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Longtime CBS Sports writer Pete Prisco has been publishing his annual list of the NFL’s top players going back to the early 2000s, and he noticed a clear change in putting this year’s version together.
“There isn't a lot of star power in the league right now,” he wrote. “What we have is a big group of really good players ranked from 20-60. That was the toughest part in doing these rankings. A lot of those players are grouped together, so slotting them was tough.”
Pisco published his list of the top 100 NFL players for 2025 on Tuesday, and he showed the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles plenty of love.
The Eagles had a league-best 10 overall selections, besting Detroit’s eight, and had four players picked inside the top 17 and seven inside the top 50. With that said, Philly fans could have a few gripes, especially when it comes to quarterback Jalen Hurts and wide receiver A.J. Brown.
Here’s where Prisco ranked Philly’s top players with some analysis:
Philadelphia Eagles player rankings (per Pete Prisco's top 100)
RB Saquon Barkley — No. 3 overall
Prisco: “Barkley rushed for 2,005 yards in leading the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory. He can do so many things for the Eagles offense, which is why he is a real MVP candidate heading into this season. (Last season: NR)”
Our take: Naming a running back the No. 3 singular best player in the NFL is a bold statement, but Barkley was that good in his debut season with Philadelphia. He’s coming off arguably the greatest wire-to-wire performance of any RB in league history, and he was clearly Philly’s MVP of the 2024 campaign. Entering his age-28 season, should Barkley be ranked ahead of every QB not named Patrick Mahomes? That’s debatable, but he’s a slam dunk inside the top five.
Verdict: About right.
RT Lane Johnson — No. 12
Prisco: “Johnson is still the best right tackle in the game and is on his way to the Hall of Fame. Johnson hasn't slowed a bit as he readies for his 13th season. The Eagles are a different offense when he misses time. (Last season: No. 52)”
Our take: Prisco tabbed Johnson as his No. 1 overall tackle in the game, which once again is high praise for a player who just turned 35. There’s no arguing Johnson’s impact on Philly’s offensive line. Listing him ahead of teammate Jordan Mailata, and the game’s other elite left tackles like Rashawn Slater and Penei Sewell, feels a tad too spicy at this point in his career.
Verdict: Slightly too high
LT Jordan Mailata — No. 13
Prisco: “This former rugby player from Australia has become one of the best left tackles in the league. He is a massive man who excels in both the run game and in pass protection. (Last season: NR)”
Our take: Prisco’s buying into Mailata’s breakout season, ranking him as his No. 1 left tackle. He graded out as such, according to PFF, surrendering just 20 total pressures and two sacks in 16 starts in 2025. GM Howie Roseman’s former seventh-round pick is blossoming into one of the league’s best players at a premiere position.
Verdict: Spot on.
DT Jalen Carter — No. 17
Prisco: “In his second season in 2024, Carter emerged as a force inside on the Eagles defense. He played really well down the stretch and in the run to win the Super Bowl. Look for him to be even better this year. (Last season: No. 93)”
Our take: Carter came up huge in some signature moments during last year’s playoff run, with the most memorable one coming on the final drive of Philly’s Divisional Round win over the Los Angeles Rams. Carter’s definitely among the league’s top interior pass rushers, but he’s still fine-tuning his overall game. With a massive contract extension looming as soon as 2026, Carter will be looking to become the top dog — ranked ahead of Chris Jones as Prisco’s No. 1 interior defensive lineman — but he still has to prove it.
Verdict: A bit too high.
WR A.J. Brown — No. 31
Prisco: “In 13 games, Brown had 67 catches for 1,069 yards and seven touchdowns. He averaged 16.1 yards per catch, which was up by 2.4 yards per catch from the year before. His catches were down, but his big plays were not. (Last season: No. 27)”
Our take: Brown’s stats were down a bit in 2024, but he was slowed early by a hamstring issue and also played in an offense that attempted the fewest passes in the entire NFL. Ranking Brown as the NFL’s fifth-best overall wide receiver (behind Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, CeeDee Lamb and Tyreek Hill) feels like a small crime. With more volume, he’d have a case for joining Jefferson and Chase inside the NFL's top 10 overall players.
