Top 100 NFL Players of 2016: 80-71

80. CB. Darelle Revis

Let me just start by saying that Revis is a future hall of famer and at his best he was 1 of the best corners I ever saw play. Now for the honest cold heart truth: Revis is on the decline. NFL.com might not have a problem ranking Revis in their top 25 off reputation alone and that’s great but I prefer to rely on what a player can do now. I know a lot of people love the guy and many fans still consider him 1 of the very best corners in the game. He’s still really good and better than most, but he’s no longer what he used to be and he’s certainly no longer in the conversation of best cornerback. It’s 1 thing when a player has a down year in their 20s after multiple good seasons or coming off an injury. That you can write off as an anomaly. But when a player hit their 30s and starts to decline there’s usually no where left to go but down. Like I said Revis is still better than a majority of the players in this league at his position. But his once elite recovery speed and lateral agility just don’t seem to be what they once were. Then again, he could pull a Johnathan Joseph and turn back the clock.

79. TE. Jimmy Graham

Jimmy Graham got hurt and wasn’t able to make it through the full season in 2015, but let’s not kid ourselves he wasn’t playing up to his usual elite level even before he got hurt. Maybe you could attribute it to being on a new team and just not having found a fit in the offense quite yet. His skill set didn’t really seemed to be diminished. He can still really run and jump and his route running ability has always been among the best in the NFL among tight ends. Not only that, Russell Wilson had 1 of his best seasons in 2015, so you can’t blame the QB. All I can say is out of respect for having 4 straight seasons with over 80 catches, nearly 900 yards and 10 TDs I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and see if he can redeem himself in 2016.

78. TE. Delanie Walker

Delanie Walker has proven over the past few years that he’s a good tight end, but last year he was great and launched himself into the conversation of top NFL tight ends after a monster season. He’s only 6′ tall but he has 4.5 speed and has developed into a very good route runner and seam threat. Walker lead all tight ends with 94 receptions and he also accumulated over 1,000 yards. With no true number 1 option at the receiver position for young Mariota, Walker became his go-to option and security blanket. Walker isn’t just a 1-dimensional player either; he can really block his tail off, both as a run and pass blocker. The only knock on him I guess would have to be that he isn’t tall.

77. DE. Robert Quinn

It wasn’t that long ago when Quinn’s name was in the conversation for best defensive end in the NFL. Before last season, Quinn had registered double digit sacks in 3 straight seasons including 19 sacks in 2013. But in 2015, he wasn’t able to stay healthy and only played in 8 games. He was able to get 5 sacks in only 8 games, which suggest he was on pace to have yet another double digit sack season. While it can’t be denied that Quinn is no longer playing at the level he was when he racked up those 19 sacks but he is still 1 of the best pass rushers in the game and if he can stay healthy in 2016, I expect him to be a force rushing the passer again.

76. DE. Mike Daniels

Mike Daniels is 1 of the most underrated players in all of football. He’s only 6’0 tall and has a short stocky frame and is not at all in the mold of your typical dominant 5-technique end. However, he plays better than most of his counterparts. He’s managed to overcome his size limitations and become 1 of the top defensive lineman in the game. Daniels is absolutely elite vs the run. Tackles just can’t seem to move him or even neutralize him to allow the ball to be run in his vicinity. Daniels has big heavy hands that pack a wallop when he punches and he utilizes his power well to reestablish the line of scrimmage and shed blockers to make tackles in the backfield. He might not look like it, but he also is pretty good rushing the passer. He doesn’t have elite athleticism, but he gets it done with an impressive array of power moves, most notably his bull rush. Even when he isn’t getting sacks, Daniels is putting pressure on QBs by collapsing the pocket.

75. DT. Malik Jackson

Malik Jackson has developed into 1 of the games best interior defenders in the NFL ,which is why he was able to command a 6-year, $90 million contract in free agency. He is very disruptive at 6’5, 295 pounds. He does a great job at utilizing his athleticism and length to put pressure on QBs from inside. He only had 5 sacks last season and that doesn’t really even begin to do his skills as a pass rusher justice.

74. WR. Alshon Jeffery

In just 9 games, Jeffery had 54 receptions and 807 yards. He could have easily gotten over 1,500 yards had he played the full season. At 6’3, 216 pounds, Jeffery is a physical, big-bodied WR that has developed into a top number 1 option which is why the Bears felt comfortable letting Marshall go. For a guy his size, he runs very well and is capable of making plays down the field. But he specializes as a possession guy that can go up and get it and make tough catches. With big hands and long arms, he gives his QB a large target area and some room for error. The Bears would be wise to scrap the tag and get a long-term deal done with this guy.

73. OLB. Clay Matthews

Clay Matthews has had to play the role of Swiss army knife for the Packers defense it seems. They use him as both as traditional linebacker and a edge rusher. I think he could actually be higher on the list if we can just see him play on the edge full time. But it also speaks to his talent that he’s so versatile. Matthews has the skills to stand up as a true linebacker and drop into coverage, diagnose plays and make the right reads. He has a nose for the ball and can play sideline to sideline and on the edge he’s a big-time pass rusher as well due to his acceleration and quickness.

72. WR. Demaryius Thomas

Okay, okay, I know he looked really, really bad down the stretch and came down with a major case of the drops, but his sample size of bad play just is nowhere near large enough to justify taking him out of the top 10 when you consider his career and skill set. For 4 seasons straight, Thomas has had at least 90 receptions and at least 1300 yards. And last year was the first time in 4 years he’s caught less than 10 TDs and that probably had more to do with the inconsistent QB play than him. Even with the hands issue, we’re talking about a 6’3 220+ pound receiver with 4.3 speed. Make no mistake, this dude is still one of the best talents in the game and I expect him to be big time next season, even with Sanchez at QB.

71. QB. Tony Romo