| NFL Top 100 Players of 2021 | |
|---|---|
| Season 2021 | |
 Patrick Mahomes, the number 1 ranked player | |
| Release | |
| Original network | NFL Network |
| Original release | August 15 – August 28, 2021 |
| Season chronology | |
NFL Top 100 Players of 2021 is the eleventh season in the NFL Top 100 series. It premiered on August 15, 2021, and concluded on August 28, 2021. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was named the number one player. [1]
| Episode No. | Air date | Numbers revealed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 15 | 100–91 |
| 2 | 90–81 | |
| 3 | 80–71 | |
| 4 | 70–61 | |
| 5 | 60–51 | |
| 6 | 50–41 | |
| 7 | August 22 | 40–31 |
| 8 | 30–21 | |
| 9 | 20–11 | |
| 10 | August 28 | 10–6 |
| 11 | 5–1 |
| Rank | Player | Position | 2020 team | 2021 team | Rank change | Reference | Year accomplishments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patrick Mahomes | Quarterback | Kansas City Chiefs |  3 | [2] |
| |
| 2 | Aaron Donald | Defensive tackle | Los Angeles Rams | 1 | [3] | ||
| 3 | Aaron Rodgers | Quarterback | Green Bay Packers | 13 | [4] | ||
| 4 | Derrick Henry | Running back | Tennessee Titans | 6 | [5] | ||
| 5 | Travis Kelce | Tight end | Kansas City Chiefs | 13 | [6] | ||
| 6 | Davante Adams | Wide receiver | Green Bay Packers | 51 | [7] | ||
| 7 | Tom Brady | Quarterback | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 7 | [8] |
| |
| 8 | DeAndre Hopkins | Wide receiver | Arizona Cardinals |  0 | [9] | ||
| 9 | T. J. Watt | Outside linebacker | Pittsburgh Steelers | 16 | [10] | ||
| 10 | Josh Allen | Quarterback | Buffalo Bills | 77 | [11] | ||
| 11 | Stefon Diggs | Wide receiver | Buffalo Bills | 43 | [12] | ||
| 12 | Russell Wilson | Quarterback | Seattle Seahawks |  10 | [13] |
| |
| 13 | Jalen Ramsey | Cornerback | Los Angeles Rams | 24 | [14] | ||
| 14 | Alvin Kamara | Running back | New Orleans Saints | 28 | [15] |
| |
| 15 | Tyreek Hill | Wide receiver | Kansas City Chiefs | 7 | [16] | ||
| 16 | Myles Garrett | Defensive end | Cleveland Browns | 64 | [17] | ||
| 17 | Xavien Howard | Cornerback | Miami Dolphins | NR | [18] | ||
| 18 | Deshaun Watson | Quarterback | Houston Texans | 2 | [19] |
| |
| 19 | Budda Baker | Free safety | Arizona Cardinals | 78 | [20] | ||
| 20 | Dalvin Cook | Running back | Minnesota Vikings | 1 | [21] |
| |
| 21 | Fred Warner | Linebacker | San Francisco 49ers | 49 | [22] | ||
| 22 | DK Metcalf | Wide receiver | Seattle Seahawks | 59 | [23] | ||
| 23 | Khalil Mack | Outside linebacker | Chicago Bears | 4 | [24] | ||
| 24 | Lamar Jackson | Quarterback | Baltimore Ravens | 23 | [25] |
| |
| 25 | Bobby Wagner | Middle linebacker | Seattle Seahawks | 12 | [26] | ||
| 26 | Nick Chubb | Running back | Cleveland Browns | 10 |
| ||
| 27 | DeForest Buckner | Defensive tackle | Indianapolis Colts | 29 |
| ||
| 28 | Devin White | Linebacker | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | NR |
| ||
| 29 | Julio Jones | Wide receiver | Atlanta Falcons | Tennessee Titans | 18 | ||
| 30 | Aaron Jones | Running back | Green Bay Packers | 3 |
| ||
| 31 | Jamal Adams | Strong safety | Seattle Seahawks | 4 | |||
| 32 | Joey Bosa | Defensive end | Los Angeles Chargers | 2 | |||
| 33 | Quenton Nelson | Guard | Indianapolis Colts | 4 | |||
| 34 | Chris Jones | Defensive tackle | Kansas City Chiefs | 18 | |||
| 35 | Darren Waller | Tight end | Las Vegas Raiders | 64 |
| ||
| 36 | David Bakhtiari | Offensive tackle | Green Bay Packers | 26 | |||
