The NFL Top 100 Players of 2025 list has once again stirred debate among fans and analysts. This year, two of the Dallas Cowboys’ biggest stars—CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons—landed back-to-back at number 35 and number 36.
For players widely considered among the very best at their positions, these rankings feel more like a slight than a celebration.
Parsons’ ranking has an extra wrinkle: no other pass rusher is listed ahead of him, yet, meaning he’s the highest-ranked edge rusher revealed so far—and the biggest names are still to come.
Rankings Compared to Last Season
- CeeDee Lamb – 2024 Rank: No.13 → 2025 Rank: No.35
A 22-spot decrease for Lamb is outrageous, given he put up top-5 numbers with a backup quarterback for most of the season.
- Micah Parsons – 2024 Rank: No.17 → 2025 Rank: 36
A significant 19-spot drop, which surprised many analysts given his continued elite play.
CeeDee Lamb Disrespected by the NFL
Lamb, a top-3 wide receiver in the league, being ranked at 35 and presumably behind other wide receivers who have not been named yet, should fuel the fire for the upcoming season.
A few receivers who have not been named yet:
- Ja’Marr Chase
- Justin Jefferson
- A.J. Brown
- Amon-Ra St. Brown
The list has not named any of these receivers to this point, but their names are coming.
CeeDee Lamb will be placed behind receivers like A.J. Brown, and Amon-Ra St. Brown does not seem right. His production warrants a top-20 slot on the NFL 100 List.
NFL Top 100 Players of 2025:@DallasCowboys WR CeeDee Lamb earns the No. 35 spot! @NFLFilms pic.twitter.com/wMfu06BclQ
— NFL (@NFL) August 13, 2025
Micah Parsons is Being Slighted
Micah Parsons is ranked No.36, right behind CeeDee Lamb and just ahead of Travis Kelce (No.37). However, no other linebacker or defensive end has been named ahead of him at this point.
This means players like T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett, Maxx Crosby, and Trey Hendrickson—all All-Pro caliber pass rushers—have not been listed yet and are expected to appear higher in the rankings.
That sets up an interesting debate about how Parsons’ peers view him compared to others around the league.
NFL Top 100 Players of 2025:@DallasCowboys DE Micah Parsons comes in at No. 36! @NFLFilms pic.twitter.com/IVzTJ4pNCF
— NFL (@NFL) August 13, 2025
Why These Could Spark Debate
For CeeDee Lamb
- Elite Numbers: His 2024 stats put him among the top three in catches and top five in yards.
- Playoff Bias: The Cowboys’ lack of postseason success may have influenced voters.
- Reputation Gap: Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson’s playoff and prime-time performances have boosted their profiles in ways Lamb hasn’t fully matched—yet.
For Micah Parsons
- Production vs. Perception: Parsons posted 12 sacks, ranked among the top three in QB pressures, and consistently drew double teams.
- Positional Depth: The NFL is stacked with elite pass rushers, but Parsons’ versatility (edge, linebacker, and coverage duties) makes him unique.
- The Coming Comparison: Watt, Garrett, Crosby, and Hendrickson’s eventual rankings will reveal how much voters value Parsons’ all-around game versus pure sack numbers.
Projecting Where Watt, Garrett, Crosby, and Hendrickson Could Land
If history and recent production are indicators, here’s how these pass rushers might slot into the final Top 100, and how they compare to Parsons’ 2024 season.
Analysis:
- Watt’s gaudy sack totals and knack for splash plays in big moments almost guarantee him a higher spot.
- Garrett’s blend of dominance and consistency has made him a perennial top-20 player.
- Crosby’s all-around game and ability to apply consistent pressure will give him a top-25 ranking, despite an injury-shortened season.
- Hendrickson’s rise has been steady, and his 2024 sack production was higher than Parsons’, but his overall versatility doesn’t match Parsons’ impact.
Despite Parsons’ slightly lower sack total, his ability to line up in multiple positions and disrupt games in different ways arguably makes him just as valuable—if not more—than some of his peers.
Yet, the players who voted for the NFL’s Top 100 seem to lean more heavily toward raw sack numbers.
Was Disrespect Involved in The NFL Top 100 Voting
The No. 35 and No. 36 spots in the NFL Top 100 aren’t disrespectful in a vacuum, but they feel like missed opportunities to spotlight two of the NFL’s brightest stars properly.
Lamb sits in the top three of NFL wide receivers. Still, this list will have him ranked behind several other receivers, which is understandable for Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr are understandable, but still debatable.
Parsons stands as the highest-ranked pass rusher revealed so far, but with T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett, Maxx Crosby, and Trey Hendrickson still to be announced, his final comparative standing remains to be seen.
If anything, this sets the stage for a 2025 season where both players have something to prove and the league might be reminded that underestimating a Cowboy can be dangerous.
Where does Aidan Hutchinson of the Detroit Lions rank? Before he snapped his leg early last year he was a top 5 pass rusher!
Players vote for these rankings, so they may know better. But It’s really just more self- aggrandizing silliness cooked up by the NFL/sport MSM for promotion. I couldn’t care less.
I don’t think it matters where they’re placed in the top 100, they’re being placed in the top 100 by other players, so it’s guaranteed that there is plenty of players voting for players they’re friends with, or teammates with or both!! Just having Parsons and Lamb ranked as low as they are, especially compared to last year shows that they’re not voting based on real talent and it’s more based on how many friends they have in the NFL!! There’s no reason Parsons or Lamb should be that far down this list!! Parsons missed 4 games last year and he was still only 3 sacks away from having the same amount of sacks as Myles Garrett and being tied for 2nd for most sacks and was only 5 sacks away from being tied for 1st!! And I’m sure he would’ve gotten 2 or 3 more sacks if he didn’t miss those 4 games, so he could’ve been at least top 3 in sacks and even after missing 4 games, he was still 2nd in tackles behind only Tj Watt and he would’ve had more than Tj Watt if he didn’t miss the 4 games, plus he was tied 2nd in QB pressures, so he should’ve been ranked a lot higher than he was and definitely ahead of Max Crosby and Trey Hendrickson!! And Lamb was still able to get over a thousand yards last year even after playing with a backup QB for more than half the season!! Lamb is no doubt a top 3 or 4 receiver in the NFL, and he should be ranked a lot higher than he was this time too!! So like I said, these players voting can’t be voting based on talent, they have to be voting for their friends and teammates to be higher!!