Ranking the Best NFL Players This Season

As the 2026 NFL season gets ready to begin, the debate over the league’s best players is heating up. Quarterbacks, pass rushers, wide receivers, defensive backs and running backs are all competing for the spotlight, but only a select group can be considered among the NFL’s elite.

The latest NFL Top 100 Players 2026 rankings provide an early look at which stars are expected to have the biggest impact this season. Among the biggest names near the top are Myles Garrett, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Ja’Marr Chase and Patrick Mahomes.

One of the most notable developments is the rise of Myles Garrett to the No. 1 position in ESPN’s 2026 NFL Rank projection. Garrett enters the season as the reigning Defensive Player of the Year after setting an NFL record with 23 sacks in 2025.

Myles Garrett Leads the NFL Top 100

Myles Garrett has reached the top of ESPN’s projected 2026 rankings after another dominant season.

The Cleveland Browns traded Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams, giving the star pass rusher a new environment and a new opportunity to make an impact. His 23-sack campaign in 2025 established a new NFL record, while his ability to consistently disrupt quarterbacks made him one of the most difficult defensive players to game-plan against.

Garrett is also entering 2026 with five first-team All-Pro selections since 2020, the most among NFL players during that span. ESPN projects him for 13 sacks in 2026.

His move to Los Angeles is particularly intriguing because he joins a Rams roster that already includes several high-level offensive and defensive stars.

Top 10 NFL Players for 2026

Here is the current top 10 from ESPN’s 2026 NFL Rank projection:

Rank	Player	Position	Team
1	Myles Garrett	EDGE	Los Angeles Rams
2	Josh Allen	QB	Buffalo Bills
3	Lamar Jackson	QB	Baltimore Ravens
4	Ja’Marr Chase	WR	Cincinnati Bengals
5	Patrick Mahomes	QB	Kansas City Chiefs
6	Puka Nacua	WR	Los Angeles Rams
7	Patrick Surtain II	CB	Denver Broncos
8	Joe Burrow	QB	Cincinnati Bengals
9	Matthew Stafford	QB	Los Angeles Rams
10	Justin Jefferson	WR	Minnesota Vikings

ESPN’s ranking is designed to project who will perform at the highest level during the 2026 season, rather than simply ranking players based on their previous careers.

2. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Josh Allen remains firmly among the NFL’s elite quarterbacks.

Allen has finished inside the top five of MVP voting in each of the past four seasons, matching Peyton Manning’s streak over the past four decades. He has also produced at least 25 passing touchdowns and 10 rushing touchdowns in each of the last three seasons.

With a new coaching setup and DJ Moore arriving as a major addition to the passing game, Allen could once again be a serious MVP contender.

3. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Lamar Jackson enters 2026 at No. 3 after another season among the league’s most dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks.

The Ravens quarterback has already won multiple MVP awards and has demonstrated an unusual ability to thrive when Baltimore changes offensive coordinators. His combination of passing efficiency, speed and open-field ability makes him one of the hardest players in football to defend.

ESPN projects Jackson for nearly 3,900 passing yards and more than 670 rushing yards in 2026.

4. Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals

Ja’Marr Chase continues to establish himself as one of the NFL’s premier wide receivers.

Chase enters 2026 after another elite campaign and has recorded at least 80 receptions and 1,000 receiving yards in every season of his career. His versatility has also expanded, with Cincinnati increasingly finding ways to put the ball in his hands from different positions.

His ability to create explosive plays makes him one of the biggest offensive weapons in the NFL.

5. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Patrick Mahomes drops from No. 1 in ESPN’s previous ranking to No. 5 in the 2026 projection, but that does not mean expectations have fallen.

Mahomes is returning from a torn ACL, making his health one of the biggest storylines surrounding Kansas City entering the season. The addition of running back Kenneth Walker III could also help reduce the pressure on Mahomes to carry the offense every week.

If Mahomes returns to full strength, it would not be surprising to see him climb these rankings again.

6. Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams

Puka Nacua is rapidly becoming one of the NFL’s most productive receivers.

Nacua led the league with 129 receptions in 2025 and averaged 107.2 receiving yards per game. He also produced three consecutive games with at least 150 receiving yards, tying an NFL record for the longest such streak.

His connection with Matthew Stafford gives the Rams one of the league’s most dangerous passing combinations.

7. Patrick Surtain II, Denver Broncos

Patrick Surtain II remains one of the premier cornerbacks in football.

The Broncos star has already established himself as an elite coverage defender and continues to be a central piece of Denver’s defense. He was ranked No. 10 in the player-voted NFL Top 100 list and is also No. 7 in ESPN’s projection.

