Patrick Mahomes Named No. 1 Player in NFL Top 100 List
After back-to-back No. 4 rankings in the NFL Top 100 list, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes rises to claim the top spot ahead of the 2021 season.
The list is a collective ranking of the 100 best players in the NFL heading into each season. Unlike events such as the Pro Bowl, players carry a 100% pull in how the list is arranged. The fact that Mahomes was able to improve from his previous ranking and manage to sit atop the league despite not winning the NFL MVP award is a testament to how peers view him.
Mahomes, who enters this year as the MVP favorite, is coming off a campaign in which he threw for 4,740 yards and 38 touchdowns. He also tossed just six interceptions and dealt with a makeshift offensive line for a great deal of 2020. At just 25 years old, his best football is still ahead of him.
Joining Mahomes in the NFL Top 100 are fellow Chiefs in safety Tyrann Mathieu (58th), defensive lineman Chris Jones (34th), wide receiver Tyreek Hill (15th) and tight end Travis Kelce (fifth). The Chiefs' talent at the top of their roster certainly managed to shine through in the league-wide list. Mahomes recently spoke about Jones and Mathieu making the cut.
"I haven't watched it a lot, but you always stay tuned to see stuff," Mahomes said. "I think we've got a couple of guys on there. I still think Tyrann (Mathieu) and Chris Jones deserve more respect than they get. I mean you literally can't block Chris and Tyrann is such a smart, great player. It's an honor to be on that list in general, especially when it's voted on by the players. It's definitely a cool feeling, but hopefully we can keep getting those guys up as their careers go on."
Jones, who was the No. 52-ranked player in 2020, takes a major leap as he transitions to being a multipurpose defensive line weapon for the Chiefs. Hill also checks in at a career-best slot after residing in the No. 22 spot last year. Kelce jumped from 18th to the top five. While everyone else saw their rankings improve, Mathieu fell 19 spots from 2020 to 2021.
