Ranking the NFL's Top 200 Players of 2024: Tiers 8 and 9
Let's dive 17 names deeper into the NFL Top 200 for 2024
Today’s edition of the NFL Top 200 includes Tier 9 and Tier 8, representing 17 total players. We might as well call this the NFC West segment with the number of 49ers that make appearances. Every player in these tiers is an above-average starter, but injuries or their perceived ceilings prevent them from climbing higher.
Many of the Tier 9 players are established veterans who have settled into their positions in the greater football ecosystem. All of the Tier 8 players have authored top 100-caliber seasons in the past but are dealing with injury issues.
You can find the introduction to this series and Tier 10 here.
This list is not a ranking based on how players performed in 2023. It’s my attempt to project player performance for the upcoming season. That means these rankings are highly subjective. The comment section is at the bottom of the page if you need to vent about how I ranked your team’s players too low.
Tier 9: Established Veterans
180. Taylor Moton, RT Carolina Panthers
Moton is a modern-day iron man who hasn’t missed a start since his rookie season in 2017. The Western Michigan product is in a tough situation with a second-year quarterback who invites pressure. However, Robert Hunt’s arrival should provide Moton with the support he needs to allow fewer pressures in 2024.
179. Matthew Judon, Edge Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons recently traded for Judon after the 32-year-old expressed displeasure with his contract in New England. Prior to suffering a season-ending biceps injury early last year, Judon amassed 28 sacks over 2021 and 2022 while applying pressure on 14.67% of his rushes.
178. David Njoku, TE Cleveland Browns
Is it weird to anyone else that Njoku entered the league all the way back in 2017? Injuries, regime changes, poor quarterback play, and inconsistent growth limited Njoku’s output in past seasons. Then the Browns decided to feed him 120 targets in 2023. The massive volume of low-depth targets maximized Njoku’s value as a tremendous athlete while shielding him from his own downfield inefficiencies.
177. Braden Smith, RT Indianapolis Colts
Smith underwent knee surgery early in the offseason to deal with a nagging injury that impacted his play and contributed to him missing significant time in 2023. Despite injury issues, Smith played a large role in Indianapolis’ offensive line returning to its peak form. He established some great running lanes to help the Colts establish a top ten rushing offense.
176. Ryan Kelly, C Indianapolis Colts
I never thought we would reach the point where Kelly was still a top 200 player in 2024. Injuries and inconsistent play seemed to have him on the downside of his career a few seasons ago, but Kelly pulled it all the way back. He displays the suddenness and speed to pick off second level targets or wrap around the guard and catch a defender by surprise.
175. D.J. Reed, CB New York Jets
Reed was an ascending player when he signed with the Jets in 2022, which proved to be his best season to date. Penalties brought Reed back to Earth in 2023, although not all of them were justified. Reed excels working on the vertical plane because of how he uses leverage to establish advantageous body positioning.
174. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB Cleveland Browns
Owusu-Koramoah survived some early career struggles to land a healthy three-year, $37.5 million extension this offseason. He was a walking highlight reel in 2023, maximizing the burst, football IQ, and nose for the football that he’s had since his time at Notre Dame. Owusu-Koramoah is undersized for a stack linebacker, but he makes up for it with his range in coverage.
173. Patrick Queen, LB Pittsburgh Steelers
Queen overcame a rough start to his NFL career with the help of Roquan Smith, but we haven’t seen the LSU product perform at a high level without his All-Pro mentor. We’ll see how much of Smith’s football IQ rubbed off on Queen when he debuts with the Steelers. At the very least, Queen is a human missile who plays with elite burst, reckless abandon, and power.
172. DeAndre Hopkins, WR Tennessee Titans
Hopkins suffered a knee sprain earlier this summer, but there’s hope he’ll play in Tennessee’s season opener. Hopkins is trying to put a cap on a Hall of Fame career, but the Will Levis experiment and Calvin Ridley’s arrival as a legitimate low No. 1 or high No. 2 option throw his projected production into question. At least Hopkins proved last year that he still has “it” and can author vintage performances.
171. Bobby Okereke, LB New York Giants
The Giants had very few quality starters connecting their All-Pro candidates and replacement-level players last year. Okereke was one of those talented middlemen. He filled every role: blitzing, coverage, and cleaning up mistakes at the second level in run defense. Okereke isn’t an All-Pro, but he would be an upgrade for most teams.
170. Javon Hargrave, DT San Francisco 49ers
Hargrave started his career primarily as a run defender but developed into a strong pass rushing defensive tackle who dominates reps when isolated one-on-one. He has more than 50 pressures in each of the past three seasons to accompany 25.5 sacks.
169. Brock Purdy, QB San Francisco 49ers
How many quarterbacks could match Purdy’s output with San Francisco’s weapons in Kyle Shanahan’s scheme? It’s nearly impossible to separate Purdy’s accomplishments from the San Francisco/Shanahan discussion, but he deserves some level of recognition for steadying the franchise over the past two years.
Tier 8: Elite but Injured
168. Christian Barmore, DT New England Patriots
After an injury-shortened 2022 season, Barmore broke onto the scene with an 8.5-sack campaign. He also stepped it up in the run game to position himself as one of the best young defensive tackles in the NFL. His power popped throughout the season but especially during his takeover game against Denver.
Unfortunately, Barmore is out indefinitely with blood clots and has no timetable for return.
167. Dre Greenlaw, LB San Francisco 49ers
Greenlaw suffered a torn Achilles during the Super Bowl. That makes an impactful return early in the season unlikely. Greenlaw will start the year on the Reserve/PUP list, meaning he’s out for at least four games. Even after the injury, I consider Greenlaw one of the game’s ten best linebackers.
166. Talanoa Hufanga, S San Francisco 49ers
Back-to-back 49ers make appearances in this category. At his best, Hufanga pushes for a spot in the top 100, but the ACL injury he suffered last year could impact him early in 2024, even if he was recently activated off the PUP list. The former All-Pro established himself as one of the league’s top playmaking safeties in 2022 and got off to a strong start in 2023 before his injury.
165. Bradley Chubb, Edge Miami Dolphins
Injuries contributed to Chubb plateauing during his years in Denver. The switch seemed to flip when he arrived in Miami. The former fifth overall pick amassed a career-high 70 pressures in 2023 and applied pressure on 14.74% of his rushes. His rush plan relies heavily on refined hand usage.
Unfortunately, Chubb tore his ACL late last season and opened training camp on the PUP list. If healthy, he easily would’ve been a top 100 player, but we’re not sure when he’ll return or how he’ll look after his second career ACL tear.
164. D.J. Reader, NT Detroit Lions
Reader deserves a higher ranking on this list, but he was on the PUP list working back from a torn quad until Aug. 25. When healthy, Reader is one of the most disruptive linemen in the NFL. He has surprising speed at his size and can two-gap or reset the line of scrimmage against single blockers.