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Top 100 NFL Players to Watch as 2026 Season Kickoff Approaches

As the 2026 NFL season is 100 days away, we highlight the 100 most impactful players expected to shape the upcoming season.

CBS Sports·Jun 1, 2026·via CBS Sports

Top 100 NFL Players to Watch as 2026 Season Kickoff Approaches

It's a beautiful day in the NFL world in what's otherwise a quiet stretch of offseason: Today marks 100 days until the Seattle Seahawks host the New England Patriots to open the 2026 season.

We, as human beings, love round numbers . They're easier to process than non-round numbers, and they're a more appealing benchmark, too. The 100-day mark feels more important than any of the days that came before it, even if, on a strictly numerical basis, the difference between 100 days away and 101 days away is tiny.

But here we are. And because we've reached this round number, we're celebrating appropriately with the 100 most important players for the 2026 season.

I did this exercise last year and the year before , and before we go any further, we'll acknowledge the misses we had, because I believe in holding myself accountable. Anthony Richardson played 14 snaps. Brandon Aiyuk didn't play a single snap, and the 49ers still made the playoffs. Marshon Lattimore didn't do much of anything. The Bears had a tremendous year despite Montez Sweat being just OK. Ryan Kelly didn't lift the Vikings' offense like I thought he could.

Importance can be put in a positive or negative light—or both. Christian McCaffrey made this list last year, coming off an injury-riddled season, and because he was healthy and productive, he carried the 49ers. J.J. McCarthy made this list last year and struggled, leading the Vikings to a loss. Both developments were important.

A few notes before we begin this year's version ...

- This is the 100 most important players, not the 100 best players. - This is a list, not a ranking; the order doesn't matter. - Every team gets at least one player, because every team is important. - But the victors often write history, so better teams are generally going to have more players on this list. - Unlike previous versions, this year, we're putting the players into categories. Some players may fit multiple categories.

And lastly, this is a difficult exercise. My original list had nearly 150 players. It took me a week to narrow it down to 100, and it was excruciating. I agonized over several cuts, and some of the snubs will be in my 50 under-the-radar players with 50 days until kickoff, too.

Just because a player doesn't make this list doesn't mean he's not important. There are 2,700-ish players on NFL rosters right now. There will be 704 starters. I will have some swings and misses. We're trying our best here. Let's do it.

Rookies (5)

Fernando Mendoza Las Vegas Raiders QB The No. 1 pick is the face of the franchise in-waiting as Kirk Cousins will likely open the season as the starter and play a good amount. But once Mendoza takes over, the Raiders will want to see all the attributes that made him a star: a big arm, pocket poise and athleticism. He doesn't have to be great in Year 1, but his showing encouraging signs is crucial. 2

Jeremiyah Love Arizona Cardinals RB Love became the highest-paid running back in the NFL the moment he signed his contract. A team far from competing drafting a running back at No. 3 overall is controversial, so Love performing as one of the NFL's best will help it look more prudent than it does now. He's a special talent who can be a cornerstone. 3

Caleb Downs Dallas Cowboys SAF The Cowboys defensive struggles left them on the outside looking in on the playoffs once again last year. Downs, the No. 11 pick, will be crucial in fixing several aspects. He'll play all over the place -- box safety, nickel and several other spots -- and needs to make an immediate impact as new defensive coordinator Christian Parker's top chess piece. 4

Sonny Styles Washington Commanders LB The Commanders made several improvements across their defense, but none more crucial than Styles, a former safety who can really run and potentially transform Washington's bottom-of-the-barrel defense. The No. 7 overall pick has a heavy weight on his shoulders. 5

Mansoor Delane Kansas City Chiefs CB Kansas City traded up to No. 6 to take Delane, who was a stud at LSU. He's stepping into a secondary that lost cornerbacks Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams, as well as safety Bryan Cook. The Chiefs have been second to none at developing cornerbacks recently, and Delane is as talented as any of them, McDuffie included.

Second-year step up (5)

Travis Hunter Jacksonville Jaguars CB Is he a cornerback? Is he a wide receiver? Both? Is one much more than the other? Hunter's rookie year was a disappointment even before his season-ending knee injury, but he is a tremendous talent. Based on the Jaguars' roster construction, more duty at cornerback seems likely. Either way, he has to deliver if Jacksonville looks to build on its strong finish to last season. 7

Ashton Jeanty Las Vegas Raiders RB Jeanty struggled as a rookie, but he was also in a truly awful environment, playing behind a poor offensive line on an offense with few receiving weapons after Brock Bowers' injury issues. He popped at times -- 188 yards and two touchdowns in Week 16 -- but has to be more consistent and show he's a building block as the Raiders build around Fernando Mendoza. 8

Omarion Hampton Los Angeles Chargers RB The Chargers hired Mike McDaniel, one of the game's sharpest offensive minds and maybe the premier running game director, as offensive coordinator, and now it's up to Hampton to live up to his first-round billing. An explosive, physical runner, Hampton suffered a midseason knee injury and didn't have the impact many had hoped. 9

Nick Emmanwori Seattle Seahawks SAF The Seahawks lost a lot this offseason, including safety Coby Bryant and cornerback Riq Woolen. The first has a more direct impact on Emmanwori, whose athleticism, versatility and skill made him a dream defender for Mike Macdonald. He'll have much more on his plate in 2026, and he could be Seattle's next secondary standout. 10

Josh Simmons Kansas City Chiefs OT Simmons was impressing, especially as a pass blocker, before missing Weeks 6-9 due to personal reasons. He returned for Weeks 11-13, then suffered a season-ending wrist injury. Kansas City is counting on him to be a stalwart protecting Patrick Mahomes' blind side.

