Every year, the NFL’s most ruthless beauty pageant takes place behind closed doors. League executives, coaches, and scouts gather their thoughts and deliver verdicts that can make or break reputations. This year’s ESPN top 10 rankings at every position have crowned new kings while brutally dethroning former royalty. The casualties? Some of the biggest names in football just got served their walking papers from the sport’s most exclusive club.
When more than 70 voters submit ballots ranking the best players at each position, someone’s getting their feelings hurt. The 2025 rankings have exposed just how quickly NFL fortunes can change, with injuries, poor team performance, and rising competition combining to create a bloodbath of fallen stars.
Edge rushers feel the squeeze
Josh Hines-Allen discovered that past glory doesn’t guarantee future success. After terrorizing quarterbacks for 17.5 sacks in 2023, the Jaguars star managed only eight sacks in 2024. While that’s still respectable production, the overall weakness of Jacksonville’s defense dragged down his individual profile among voters. When your team finishes dead last in pass rush win rate, even solid individual numbers can’t save your ranking.
Brian Burns experienced a similar fate despite arguably his most complete season as a professional. The Giants newcomer posted 8.5 sacks, career-high tackle numbers, and ranked fourth in pass rush win rate at his position. Unfortunately, playing for a team that stumbled to a 3-14 record apparently carries more weight than individual excellence when voters are making their decisions.
Defensive tackle carnage reaches new heights
The defensive tackle position witnessed an absolute massacre of former top 10 residents. Christian Wilkins signed a massive four-year, $110 million deal with Las Vegas, then watched his season crumble when a Jones fracture in his left foot ended his campaign after just five games. Nothing hurts your ranking quite like missing 12 games of a season you were supposed to dominate.
Derrick Brown’s story reads like a cruel joke. The Panthers rewarded him with a four-year, $96 million extension, then watched him tear his left meniscus in the season opener against New Orleans. His entire 2024 campaign vanished in one play, proving that even the most carefully constructed contracts can’t protect against football’s inherent brutality.
Running back reality check hits hard
The running back position delivered its own share of harsh reality checks. Breece Hall entered 2024 as the second-ranked player at his position, riding high on expectations that the Aaron Rodgers-led Jets offense would finally click. Instead, Hall watched his rushing yards, catches, and touchdowns all decline as New York’s offense sputtered throughout the season.
Nick Chubb’s fall from grace represents one of the most heartbreaking stories in recent NFL history. After suffering a devastating knee injury in 2023, he battled back to return in 2024 only to manage just 332 yards in eight games before a broken foot ended his season. His journey from elite rusher to injury-plagued veteran culminated in signing a modest one-year deal with Houston.
The unforgiving nature of NFL excellence
These rankings expose the brutal truth about NFL stardom: yesterday’s heroes can become today’s forgotten players with shocking speed. Kenny Clark played through a foot injury for an entire season, starting all 17 games for Green Bay, but couldn’t maintain his 2023 production levels. Javon Hargrave’s torn triceps just three games into his 49ers tenure led to his release and a cross-country move to Minnesota.
Travis Etienne Jr. learned that consistency matters more than potential. After back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, his career-low 3.7 yards per carry and measly 558 rushing yards in 2024 demonstrated how quickly the NFL can humble even the most promising talents.
The new reality of NFL rankings
What makes these falls particularly stinging is how quickly they happened. Most of these players were considered locks for top 10 status just 12 months ago. Now they’re fighting to prove they belong in conversations about elite talent at their positions.
The 2025 rankings serve as a stark reminder that NFL excellence is temporary, fragile, and entirely dependent on health, team performance, and the emergence of new talent. For every player who falls out of the top 10, another hungry competitor is ready to take their place.
These fallen stars now face the ultimate test: can they claw their way back to elite status, or will they become cautionary tales about how quickly NFL fortunes can change?
