NFL Top 100: Biggest Mistakes in Bottom 20 of Player Rankings

Since April 28, the NFL Network has slowly released its annual series on the league's Top 100 players in which the players vote for their peers to make the cut. 

So far, the network has just released the first 20 players (81-100). Among those 20, however, mistakes are already rampant. The following five are the biggest.

The current list of NFL Network's top 100 players can be found here.

Too Low

No. 81 Joe Thomas - Cleveland Browns

Maybe Thomas doesn't get recognition because he's played on bad offenses, but there's no way one of the best left tackles in the game should be at No. 81 overall. He's a top-50 player. 

Consider that Thomas faces some of the game's best pass-rushers from both Baltimore and Pittsburgh twice a year, and his four-sack-per-year average since 2008 is almost mind-blowing. Pro Football Focus (PFF) has also ranked him in the Top 10 of their tackle rankings every season since '08, including a No. 1 finish in '09.

No. 81 is probably 30 to 40 spots too low.  

No. 85 NaVorro Bowman - San Francisco 49ers

If Bowman has another year in 2012 like he did in 2011, he's probably worthy of a Top 25 finish. That's just how good Bowman was last season. 

Patrick Willis's running mate at inside linebacker, Bowman was far and away PFF's best linebacker in 2011. His 70 stops were the best in the NFL, and receivers averaged just 8.9 yards per catch against him.

Bowman was the complete linebacker—elite against the run and pass. He just needs a little more longevity, and Bowman will be considered one of the game's elite defenders. 

No. 100 Chris Johnson - Tennessee Titans

There's no doubting Johnson had a down year in 2011, but consider that we're talking about almost 1,100 yards on less than 300 carries as a poor season. For 95 percent of backs, that's a career year. 

Maybe somehow the voters forgot about the 5,700 rushing yards Johnson has accumulated since coming into the NFL in 2008. Maybe a 2,000-yard season in '09 slipped their minds. 

Or maybe, just maybe, the players voting made a big mistake in naming Johnson the NFL's 100th-best player. 

Too High

No. 92 John Kuhn - Green Bay Packers

As someone who covers the Packers, I understand the value Kuhn has. He's tough, reliable and provides versatility as a blocker, ball-carrier and receiver.

But No. 92 overall? Ludicrous. 

Kuhn is but a small part of an offense loaded with stars, and his production could be easily replaced in Green Bay. Also, if you were to stick Kuhn on half of the other teams in the NFL, he would be an unknown. As much as I'd like to endorse his spot in the Top 100, I can't do it. 

No. 95 Tim Tebow - Denver Broncos/New York Jets

I won't use this space to trash Tim Tebow. That's a pointless endeavor. But, that doesn't mean I'll give the players a free pass for including him in the Top 100.

Tebow was the spark that helped get the Broncos to the playoffs last season, but we're talking about a reserve player moving forward. He'll be backing up Mark Sanchez in New York, and I can guarantee you Sanchez won't be on this list.

There's a reason why Tebow will be a backup. There's a reason he'll be playing special teams with the Jets. There's a reason why Denver was so willing to ship him east. He's not a Top 100 player.