NFL Top 100 2026: 7 First-Time Candidates Who Belong on the List
The NFL Top 100 returns on X on June 22. Here are seven players who should debut in the 2026 countdown, from Drake Maye and Jaxon Smith-Njigba near the top to Devin Lloyd in the final stretch.
The NFL Top 100 is back at the perfect time for offseason arguments. The 2026 player-voted countdown premieres Monday, June 22 on X, with weekday reveals scheduled to carry the debate through Friday, Sept. 4.
That makes this a good moment to look at the players who should be new to the list. The first-time group should be led by young offensive stars, but a few linebackers have done enough to force their way into the conversation.
#How the 2026 NFL Top 100 rollout works
Players ranked No. 100 through No. 11 are scheduled to be revealed two at a time on weekdays through Friday, Aug. 21. The top 10 will then get a slower reveal, with one player announced each weekday at 10 a.m. ET from Aug. 24 through Sept. 4.
| Rank | Player | Team | Position | Projected range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drake Maye | New England Patriots | QB | Top 20 |
| 2 | Jaxon Smith-Njigba | Seattle Seahawks | WR | Top 20 |
| 3 | George Pickens | Dallas Cowboys | WR | Top 50 |
| 4 | Caleb Williams | Chicago Bears | QB | Top 50 |
| 5 | Azeez Al-Shaair | Houston Texans | LB | Top 75 |
| 6 | Carson Schwesinger | Cleveland Browns | LB | Top 75 |
| 7 | Devin Lloyd | Carolina Panthers | LB | Top 100 |
#1. Drake Maye, QB, Patriots
Maye turned New England from a rebuilding story into a Super Bowl threat faster than expected. He finished as the 2025 MVP runner-up, led the league with a 72 percent completion rate and paired 4,000-plus passing yards with 30-plus touchdowns in one of the cleanest young-quarterback seasons in recent memory.
The playoff struggles keep him from automatic top-10 treatment, but the regular season case is overwhelming. A league-best 113.5 passer rating and 13 games with a rating over 100 should put him near the front of the player-voted countdown.
Projected NFL Top 100 range: Top 20.
#2. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seahawks
Smith-Njigba should not be viewed as a slot-only receiver anymore. His third season became a full-field takeover: 119 catches, 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns while handling far more work outside than he did earlier in his career.
Seattle paid him like an elite receiver because that is what his tape showed. His releases, tempo and route pacing translated against perimeter coverage, and the player vote should reflect a wideout who has moved into the NFL's top tier.
Projected NFL Top 100 range: Top 20.
#3. George Pickens, WR, Cowboys
Pickens went to Dallas and answered the question that followed him out of Pittsburgh: could the production finally match the talent in a steadier role? Even while sharing targets with CeeDee Lamb, he finished third in the league with 1,429 receiving yards and averaged 15.4 yards per catch. If he spends the year on the franchise tag, every defense on the Cowboys schedule will have to treat him like a true WR1.
The highlight catches still pop, but the bigger growth was how he won ordinary downs. Slants, digs and intermediate in-breakers became reliable answers against corners trying to take away the sideline. That fuller profile belongs in the top half of the list.
Projected NFL Top 100 range: Top 50.
#4. Caleb Williams, QB, Bears
Williams' season was not as tidy as Maye's, but it was every bit as magnetic. In Ben Johnson's offense, he pushed toward 4,000 passing yards with a 27:7 touchdown-to-interception ratio and gave Chicago the kind of late-game confidence it has rarely had at quarterback.
Seven fourth-quarter comebacks, including the playoffs, should matter in a player vote. His accuracy and down-to-down rhythm can still tighten, but the playmaking ceiling already looks like one of the league's defining traits.
Projected NFL Top 100 range: Top 50.
#5. Azeez Al-Shaair, LB, Texans
Houston's defense has louder names, but Al-Shaair is the connective tissue in the middle. His range lets the Texans play fast sideline to sideline, and his trigger against the run gives the front a tone-setter behind Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter.
Linebackers without huge sack or interception totals can get overlooked in this exercise. Al-Shaair's case is built on command, physicality between the numbers and the trust he creates for everyone around him.
Projected NFL Top 100 range: Top 75.
#6. Carson Schwesinger, LB, Browns
Schwesinger did not need a long runway to look comfortable. The 2025 Defensive Rookie of the Year piled up 156 tackles, added 2.5 sacks and grabbed two interceptions while becoming a stabilizing piece for Cleveland's defense.
What stands out is how early he processes. He gets to the ball without wasted motion, fits the run with conviction and already looks like the kind of middle linebacker teammates can build calls around. Top 75 is fair for that kind of instant impact.
Projected NFL Top 100 range: Top 75.
#7. Devin Lloyd, LB, Panthers
Lloyd's case is different because his value is tied to the defensive skill that changes games fastest: taking the ball away. Before landing in Carolina, he posted five interceptions for Jacksonville and turned one into a 99-yard touchdown against Kansas City.
Coverage consistency still matters, but a second-level defender with those ball skills gives a defense margin. In a countdown that rewards splash plays and peer recognition, Lloyd has enough on tape to squeeze into the back end.
Projected NFL Top 100 range: Top 100.
#The bottom line
Maye and Smith-Njigba should push for top-20 placement, while Williams and Pickens belong comfortably in the top half. The linebacker trio gives the list the kind of hard-earned variety that makes the Top 100 fun to argue about in the first place.
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