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Fresh names can be found all over ESPN's survey of the top 10 players at every position. And that means every top-10 ranking had at least one player who fell from last year's charts, whether because of performance, injury or the strength of the rankings. We collected those names here as the top 10 for each position was unveiled. A reminder of the rankings process: League executives, coaches and scouts gave us their best 10 players at a position; then we compiled the results and ranked candidates based on number of top-10 votes, composite average and dozens of interviews, with research and film study help from ESPN NFL analyst Matt Bowen. More than 70 voters submitted a ballot on at least one position, and in many cases, all positions. Additional voting and follow-up calls with those surveyed helped break ties. We rolled out a position per day over 11 days. The schedule: running backs (July 7), defensive tackles (July 8), edge rushers (July 9), safeties (July 10), tight ends (July 11), interior offensive linemen (July 12), offensive tackles (July 13), quarterbacks (July 14), off-ball linebackers (July 15), wide receivers (July 16), cornerbacks (July 17).  Cornerbacks L'Jarius Sneed, Titans (No. 4 in 2024 preseason) -- Obtained in a trade with the Chiefs in March 2024 and subsequently signed to a four-year, $76.4 million contract, Sneed was limited to five games in his first season in Tennessee with a quadriceps injury. Sneed did not participate in the TItans' offseason program, raising doubts about whether he'll live up to the elite corner status his rich contract suggests. "We're waiting for him to show us the player that he's been," Tennessee coach Brian Callahan said of Sneed at minicamp.  Jalen Ramsey, Steelers (No. 5 in 2024 preseason) -- Once on a short list of the league's best corners, the 30-year-old Ramsey remains solid but has slipped a bit from his previous top-tier status. Ramsey played in all 17 games last season but was not named to the Pro Bowl, and last appeared on an All-Pro team in 2021. The Steelers obtained Ramsey in the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade on June 30 and will hope he can reclaim his previous status.  Jaire Alexander, Ravens (No. 7 in 2024 preseason) -- Another new AFC North face trying to reclaim his previous reputation, Alexander was released by the Packers on June 9 after missing 23 of a possible 37 games due to various injuries over the past two seasons (regular season and playoffs). An All-Pro second-team pick in 2020 and 2022, the 28-year-old Alexander was signed to an incentive-laden contract by Baltimore on June 18. See who made the 2025 top 10 » Wide receivers Davante Adams, Rams (No. 5 in 2024 preseason) -- Adams' combined 2024 numbers -- 85 catches, 1,063 yards and 8 TDs with the Raiders and Jets -- were enough for the Rams to ink Adams to a two-year, $44 million deal in March. But at age 32 and given his teams' struggles in both Las Vegas and New York, Adams will have to prove he can continue to make the kind of impact required of the league's deep pool of elite receiver candidates.  Stefon Diggs, Patriots (No. 9 in 2024 preseason) -- Diggs had his moments in his lone season with the Texans, logging 47 catches for 496 yards and scoring four touchdowns before suffering a season-ending knee injury against the Colts in Week 8. The NFL's leader in receptions from 2020-23 subsequently signed a three-year, $63.5 million deal with the Patriots but must prove that he's past the injury and the controversy surrounding his appearance in a viral boat video this spring.  Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers (No. 10 in 2024 preseason) -- Aiyuk signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension with the 49ers last August but could not remain healthy enough to live up to it. Aiyuk had 25 catches for 374 yards without a touchdown before sustaining a season-ending knee injury against the Chiefs in Week 7. Aiyuk has been the subject of rampant trade rumors this offseason, but the uncertain status of his return from injury -- Aiyuk did not participate in minicamp and could open 2025 on the PUP list -- potentially complicates such a move. See who made the 2025 top 10 » Off-ball linebackers Matt Milano, Bills (No. 3 in 2024 preseason) -- Milano followed his All-Pro season of 2022 with a couple of injury-shortened campaigns that have limited him to 12 total games (regular season and playoffs) over the past two years. A broken tibia that ended his 2023 season in October was followed by a torn biceps in 2024 training camp that kept Milano out until December. Once healthy, Milano did contribute 17 tackles and two sacks to the Bills' three-game playoff run, offering hope that the soon-to-be 31-year-old can contribute at a high-enough level to return to his position's top tier.  Patrick Queen, Steelers (No. 4 in 2024 preseason) -- Queen was named to the Pro Bowl after signing a three-year, $41 million contract with Pittsburgh before last season, recording a team-high 129 tackles but not particularly distinguishing himself following a four-year career with the Ravens. A lack of playmaking and missed tackles were the biggest culprits in Queen's first season in the Steel City, and Queen has publicly acknowledged that he could have played better in 2024.  Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Browns (No. 6 in 2024 preseason) -- Owusu-Koramoah will not play in 2025 -- the Browns placed him on the reserve/PUP list on May 12 as he continues his recovery from a neck injury suffered in a scary collision with Ravens running back Derrick Henry last Oct. 24. "I don't know what's next," Owusu-Koramoah said in a statement, "but I'll continue trusting my medical team, serving the community, and backing my brothers on the field."  Demario Davis, Saints (No. 8 in 2024 preseason) -- Davis remains a productive player at age 36, but saw his streak of consecutive All-Pro first- or second-team citations end at five in 2024. Davis' 136 tackles were a career-high but he finished with two sacks, a career-low since arriving in New Orleans in 2018. Davis is in the final year of his contract with the Saints but has said he'd like to play three more seasons.  Foyesade Oluokun, Jaguars (No. 10 in 2024 preseason) -- Oluokun joins the list of Jaguars players coming off disappointing seasons, as the linebacker missed four games with a foot injury suffered in Week 3 against the Bills and struggled to make an impact following his return. The soon-to-be 30-year-old Oluokun is still viewed among the game's top tacklers and has a chance to return to the Top 10 with a healthier year. See who made the 2025 top 10 » Quarterbacks C.J. Stroud, Texans (No. 7 in 2024 preseason) -- After appearing on MVP ballots as a rookie in 2023, Stroud experienced something of a sophomore slump hastened by multiple factors outside of his control. The Texans had horrible injury luck at wide receiver -- Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell missed a combined 19 games -- and the offensive line struggled to consistently protect Stroud. Still, his accuracy and decision-making were additional factors that led to Stroud's drop from the top 10, and 2025 will be a telling year as the league tries to determine the proper tier for the 2023 No. 2 pick.  Aaron Rodgers, Steelers (No. 8 in 2024 preseason) -- Rodgers proved he could still play at age 40 and coming off an Achilles injury, with rather impressive looking traditional numbers (3,897 yards, 28 TD, 11 INT) and a handful of vintage Rodgers performances. But he also finished 25th in QBR, and the Jets were finished by October, so a place outside the top 10 is more than appropriate for the future Hall of Famer. Rodgers signed a one-year, $13.65 million contract with the Steelers in June and said 2025 would likely be his final NFL season.  Dak Prescott, Cowboys (No. 10 in 2024 preseason) -- Prescott followed the signing of a $240 million contract extension last September by starting slowly, throwing 11 touchdown passes and eight interceptions for a 3-5 team before a hamstring injury and subsequent surgery sidelined him for the final nine games. Prescott's 45.3 QBR in a partial season trailed the likes of Daniel Jones, Anthony Richardson and Caleb Williams. As is generally the case with any Cowboys quarterback, Prescott's performance will be heavily scrutinized in 2025. See who made the 2025 top 10 » Offensive tackles Ronnie Stanley, Ravens (No. 10 in 2024 preseason) -- Stanley appeared in all 19 games (17 in regular season, 2 in playoffs) and reached his second career Pro Bowl as a member of the AFC North-leading Ravens, but he fell off in favor of new entry Dion Dawkins of the Bills (No. 8). A second straight healthy year -- Stanley played in every game for the first time in his nine-year career, could get the 31-year-old Stanley back on the list. See who made the 2025 top 10 » Interior offensive linemen Joel Bitonio, Browns (No. 5 in 2024 preseason) -- The well-liked and well-respected Bitonio considered retirement after his 11th season in Cleveland produced a 3-14 record, but he opted to return after an offseason shake-up of the Browns' offensive coaches. Ranked 29th in the league in rushing a year ago, Cleveland is expected to show greater commitment to the run in 2025, which could play to the five-time All-Pro Bitonio's strengths and possibly land him back on this list next season, when he'll be 34. Note: The Cowboys' Zack Martin (No. 1 in last season's rankings) and Lions' Frank Ragnow (No. 8) both retired during the 2025 offseason. See who made the 2025 top 10 » Tight ends Dalton Kincaid, Bills (No. 8 in 2024 preseason) -- Like many on this list, Kincaid's 2024 drop-off had a lot to do with injuries, as Kincaid dealt with issues in both knees as well as a collarbone injury that he played through. While still ranking second on the Bills in targets (75) -- not an insignificant detail in a season when his quarterback won the MVP award -- Kincaid went from 73 catches to 44, and 673 yards to 448 in a season when he missed four games. The 25-year-old is a bounce-back candidate in 2025.  Evan Engram, Broncos (No. 9 in 2024 preseason) -- Engram was due some regression after his career-best 114-catch season with Jacksonville in 2023, and the injuries that were a theme of his time with the Giants (2017-21) resurfaced. Engram missed eight games with a hamstring injury and a torn labrum, and was released by the Jags after accumulating a career-low 365 yards on 47 catches. The 30-year-old Engram was inked to a two-year, $23 million deal by Denver in March.  