Those numbers are too low to be considered one of the top 20 players in the entire NFL since he’s not a top 10 quarterback statistically.
Therefore, to answer how many more quarterbacks will be named in the NFL Top 100 list, and how many are “ranked” ahead of Roethlisberger, I’d realistically say four: Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan, and Drew Brees.
That’s a respectable list of “who’s who” in pro football and leaves Ben in the top five of those that play his position. Considering that the Steelers sport the best running back and receiver in the game, while adding another big play threat back to their roster, this would be a fair outcome.
A better outcome would be if only two or three more quarterbacks are revealed over the next twenty picks. However, since this is a quarterback-driven league, I would entertain more passers being revealed in the final twenty spots than less.
Edit/Note: Be sure to read Brian Roach’s update following the reveal of the next ten players, which includes three quarterbacks!
