NFL Top 100 players of 2018

#61. Gerald McCoy

#62. Taylor Lewan

#63. Jason Kelce

#64. Demarcus Lawrence

#65. Philip Rivers

#66. Kevin Byard

#67. Zack Martin

#68. Kareem Hunt

#69. Micah Hyde

#70. C.J. Mosley

As far as three-tech penetrators go, Gerald McCoy is still in the conversation for one of the best in the league. His numbers have taken a little dip recently, but he is still a frequent visitor in the backfield despite not having a lot of help off the edges, forcing QBs to step up into him.

Lewan didn’t quite reach the level he did in 2016 last season, but I still believe he will be one of the premiere offensive tackles for the next five-plus years. He brings a nasty, old-school attitude and has the athleticism to stay in front of the best pass rushers.

Last year, Kelce was the best center in the league in 17. His football IQ and mobility from that spot stand out. I think Lane Johnson is the best overall player on the Eagles offensive line, but Kelce is the most important one due to his ability to communicate and making different blocking schemes work.

I felt Lawrence was one of the more underrated young defensive linemen for a few years now, but in 2017 he took his game to another level and led the league in sacks for long stretches. The two things I really like about him is the effort he showcases against the run and the technical refinement with his hands.

Similar to Big Ben, Rivers looked like he was on the downfall early on in the season, but reassessed himself as one of the game’s best during the Chargers playoff rally. He struggled mightily against the Chiefs, but outside of those two meetings, he threw for 27 touchdowns compared to only four picks.

Byard has emerged as one the premiere young defenders and playmakers. Not only did the ball seem to find him magically, as he tied Darius Slay with those eight INTs, but he made an additional 16 plays on the ball and gets involved all over the field from his free safety spot.

That six-year, 84-million dollar contract extension Martin just received lets you know what kind of player he is. I’d still take a healthy Marshal Yanda and David DeCastro over him, but Martin is clearly the future at the guard position. He is an incredible zone-blocker and pass protector.

Rookies have led the league in rushing in consecutive years now and while Hunt didn’t quite take the league by storm like Zeke did, his debut against New England might have been the best we’ve ever seen. I even thought the Chiefs should have handed it to him some more, but he also caught 53 passes.

One of the most instinctive defensive players in all of football, Hyde really made a name for himself in 2017. I already loved watching him play in Green Bay, but in his first season with the Bills, he proved to be a playmaker all over the field.

When I ranked the top players at each level, before putting this list together, I came away with one observation – Luke Kuechly and Bobby Wagner are far and away the best two at inside linebacker. After them, you can argue who’s next, but I went with Mosley because he is the total package.