His ability to limit opposing receivers makes him especially valuable in today’s pass-heavy NFL.

8. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Burrow enters 2026 with plenty to prove.

Injuries limited Burrow to nine games during the 2025 season, but he showed flashes of his elite form after returning. His career completion percentage of 68.5% remains the highest in NFL history among quarterbacks with at least 1,500 attempts.

With Chase and the Bengals’ offensive weapons around him, a healthy Burrow could quickly move back toward the top of the NFL quarterback conversation.

9. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

Matthew Stafford’s ranking is one of the biggest surprises in the 2026 list.

The veteran quarterback is coming off the best statistical season of his career and enters 2026 as the reigning NFL MVP. He led the league in passing yards, touchdowns and touchdown-to-interception ratio in 2025.

At 38, Stafford’s continued production will be one of the most interesting storylines of the new season.

10. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

Justin Jefferson remains one of the safest bets among elite NFL receivers.

Jefferson has already accumulated 8,480 receiving yards through his first six seasons, the most in NFL history at that point in a player’s career. With Kyler Murray expected to start at quarterback for Minnesota, Jefferson could be positioned for another major season.

Other NFL Stars to Watch in 2026

The top 10 only tells part of the story. The broader ranking features stars across nearly every position.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba is one of the biggest risers after an outstanding 2025 campaign. He finished with 1,793 receiving yards, led the league in that category and won AP Offensive Player of the Year honors.

Other notable players near the top of the rankings include Penei Sewell, Micah Parsons, Bijan Robinson, Will Anderson Jr., Aidan Hutchinson, Kyle Hamilton, Jahmyr Gibbs, Fred Warner, Derek Stingley Jr., Amon-Ra St. Brown, Devon Witherspoon, Brock Bowers and Maxx Crosby.

The rankings demonstrate just how deep the NFL’s talent pool has become.

Which Teams Have the Most Elite Players?

Some teams stand out because of the number of high-level players included in the overall rankings.

The Philadelphia Eagles lead ESPN’s projection with eight players in the top 100. The Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers are next with six players each. Interestingly, the New York Jets are the only team without a player on ESPN’s projected list.

That distribution highlights an important point: individual star power does not always translate directly into team success, but having several elite players can dramatically change a team’s ceiling.

Quarterbacks Continue to Dominate the NFL

Quarterbacks remain the most heavily represented position near the top of the NFL rankings.

ESPN’s 2026 list includes 16 quarterbacks among the top 100 players. Edge rushers are next with 13 players, illustrating the continued importance of both quarterback play and pressure defense in the modern NFL.

The presence of Allen, Jackson, Mahomes, Burrow and Stafford in the top 10 also demonstrates how heavily elite quarterback play influences player rankings.

Myles Garrett vs. Josh Allen: Who Is the NFL’s Best Player?

The most interesting debate may be at the very top.

Josh Allen is one of the league’s most complete quarterbacks, while Myles Garrett has become perhaps the most dominant defensive force in football.

Garrett’s No. 1 ranking is especially significant because defenders rarely receive the top spot in league-wide player rankings. His record-setting 23-sack season in 2025 gives him a strong case, while his ability to affect every passing situation makes his value difficult to measure with sacks alone.

Allen, meanwhile, has consistently been among the league’s MVP candidates and gives Buffalo elite production as both a passer and runner.

That makes the race for the NFL’s best player one of the biggest storylines to follow throughout the 2026 season.

NFL Top 100 Players 2026: What to Expect

Player rankings are always subjective, and the order can change dramatically once the season begins.

A breakout season, injury or unexpected decline can quickly reshape the NFL’s hierarchy. Players such as Jaxon Smith-Njigba have already demonstrated how quickly an emerging star can move up the rankings, while established veterans such as Mahomes, Burrow and Stafford face different challenges heading into the new season.

The NFL’s official player-voted Top 100 list is another important benchmark. The 2026 edition is being revealed throughout the summer, with the final top players scheduled to be unveiled in early September.

Final Thoughts

The NFL Top 100 Players 2026 conversation is packed with elite talent.

Myles Garrett currently sits at the top of ESPN’s projection after a record-setting 2025 season, while Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson remain two of the NFL’s most complete quarterbacks. Ja’Marr Chase and Puka Nacua headline an outstanding group of receivers, while Patrick Mahomes remains a major contender despite returning from injury.

But rankings are only predictions.

The real test begins when the 2026 NFL season kicks off. By the end of the year, injuries, statistics, playoff performances and individual awards could produce a very different list.

For NFL fans, that uncertainty is part of what makes the new season so compelling.