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. 29.
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 and on Facebook.
How did we rank the players?
We polled 90 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 The Magazine, ESPN Insider (including Football Outsiders and Pro Football Focus), ESPN fantasy, ESPN locals and ESPN Stats & Information.
Rivers completed a career-high 69.5 percent of his passes last season, best among qualified quarterbacks.
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)
29
7.79
Matt Forte | @MattForte22
Chicago Bears | RB | Age: 28 | NFL experience: 7th year
2013 #NFLRank: 48
ESPN Fantasy rank: RB4
Forte was third in the NFL last season in total yards from scrimmage (1,933). He had 71.5 percent of his team's rushes, highest in the league.
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)
28
7.87
Ben Roethlisberger | Team Twitter: @steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers | QB | Age: 32 | NFL experience: 11th year
2013 #NFLRank: 24
ESPN Fantasy rank: QB16
Last season, Roethlisberger started all 16 regular-season games for the first time since 2008. Roethlisberger's 28 touchdown passes were the second-highest total of his career (32 in 2007).
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)
27
7.90*
DeSean Jackson | @DeSeanJackson11
Washington Redskins | WR | Age: 27 | NFL experience: 7th year
2013 #NFLRank: 93
ESPN Fantasy rank: WR18
Last season, Jackson had 25 receptions of passes thrown at least 15 yards downfield, tied for fourth-most in the NFL. Only A.J. Green had more touchdown catches on such throws (8) than Jackson (7).
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)
26
7.90*
Russell Wilson | @DangeRussWilson
Seattle Seahawks | QB | Age: 25 | NFL experience: 3rd year
2013 #NFLRank: 47
ESPN Fantasy rank: QB10
Wilson was a dual threat through the air and on the ground last season. He averaged the fourth-most yards per pass attempt (8.3) and had the most scramble yards in the NFL (434).
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)
25
7.93
Jason Witten | @JasonWitten
Dallas Cowboys | TE | Age: 32 | NFL experience: 12th year
2013 #NFLRank: 21
ESPN Fantasy rank: TE5
Since Witten entered the league in 2003, only Tony Gonzalez has more receptions and receiving yards among tight ends. Witten has finished among the top five tight ends in receiving yards in eight of his 11 seasons, including each of the last seven. Witten has missed only one game in his career, and has played in 171 consecutive games, the longest active streak among position players (assuming London Fletcher remains retired).
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)
24
7.98
Joe Staley | @jstaley74
San Francisco 49ers | OT | Age: 29 | NFL experience: 8th year
2013 #NFLRank: 25
ESPN Fantasy rank: 49ers' projections
Staley has started every game and made the Pro Bowl in three straight seasons. The 49ers scored a league-high five rushing touchdowns on designed runs outside the left tackle last season.
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)
23
8.04
Alex Mack | @AlexMack55
Cleveland Browns | C | Age: 28 | NFL experience: 6th year
2013 #NFLRank: NR
ESPN Fantasy rank: Browns projections
Mack has appeared in two Pro Bowls and has started every game in his first five seasons. Dominic Raiola and Chris Myers are the only centers to play more snaps than Mack during that span.
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)
22
8.07
Josh Gordon | @JOSH_GORDONXII
Cleveland Browns | WR | Age: 23 | NFL experience: 3rd year
2013 #NFLRank: NR
ESPN Fantasy rank: WR67
Gordon led the NFL in receiving last season (1,646 yards) and averaged a league-high 18.9 yards per reception. No one had more receptions of at least 30 yards than Gordon (14).
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)
Editor's note: Despite being suspended for the season, Gordon remains on the list because the suspension was upheld after 2014 #NFLRank balloting was completed.
21
8.32
Andre Johnson | @Texans
Houston Texans | WR | Age: 33 | NFL experience: 12th year
2013 #NFLRank: 12
ESPN Fantasy rank: WR11
Johnson has averaged 82.2 career receiving yards per game, the second-highest average in NFL history behind Calvin Johnson (minimum 500 catches).
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)