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The 2026 NFL Top 100 list is one of the ways that we can see how the players think about the top players in the game. There are some players who surged in the rankings after years of middling in the league compared to their expectations. Let’s take a look at the player who may have had the biggest showing from one year to another in terms of their rankings on the 2026 NFL Top 100 list. Sam Darnold leaps 51 spots on the 2026 NFL Top 100 list Sam Darnold has finally showcased what he can be when things are clicking. He soared 51 spots on the 2026 NFL Top 100 list to now be 21st entering this year. Jeremy Bergman of NFL wrote the following paragraph about the Super Bowl-winning quarterback and discussed how there is still room for improvement after the most success he saw as a professional: “Look at us. Who would’ve thought? The unlikeliest of top-25 appearances comes from the now-reigning Super Bowl champion QB from Seattle. Once seen as a bust after going from No. 3 pick to journeyman signal-caller, Darnold broke through with Minnesota in 2024 and then enjoyed an all-time campaign with the Seahawks in 2025. The QB led Seattle to the No. 1 seed, threw Jaxon Smith-Njigba into OPOY territory and played the most efficient football of his life en route to leading the Seahawks to their second Lombardi. Darnold still has issues with turnovers, but when the turnaround is so profound, you’ll forgive a fumble here and there.” Sam Darnold had a strong regular season en route to his second Pro Bowl. In his first year with the Seattle Seahawks, he completed 323 of 477 (67.7%) of his passes for 4,048 yards with 25 passing touchdowns to 14 interceptions. However, he fumbled 11 times in the 17-game season. In the playoffs, he completed 56 of 91 (61.5%) of his passes for 672 yards with five passing touchdowns without an interception. With the elite wide receivers of Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Rashid Shaheed for a full season, he can continue to develop as he is still not even 30 years old yet. Below are the quarterbacks who have found their way onto the 2026 NFL Top 100 list so far: - 98: Bryce Young - 85: Brock Purdy - 77: Baker Mayfield - 72: Jordan Love - 69: Lamar Jackson - 62: Trevor Lawrence - 59: Bo Nix - 56: Jalen Hurts - 51: Caleb Williams - 44: Joe Burrow - 39: Justin Herbert - 33: Jared Goff - 31: Dak Prescott - 21: Sam Darnold The 2026 NFL Top 100 is a list voted on by the players during the previous season. Each weekday, two names are announced on social media until there are only 10 players remaining. Once we reach that point, only one name will be revealed until all 100 players are announced on Friday, Sept. 4. It will be interesting to see how these players vote for some of the other quarterbacks, as this vote took place before Sam Darnold won the Super Bowl.