Montez Sweat, Azeez Al-Shaair Named to NFL Top 100, Check Out the Updated 2026 Rankings

Defensive players continue to fill out the NFL Top 100 list going into the 2026 season, with Montez Sweat of the Chicago Bears and Azeez Al-Shaair of the Houston Texans being the latest addition to the field.

The NFL announced on Friday that Al-Shaair and Sweat have been ranked as the No. 92 and 91 players, respectively, in the league ahead of the upcoming season.

The inclusion of Sweat and Al-Shaair's means six of the first 10 players named to the Top 100 are defenders, with four of them being linebackers.

NFL Top 100

100. New Orleans Saints DE Cameron Jordan

99. Indianapolis Colts OG Quenton Nelson

98. Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young

97. Seattle Seahawks LB Ernest Jones IV

96. New Orleans Saints RB Travis Etienne Jr.

95. New York Jets LB Demario Davis

94. Kansas City Chiefs C Creed Humphrey

93. Cleveland Browns LB Carson Schwesinger

92. Houston Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair

91. Chicago Bears DE Montez Sweat

After a disappointing first full season with Chicago in 2024, Sweat rebounded in a big way last year. He led the Bears in quarterback hits (18), tackles for loss (13) and sacks (10).

No other player on Chicago's defense had more than six tackles for loss or six sacks.

The Bears were heavily reliant on turnovers last season, but Sweat was the one constant source of success for their defense. He was originally acquired in October 2023 in a midseason trade with the Washington Commanders.

Sweat was given a four-year, $98 million extension soon after the trade to be an anchor for Chicago on defense. His performance in 2025 is an indication that the club made a wise investment as the Bears look to build off their success last season to reach the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2006 campaign.

Playing on a loaded Texans defense, Al-Shaair still managed to stand out during the 2025 season. He recorded 103 total tackles and tied for fifth among all linebackers with nine passes defensed.

The Texans originally signed Al-Shaair as a free agent after the 2023 season, reuniting him with DeMeco Ryans. The two previously worked together with the San Francisco 49ers.

After missing six games in his first year in Houston, Al-Shaair took off in his second season. The Texans finished 2025 with the best defense in the NFL by yards allowed and ranked second in points allowed.

The playoffs saw Al-Shaair really shine, as he recorded 15 combined tackles in two games. He also recovered two fumbles in the divisional round loss to the New England Patriots.