CBS Sports ranking of DeAndre Hopkins solidifies what we already knew

DENVER, CO - NOVEMBER 4: Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins #10 of the Houston Texans celebrates a second quarter touchdown catch during a game against the Denver Broncos at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on November 4, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - NOVEMBER 4: Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins #10 of the Houston Texans celebrates a second quarter touchdown catch during a game against the Denver Broncos at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on November 4, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /
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CBS Sports released their Top 100 list of NFL players, and one Houston Texans player was the top-rated wide receiver.

Houston Texans fans know the start of training camp is nearing for the 2019 NFL season when preseason lists become available, and CBS Sports did so with their list of the Top 100 Players in the NFL before the 2019 season begins.

The Texans have four players on the list of the Top 100, including two in the Top 20 and one in the Top 10, as that player is wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Also on the list, coming in at 17th overall in the league was defensive end J.J. Watt, followed in 51st by quarterback Deshaun Watson and in 54th — listed as a linebacker — was Jadeveon Clowney.

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For starters, pertaining to Hopkins, he’s not only the highest-rated player from the Texans on this list, but he’s also the highest-rated wide receiver as well, with the next best wide receiver being Atlanta Falcons star Julio Jones being ranked at 11th overall. Also in the Top 20 who play wide receiver are Michael Thomas of the New Orleans Saints at 13th overall and Odell Beckham Jr. of the Cleveland Browns at 14th overall.

In all, there are 14 wide receivers on the list of Top 100 players. Jared Dubin of CBSSports.com, who helped compile the rankings with others from the CBS Sports staff, wrote this of Hopkins in why he was the seventh overall rated player in the NFL:

"“He had 115 catches for 1,572 yards and 11 scores last season, numbers that have been matched by the following players: Antonio Brown, Torry Holt, Marvin Harrison, Isaac Bruce, and Jerry Rice. That’s it. And Hopkins can still get better.”"

Hopkins is the fourth-rated offensive player on the list with quarterbacks like the reigning NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes (second), six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady (fourth) and past NFL MVP and Super Bowl champion Aaron Rodgers (sixth) all ranked ahead of him.

That is fine though because this ranking did solidify the following, which is something we all already knew … Hopkins is the best wide receiver in the entire NFL and the best player on the Texans’ roster.

The CBS Sports article stated Hopkins can still get better, and he can, but imagine what that would look like. Remember, Hopkins didn’t have a dropped pass last season, and he has had four out of the past five seasons where he’s caught for over 1,000 yards in each of those seasons, and in the year he didn’t, Hopkins caught for 954 yards.

Even in the video games, Hopkins is the top-rated wide receiver because he was the only offensive player in the league to earn a 99 rating in the upcoming edition of Madden NFL 20. Hopkins is a very special player and is the best offensive player to wear a Texans uniform since Andre Johnson did for 12 seasons.

Hopkins is entering his seventh season in the NFL and is being projected for 104 receptions for 1,462 yards and 10 touchdown receptions, according to FantasyPros.com. If Hopkins is able to achieve such numbers, not only will the Texans win a lot of games, but he’ll become a three-time All-Pro selection.

Next. Time for the Texans to trade Whitney Mercilus. dark

The Texans knew Hopkins was going to be a special player when they drafted him in 2013. Everyone is finally learning that Hopkins isn’t just a great player, but he’s a player who is once in a generation. Who knows … as the aforementioned writing by Dublin said, Hopkins could continue to get even better.