Alabama Claims Record for Most Players on NFL's Top 100 List

Crimson Tide standouts continue to make their mark and be recognized at the next level.

Author:
Christopher Walsh
Updated:
Aug 3, 2023 10:55 PM EDT
Original:
Aug 1, 2023

In this story:

There are no official records for the NFL Top 100 List, ranking the league's best players based on peer selections, but the Alabama Crimson Tide can claim one anyway.

Monday, night, when the final 10 players in this year's voting were revealed by the NFL Network, Alabama finished with 13 players in the rankings. It's the most even for a college program in the 13-year history history of the rankings.

The really amazing part was that there were only five former Crimson Tide players in the 2022 NFL Top 100.

Although some will argue that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts at No. 3 shouldn't count because he played his final season at Oklahoma (after graduating from Alabama and being part of two national-title teams) the Crimson Tide still had almost twice as many selections as any other program. Ohio State was second with seven, and no one else had more than five (Clemson and Oklahoma).

Numerous former Crimson Tide players made monumental leaps this year, although in some cases one could argue they didn't move up enough. For example, Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II was listed at No. 49 after not being in the Top 100 in 2022.

Some have been arguing that he's already the best cornerback in the league. In the annual survey by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, which includes more than 80 NFL executives, coaches, and players in poll, Surtain rose from No. 7 at his position a year ago to No. 1.

Fowler wrote that Surtain's 12.5 percent target rate was the lowest among cornerbacks with more than 201 coverage snaps (he played 533 coverage snaps), because teams have started to avoid him.

"Complete corner: physical, technical, versatile," a high-ranking NFL official said. "He's a true matchup guy vs. the best players. Premium ability on press or off coverage. Outstanding open-field tackler. Solid ball skills. Plays with confidence. Really, really smart. And plays disciplined so he doesn't give anything away."

"He's separated himself, and I don't think it's close," an AFC scout said. "If you're picking a team, you're taking him first."

With Bryce Young the first-overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Crimson Tide is set to have four former quarterbacks as starters this season, with two on the Top 100 list: Tua Tagovailoa at No. 82, and Hurts, who finished second in league MVP voting last year.

Here's where the Alabama players ranked on the Top 100 list, with the write-ups from NFL.com:

Alabama Players in 2023 NFL Top 100

The NFL's Top 100 Players of 2023 as voted on by the players themselves

No. 3 Jalen Hurts

QB, Philadelphia Eagles

In his second season as starter, Hurts led his Eagles to the best record in the league and a Super Bowl appearance, while putting up individual stats that earned him the runner-up spot in MVP voting. As one of the top rushing QBs in the league, Hurts finished with 760 yards and 13 TDs, the latter fourth among all positions. His poise under pressure and mobility shot Hurts to the top of this year’s list.

No. 12 Josh Jacobs

RB, Las Vegas Raiders

Jacobs had his fifth-year option declined by the Raiders leading into 2022, setting up a prove-it season for the RB during which he showed why his team was wrong to doubt him. The 25-year-old led the league with a career-high 1,653 rushing yards, earning his first first-team All-Pro selection and his highest career ranking on this list.

No. 21 Minkah Fitzpatrick

DB, Pittsburgh Steelers

Fitzpatrick opened the 2022 season by intercepting Joe Burrow for a pick-six in Week 1, an indication of what was to come the rest of the year. He finished the year tied for the league lead with six total INTs, along with 11 passes defensed, and his skills as a ballhawk earned him first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors after a year off.

No. 25 Derrick Henry

RB, Tennessee Titans

Tennessee continued to rely on its workhorse to carry the offense, and carry it Henry did, logging the most rushing attempts in the league (349). In a rebound season after missing half of 2021 with injuries, Henry collected 1,538 rushing yards, his fourth time hitting the 1K benchmark, along with 13 TDs, as he continued to plow through defenses at an incredible rate.

No. 40 Quinnen Williams

DT, New York Jets

The 2019 No. 3 overall pick finally put it all together last season, placing third among all interior linemen with 12 sacks. His output accounted for over a quarter of New York’s 45 sacks, which placed the Jets in a tie for fifth-most in the NFL. A disruptive, 300-plus pound wrecking ball, Williams recently became the highest-paid DT in terms of total value thanks to the $96 million contract he signed in July.

No. 44 Jaylen Waddle

WR, Miami Dolphins

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.

No. 46 C.J. Mosley

LB, New York Jets

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.

No. 49 Patrick Surtain II

CB, Denver Broncos

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.

No. 52 Jonathan Allen

DE, Washington Commanders

The Commanders defensive lineman has made a 36-spot leap from the Top 100 ranking he snagged following his first Pro Bowl season in 2021. Allen was again a menace at defensive tackle for Washington in 2022, logging 7.5 sacks to bring his career total to 33.5. He also forced two fumbles and made his first career interception to run his Pro Bowl streak to two.

No. 60 Trevon Diggs

CB, Dallas Cowboys

The star ballhawk’s third season might have lacked the flash of his 11-interception breakout the year prior, but he was arguably an improved player. Diggs posted the finest PFF coverage grade of his career (67.0) and improved his run defense grade, again a new career high, from 35.7 in 2021 to 66.2. One of several young Dallas playmakers who were on the verge of breaking the bank, Diggs became the first to ink an extension when he signed a five-year, $97 million deal at the start of training camp.

No. 82 Tua Tagovailoa

QB, Miami Dolphins

Tagovailoa had a career year in his third season with the Dolphins. The No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 draft threw for 3,548 yards, 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Tagovailoa displayed his accuracy in a Week 2 shootout vs. the Ravens, throwing a career-high six touchdowns in a 42-38 win. However, he suffered two concussions during the 2022 season, and his year ended after Week 16. Miami picked up Tagovailoa's fifth-year option this offseason as he enters a crucial year in South Beach.

No. 92 Marlon Humphrey

CB, Baltimore Ravens

After not making the Top 100 in 2022, Humphrey is back on the list after a Pro Bowl season. The Ravens' all-around cornerback snagged three interceptions, recorded three sacks and logged four QB hits this past campaign. With Marcus Peters (currently a free agent) no longer in Baltimore, Humphrey could be lining up against No. 1 wide receivers more often this season.

No. 100 DeVonta Smith

WR, Philadelphia Eagles

In his second season in Philadelphia, Smith became a safety blanket for Jalen Hurts. Smith led the Eagles with 95 receptions, adding a career-high 1,196 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. Smith’s game leaped as he became a viable No. 2 option behind A.J. Brown, cutting through defenses while doubling his yards-after-catch production from 220 to 490 yards.

Running back Derrick Henry was Alabama's highest player on the NFL Top 100 List last year, at No. 12, with Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs the only other player in the top 50 at No. 23 (three spots higher than his brother Stefan).

Jaylen Waddle was No. 63, Mac Jones No. 85, and Jonathan Allen No. 88. Josh Jacobs, who went on to win the 2022 league rushing title, was among those not listed a year ago.