The NFL Network is in the process of releasing their annual NFL Top 100 list, which is based on an off-season poll where players vote on their peers based on the performance of the previous season and their belief of how the player will perform in the coming season. With 80 players already selected, 20 spots remain for players to land a spot on the coveted list.
The 2015 list premiered on May 6, and so far the Broncos have had four selections. The list includes: Emmanuel Sanders (No. 95), DeMarcus Ware (No. 87), Julius Thomas (Now a Jaguar, No. 45) and Von Miller (No. 33).
With 20 spots remaining it would be quite the shock if there were not two more Denver Broncos on the list. Both players should be shoo-ins for the top-20. If you haven’t guessed it by now, its Peyton Manning and Demaryius Thomas. And there could be one wild card who could make his first appearance on the list altogether.
Looking at DT’s case first, it would be pretty ridiculous to omit one the best receivers in the NFL. Last year Thomas caught 111 passes, 11 touchdowns passes and accumulated 1,619 reception yards. Statistically speaking, this was Thomas’s best year in the NFL, and at 27 years old, he is just entering the prime of his career. Behind Calvin Johnson, Thomas has a good argument for being the second-best receiver in the league, which is why Bronco fans want a deal signed as soon as possible.
Thomas has made the NFL Top 100 list in each of the past two years, ranking No. 68 in 2013 and No. 49 in 2014. Having just posted the best season of his career, expect to see Thomas’s name in the top-20 without a doubt.
There will come a time when these NFL Top 100 lists come out and a familiar face to all NFL viewers will not be there. Yes, Peyton Manning’s time in the NFL is coming to an end, sooner than later. Manning has been an absolute legend in the NFL, holding major records that will likely stand for some time. The level of quarterbacking excellence that Manning has produced year after year is nothing short of amazing.
Since the NFL Network began doing the NFL Top 100 in 2011, Manning has been ranked either #1 or #2 in three of the four seasons. He was No. 1 last season. Always a consistent performer, Manning has spoiled fans on the Colts previously and now Bronco fans for his consistency yearly. While all Broncos fans will agree, the last 6 games last year, including the ugly loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the playoffs, left fans wondering if Manning’s time was done. Still, Manning threw for 4,727 yards last season to go along with 39 touchdowns; only Andrew Luck (40 TD) threw more.
For the 39-year-old Manning, his place on the Mount Rushmore of quarterbacks is cemented and for at least one more season, you will see his name in the top 20 of the NFL Top 100.
Back-to-back Super Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson (No. 22), two-time Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger (No. 26) and Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees (No. 30) were revealed Wednesday.
Will Manning crack the top ten? History says “yes,” but fans and players were left with a potentially jaded view after Manning’s injury-affected, disappointing play down the stretch.
The Broncos have one wild card player who could make a very surprising first appearance on the Top 100 list.
Chris Harris Jr. made headlines already this offseason when Pro Football Focus ranked the cornerback their No. 4 player, comparing his 2014 to what Darrelle Revis did in 2009. Harris Jr. did not allow a touchdown all season and gave up just 7.7 yards per catch, never allowing a return longer than 22 yards. He allowed more than 50 yards in a game just once all season.
Those numbers earned Harris Jr. a healthy raise mid-year. Will they earn him a surprise spot in the top 20? We’ll know within the next two weeks.
Sammy Mugharbil, a Mile High Sports intern and student at MSU-Denver contributed to this report.