Dalton Schultz, Texans (No. 10 in 2024 preseason) -- Schultz had a solid 2024 in which his numbers (53 receptions, 532 yards, 2 TD) were only slightly below his standard career production, but he fell off a Top 10 list that had to make way for names such as Brock Bowers, Trey McBride and Isaiah Likely. At age 29, Schultz remains a solid and dependable option for C.J. Stroud over the middle. See who made the 2025 top 10 » Safeties Jevon Holland, Giants (No. 5 in 2024 preseason) -- Holland took a step back during a 2024 season with the Dolphins in which he dealt with a broken bone in his hand, though Holland missed just two games. The Giants, who awarded the 25-year-old free agent a three-year, $45.5 million contract, are banking on Holland returning to the form that put him in the top half of these rankings a season ago.  Kyle Dugger, Patriots (No. 8 in 2024 preseason) -- Dugger struggled to live up to the four-year, $58 million contract extension he signed last April, batting a high ankle sprain in Week 4 that sidelined him for four games and visibly limited him upon his return. If healthy, the 29-year-old Dugger has a chance for a resurgence under first-year coach Mike Vrabel.  Talanoa Hufanga, Broncos (No. 9 in 2024 preseason) -- Hufanga was one of several key members of the 2024 49ers to have his season limited by injuries, missing 10 games due to knee, ankle and wrist problems. The 2022 first-team All-Pro has missed major portions of the past two seasons -- a torn right ACL cost him the final 10 games of the 2023 season in San Francisco. Hufanga signed a three-year, $45 million contract with Denver in March. See who made the 2025 top 10 » Edge Josh Hines-Allen, Jaguars (No. 8 in 2024 preseason) -- Hines-Allen didn't approach the production of his 17.5-sack season of 2023, but he did log eight sacks, second on the team in 2024 behind Travon Walker's 10.5. The overall weakness of the Jags' defense -- which finished last in pass rush win rate -- helped prevent Hines-Allen from returning to the top 10, but there's hope that the Travis Hunter-featured Jacksonville D will make some improvement in 2025.  Brian Burns, Giants (No. 10 in 2024 preseason) -- Burns was undeniably productive in his first year as a Giant, tallying 8.5 sacks, recording career highs in tackles (71) and pass deflections (8), and ranking fourth at his position in pass rush win rate. But the overall struggles of the Giants during their 3-14 season might have hurt Burns' profile among execs and scouts. See who made the 2025 top 10 » Defensive tackles Christian Wilkins, Raiders (No. 6 in 2024 preseason) -- Wilkins rolled snake eyes in his first year in Las Vegas, missing the final 12 games with a Jones fracture in his left foot suffered Oct. 6. It was a disappointing turn for a player who signed a four-year, $110 million deal with the Raiders in March 2024. Wilkins, 29, was sidelined during minicamp as he continues his recovery from the injury.  Derrick Brown, Panthers (No. 7 in 2024 preseason) -- Fresh off signing a four-year, $96 million extension, Brown tore his left meniscus in Carolina's season-opening loss to the Saints and did not return in 2024. The 27-year-old Brown participated in walk-throughs during 2025 minicamps but has not been cleared to return.  Kenny Clark, Packers (No. 9 in 2024 preseason) -- The durable Clark started all 17 games for the third straight season but was unable to build on a strong statistical 2023 that saw him record a career 7.5 sacks and reach his third Pro Bowl. Clark told reporters in June that he played the entire 2024 season through a foot injury sustained Week 1 in Brazil. Set to begin his 10th season with the Packers, the 29-year-old Clark seeks a healthier journey in 2025.  Javon Hargrave, Vikings (No. 10 in 2024 preseason) -- Hargrave suffered a torn triceps three games into his second season with the 49ers, undergoing surgery and not returning to the field before being released in March. The two-time Pro Bowler subsequently signed a two-year, $30 million contract with Minnesota, the fourth team for the 32-year-old since he entered the league in 2016. See who made the 2025 top 10 »
Running backs  Breece Hall, RB, Jets (No. 2 in 2024 preseason) -- Hall was second behind only the 49ers' Christian McCaffrey on last year's list, but took a step back in rushing yards (876), catches (57) and touchdowns (8) as the Aaron Rodgers-led Jets offense failed to ignite. Hall, 24, could potentially be in for a better season in 2025 though new coach Aaron Glenn appears poised to employ a committee approach.  Nick Chubb, RB, Texans (No. 3 in 2024 preseason) -- After suffering a serious knee injury early in the 2023 season, Chubb returned to the field for the Browns in 2024 but was limited to 332 yards in eight games before his season-ending broken foot in Week 15. Chubb, 29, signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal with the Texans this offseason.  Travis Etienne Jr., RB, Jaguars (No. 10 in 2024 preseason) -- Etienne failed to deliver a third consecutive 1,000-yard season for the struggling Jags in 2024, rushing for 558 yards and two touchdowns on a career-low 3.7 yards per carry. How first-year coach Liam Coen integrates Etienne into the offense will be among the storylines worth watching in 2025 training camp. See who made the 2025 top 10 »
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