"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).
2024 stats: 17 games | 131 tackles | 5 tfl | 1 sack | 2 INT | 1 TD | 4 FF
Warner continued to be a leader and statistical marvel at linebacker for the 49ers, holding down the defense and flying around the field to contribute in every area, from coverage to turnovers to getting in the backfield. He’s one of only two players to earn first-team All-Pro in four of the last five seasons, also recording 125-plus tackles each of the last five years. Though San Francisco parted with many notable defensive pieces this offseason in order to financially reset, Warner’s value was too high to suffer the same fate, and the linebacker even earned an extension that put him at the top of the market for his position. With a new defensive group surrounding him and a new coordinator in the returning Robert Saleh, the pressure will be on Warner more than ever to continue delivering stellar seasons.
NFL Pro Insight for Warner: Fred Warner was the only linebacker in the NFL with 100-plus tackles and an interception return TD in 2024. Warner has had 100-plus tackles and at least one takeaway every season of his seven-year career.
2024 stats: 17 games | 72.4 pct | 4,629 pass yds | 8.6 ypa | 37 pass TD | 12 INT | 56 rush yds | 6 fumbles
The Lions have flipped 180 degrees from the bottom of the barrel to darlings of the league and Super Bowl contenders in just the last few years, and the arrival of Goff has been a big reason why. In 2024, his ninth year in the league, Goff was one of the best quarterbacks around, ranking top-five in completion percentage, passing yards and touchdowns. He spearheaded Detroit’s No. 1-ranked offense to the tune of a franchise record 15 wins and a second straight NFC North crown after having never done so before the 2023 season. There’s still the Super Bowl hump to get over and the loss of former OC Ben Johnson to consider going into this season, but the evidence indicates Goff remains an elite QB even as he gets ready to hit a decade in the NFL.
NFL Pro Insight for Goff: Jared Goff recorded a league-high 62.9% completion percentage on throws targeted past the sticks on third down in 2024.
2024 stats: 17 games | 46 tackles | 19 tfl | 17.5 sacks | 2 FF
Hendrickson has been steadily growing into an elite game-wrecking force for Cincy since he joined the team, and his second consecutive season with 17.5 sacks -- which led the league -- is just the culmination of that. He’s racked up four consecutive Pro Bowls in his four years as a Bengal and this last season was a new high, setting career bests in almost every major category and adding a first-team All-Pro and second place finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting to his resume. All that success, however, led to a stalemate between Hendrickson and his team over compensation, with the pass rusher with the pass rusher reporting to camp more than a week late and holding in for weeks. The Bengals eventually resolved the contract dispute, giving Hendrickson a $14 million raise and keeping the star sacker in tow for the 2025 season
NFL Pro Insight for Hendrickson: Trey Hendrickson accounted for 32.2% of the Bengals total pressures generated last season, making him the only defender to have recorded a team pressure share over 30%. Hendrickson generated 92 pressures, most in the NFL.
2024 stats: 17 games | 1,144 snaps | 28 QBP allowed | 1 sacks allowed (per Pro Football Focus)
Sewell has been as advertised in his first four years as a pro, steadily getting better and rising to the occasion despite a position switch to become a perennial Pro Bowl talent. In 2024, Sewell barely missed a snap and allowed just one sack in 1,144 snaps, recording a 87.5 overall grade and 90.5 run blocking grade, per PFF. For his part in protecting Jared Goff through the Lions’ impressive season, he even earned votes in Offensive Player of the Year standings and now stands as the odds-on favorite for the inaugural Protector of the Year award. His presence will be ever more important in the Lions’ quest for a Super Bowl after the departure of two other OL starters this offseason.
NFL Pro Insight for Sewell: Penei Sewell allowed pressure on 8.1% of his pass blocking snaps in 2024, 16th-lowest among right tackles (min. 200 pass blocking snaps).
2024 stats: 15 games | 37 tackles | 9 tfl | 5 sacks | 1 FF
Chris Jones has been a defensive stalwart and star for the Chiefs for the last nine years, playing a significant role in the team’s continued playoff success and multiple Super Bowl rings. With an active streak of six consecutive Pro Bowls and three straight first-team All-Pro nods, he’s widely regarded as one of, if not the best interior defensive lineman in the game, and the Chiefs paid him commensurately ahead of last season with a $158.75 million extension that’s almost $6 million more lucrative per year than the next highest player, per Over the Cap. At 31 years old and entering Year 10, Jones hasn’t appeared to miss a step, and should remain a fixture in the K.C. scene into his mid-30s.
NFL Pro Insight for Jones: Chris Jones recorded the second-most pressures (61) among defensive tackles this season, with 26 (most) coming in under 2.5 seconds. Jones averaged the quickest get off at his position (0.85 seconds) resulting in the fourth-quickest time to pressure (2.67 seconds) among defensive tackles with at least 15 pressures this season.
2024 stats: 17 games | 61 tackles | 19 tfl | 11.5 sacks | 6 FF | 2 FR
Watt became the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league just a few weeks ago when the Steelers signed him to a three-year, $123 million extension, and it's no wonder Pittsburgh was willing to shell out the money for a player who's been as important to their defensive success as Watt has. Other than his injury-shortened 2022 season, Watt has finished with at least 11 sacks every year since his second season, and is riding a streak of seven consecutive Pro Bowl nods, speaking to his consistency and widely-accepted status as one of the best pass rushers in the league right now. The 2021 Defensive Player of the Year has finished top five in voting for the category on four occasions, excluding his winning year, and has led the league in sacks three times. There's no understating how much of an impactful presence Watt is for his team and for the league, earning him this spot just outside the top 10.
NFL Pro Insight for Watt: T.J. Watt aligned on the left edge (offensive right) on 94.7% of his snaps. Opposing offenses often avoided Watt in the run game, instead running to the left side of the formation on 58.6% of their designed carries against the Steelers defense, the highest rate in the NFL.
