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The 2026 NFL Top 100 list showcases the very best that the league has to offer. While there are household names that appear as we get further into the list, there are some young stars who are still proving themselves to a broader NFL fanbase outside of their team’s fans. There have been some young players already, but let’s take a deeper dive into one of the young studs who have improved their rankings heading into this season. Nik Bonitto climbs 6 spots on the 2026 NFL Top 100 list Nik Bonitto has been one of the premier pass-rushers in the NFL over the last few seasons. He climbed six spots from last year’s list to be 32nd on the NFL Top 100 list this year. NFL’s Bobby Kownack wrote the following blurb to highlight the two-time Pro Bowler’s inclusion on the 2026 NFL Top 100 list: “Bonitto has twice made the Pro Bowl, twice finished top-five in the NFL in sacks and twice made the NFL Top 100 list since 2024. He’s done so leading a ferocious Broncos defense that’s accelerated Denver’s rebuild under Sean Payton and had the franchise a win away from a Super Bowl trip last season. Bonitto added two more forced fumbles and a sack in the playoffs on top of a stellar regular season in which he posted the league’s second-highest pressure rate (20.2%) and the highest quick pressure rate (11.1%) among defenders with 200 pass rushes.” Nik Bonitto had a strong season in 2025 as he had a career-high in sacks during his second consecutive Pro Bowl year. He finished the season playing all 17 games (16 starts) with 46 total tackles (31 solo, 15 assists) with 14.0 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, 28 quarterback hits, one pass deflection, and two forced fumbles. With a star emerging, the Denver Broncos defense continues to be one of the best in the entire sport. Below are the linebackers who have been named to the 2026 NFL Top 100 list so far: - 97: Seattle Seahawks LB Ernest Jones - 95: New York Jets LB Demario Davis - 93: Cleveland Browns LB Carson Schwesinger - 92: Houston Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair - 88: Detroit Lions LB Jack Campbell - 86: Los Angeles Chargers LB Tuli Tuipulotu - 84: Los Angeles Rams LB Byron Young - 81: Washington Commanders LB Bobby Wagner - 78: Arizona Cardinals LB Josh Sweat - 67: Miami Dolphins LB Jordyn Brooks - 65: Baltimore Ravens LB Roquan Smith - 54: San Francisco 49ers LB Fred Warner - 45: Philadelphia Eagles LB Zack Baun - 41: Pittsburgh Steelers LB TJ Watt - 32: Denver Broncos LB Nik Bonitto The 2026 NFL Top 100 is a list that is voted on by the players during the previous season. Each weekday on social media, two names are announced until we reach the top 10 remaining. At that point, only one name will be published on social media until the entire 2026 NFL Top 100 list is revealed on Friday, Sept. 4. It will be intriguing to see how many pass-rushers rank ahead of the 2025 Defensive Player of the Year finalist.