Calais Campbell the only Jacksonville Jaguars player in NFL Top 100 at #83
By Daniel Lago
After having 4 representatives in the NFL Top 100 last year, the Jacksonville Jaguars only player on the list this year is Calais Campbell.
If you wanted to point at just how hyped up the Jacksonville Jaguars were in the 2016 offseason, look no further than the 2016 NFL Top 100 list. Despite going 5-11 in 2015, the Jaguars appeared to be on an upward trajectory, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
Wide receivers Allen Hurns (No. 89 last summer) and Allen Robinson (No. 31) both made the list after super-productive sophomore campaigns, while quarterback Blake Bortles (No. 56) propelled himself into the conversation of the top ten quarterbacks after setting franchise records for passing yards and passing touchdowns. Defensively, linebacker Telvin Smith snuck onto the list (No. 83) after cementing himself as one of the best 4-3 outside linebackers in the league.
In 2017, none of those players will appear on the list.
In fact, no one who was on the Jacksonville Jaguars roster in 2016 is going to make the list. The only representative for the Jaguars is recent free agent signing Calais Campbell.
Another year, another spot on @nflnetwork's #NFLTop100! Congratulations, @Campbell93! pic.twitter.com/SmaZyiSyje
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) May 2, 2017
This is a well-deserved accolade for Campbell, even though it’s essentially disingenuous to call him a representative for the Jaguars in this context.
Campbell had a terrific 2016 season, posting 53 tackles, 8.0 sacks, one interception, and two forced fumbles. The Arizona Cardinals dropped off a bit in terms of wins last year, but it certainly wasn’t the fault of Campbell and his efforts on the defensive side of the ball.
In terms of the Jaguars, their 3-13 record last season clearly left a bad taste in everyone’s collective mouth. While it was a bit of a stretch to include 4 players on the list last year, it’s a bit odd to see guys like Jalen Ramsey and Malik Jackson get snubbed after outstanding performances in 2016.
As we saw last year, this list doesn’t matter in terms of wins and losses. The Jaguars will have more players on this list next year if they win more games.