Michael Thomas, Cameron Heyward and Denzel Ward Crack the Pro Football Focus Top 101 Players List

By Kevin Harrish on February 9, 2019 at 1:07 pm
Michael Thomas cracks the Pro Football Focus top-101
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The NFL season is over, which means it's time to reflect on some of the league's best performances.

Pro Football Focus put together their annual list of the top-101 players based solely on their performance during the 2018-19 season.

The ratings system weighs each position equally, even though quarterback is arguably the most valuable position. And unlike other lists, it also takes playoff production into account.

When the dust settled, three Buckeyes cracked the top-101. Here's a look from Pro Football Focus:

89. DENZEL WARD, CLEVELAND BROWNS

Top 101 appearances: New entry

The second-highest-graded rookie cornerback this year, Ward lived up to his top-five billing. He allowed a catch rate of 53.7 and passer rating of 70.7 to transform the Browns’ secondary. We’ll be seeing his name on this list for years to come.

...

57. CAMERON HEYWARD, PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Top 101 appearances: 2

Heyward recorded an overall grade of 84.9 this year, the 16th-best mark among interior defenders and his second consecutive grade of 80.0 or higher. As usual, he was a force as a pass rusher and generated 59 total pressures on the year, the fifth-most among players at the position.

...

6. MICHAEL THOMAS, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Top 101 appearances: 3

Thomas continued his emergence as one of the best wideouts in the league with his best season to date. His overall grade of 91.6 was second to only DeAndre Hopkins this year, and his WR rating of 124.0 was ninth-best.

A couple Buckeyes were notably missing from this year's edition of the list.

Joey Bosa was excluded for the first time and came in at No. 28 last year, though he missed a substantial portion of this season with injury. Marshon Lattimore also made last year's list at No. 29, but did not make it this year. Ezekiel Elliott was another perceived snub, as he led the league in rushing but did not crack the top-101 players.

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