CBS Senior NFL Columnist Pete Prisco released his own version of the "Top 100 NFL Players list" earlier today. Annually, this list ranks those who are supposed to be the "best of the best" in the league in order from least-best to best-best. As a Houston Texans focused outlet, of course Toro Times combined through the list for players representing the Bayou City.
At first glance, Houston having five players show up on the list is quite the accomplishment, However, omissions like quarterback C.J. Stroud and defensive back Jalen Pitre certainly stand out. Then, the question of positioning isn't lost among the ones who did make the list, with tthree Houston All-Pro's seemingly being ranked a little bit too low for my taste.
Enough suspense. Here are the five Texans who made the list, along with an instant reaction to Prisco's analysis for each. They'll be ranked from lowest to highest, along with their positional rankings within their overall landing spots.
No. 95 - CB Kamari Lassiter (ranked 9th out of 9 at the position)
Prisco's take: "He doesn't get the attention he deserves because he plays opposite Derek Stingley Jr., but he is a top-level corner who belongs on this list. It's time he gets his due."
Cornerbacks in front of Lassiter:
- Patrick Surtain II
- Devon Witherspoon
- Christian Gonzalez
- Quinyon Mitchell
- Derek Stingley Jr.
- Sauce Gardner
- Trent McDuffie
- Cooper DeJean
My thoughts:
Lassiter being seen as a top-10 corner only behind All-Pro's and Super Bowl champions is a monumental compliment for the former Georgia Bulldog. It arguably confirms that the Texans have the best 1-2 cornerback punch in the NFL between him and Stingley.
No. 79 - WR Nico Collins (ranked 10th out of 13 at the position)
Prisco's take: "He had 71 catches in 15 games with six touchdowns. But his big-play ability stood out, as he averaged 15.7 yards per catch."
Wide receivers in front of Collins:
- Ja'Marr Chase
- Justin Jefferson
- Puka Nacua
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba
- Amon-Ra St. Brown
- CeeDee Lamb
- A.J. Brown
- George Pickens
- Chris Olave
My thoughts:
Similar to my take on Lassiter, Collins landing as the 10th-best behind the like of Chase, Jefferson and Nacua makes total sense. However, I feel like players such as Brown, Pickens and Olave are helped by being in much stronger offensive infrastructures. Collins swapping with Olave at a minimum is on the table.
No. 40 - CB Derek Stingley Jr. (ranked 5th out of 9 at the position)
Prisco's take: "His play dipped a bit last season, but he remains one of the top corners in the league. His ability to cover is a big reason why the Texans are so good on defense."
Cornerbacks in front of Stingley:
- Patrick Surtain II
- Devon Witherspoon
- Christian Gonzalez
- Quinyon Mitchell
My thoughts:
No disrespect to any of the men ranked higher than Stingley, but ranking him as the fifth-best corner in the NFL right after he just secured his second-consecutive First-Team All-Pro selection is quite the decision. Surtain is one thing, everyone else is debatable at best.
My initial reaction when I first saw this?
To quote the famous J.K. Simmons, who played the almost as equally famous Spider-Man character J. Jonah Jameson (which spawned a now all-time famous meme):
"HAHAHAHAHAHA...HAHAHAHAHA... you serious?"
No. 37 - DE Danielle Hunter (ranked 6th out of 13 at the position)
Prisco's take: "At 31, he remains a dominant pass rusher. He had 15 sacks last season and has posted double-digit sacks in four straight years. He has 114.5 sacks in his career."
Defensive ends in front of Hunter:
- Myles Garrett
- Micah Parsons
- Aidan Hutchinson
- Will Anderson Jr.
- Maxx Crosby
My thoughts:
Hunter is sneakily one of the most consistently dominant pass rushers in the NFL history. While this ranking is not a lifetime achievement award, Hunter's maintained excellence should be taken into consideration. However, the four proceeding names aren't bad picks at all.
Also as a fun fact, Hunter actually has the sixth-most sacks amongst active defenders in the NFL with 114.5.
No. 15 - DE Will Anderson Jr. (ranked 4th out of 13 at the position)
Prisco's take: "In his third season in 2025, he posted a career-high 12 sacks. That earned him a brand-new contract. Along with Danielle Hunter, he forms one of the best edge duos in the league."
Defensive ends in front of Anderson:
- Myles Garrett
- Micah Parsons
- Aidan Hutchinson
My thoughts:
Will Anderson Jr. finished as a runner-up to Garrett in the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year race in 2025. That was mainly due to Garrett having broken the all-time sack record in the same season as Anderson's best year as a pro.
By that reasoning, I would think it would only have made more sense to rank Anderson as the second-best defensive end on his list, which would have swapped him with Parsons at 12th overall. It may seem like a minor adjustment at "only" three spots of difference, but the gravity of the rearrangement would illustrate how Anderson's destruction of opposing offenses was only eclipsed by the league's highest ranked overall player in Garrett.
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