"The Top 100 Players of 2025" -- voted on by the players themselves -- is underway on X and NFL+! The top 10 will be announced on Monday, Sept. 1 at 8 p.m. ET live on NFL Network.
2024 stats: 17 games | 115 rec | 1,263 rec yds | 11 ypr | 12 rec TD
The Lions' high-powered offense led them to the playoffs once again in 2024, and while Jared Goff shined at QB and David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs made headlines as a running back duo, it was St. Brown who led the team's receiving corps to great success and a No. 2 ranking. Given an extension ahead of last season, St. Brown followed that up with his third 1,000-yard season in four years as a pro. He had almost double the catches of any other Lions player and finished top-five in the league in receptions, yards and touchdowns, earning his third Pro Bowl berth and second first-team All-Pro nod. St. Brown also has often shown sure hands, posting the highest single-season catch rate (81.6%) by a wide receiver over the last three seasons (min. 50 targets), dropping only one pass all year, per Next Gen Stats.
NFL Pro Insight for St. Brown: Amon-Ra St. Brown converted 27 first downs against the blitz in 2024, tied with Mike Evans for the most in the NFL. St. Brown has ranked in the top two of first down receptions against the blitz in each of the last three seasons, and leads the NFL with 88 first downs against the blitz since 2022.
2024 stats: 15 games | 68.7 pct | 2,903 pass yds | 8.0 ypa | 18 pass TD | 5 INT | 630 rush yds | 14 rush TD | 9 fumbles
After a crushing collapse at the end of the 2023 season, Hurts and the Eagles used their disappointing finish as motivation for the 2024 campaign, and that fire and determination led them all the way back to the Super Bowl, this time sealing the deal on the biggest stage. The 40-22 drubbing of Kansas City kicked off early behind Hurts’ two passing touchdowns and one rushing TD, a performance which resulted in a Super Bowl MVP. Only the fifth QB in NFL history to start multiple Super Bowls before his 27th birthday, per NFL Pro, Hurts has certainly earned his place on this ranking with his playoff results.
NFL Pro Insight for Hurts: Jalen Hurts converted a league-high 28 first downs on 34 QB sneaks in 2024, including 10 touchdowns. Since entering the league in 2020, Hurts has converted 102 first downs on 120 QB sneaks (85.0%), 36 more than the next closest player (Josh Allen: 66).
2024 stats: 17 games | 54 tackles | 4 tfl | 18 PD | 5 INT
Stingley was quite simply an elite ball-hawking cornerback in his third NFL season, finishing third among CBs in interceptions and second overall in passes defensed and adding two more INTs in the Wild Card Round. Still just 24 years old, Stingley has been a burgeoning star on a Texans defense filled with young talents. Healthy for his first full 17-game slate after missing multiple games his first two years, Stingley was the man for the Houston secondary, playing consistently good coverage while also getting takeaways, leading to his first Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro selections. His impact was such that the Texans felt comfortable making him the now second-highest-paid cornerback in the league after just three years on his rookie deal, setting him up to be a fixture in the lineup for the near future. Stingley has already expressed his feelings that with the squad the Texans have, Houston should lead the league in interceptions by "at least about 10 to 15." Another individual season like Stingley's last would go a long way toward that team goal.
NFL Pro Insight for Stingley: Derek Stingley Jr. is the only player in the NFL with at least five interceptions in each of the last two seasons.
2024 stats: 12 games | 44 tackles | 8 tfl | 9 sacks | 1 FF
Lawrence only played 12 games in 2024 before a dislocated elbow ended his season, but while on the field his performance was the best of his career. Even missing five games, Lawrence had a career-high nine sacks, leading his team in the category behind his unique pairing of size and nimble feet. And it wasn't just the pass rush in which he made an impact, also finishing as the second best interior defensive lineman in run defense with an 83.8 grade, per Pro Football Focus. All that earned him his third straight Pro Bowl. With the Giants defense often disjointed and forced into extended action last season due to the continued offensive struggles, Lawrence's veteran presence was a balm, leading his unit on the field and off it. With rookie Abdul Carter and established pass rushers Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux set to line up alongside Lawrence in 2025, this Giants defensive front could be a sneaky dangerous group, especially if Lawrence returns healthy and plays at his 2024 pre-injury level.
NFL Pro Insight for Lawrence: Dexter Lawrence was double-teamed on 63.8 percent of his pass rush snaps in 2024, the highest rate of any player with at least 200 pass rushes in a season (since 2018). Of the 32 other players to be double teamed on at least 50 percent of pass rushes in that span, Lawrence's 9.0 sacks were the most (despite playing in just 12 games due to injury).