| 37 | Shaquille Leonard | Outside linebacker | Indianapolis Colts | 13 | |||
| 38 | Marlon Humphrey | Cornerback | Baltimore Ravens | 48 |
| ||
| 39 | Kyler Murray | Quarterback | Arizona Cardinals | 51 |
| ||
| 40 | Bradley Chubb | Outside linebacker | Denver Broncos | NR |
| ||
| 41 | Jaire Alexander | Cornerback | Green Bay Packers | NR | |||
| 42 | Trent Williams | Offensive tackle | San Francisco 49ers | NR |
| ||
| 43 | Lavonte David | Linebacker | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 57 |
| ||
| 44 | Christian McCaffrey | Running back | Carolina Panthers | 38 | |||
| 45 | Justin Simmons | Free safety | Denver Broncos | NR |
| ||
| 46 | Cameron Jordan | Defensive end | New Orleans Saints | 23 |
| ||
| 47 | Stephon Gilmore | Cornerback | New England Patriots | New England Patriots/Carolina Panthers | 38 |
| |
| 48 | Mike Evans | Wide receiver | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 18 |
| ||
| 49 | J. C. Jackson | Cornerback | New England Patriots | NR |
| ||
| 50 | George Kittle | Tight end | San Francisco 49ers | 43 | |||
| 51 | Za'Darius Smith | Outside linebacker | Green Bay Packers | 3 | |||
| 52 | Minkah Fitzpatrick | Free safety | Pittsburgh Steelers | 17 | |||
| 53 | Justin Jefferson | Wide receiver | Minnesota Vikings | NR |
| ||
| 54 | Grady Jarrett | Defensive tackle | Atlanta Falcons | 37 |
| ||
| 55 | Keenan Allen | Wide receiver | Los Angeles Chargers | 22 |
| ||
| 56 | Justin Herbert | Quarterback | Los Angeles Chargers | NR |
| ||
| 57 | Cameron Heyward | Defensive tackle | Pittsburgh Steelers | 27 | |||
| 58 | Tyrann Mathieu | Safety | Kansas City Chiefs | 19 | |||
| 59 | Jason Pierre-Paul | Outside linebacker | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | NR |
| ||
| 60 | Corey Linsley | Center | Green Bay Packers | Los Angeles Chargers | NR |
| |
| 61 | Chase Young | Defensive end | Washington Football Team | NR |
| ||
| 62 | A. J. Brown | Wide receiver | Tennessee Titans | NR |
| ||
| 63 | Fletcher Cox | Defensive tackle | Philadelphia Eagles | 10 |
| ||
| 64 | Demario Davis | Inside linebacker | New Orleans Saints | 3 |
| ||
| 65 | Calvin Ridley | Wide receiver | Atlanta Falcons | NR |
| ||
| 66 | J. J. Watt | Defensive end | Houston Texans | Arizona Cardinals | 21 |
| |
| 67 | K. J. Wright | Outside linebacker | Seattle Seahawks | Las Vegas Raiders | NR | ||
| 68 | Josh Jacobs | Running back | Las Vegas Raiders | 4 |
| ||
| 69 | Ryan Kelly | Center | Indianapolis Colts | NR | |||
| 70 | Eric Kendricks | Linebacker | Minnesota Vikings | 13 |
| ||
| 71 | Baker Mayfield | Quarterback | Cleveland Browns | NR |
| ||
| 72 | Michael Thomas | Wide receiver | New Orleans Saints | 67 | |||
| 73 | Trey Hendrickson | Defensive end | New Orleans Saints | Cincinnati Bengals | NR |
| |
| 74 | James Bradberry | Cornerback | New York Giants | NR |
| ||
| 75 | Laremy Tunsil | Offensive tackle | Houston Texans | 9 |
| ||
| 76 | Tyler Lockett | Wide receiver | Seattle Seahawks | 11 |
| ||
| 77 | Quandre Diggs | Free safety | Seattle Seahawks | NR |
| ||
| 78 | Jeffery Simmons | Defensive tackle | Tennessee Titans | NR |
| ||
| 79 | Terron Armstead | Offensive tackle | New Orleans Saints | NR |
| ||
| 80 | Adam Thielen | Wide receiver | Minnesota Vikings | NR |
| ||
| 81 | Chris Godwin | Wide receiver | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 43 |
| ||
| 82 | Garett Bolles | Offensive tackle | Denver Broncos | NR |
| ||
