Deshaun Watson, DeAndre Hopkins crack top-20 in NFL.com list

The dynamic duo of Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins both finished in the top-20 of the Top 100 Players of 2020 list on NFL.com.

It’s official: The Houston Texans have four players who made it into the NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2020 ranking.

Well … technically, three players.

Laremy Tunsil (No. 66) and J.J. Watt (No. 45) were the first two Texans players to make the prestigious list — an annual tradition that’s been going on for nearly 10 years now.

This list is important and significant because it’s entirely voted on by the NFL players themselves, rather than by sportswriters or outside observers.

In essence, it’s peers ranking their peers.

We speculated that after Tunsil and Watt ended up on the list where they did, the Texans would have two more entries before all was said and done: quarterback Deshaun Watson and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. And we were right.

Of course, Hopkins now plays for the Arizona Cardinals. So technically, Houston has just three players in the rankings instead of four.

But considering the rankings are primarily based off last season’s results — as well as all the players’ careers up to this point — Hopkins earned his slot based entirely off his work in Houston … so he should be an honorary inclusion in the Texans’ estimations of this ranking for the time being.

Deshaun Watson makes massive leap up the annual rankings list

Watson finished ranked No. 20 — a significant jump up the list considering he was No. 51 this time last year.

Here’s what NFL.com’s Grant Gordon had to say about Watson’s ranking:

"One of the newest faces of the league, Watson vaulted 31 spots up the list to come in at No. 20 and it’s arduous not to predict he’ll move up further in his burgeoning career. Watson dazzled again in 2019, racking up a second straight Pro Bowl bid as he led the Texans to a second consecutive AFC South title. This was a campaign of clutch performances for Watson, who rallied his squad to an eye-popping eight wins by seven points or less – and one more in the playoffs. Now, a pivotal season awaits as Watson, who accounted for 33 touchdowns and 4,271 yards of offense, will take to the field without DeAndre Hopkins and is also likely in line for a huge payday. Watson’s earned it, just like his ranking."

Watson is the seventh-highest rated quarterback on the list.

The Packers’ Aaron Rodgers (No. 16), the Buccaneers’ Tom Brady (No. 14), and the Saints’ Drew Brees (No. 11) all finished above him in this year’s edition — in addition to the Seahawks’ Russell Wilson, the Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, and the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, the three of whom made the top-10 (although their exact order has yet to be released).

Hopkins also made the top-10 list of players. The NFL Network is poised to reveal the exact order of the final 10 later on Wednesday evening.