ESPN.com is ranking NFL players -- and counting them down on Twitter (@ESPNNFL NFL on ESPN), from No. 100 to No. 1 (with separate lists for offense and defense), 10 per day for 10 days. The top 10 on both sides of the ball will be revealed Friday.
As the rankings are announced, you can also find them here on the pages of ESPN.com.
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.
Witten set an NFL record last season for the most receptions by a tight end (110). He eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the fourth time; Witten and Tony Gonzalez are the only players to do it that many times at the position.
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)
22
8.20
Matt Ryan | @M_Ryan02
Atlanta Falcons | QB | Age: 28 | NFL experience: 6th year
ESPN Fantasy rank: QB6
Since beginning his career in 2008, Ryan has more wins (56) and game-winning drives (22) than any other quarterback. He's won at least 10 games in four of his five NFL seasons.
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)
23
8.19
Brandon Marshall | Team Twitter: @ChicagoBears
Chicago Bears | WR | Age: 29 | NFL experience: 8th year
ESPN Fantasy rank: WR4
Marshall was targeted on a league-high 41.4 percent of his passing routes in 2012. He recorded at least 100 receptions for the fourth time of his career -- one shy of the league record held by Wes Welker.
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)
24
8.14
Ben Roethlisberger | Team Twitter: @steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers | QB | Age: 31 | NFL experience: 10th year
ESPN Fantasy rank: QB14
Roethlisberger, Tom Brady and Eli Manning are the only active quarterbacks with multiple Super Bowl titles. Roethlisberger has absorbed at least 30 sacks in seven straight seasons, the longest active streak in the NFL.
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)
25
8.12
Joe Staley | @jstaley74
San Francisco 49ers | OT | Age: 28 | NFL experience: 7th year
ESPN Fantasy rank: 49ers' projections
Staley has been named to the All-Pro second team the past two seasons. Last season, just 66 percent of the 49ers' sacks allowed came with the QB inside the pocket. Only the Lions allowed a fewer percentage of their total sacks inside the pocket.
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)
26
8.07
Percy Harvin | @Percy_Harvin
Seattle Seahawks | WR | Age: 25 | NFL experience: 5th year
ESPN Fantasy rank: WR89
When healthy in 2012 (Weeks 1-9), Harvin had 528 yards after the catch, which led the NFL and was 154 yards more than Wes Welker, who ranked second over that stretch. Despite playing just nine games, his 528 YAC still ranked fifth for the entire season.
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)
Health is a skill. It's one of the skills that Harvin hasn't mastered, making him overrated on this list.
-- Football Outsiders
27
8.03
Marshawn Lynch | @MoneyLynch
Seattle Seahawks | RB | Age: 27 | NFL experience: 7th year
ESPN Fantasy rank: RB3
Lynch had 10 100-yard rushing games last year, tying Adrian Peterson for most in the NFL. The only player in team history with more 100-yard rushing games in a single season is Shaun Alexander, who racked up 11 during his MVP season back in 2005.
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)
28
8.01
Dez Bryant | @DezBryant
Dallas Cowboys | WR | Age: 24 | NFL experience: 4th year
ESPN Fantasy rank: WR3
Bryant caught a touchdown in seven straight contests last season (Weeks 10-16), which tied a Cowboys record. Bryant hauled in five scoring passes that traveled at least 20 yards downfield, tied with T.Y. Hilton for the most in the league.
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)
29
8.00
Wes Welker | @WesWelker
Denver Broncos | WR | Age: 32 | NFL experience: 10th year
ESPN Fantasy rank: WR12
Over the past five seasons, Welker has a league-leading 420 receptions and 4,716 yards out of the slot. The next most over that same span are 237 receptions (Tony Gonzalez) and 2,766 yards (Marques Colston). His five seasons with 100-plus receptions are the most in NFL history.
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)
30
7.95
Jamaal Charles | @jcharles25
Kansas City Chiefs | RB | Age: 26 | NFL experience: 6th year
ESPN Fantasy rank: RB6
Charles had three rushing touchdowns of 80 yards or more last season, tying Chris Johnson and Barry Sanders for the most in a single season in NFL history. His career average of 5.8 yards per rush is the most ever by a back with at least 500 carries.
-- ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo)