Did the NFL's Top 100 Players of 2020 Rankings Get it Right?

The NFL Top 100 Players of 2020 has now been revealed in its entirety with the Philadelphia Eagles only securing five spots.

While a good chunk of the rankings were of no surprise of anyone — QB Lamar Jackson ranked #1, RB Christian McCaffrey ranked #6, CB Stephon Gilmore ranked #9, OLB TJ Watt ranked #25 — there were plenty of shocking entries that were rather debatable.

Fletcher Cox entered on the list at #73, making him the 11th-best defensive lineman in the rankings:

#73 DT Fletcher Cox
#71 DT Jurrell Casey
#56 DT DeForest Buckner
#52 DT Chris Jones
#45 DE J.J. Watt
#41 DE Jadeveon Clowney
#40 DE Danielle Hunter
#34 DE Joey Bosa
#32 OLB Shaquille Barrett
#26 OLB Von Miller
#25 OLB T.J. Watt
#23 DE Cameron Jordan
#19 OLB Khalil Mack
#17 DE Nick Bosa
#15 OLB Chandler Jones
#3 DT Aaron Donald

Cox fell 45 spots from his previous position on the list in 2019, making it the second-biggest fall for a player in 2020.

If one took a very-literal approach to these rankings, the inaccuracies within the order of the list above is glaringly obvious. Khalil Mack, Chris Jones, and Fletcher Cox’s spots in the NFL’s Top 100 List undermines the value of their contribution and impact on the defensive end.

However, this list is a player-voted list, thus typically rewarding players with higher numbers and overall standouts from that particular season. This is why it is no shock that Fletcher Cox came in as the 73rd-best NFL player.

951D1077-2 — *Photo: Philadelphia Magazine*

Cox’s game can easily be described as dominant, overpowering, and selfless. While his numbers will never overwhelm the stat sheets, his performance on film is impossible to miss.

He can singlehandedly ruin an opposing running back’s night while also being a consistent force as a pass rusher. Cox’s high skill set garners more attention from the offense, thus allowing his teammates better opportunities to make a play.

Over at Pro Football Focus, they ranked their top 50 best players entering the 2020 season with Fletcher Cox appearing at the 15th spot:

“His ability to overwhelm physically dominant offensive linemen is unique, and it has led him to some truly spectacular seasons. Over the past three seasons, Cox has 202 total pressures — the second-most in the league among interior pass rushers — and the sixth most in the league among all players. He is a wrecking machine inside for the Eagles.”