ESPN.com is ranking NFL players and counting them down (follow on Twitter -- @ESPNNFL) from No. 100 to No. 1 on offense and on defense, 10 per day for 10 days. The top 10 on both sides of the ball will be revealed on Friday, Aug. 30.
What is #NFLRank?
#NFLrank is the Twitter hashtag to use if you want to get involved in the discussion or just follow along.
You can also follow along here: @ESPNNFL (NFL on ESPN) and on Facebook.
How did we rank the players?
We polled 63 experts to rate each player on a 0-to-10 scale, with 10 being the best regardless of position in the NFL. Ties, as denoted by an asterisk, were broken by determining which player had more ballots with the highest number. (If players were tied, the player with three 10s was ranked higher than the player with two 10s. If the tied players had the same amount of the highest number -- each with two 10s -- we moved to the next number; three 9s beat two 9s).
Here is the full list of voters from ESPN.com, ESPN TV, ESPN Radio, ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Insider (including Football Outsiders and Pro Football Focus), ESPN Fantasy, ESPN Boston, ESPN Chicago, ESPN Dallas, ESPN New York and ESPN Stats & Information.
Luck set NFL rookie records for passing yards in a game (433) and season (4,374) in 2012. He won 11 games and led the league with seven game-winning drives.
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)
42
7.63*
Colin Kaepernick | @Kaepernick7
San Francisco 49ers | QB | Age: 25 | NFL experience: 3rd year
ESPN Fantasy rank: QB7
The only two men to record a higher total QBR than Kaepernick (76.8) last season were Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Kaepernick also averaged a league-high 8.3 yards per pass attempt.
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)
43
7.62
Carl Nicks | Team Twitter: @TBBuccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers | G | Age: 28 | NFL experience: 6th year
ESPN Fantasy rank: Buccaneers' projections
Nicks missed nine games last season, his first with the Buccaneers after signing a five-year, $47.5 million deal as a free agent last offseason. Nicks earned more than $24 million last season, which ranked fourth in the NFL behind only Drew Brees, Vincent Jackson and Mario Williams, according to the Roster Management System.
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)
44
7.60
Jahri Evans | @J_7TRE_E
New Orleans Saints | G | Age: 30 | NFL experience: 8th year
ESPN Fantasy rank: Saints' projections
Evans has played 5,242 offensive snaps since 2008, ranking second in the NFL behind only Justin Blalock. A first-team All-Pro each of the past four seasons, Evans has started every game for the Saints in the Drew Brees era (since 2006).
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)
45
7.59
Vincent Jackson | @VincentTJackson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers | WR | Age: 30 | NFL experience: 9th year
ESPN Fantasy rank: WR8
Jackson was Tampa Bay's safety valve on third down last season, ranking fourth in the NFL in third-down targets behind only Brandon Marshall, Wes Welker and Calvin Johnson. On third down, Jackson had 20 catches resulting in a first down, ranking behind only Roddy White.
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)
46
7.57
Robert Griffin III | @RGIII
Washington Redskins | QB | Age: 23 | NFL experience: 2nd year
ESPN Fantasy rank: QB8
Griffin rushed for 815 yards in 2012, the most ever by a rookie quarterback. He also became the only rookie QB ever to throw at least four touchdown passes in consecutive games.
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)
47
7.54
Russell Wilson | @DangeRussWilson
Seattle Seahawks | QB | Age: 24 | NFL experience: 2nd year
ESPN Fantasy rank: QB10
Wilson threw 26 touchdown passes in 2012, tying the NFL rookie record set by Peyton Manning in 1998. His 69.6 total QBR ranked eighth in the NFL and was second among rookies behind Robert Griffin III (71.4).
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)
48
7.52
Matt Forte | @MattForte22
Chicago Bears | RB | Age: 27 | NFL experience: 6th year
ESPN Fantasy rank: RB12
Since entering the league in 2008, Forte has 15 100-yard rushing games. The Bears are 14-1 in those games. Of the 19 running backs with at least 10 100-yard games over that span, Forte's 14-1 record is the best.
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)
Matt Forte's struggles at the goal line and a shaky O-line has held him back a bit.
-- Football Outsiders
49
7.51
Russell Okung | @BDR76
Seattle Seahawks | OT | Age: 25 | NFL experience: 4th year
ESPN Fantasy rank: Seahawks' projections
Okung made his first Pro Bowl last season and missed just one game after missing 10 over his first two seasons. In 33 drop-backs with Okung off the field, Russell Wilson was sacked three times (11 drop-backs per sack). With Okung on the field, Wilson was sacked once every 14.8 drop-backs.
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)
50
7.49
Maurice Jones-Drew | @Jones_Drew32
Jacksonville Jaguars | RB | Age: 28 | NFL experience: 8th year
ESPN Fantasy rank: RB16
Jones-Drew missed 10 games with a foot injury last season but led the NFL with 1,606 rushing yards in 2011. He's one of just seven players in NFL history with 7,000 rushing yards and 2,500 receiving yards in his first seven seasons. LaDainian Tomlinson, Edgerrin James, Thurman Thomas, Marshall Faulk, Steven Jackson and Ricky Watters are the others.
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)