Old face, new place (6)

Mike Evans San Francisco 49ers WR A big, downfield, ball-winning wide receiver is a perfect fit for Brock Purdy's habit to be adventurous with the football (to put it nicely), and Evans is exactly that. He turns 33 in August and is coming off an injury-plagued year, but adding his skill set to Kyle Shanahan's offense could take both to another level. 12

Dexter Lawrence Cincinnati Bengals DT It's rare for any player to be traded for a top-10 pick straight up, much less a 28-year-old defensive lineman coming off a down year. But Lawrence is a uniquely disruptive interior force who fits the Bengals' win-now M.O. Can he return to his All-Pro form and provide a much-needed lift to Cincinnati's defense? 13

Trey Hendrickson Baltimore Ravens DE As for a player leaving Cincinnati, Hendrickson's roundabout road to Baltimore included contract frustrations with the Browns and the Ravens nixing a Maxx Crosby trade. The Ravens had an anemic pass rush in 2025. Hendrickson was the NFL's sack leader in 2024 but missed most of 2025. He's 31. How much is left in the tank? 14

Kenneth Walker III Kansas City Chiefs RB This one's pretty straightforward: Chiefs running backs were dead last in explosive rush rate the last two years. Walker was second only to De'Von Achane in explosive rush rate (min. 200 snaps) in 2025. 15

DJ Moore Buffalo Bills WR Speaking of adding explosiveness to the offense, the Bills hope they've done just that with Moore. Josh Allen averaged a career-low 7.3 air yards per attempt last year. Moore is a downfield target who has produced lots of big plays, and Buffalo is counting on him to be a true No. 1 in what's otherwise a murky wide receiver room. 16

Jaylen Waddle Denver Broncos WR The Broncos sent their first-round pick to Miami for Waddle, a speed demon who complements Courtland Sutton well. He adds a wrinkle the Broncos didn't have at wide receiver last year, and he's going from a team that's in teardown mode to one expected to contend for a Super Bowl.

Old face, new place ... we think? (1)

A.J. Brown Philadelphia Eagles WR The expectation remains that Brown will be traded in the coming days, now that June 1 has arrived and the Eagles can split his dead money over two seasons. The Patriots have long been reported as the landing spot. Brown remains a physical marvel who can win short and deep, but he's coming off his worst season since 2021.

Secondary stars (7)

Patrick Surtain II Denver Broncos CB The 2024 Defensive Player of the Year wasn't 100% for all of 2025, but still was a Pro Bowler and second-team All-Pro. Surtain's ball production (one interception) wasn't quite there last year, but that's in part because offenses rarely even test him. He remains among the best of the best. 19

Derek Stingley Jr. Houston Texans CB A back-to-back first-team All-Pro, Stingley is simply outstanding. A terrific all-around talent, he has 14 interceptions over the past three years. Over the past two years, he has allowed a 44.2% completion percentage as the primary defender, best in the NFL (min. 100 attempts defended). 20

Devon Witherspoon Seattle Seahawks CB Just like Derek Stingley Jr. fits the Texans' defense perfectly, Witherspoon does the same for Seattle's outstanding unit. He's one of the game's most physical and competitive players, and Mike Macdonald can deploy him in so many ways, as seen by his impact as a blitzer in the Super Bowl. He's also due for a massive extension this offseason. 21

Christian Gonzalez New England Patriots CB Even without recording an interception last year, Gonzalez was a clear top-tier performer for the second straight year. His combination of size and speed is among the NFL's best, and over the past two years, he ranks fourth in completion percentage against (47.6%) and yards per attempt against (5.1). 22

Cooper DeJean Philadelphia Eagles CB A 2025 first-team All-Pro, DeJean is the NFL's premier slot defender, and the fact that the Eagles got two secondary stars in the same draft -- DeJean went 18 picks after Quinyon Mitchell (who nearly made this list) -- is a testament to Howie Roseman and the entire organization. The Eagles lost secondary coach Christian Parker to Dallas this offseason, so DeJean, who can also bump out wide or play box safety, will be crucial to upholding the standard in Philadelphia. 23

Trent McDuffie Los Angeles Rams CB After getting torched by Jaxon Smith-Njigba three times in 2025, the Rams revamped their cornerback room by acquiring McDuffie in a blockbuster trade and signing Jaylen Watson. It's the former, though, who will draw the toughest assignments. A dogged competitor with inside-outside versatility, McDuffie hopes to get back to his All-Pro form of 2023 and 2024. 24

Kyle Hamilton Baltimore Ravens SAF Hamilton is a unicorn who registered significant snaps as a box safety, free safety, slot corner and along the defensive line in 2025. His versatility has been paramount to everything the Ravens do, and expect that to continue with the arrival of new coach Jesse Minter. Hamilton has been an All-Pro each of the last three years.