NFL Top-10 Rankings Dropouts at Every Position
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- ESPN's top-10 position rankings were compiled over 11 days (July 6–16) using ballots from more than 70 voters, composite averages, and film study with analyst Matt Bowen, with every position group losing at least one player from 2025.
- Injuries dominated the dropouts: Trey Hendrickson missed 10 games after leading the NFL with 17.5 sacks in 2024, Rashawn Slater sat out all of 2025 despite a four-year, $114 million extension, and Nnamdi Madubuike played just two games before undergoing neck surgery in April.
- Joe Mixon was released by the Texans in March after missing all of 2025 with a foot injury and remains unsigned as of July 17, while Alvin Kamara fell from his typical production with just 182 receiving yards — far below his 595-yard career average — and a 3.6 yards-per-carry mark.
- Quarterbacks were hit hard: Jayden Daniels played only seven games after winning 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year, and Baker Mayfield went from early-season MVP candidate to a 61.5% completion rate with 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions after Week 7.
- Free agency scrambled the depth charts, with the Browns notably adding Jared Verse via the Myles Garrett trade, Elgton Jenkins on a two-year, $24 million deal, and Quincy Williams on a two-year, $13 million contract, while Isaiah Likely followed John Harbaugh to the Giants on a three-year, $40 million pact.
- Aging veterans continued to slide: Cameron Heyward's sacks and QB hits fell by more than half at age 37, and Vita Vea dropped out of ESPN's top 10 run-stopping defensive tackles despite remaining widely feared as a nose tackle.
Why it matters: Injuries sidelined at least four high-profile dropouts for extended stretches, reshaping contract leverage across the league: Slater still commands top-10 tackle money, Hendrickson was traded to Baltimore, and Mixon is unsigned less than two weeks before some training camps open. With Daniels, Nabers, and Hill all recovering from major injuries, the 2026 rankings double as an early injury-risk ledger for teams weighing extensions.
