Carolina Panthers, Devin Lloyd
2026 NFL Top 100: Breakout Star Makes Top 30 After Missing Last Year's List Entirely 1
Making the 2026 NFL Top 100 list is an honor in itself, showcasing the excitement heading into the season by the players. There are some players who see a major jump, but one player has jumped at least 70 spots after not making last year’s edition of the top 100 list at all. Let’s take a deeper dive into who made that incredible leap on the 2026 NFL Top 100.
Devin Lloyd makes an almost unprecedented jump on the 2026 NFL Top 100 list
Carolina Panthers, Devin Lloyd, 2026 NFL Top 100Carolina Panthers, Devin Lloyd, 2026 NFL Top 100
Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd (0) enters the stadium before an NFL football game at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
One of the top players entering the 2026 NFL season is Carolina Panthers linebacker Devin Lloyd. After some middling seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, it appears he has found his stride heading into this season. NFL’s Jeremy Bergman wrote the following blurb about Lloyd’s placement on the list:
“A former first-round pick denied a fifth year on his rookie deal, Lloyd entered his contract year in Jacksonville with something to prove — and boy, did he. The off-ball linebacker was the heartbeat of the Jaguars’ turnaround on defense, notably improving his play in pass coverage (-36.5 shift in coverage EPA from ’24) and logging career highs in QB hits and interceptions, including his emphatic, tone-setting pick-six of Patrick Mahomes early in the 2025 season.
“Lloyd was rewarded for his efforts, with his first Pro Bowl nod, second-team All-Pro recognition and appearance on this ranking. Oh, not to mention a bank-breaking contract with the Panthers. After middling for three years in Duval, the ball-hawking Lloyd turned his career around in a major way and will now look to continue his rebirth in Charlotte.”
Last season with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Lloyd was able to showcase his true abilities after middling throughout his first three years. He was named as a second-team All-Pro and made his first Pro Bowl. In 15 games, he recorded 81 total tackles (35 solo, 46 assists) with 1.5 sacks, six tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hits, five interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), seven pass deflections, and one fumble recovery. It will be intriguing to see if Lloyd is able to build upon his career season.
Below are the linebackers who have been named to the 2026 NFL Top 100 list so far:
97: Ernest Jones IV
95: Demario Davis
93: Carson Schwesinger
92: Azeez Al-Shaair
88: Jack Campbell
86: Tuli Tuipulotu
84: Byron Young
81: Bobby Wagner
78: Josh Sweat
67: Jordyn Brooks
65: Roquan Smith
54: Fred Warner
45: Zack Baun
41: T.J. Watt
32: Nik Bonitto
27: Devin Lloyd
The 2026 NFL Top 100 is a list voted on by the players during the previous season and highlights the top players entering the upcoming year. Each weekday, two names are posted on social media until the top 10 players remain. At that point, only one name is revealed until all the names on the 2026 NFL Top 100 list on Friday, Sept. 4. It will be intriguing to see if Devin Lloyd can live up to his three-year, $45 million contract he signed in March.