PFF names one Bear to Top 50 Players in NFL list

The NFL will reveal its 2024 iteration of their annual “Top 100 Players” list beginning on July 22. As per usual, wide-ranging debate will ensue once the often-controversial selections are revealed. Pro Football Focus is getting ahead of the NFL’s release by dropping their own “eighth best cornerback in the league. The accolades continue rolling in for Chicago’s shutdown cornerback.

Travis Kelce is a Top __ TE of all time

The 50 best players in the NFL: https://t.co/3XQSrKGgHE pic.twitter.com/U3rdU0gWAd

— PFF (@PFF) July 18, 2024

“Jaylon Johnson had a career year in 2023 and was arguably the best cornerback in the game,” Sam Monson wrote. “His 91.0 PFF coverage grade was the top mark in football, and he allowed just a 33.3 passer rating into his coverage — a lower figure than if opposing quarterbacks had thrown the ball into the dirt 50 times instead. The Bears brought him back on a contract extension for 2024 and beyond, so Johnson is now tasked with repeating that level of play.”

The Bears will aim to qualify more players on the list next season. Surely D.J. Moore, Montez Sweat, and Keenan Allen received honorable mentions. How high could Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze place next season? If the Bears capture the NFC North and compete in the postseason, Johnson will surely be joined by a slew of teammates on PFF’s 2025 list.