Top 100 Players of 2021, Nos. 90-81: Three Buccaneers nab recognition after Super Bowl win

It’s that time of year again, when NFL players cast their votes to identify the best in the league heading into the 2021 NFL season. Check out the results of this year’s voting to see where your favorite players rank.

Since being drafted in 2018, Bates has started every game, played over 1,050 snaps in every year, and amassed an average of over 100 tackles in every season. In 2020, the former Wake Forest standout continued to improve by setting personal records in almost every pass coverage category including allowed completions, pass break-ups, allowed touchdowns and opposing QB rating. It goes without saying the extension of Bates in orange and black has become almost inevitable.

Wirfs, the 13th overall pick in ‘20, took 100% of offensive snaps during his rookie campaign. Yes, you read that correctly. The 6-foot-5, 330-pound monstrous Iowa standout came in and immediately filled a much-needed gap at right tackle within the already stout Tampa Bay offensive line. Wirfs was a major factor in keeping a clean pocket for eventual Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady.

Barrett makes the Top 100 for the second straight year, but drops 56 spots to No. 88. After a stellar season in which he led the league in sacks with 19.5 and was selected to his first Pro Bowl, Barrett recorded just eight sacks last season. An undrafted free agent out of Colorado State, Barrett began his career with the Broncos, helping Denver win a Super Bowl as a rookie. He truly blossomed after joining the Bucs and with the team returning much of their championship squad, the 28-year-old could very well add a third ring to his collection.

Appearing in the Top 100 for the second year in a row (and moving up six spots), Robinson’s 102 receptions last season were sixth-best in the league, and also second-most in franchise history. The former second-round draft pick out of Penn State received the franchise tag in March, but talks for a long-term extension didn’t come to fruition.

The 11th overall pick out of Ohio State has been selected to three Pro Bowls in his first four years, including a 2020 selection in which he had a career-best 62 tackles to go with two interceptions and 11 passes defensed. Lattimore, 25, was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2017, a season in which he recorded five interceptions.

Although Martin dropped 30 spots from last year’s Top 100, the former first-round pick out of Notre Dame is making the list for the fifth consecutive year. In his seven-year career, Martin has only missed eight games. Last season was the first time in his career that Martin was not selected to the Pro Bowl, primarily due to the calf injury that landed him on injured reserve in December. He has been named a first-team All-Pro in four of his seven seasons.

More than doubling any other Giants defensive lineman in QB pressures (56), hurries (30), hits (30), and sacks (11), Williams looks to continue his momentum and catapult his presence into a foundational piece within the Giants defense. The 27-year-old recently signed a blockbuster $63 million extension to remain in the Big Apple for another three seasons, signaling GM Dave Gettleman’s belief that Williams is here to stay.

Getting a fresh start in Tennessee was the best thing for Tannehill. After being named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2019, he led the Titans to the playoffs for the second straight year, going 11-5 in regular-season starts. He passed for over 3,800 yards and 33 touchdowns, with just seven interceptions. With workhorse running back Derrick Henry returning and the addition of star wideout Julio Jones, Tannehill and the Titans are poised to make another postseason run.

It’s obvious that everyone would like to know what the Broncos coaching staff did to take Bolles from having his fifth-year option declined to being a second team All-Pro and receiving a four-year, $68 million contract in November. Not only did Bolles’ penalties come to a halt in ‘20, but he also refrained from allowing a single sack. It’s safe to say that the left tackle position for the Broncos is shored up for some time.

After his Pro Bowl selection in ‘19, Chris Godwin experienced a drop-off, registering 65 receptions (down 21 from the previous year) for 840 yards (almost 500 yards less than 2019). The Penn State product missed four games due to injury but came up big in the NFC Championship Game against the Packers, with five catches for 110 yards. Team brass recognize his value, placing the franchise tag on him in March. Bucs fans are hopeful that another season with Tom Brady behind center produces a return to his previous high levels of performance.

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