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There are a lot of young stars who have found their way onto the 2026 NFL Top 100 list. We have seen a lot of players in their first handful of seasons find their rankings, but there are still some who are playing at an elite level. Let’s take a closer look at the young star who continues to impress and climb the rankings. Aidan Hutchinson continues to rise on the 2026 NFL Top 100 list The 2026 NFL Top 100 list has seen some players take major leaps, and Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson is one of them. NFL’s Jeremy Bergman wrote the following blurb to explain what made the defensive end rank so high: “Hutchinson’s career year came at the perfect time. Fresh off signing a mega-extension, with a record $141 million guaranteed, the Lions star proved his worth. Hutch set career highs in sacks, QB hits and forced fumbles, fighting off constant chip blocks to log a league-best 89 QB pressures. That he did all this coming off a season-ending leg injury made Hutchinson’s 2025 campaign all the more impressive; he just missed out on Comeback Player of the Year honors, but made his second Pro Bowl, earned his first second-team All-Pro accolade and ranked as a Defensive Player of the Year finalist. With a fully healthy offseason under his belt, there’s no telling what Hutchinson and the playoff-hungry Lions can accomplish.” Hutchinson made his second Pro Bowl in the 2025 season and was second-team All-Pro. In 17 games (all starts), he recorded a career-high 54 total tackles (36 solo, 18 assists) with 14.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, 35 quarterback hits, three pass deflections, one interception, four forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. With the Lions looking to lean more on their defense this season, Hutchinson will continue to be an impactful player for the team’s chances to get back in the playoffs. Below are the defensive ends who have been named to the 2026 NFL Top 100 list so far: - 100: Cameron Jordan - 91: Montez Sweat - 90: Derrick Brown - 73: Zach Allen - 48: Josh Allen-Hines - 35: Jared Verse - 30: Aidan Hutchinson The 2026 NFL Top 100 is a list that is voted on by the players during the previous season. Every weekday, two names are announced on social media until we hit the top 10 players. Once we get to that point, only one player is revealed each weekday until all 100 names are published on Friday, Sept. 4. It will be intriguing to see how many defensive ends are ranked ahead of Hutchinson on the 2026 NFL Top 100 list.