The 2026 NFL Top 100 list has seen a significant number of players who are stepping up and finding their way on the list after not being on last season’s list. We have seen some incredible players, but we have a league leader in a massive statistic from last season making an appearance here after signing with a new team during the offseason. Let’s take a closer look at who it is and what they have done to land on the 2026 NFL Top 100 list.
New England Patriots addition is the newest member of the 2026 NFL Top 100 list
Future Chicago Bears Safety Kevin Byard
Credit @pellepelle_10
The New England Patriots were able to improve their secondary this offseason as they signed safety Kevin Byard from the Chicago Bears. NFL’s Bobby Kownack wrote a snippet regarding Byard ranking 61st on the 2026 NFL Top 100 list. Below is what he wrote:
“Byard has been an impact player for so long that he went eight seasons between leading the league in interceptions. As a second-year safety with the Titans in 2017, he finished in a tie atop the NFL leaderboard with eight picks. His seven INTs during his age-32 season with the Bears outpaced everyone else in the league by at least two, helping Byard to his third career Pro Bowl and third career All-Pro team.
“As was the case following his 2017 and 2021 campaigns, when Byard stacked an NFL Top 100 appearance on top of Pro Bowl and All-Pro accolades, he has once again returned to the list. Can he do it again next season, this time with the AFC champion Patriots?”
Kevin Byard was a Pro Bowler as well as a first-team All-Pro safety last season, while leading the league with interceptions in 2025. He finished the 2025 season with 93 total tackles (61 solo, 32 assists) with four tackles for loss, seven interceptions, and eight pass deflections. In coverage, Byard had a 63.5 completion percentage when targeted (33-52) and allowed seven touchdowns. Pairing him in a strong secondary and having a defensive-minded coach in Matt Vrabel should help him continue to improve for the 2026 season.
Below is the full list of this week’s members to join the 2026 NFL Top 100:
70: Green Bay Packers S Xavier McKinney
69: Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson
68: Denver Broncos WR Courtland Sutton
67: Miami Dolphins LB Jordyn Brooks
66: Atlanta Falcons WR Drake London
65: Baltimore Ravens LB Roquan Smith
64: New Orleans Saints WR Chris Olave
63: Baltimore Ravens S Kyle Hamilton
62: Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence
61: New England Patriots S Kevin Byard
The 2026 NFL Top 100 list is who the players believe are the top players in the sport. This ranking is voted on by the players during the previous season. Each weekday, two names are revealed on X at 10 and 11 am ET, and will continue to do so until we reach the top 10 remaining. At that point, only one name will be announced each weekday until we reach the entire list being revealed on Friday, Sept. 4.
Related content