The full list has not been announced yet, but we know all the players who made the NFL Top 100 list for 2018, now that the top ten names have been leaked.
This means the Panthers will have only three representatives on this year’s list: linebacker Thomas Davis at No. 73, quarterback Cam Newton at No. 25 and linebacker Luke Kuechly at No. 12. In other words, several guys got snubbed.
Here are three other Carolina players who should have been included.
Kawann Short, Defensive Tackle
Why he should have made it: Short is coming off a 7.5-sack season after signing a huge, five-year contract last offseason. The only defensive tackles with more sacks in 2017 were Aaron Donald (11), Geno Atkins (nine) and Malik Jackson (eight). It’s easy to overlook Short when there’s names like Donald, Ndamukong Suh, Atkins, and Fletcher Cox. Still, Short has not missed a game since being drafted in 2013 and has earned the right to be named among the league’s top 100 players.
Who he should have replaced: By his own admission, Packers safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (No. 100) is coming off a down season in 2017. And typically, these lists are mostly predicated by what the player did in the previous season. It’s the classic “what have you done for me lately?” question. Statistically, Clinton-Dix was alright, picking off three passes and recording 79 tackles but that’s not enough to justify his ranking.
Greg Olsen, Tight End
Why he should have made it: Before he got injured last season, Olsen had recorded three consecutive years of 1,000+ yards receiving. Not many tight ends are more relied upon that Olsen is in Carolina. There’s Zach Ertz in Philadelphia and Rob Gronkowski in New England, but that’s about it. Despite missing nine games with a broken foot, Olsen still received a contract extension this offseason, proving how valuable he is to the Panthers.
Who he could have replaced: Despite finding the end zone eight times in 2017, there’s not a whole lot you can say about Carlos Hyde (No. 97) that really impresses. In four seasons with the 49ers, Hyde never recorded a 1,000-yard season. He does hold a career 4.2 yards-per-carry average. However, now he’s arguably not even the best running back on the Browns’ roster.
Julius Peppers, Defensive End
Why he should have made it: Peppers seemingly found the fountain of youth in his return to the Panthers after being away for seven seasons. His 11 sacks were tied for 11th most in the league along-with teammate Mario Addison, Terrell Suggs and Aaron Donald. Peppers hasn’t had fewer that seven sacks in a season since 2008 and has not missed a single game in that time-span. Perhaps his age (38) was a factor in his getting left off the list, but it’s no excuse.
Who he could have replaced: 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (No. 90) has a ton of potential but let’s pump the breaks a little bit here. Yes, he played fantastic after being named QB1 in the middle of the year, helping the 49ers finish 6-10 after an 0-9 start. However, there’s already talk of him being a top-10 quarterback. Let’s see what he can do over a full season before placing him on such a high pedestal.