Early Returns See Four Buccaneers Named to the NFL's Top 100
Naturally, the NFL's Top 100 players list – as voted on by NFL players – is presented by NFL Network as a countdown, which starts at 100 and works it's way down to 1.
Each year, certain fans and members of the media tend to get worked up over these rankings, often expressing their discontent with where a certain player lands on the list. What these people fail to understand is that this process is not meant to provide a 100% accurate ranking based on some sort of objective measure – which wouldn't be possible anyway. It's simply meant to provide fans with a glimpse into the minds of NFL players, and offer a consensus ranking of who those players believe to be the best of the best.
It's not perfect. But it's not supposed to be.
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So far, only picks 50-100 have been revealed. And as expected, several members of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were ranked in this section.
Shaquil Barrett was the first Buccaneer to be named, coming in at #86. Over his three seasons in Tampa, Barrett has produced 37.5 sacks, while also proving to be a consistent run-stopper. Although slightly undersized, his speed and agility combined with a diverse arsenal of pass rush moves, has earned him the respect of both his teammates and opponents.
With just two seasons under his belt, Antoine Winfield Jr. was voted as the 75th best player in the NFL. With a Super Bowl ring, and a Pro Bowl appearance already on his resume, Winfield is an accomplished young player with a bright future ahead. This is Winfield's first appearance on the NFL Top 100.
Devin White came in at #64 on the NFL's Top 100 list. And it's obvious he's earned the respect of the best the league has to offer at his own position.
On White, Indianapolis Colts' superstar linebacker, Darius Leonard, said, "Devin White... he's a monster. He's about 245 pounds, running a 4.3, coming downhill."
White's speed has also earned praise from another top dog at his position, San Francisco linebacker, Fred Warner, who, when discussing Devin White, stated, "Probably the fastest linebacker in the game from point A to point B."
Mike Evans just missed out on being named a top 50 player in the league – which he was last year (48) – as he was voted the 53rd best player in the NFL heading into the 2022 season.
"I feel like Mike is probably one of the more underrated receivers in the league, and that's crazy for a guy that has 1,000 yards every single year of his career. Why that is? I don't know." - Chris Godwin
"Some people don't always have Mike in their top 5 receivers in the league, but he's always been in my top 5. Big time touchdowns, deep threat, shoot man, every time I battle against him, always been a tough battle. I call him Mr. Consistent." - Darius Slay
You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who disagrees with the inclusion of Shaq Barrett, Antoine Winfield Jr., Devin White or Mike Evans on this list.
The question becomes, how many more Buccaneers can we expect to see?
It's pretty much a guarantee that both Tom Brady and Tristan Wirfs will be included in the top 50, it's just a question of where.
Players like Lavonte David and Chris Godwin offer a more complicated projection. Could the fact that both players missed time due to injury last season mean they didn't make the cut? And what about Ryan Jensen and Carlton Davis? Based on their stellar performances last season, it would be fair to assume that they're both deserving of Top 100 status. Right?
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There are no guarantees. Because like I said, this isn't a perfect process. But one thing is for sure, there will be more Tampa Bay Buccaneers to be named within the NFL's Top 100 Players list. It's just a matter of who, and where.
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