There is a certain futility to debating lists of NFL players made by NFL players. Biases creep in, both from the players and the criticizers of said lists, and something that is completed subjectively is debated as absolute fact.
The NFL Top 100, however, is made to generate conversation, so we are conversing about it. With 100 players on the list, some players are bound to be ranked a bit too high or a hair too low.
Because the criteria of the list is varied and inconsistent (Is it based on the last season alone? Is it career resume? Is it recent history? Is it who players like more?), there's no perfect way to quantify where players should be relative to where they are. But sometimes there's a gut feeling things are wrong.
It could be a defensive end whose career is entering its twilight. Or a running back ranked far ahead of another running back with similar production. Or a QB who still has a lot to prove.
MORE: Here's who NFL players voted onto the NFL Top 100 list for 2023
Regardless of the cause, here are the most overrated players on the NFL Top 100 this year.
NFL Top 100 most overrated players
86: Justin Fields, QB, Chicago Bears
There is absolutely nothing wrong with Justin Fields being on this list and his time is definitely coming.
The problem here is who Fields is ahead of. Looking up and shrugging his shoulders is Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence (No. 96), who completed 66.3 percent of his passes last year for 4,113 yards, 25 touchdowns, and eight interceptions while taking the Jaguars to a playoff berth.
If we're talking fantasy, Fields could be top 10. He's a dual threat who rushed for over 1,000 yards in addition to his 2,242 passing yards while accounting for 25 touchdowns. Now we need to see what Fields can do with a core that is building up around him, but there's no reason he should be ahead of Lawrence for the time being.
83: Terron Armstead, OT, Dolphins
Terron Armstead was a great addition for the Dolphins and he is an outstanding offensive lineman, but not having Andrew Thomas, Christian Darrisaw, or Creed Humphrey on the list pretty much invalidates it as far as OL goes.
Armstead had a perfectly respectable year, but he missed some games last season and there were a few offensive linemen who absolutely should have made it.
If any position is going to be a popularity contest, it's the OL. Players only get 20 spots to fill out, so not many offensive linemen are going to immediately come to mind. Armstead is an institution, but there were some truly great players last year not getting attention.
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38: Khalil Mack, EDGE, Chargers
We love Khalil Mack at The Sporting News, and he was a marquee acquisition for a Chargers team that wanted to make a run last season.
But with Za'Darius Smith at 84, Trey Hendrickson at 75, Brian Burns at 54, and Haason Reddick at 48, what's up with this? And if it's a career achievement award, that's perfectly fine. But then why is Joey Bosa getting scaled down to 70 because of an injury-ridden season?
Mack had a very nice season at 31 years old, no one is taking that away from him. But again, this seems like a name-recognition choice as much as anything else.
21: Austin Ekeler, RB, Chargers
The point of this is not to condemn the Chargers as frauds, promise.
In fact, this isn't at all Ekeler's fault. We're going to use this section to talk about Christian McCaffrey at 35.
McCaffrey was a midseason addition for the 49ers, and he was part of why they were able to weather the quarterback storm last year. He had 1,880 yards from scrimmage last season, along with 13 touchdowns and just one fumble.
Perhaps this is because he played in a Kyle Shanahan offense, which is viewed as skill player-friendly, and there is some truth to that. But for as good as Ekeler is -- and he is excellent -- he shouldn't be 14 spots ahead of McCaffrey and one of five running backs ahead of him.
MORE: Jefferson vs. Chase vs. Hill: Who's the best fantasy WR?
Is Jalen Hurts at No. 3 over Joe Burrow too high?
One of the more controversial additions to the list is Jalen Hurts sitting at No. 3, ahead of the likes of Joe Burrow (6) and Josh Allen (8).
While it is fair to wonder if that's accurate, it may be a bit of perception vs. reality. Hurts was unbelievable in 2022. Never mind the Eagles' Super Bowl appearance (wins aren't a QB stat), Hurts completed 66.5 percent of his passes for 3,701 yards, 22 touchdowns, and six interceptions.
He rushed for 760 more yards and 13 more touchdowns, meaning he accounted for 35 TDs on the year. Hurts was second-team All-Pro and got a huge contract extension this season.
Burrow was otherworldly as well, but his stats are closer to Hurts than one might think. He threw for 4,475 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He rushed for 257 more yards and five TDs, meaning he accounted for 40. Burrow might edge him out in raw numbers, but Hurts could have gotten bumps for protecting the ball and making a Super Bowl (with the acknowledgement the AFC is an utter gauntlet that ends in Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs).
MORE: Breaking down every NFL team's available touches & targets
Allen started out unbelievable last year, but he had his issues down the stretch. He threw for 4,283 yards with 35 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, with eight of them coming in November or later. Allen rushed for 762 more and seven more rushing TDs, so his raw numbers are especially impressive, if the turnovers are a bit high.
All of this is to say, there isn't a "wrong" answer between these three, especially considering the subjectivity. Different players value different things. More players valued the ball security and versatility of Hurts.
How is the NFL Top 100 selected?
The NFL Top 100 is selected by player ballot.
Players vote on their peers via offseason polls, submitting ballots of 20 players.
Its isn't a league-wide thing -- Not every player opts in to voting. The ballot, as explained by PFT, gives players points based on spots. No. 1 gets 20 points, No. 2 gets 19, and so on and so forth.
That's why the list can sometimes be a bit wonky. Every player is going to have a different criteria for what constitutes a top player. Some of it could come down to name recognition, some might simply be based on who played better against the player casting the ballot.
In the end, it's one of those things that's best not to take too seriously. But it can be fun to argue about, especially if it reinforces fans' preexisting biases.