| 83 | Ryan Tannehill | Quarterback | Tennessee Titans | 15 |
| ||
| 84 | Leonard Williams | Defensive end | New York Giants | NR |
| ||
| 85 | Zack Martin | Guard | Dallas Cowboys | 30 | |||
| 86 | Marshon Lattimore | Cornerback | New Orleans Saints | 10 |
| ||
| 87 | Allen Robinson | Wide receiver | Chicago Bears | 6 |
| ||
| 88 | Shaquil Barrett | Outside linebacker | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 56 |
| ||
| 89 | Tristan Wirfs | Offensive tackle | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | NR |
| ||
| 90 | Jessie Bates | Safety | Cincinnati Bengals | NR |
| ||
| 91 | Corey Davis | Wide receiver | Tennessee Titans | New York Jets | NR |
| |
| 92 | Jason Kelce | Center | Philadelphia Eagles | 2 |
| ||
| 93 | T. J. Hockenson | Tight end | Detroit Lions | NR |
| ||
| 94 | Jarvis Landry | Wide receiver | Cleveland Browns | 33 |
| ||
| 95 | Tre'Davious White | Cornerback | Buffalo Bills | 48 | |||
| 96 | Cole Beasley | Wide receiver | Buffalo Bills | NR |
| ||
| 97 | Kyle Juszczyk | Fullback | San Francisco 49ers | NR |
| ||
| 98 | Brandon Scherff | Guard | Washington Football Team | NR | |||
| 99 | Brandon Graham | Defensive end | Philadelphia Eagles | NR | |||
| 100 | James Robinson | Running back | Jacksonville Jaguars | NR |
| ||
 | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (August 2021) |
Arizona Cardinals tackle D. J. Humphries criticized the list and its voting process, disagreeing with the placement of players such as J. J. Watt and DeAndre Hopkins. [32]
Javon Alexander Mack is an American former professional football player who was a center in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears and was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the first round with the 21st overall selection of the 2009 NFL draft. He also played for the Atlanta Falcons and the San Francisco 49ers. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2025.
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
Patrick De'mon Peterson Jr. is an American professional football cornerback. He played college football for the LSU Tigers, where he won the Chuck Bednarik Award as the best defensive player in the country, and the Jim Thorpe Award as the best defensive back. He is regarded as one of the greatest cornerbacks of his era.
Jason Daniel Kelce is a former American professional football center who spent his entire 13-year career with the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). Kelce played college football for the Cincinnati Bearcats and was selected by the Eagles in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL draft. He won Super Bowl LII, was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, and six-time first-team All-Pro selection. Kelce is often regarded as one of the greatest centers in NFL history.
Tyrann Devine Mathieu is an American professional football safety for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers. In college he developed a reputation for causing turnovers, setting a Southeastern Conference (SEC) record with 11 career forced fumbles and earning the nickname "the Honey Badger" after the mammal of the same name. In his sophomore season, he was recognized as a consensus All-American, won the Chuck Bednarik Award as the best defensive player in college football, and was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. Mathieu was dismissed from the LSU football program after that season due to a violation of team rules.
