Green Bay Packers: Davante Adams ranked No. 45 on NFL Top 100
By Joe Kipp
The NFL Network’s annual Top 100 players countdown continued Monday night, revealing players 50-41. Davante Adams was revealed as the 45th best player and the fifth Green Bay Packers player overall.
A familiar name was recognized once again on Monday night. Davante Adams, one of the league’s young, bright stars was revealed at No. 45 on the NFL’s Top 100 countdown. Adams is the fifth player from the Green Bay Packers to be named to the list.
The Packers previously landed Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (No. 100), Mike Daniels (No. 93), David Bakhtiari (No. 91) and Jimmy Graham (No. 89). It remains to be seen if any other Packers players will be revealed in the coming weeks. Dairyland Express profiled these rankings here.
Although it was not formally recognized, Adams was literally on the outside looking in last year – finishing at No. 101 on the countdown. As they say, “Close, but no cigar.”
Apparently, his peers were impressed with his performances last season, particularly with backup quarterback Brett Hundley. Although Adams finished the 2017 season with fewer yards, touchdowns and receptions than in 2016, he climbed to significant heights as a player.
In fact, the Packers were so impressed with his achievements that they rewarded him with a new four-year, $58 million extension on his contract.
The official video showcasing Adams’ ranking is shown below. It features player interviews, statistics and highlights:
As the video mentions, Adams leads the entire NFL with 22 touchdowns since 2016. That’s a list that includes the likes of Antonio Brown, Julio Jones, AJ Green, Rob Gronkowski, DeAndre Hopkins and more. Still not impressed? Adams was named to his first Pro Bowl last season, a sign that he’s improving as a player.
But being mentioned with the greats doesn’t satisfy Adams. He’s explicitly stated this offseason how much he still has to work on, although it may not seem so obvious. After all, there’s always more to accomplish.
For instance, just last week he acknowledged how he’s growing as a leader and wants to be the guy younger players look up to. With Jordy Nelson leaving for the Oakland Raiders, Adams will have big shoes to fill.
There are no questions regarding Adams’ abilities. His knack for creating yards after the catch is one of his greatest strengths. He boasts one of the quickest releases off the line of scrimmage. His elusiveness is shown time after time.
The knock on Adams is his ability to stay healthy. Albeit, his two concussions last season weren’t in his control. In both instances, he was walloped in the head on dirty plays. But going back a few seasons, he’s suffered ankle injuries as well. Nonetheless, he’s still the Packers’ most talented receiver.
Adams is certainly deserving of his No. 45 ranking on the Top 100. Being recognized by your peers is a great feeling for anyone – especially an NFL player. However, Adams should feel the pressure going forward. Being ranked the 45th best player is no joke, and he’ll have big shoes to fill entering next season.
If we learned anything from last season though, never count out Adams. His performances with Hundley at the helm were truly impressive, and the sky is the limit for him going forward.