Browns lead the AFC North in the NFL Top 100

The NFL Top 100 list for 2002 just dropped and the Cleveland Browns finished with a personal best five players making the cut. 

The NFL released their Top 100 list for 2022, and the Cleveland Browns were well represented. The Browns ended up with five players being named to the Top 100, which is the most that the team has had since the list began back in 2011.

The first Browns player to be named to the countdown was Denzel Ward at No. 87. It was Ward’s first appearance on the NFL Top 100. The talented cover corner has been on the cusp of being named among the best in the league at his position. Ward was the seventh out of the eight total cornerbacks to be named to the top 100 list.

The next two Browns to be named to the list were both on the offensive line and both guards to boot. Joel Bitonio (No. 55) and Wyatt Teller (No. 83) both made their top 100 debuts. It’s only the second time that two guards from the same team made the list at the same time. There were only four guards total to make the list this year, and the fact that two of them happen to play for the same team is immensely impressive. Count that as a win for the big guys.

Nick Chubb was the next Cleveland player to make the list. Chubb was named the 33rd best player in the NFL Top 100 for 2022. This was Chubb’s third time making the cut, being named in each of the two previous iterations of the list.

Chubb debuted at No. 36 in 2020 and moved up 10 spots to number 26 in 2021. Being voted the 33rd best player is nothing to sneeze at, but as excellent a player as Chubb is it kind of feels like he got shortchanged this time around.

Finally, Myles Garrett was the last Browns player bestowed with the Top 100 honor. Garrett came in at No. 11. This was Garrett’s fourth straight appearance on the NFL’s annual list.

He debuted at 49 in 2019 and then was pushed all the way back to number 80 the following year. Garrett made a massive leap on the list in 2021 coming in at number 16 and continued his ascension moving up another five spots for 2022. For a player of Garrett’s prowess, it’s fair to say he will not be satisfied with anything short of the top spot.

To put it in perspective, Cleveland’s total of five players ranks as the most in the AFC North and tied for the second most in the AFC conference. While the list is subjective and voted upon by the players, it does speak to the respect that the Browns personnel is getting around the league.

The list also shines a light on the sheer amount of upper-tier talent that the Browns have accrued in recent years. When you consider that all five players are in the beginning stages of new contracts with the Browns, the future appears to be bright in Cleveland.

With the addition of Amari Cooper and ascending talents like Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Greg Newsome coming into their own, the Browns could potentially break their personal record on next year’s NFL Top 100. What a time to be alive.