Chandler James Jones is an American professional football defensive end. He played college football for the Syracuse Orange and was selected by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft. He has also played for the Arizona Cardinals and the Las Vegas Raiders.
The NFL Top 100 is an annual television series counting down the top one hundred players in the National Football League (NFL), as chosen by fellow NFL players. The rankings are based on an off-season poll organized by the NFL, where players vote on their peers based on their performance for the recent NFL season. Only players that are not retired in the next season are eligible for consideration.
DeAndre Rashaun Hopkins, nicknamed "DHop" and "Nuk", is an American professional football wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Clemson Tigers and was selected by the Houston Texans in the first round of the 2013 NFL draft. Hopkins is a five-time Pro Bowler and has also been named to five All-Pro teams. He also played for the Arizona Cardinals and the Tennessee Titans.
Travis Michael Kelce is an American professional football tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2013 NFL draft and later won Super Bowls LIV, LVII, and LVIII with the team. He played college football for the University of Cincinnati Bearcats football program.
Aaron Charles Donald is an American former professional football defensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons with the St. Louis / Los Angeles Rams franchise. He is regarded as one of the greatest defensive players of all time.
DeForest George Buckner is an American professional football defensive tackle for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon Ducks, and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft. With the 49ers, Buckner made a Pro Bowl and was a second-team All-Pro selection in 2019. With the Colts, he was selected to the first-team All Pro in 2020 and made the Pro Bowl in 2021 and 2023.
Patrick Lavon Mahomes II is an American professional football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Mahomes has led the Chiefs to seven consecutive AFC Championship Game appearances and five Super Bowl appearances since becoming their starting quarterback in 2018. He is one of five quarterbacks in NFL history to win three or more Super Bowls as a starter. Mahomes is widely considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.
Bishard "Budda" Baker is an American professional football safety for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Washington Huskies, and was selected by the Cardinals in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft. Baker is a seven-time Pro Bowler and a four-time All-Pro member.
Trent Jordan Watt is an American professional football linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers for four years. After redshirting his freshman year, Watt injured his knee in his sophomore year, keeping him out until the 2015 season. Watt broke out in 2016, recording 11.5 sacks and receiving various collegiate honors. After foregoing his last year of college eligibility, Watt was selected by the Steelers in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft.
Nicholas John Bosa is an American professional football defensive end for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was selected second overall by the 49ers in the 2019 NFL draft. Bosa was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and helped his team reach Super Bowl LIV. In 2022, he won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. He is the son of former NFL defensive end John Bosa and younger brother of Joey Bosa, currently a linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers.
Super Bowl LVII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2022 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Kansas City Chiefs defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Philadelphia Eagles, 38–35. The game was played on February 12, 2023, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. It was the fourth Super Bowl hosted by the Phoenix metropolitan area, and the third at this venue, after Super Bowls XLII in 2008 and XLIX in 2015 when it was known as University of Phoenix Stadium.
The 2021 NFL season was the 102nd season of the National Football League (NFL). The season was the first to feature a 17-game regular season schedule as the league expanded the season from 16 games. The regular season started on September 9, 2021, with defending Super Bowl LV champion Tampa Bay defeating Dallas in the NFL Kickoff Game. The regular season ended on January 9, 2022. The playoffs started on January 15 and concluded with Super Bowl LVI, the league's championship game, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on February 13, with the Los Angeles Rams defeating Cincinnati.
The Mob Squad is a nickname that was officially used by the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League during both their last season in St. Louis and their first seasons back in Los Angeles. The nickname referred to the team's return to glory in Los Angeles under such players as Aaron Donald, Todd Gurley, Jared Goff, Cooper Kupp, and head coach Sean McVay. The naming also extends to fans of the Rams, primarily used by multiple booster clubs around Southern California.
NFL Top 100 Players of 2022 is the twelfth season in the NFL Top 100 series. It premiered on August 14, 2022 and concluded on August 28, 2022. Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady was the number one player for the fourth and final time.