Verdict: Too low.
LB Zack Baun — No. 40
Prisco: ”The Eagles moved Baun from outside linebacker to inside linebacker and he became a star on their defense in his first season with the team. He plays both the run and the pass well and he can rush the passer. (Last season: NR)”
Our take: You could argue that Baun was the singular most impactful defensive player in all of football last season. By that logic, No. 40, behind guys like Cam Heyward of Pittsburgh and Nick Bosa of San Francisco, feels a bit low. But Baun kind of came out of nowhere. The Eagles paid him handsomely for his dominant wire-to-wire run, and now he’ll get to prove he’s more than a one-hit wonder with a full season of tape now in the NFL's proverbial library. We love Baun, but it’s fair to want to see the encore before getting too far ahead of ourselves.
Verdict: About right.
QB Jalen Hurts — No. 52
Prisco: “In five seasons as a starter, Hurts has played in two Super Bowls, winning one. He fits perfectly into the Eagles' scheme. His improvement in the postseason catapulted the Eagles to their Super Bowl title. (Last season: No. 53)”
Our take: Hurts lands as Prisco’s seventh-ranked quarterback, rising only one spot from 2024 despite winning Super Bowl MVP. The debate will rage about whether Hurts belongs among the NFL’s top-five quarterbacks, but about 20 spots behind second-year QB Jayden Daniels? Hurts deserves more credit as one of the game’s top winners and game managers at the most important position in sports.
Verdict: Too low.
CB Quinyon Mitchell — No. 69
Prisco: “As a rookie, Mitchell quickly showed off the skills to be a lock-down corner. His matchups with some of the league's best receivers were fun to watch. With a year of experience, he could push to be league's best corner in 2025. (Last season: NR)”
Our take: To Prisco’s point, Mitchell was more than just a rookie sensation. He was easily a top-10 boundary corner across the league in 2024, and his early exit in Philly’s playoff game against the Rams was felt in the fourth quarter as Matthew Stafford and company waged a comeback through the air. He’s one spot behind Ravens star Marlon Humprhey in these rankings.
Verdict: About right.
LG Landon Dickerson — No. 72
Prisco: “Dickerson doesn't always get the due he deserves on the talented Eagles line, but he is a good player. He excels in pass protection and is also good in the run game. (Last season: NR)”
Our take: Dickerson wasn’t at his best at the end of Philly’s championship run last year, but he played center in the NFC Championship Game and played hurt in the Super Bowl. He’s not a flashy player, but you’ll never hear left guard mentioned as a problem area on the Eagles’ line whenever he’s healthy.
Verdict: A bit too low.
DB Cooper DeJean — No. 85
Prisco: “As a rookie, DeJean displayed outstanding cover skills as a slot corner. He will be asked to play outside more this season, but he has the skill set to handle it. (Last season: NR)”
Our take: DeJean was a whirlwind last season when he entered Philly’s starting lineup in Week 6. He graded out as PFF’s No. 1 overall cornerback and was a transformative force in the nickel spot from the minute he stepped onto the field. True, he’ll have a more versatile role this season, which could include more boundary reps and even some looks at safety in base packages, but that shouldn’t be a knock. DeJean is one of the NFL’s ascending superstars.
Our take: Too low.
MORE EAGLES NEWS:
- NFL receiving corps rankings: PFF makes case for Eagles despite perceived WR3 weakness
- Eagles’ roster battle at safety could heat up thanks to surprising undrafted performer at OTAs
- Eagles have clear front runner at No. 2 cornerback following mandatory minicamp
- Eagles pair of 2024 draft picks could lose roster spots due to ‘head-turning’ wide receivers at OTAs
- Philadelphia Eagles’ position battle at right guard might already be over
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