NFL Network finished its countdown of the Top 100 players of 2022, revealing Nos. 1-20 on Sunday evening. The rankings for five San Francisco 49ers players had already been revealed. They are the following.
- Fullback Kyle Juszczyk at No. 100
- Safety Jimmie Ward at No. 96
- Linebacker Fred Warner at No. 47
- Defensive end Nick Bosa at No. 25
- Tight end George Kittle at No. 22
NFL players vote on the list. It is based on player performance during the previous year and predicted performance during the upcoming season. This year's ranking is the league's 12th.
Sunday revealed two 49ers players in the top 20, bringing the total team representation in the top 100 to seven.
Deebo Samuel made his NFL Top 100 players debut, coming in at No. 19. The wide receiver is coming off a breakout 2021 campaign where he recorded 1,770 all-purpose yards with 14 total touchdowns. He hauled in 77 receptions for 1,405 yards with six receiving touchdowns, adding 59 carries for 365 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns. The eight scores on the ground set a new single-season record by a wide receiver.
"Samuel's debut in the Top 100 comes on the heels of a breakout season that left defensive coordinators scratching their heads," wrote Michael Baca of NFL.com. "… Samuel's threat out of the backfield added an extraordinary dynamic to the 49ers offense and unquestionably spurred San Francisco's late-season run to the NFC Championship Game. Earning All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods for the first time, Samuel led the league in yards per reception (18.2) and notched a 6.2-yard per rush average to emerge as one of the most unique playmakers in the NFL."
The 49ers made Samuel a second-round pick out of South Carolina in 2019. In July, he signed a three-year contract worth up to $73.5 million, keeping him with the team through the 2025 season.
This year is Trent Williams' ninth appearance within the NFL Top 100 players ranking. The nine-time Pro Bowl tackle came in at No. 14, a 28-spot rise from last year's placement.
Williams' 97.8 overall regular-season Pro Football Focus grade from last season led the NFL and was the highest-ever grade awarded by the analytics site. The offensive lineman's 86.0 pass-blocking grade was his highest mark since 2016 (91.4). In addition, his 97.9 run-blocking grade led the NFL by a significant margin. Guard Zack Martin of the Dallas Cowboys earned the next closest run-blocking grade—92.8.
"Williams is the highest-ranking offensive lineman in the Top 100 coming off what was strangely enough his first All-Pro season," wrote Baca. "The nine-time Pro Bowler anchors the run and pass blocking of a 49ers offense that is oftentimes allowed to be complex because of their stalwart left tackle. Leading the league at his position with a 96.6 player grade (includes playoffs) from Pro Football Focus in 2021, Williams became the highest-paid OL in NFL history before the season and the 34-year-old delivered his best year in return, improving 28 spots in the Top 100."
The 49ers acquired Williams in 2020, sending a 2020 fifth-round pick and a 2021 third-rounder to the Washington Commanders in exchange for the veteran offensive lineman.
