Green Bay Packers fans waiting to see where Aaron Rodgers would land in the top ten players of the NFL Top 100 for 2018 did not have to wait long on Monday evening. Rodgers was the first player revealed in the top ten, landing in 10th place. This makes him the fourth-highest quarterback in the rankings, behind Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and Carson Wentz. Rodgers’ 2017 campaign was cut short by a broken collarbone, coming at the hands of Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr in week six. Rodgers returned for one additional game late in the season before going on injured reserve for the final two weeks of the year. In his seven games, Rodgers threw for 1,675 yards, 16 touchdowns, and six interceptions (three of which came in his return engagement against the Carolina Panthers). That was good for a passer rating of 97.2 and a yards per attempt number of 7.0. Overall, Rodgers’ numbers have dropped off a bit since 2014, when he won his second NFL MVP award. That year capped a string of six straight years with a passer rating over 100 and seven straight (all of his years as a starter at the time) with a yards per attempt of 7.5 or more. Still, Rodgers’ ability to improvise and read defenses has continued to improve with age and he remains one of the best quarterbacks in the entire league. The following are Rodgers’ rankings in previous seasons: 2017: 6th 2016: 6th 2015: 2nd 2014: 11th 2013: 6th 2012: 1st 2011: 11th Rodgers joins a handful of other Packers on this year’s list, including the following: WR Davante Adams (45th), TE Jimmy Graham (89th), OT David Bakhtiari (91st), DT Mike Daniels (93rd), and S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (100th).<doc-sep>Former Alabama and current Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones was recognized by his peers in the latest, and final, installment of the NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2018 as the No. 4 player on the annual list. Jones was voted the No. 3 overall player a year ago. He's in the top 10 for the 3rd straight year! @juliojones_11 is #4 on the countdown!#NFLTop100 pic.twitter.com/ZyTRq6Q7Cl — NFL Network (@nflnetwork) June 26, 2018 Jones is the fifth, and obviously highest, former Crimson Tide player to appear in the offseason NFL rankings, joining Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, C.J. Mosley, Landon Collins and Mark Ingram. Five Alabama players were voted to the NFL’s Top 100 players of 2017, too. Last year, Jones caught 88 passes for 1,444 yards and three touchdowns in 16 games. His 88 receptions and 1,444 receiving yards were the third-most of his seven-year NFL career. The former 5-star recruit earned the fifth Pro Bowl nod of his career last season. Despite his top-10 finish in the NFL’s Top 100, the Atlanta Falcons star receiver is currently at odds with the franchise as he awaits a new deal. Jones has sat out minicamp and it remains to be seen if he will be at Atlanta’s training camp if a deal does not get done. “We have been in contact with Julio and his representation,” Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff said. “We will not discuss those conversations publicly except to say we feel they have been productive and constructive. We understand the concerns and thoughts from their perspective. Although not ideal, Julio informed us today he would not be attending minicamp.” In 2018, Jones is scheduled to make $10.5 million in base salary, which ranks sixth in the NFL among wide receivers. Jones’ average annual salary of $14.25 million is not in the top five anymore, with Jarvis Landry ($15.1 million) and Sammy Watkins ($16 million) blowing by him this offseason. Jones currently has the eighth-highest average annual salary among receivers. But Jones was the No. second receiver in the league last season, according to his fellow players. Jones was ranked behind Pittsburgh’s Antonio Brown (No. 2) on Monday night. *** Don't miss a VIP update again with our FREE 7-day trial of BamaOnLine. Sign up HERE *** The rest of the top 10 consisted of Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (No. 10), Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller (9), Saints quarterback Drew Brees (8), Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (7) and running back Todd Gurley (6), Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell (5), Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz (3) and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (1). Alabama players on the NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2018: 100. S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Green Bay Packers -- Ranking last year: 77 98. LB C.J. Mosley, Baltimore Ravens -- Ranking last year: N/A 92. S Landon Collins, New York Giants -- Ranking last year: 28 43. RB Mark Ingram, New Orleans Saints -- Ranking last year: N/A 4. WR Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons -- Ranking last year: 3 Contact Charlie Potter by 247Sports' personal messaging or on Twitter (@Charlie_Potter).<doc-sep>For the sixth time in eight years, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has landed in the top 10 of the NFL’s “Top 100 Players” list. The 2018 list has Rodgers behind nine players. The show’s season finale announced Rodgers as the No. 10 player on Monday night: Rodgers finished at No. 6 in both 2016 and 2017. Last season’s injury likely contributed to his fall. Before breaking his collarbone in Week 6, Rodgers had thrown 13 touchdown passes – while also leading two come-from-behind victories – and he was widely considered one of the MVP favorites, especially after throwing the game-winning touchdown pass to Davante Adams to beat Dallas the week before his season-changing injury in Minnesota. Rodgers will finish behind Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, Steelers receiver Antonio Brown, Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, Rams running back Todd Gurley, Atlanta Falcons receiver Julio Jones, Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz in the rankings. Rodgers joins receiver Davante Adams (No. 45), tight end Jimmy Graham (No. 89), offensive tackle David Bakhtiari (No. 91), defensive lineman Mike Daniels (No. 93) and safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (No. 100) as Packers players on the annual list.<doc-sep>
The NFL completed its “Top 100 Players of 2018” series Monday night, revealing the 10 final names on the list. It was no surprise to see Tom Brady top the rankings for the second year in a row, but there were a few head-scratching decisions made by the players that had a vote. Aaron Rodgers came in at No.10 overall, putting him behind three other quarterbacks. Drew Brees was eighth on the list, and Carson Wentz was voted the third-best player in the league by his peers. Rodgers was the second-highest ranked quarterback in 2017. The broken collarbone that forced him to miss more than half the season can likely be blamed for him nearly falling out of the top 10. He threw 16 touchdown passes and six interceptions in seven games as the Green Bay Packers missed the playoffs for the first time in nine years. There’s no doubting that Wentz was more productive last season. He was the favorite to win the NFL MVP award before a torn ACL forced him to miss the final three regular-season games, as well as the entire postseason. The second-year quarterback ranked fourth in passer rating and still finished the year second with 33 touchdown passes. The Philadelphia Eagles went on to win the Super Bowl as Nick Foles replaced Wentz. Green Bay fell apart when Rodgers was sidelined. The Packers went 3-6 without Rodgers, and they lost in Week 6 when the quarterback’s injury forced him to miss most of the game. Wentz wasn’t on the list in 2017 after his rookie season. Brees went from No.16 overall in 2017 to No.8 overall in 2018 after he posted the NFL’s second-best passer rating and led the New Orleans Saints to an NFC South title. Photo: Al Bello/Getty Images Wide receiver Antonio Brown was sandwiched in between Brady and Wentz at No.2. He’s proven to be the best playmaker in football with an average season of 1,569 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns since 2013. Brown jumped ahead of Julio Jones, who went from No.3 in 2017 to No.4 this year. Le’Veon Bell, Brown’s teammate with the Pittsburgh Steelers, rounded out the top five. Bell and Brown are one of two sets of teammates in the top 10. Todd Gurley was voted the sixth-best player in football after winning the league’s Offensive Player of the Year award. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald came in at No.7 after winning Defensive Player of the Year for the Los Angeles Rams. Von Miller is the only other defensive player on the list at No.9. The Denver Broncos’ linebacker was voted No.2 overall in 2017 after he followed up his Super Bowl MVP award with another First-team All-Pro season.