ESPN released the final 25 players on their list of the top 100 players in the NFL on Wednesday, and after the dust had settled, only one Raven made the list. Take a guess at which Raven it was. You probably guessed Marshal Yanda and if you did, you are correct.
Yanda slid in at 38 on the list, moving up 20 spots from last year. Here is what Jamison Hensley had to say about the big man,
Yanda is surrounded by other elite players at his spot, sandwhiched between Drew Brees at 39 and Carson Palmer at 37.
It makes sense that Yanda is the only Raven on the list, considering that the other stars on the team didn’t play the whole season. That said, it does seem a little bit off for Jordy Nelson to make the list, despite not having played a snap in 2015. Nelson is undoubtedly one of the top 100 players in the NFL, but not having played a snap in 2015 should have knocked him off the list.
If Nelson could make the list, there could have been an arguement for Joe Flacco, Terrell Suggs, or Steve Smith Sr. making the list. Flacco even topped John Clayton’s list of snubs from the top 100.
The Ravens struggled in the NFL Network top 100 as well this offseason, a rebound season this year should turn that all around.