Atlanta Falcons: Predicting where Ryan and Julio land in NFL Network Top 100

With the NFL Network Top 100 Players of 2017 coming to a close, we predict where Matt Ryan and Julio Jones of the Atlanta Falcons finish in the top ten

There’s usually a lot of complaints surrounding it, but the annual NFL Network Top 100 Players is surely an interesting topic. Each year the players in the league vote on who they believe to be the best and from there the NFL Network releases the results throughout the offseason. This year’s edition has been kind to the Atlanta Falcons as two players remain to be ranked in the Top Ten, which will be released Monday Night at 8:00 EST on the NFL Network.

The two players left are unsurprisingly 2016 NFL MVP quarterback Matt Ryan and wide receiver Julio Jones. These two find themselves listed among the greats of the game, each worthy of their spot. The final ten were listed by the Network in alphabetical order via Twitter on Sunday as a teaser.

https://twitter.com/nflnetwork/status/879136392885960706

So how will the final ten shake out? Let’s take our best guess and then break it down:

10. Antonio Brown, Wide Receiver — Pittsburgh Steelers
9. Ezekiel Elliott, Running back — Dallas Cowboys
8. Julio Jones, Wide Receiver — Atlanta Falcons
7. Odell Beckham, Jr., Wide Receiver — New York Giants
6. Von Miller, Defensive End — Denver Broncos
5. Khalil Mack, Defensive End — Oakland Raiders
4. Le’Veon Bell, Running Back — Pittsburgh Steelers
3. Matt Ryan, Quarterback — Atlanta Falcons
2. Aaron Rodgers, Quarterback — Green Bay Packers
1. Tom Brady, Quarterback — New England Patriots

Explanation

Every one of the players remaining on the list are incredibly talented. There’s no way to truly break down who is “better” especially once different positions are involved. Here Antonio Brown and Elliott are the beginning points because Brown struggles some without Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback and Zeke gets knocked unfairly for his talented offensive line. Neither point are hugely valid, but just enough to slide them here.

Jones comes in next and has just one receiver better than him in Odell Beckham, Jr. The difference that separates them in this prediction is the number of touchdowns for OBJ.

Von Miller is edged out by Khalil Mack because the Raiders end won the 2016 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award. He also has to create without much attention going elsewhere. Le’Veon Bell is the top ranked running back mainly because he’s as dangerous catching as he is rushing.

Must Read: Atlanta Falcons: Is Matt Ryan Worthy of the Hall of Fame?

The final three all goes to quarterbacks because they get the glory. While Matty Ice had the best season of the three — see his shiny MVP Award — he still doesn’t get the praise he deserves. People love Aaron Rodgers (it’s almost sickening really) and Tom Brady. Despite Ryan being better than both last season, he sadly could lose out thanks to the popularity side of this voting.