Saquon Barkley Crowned No. 1 in NFL Top 100

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jay Canale | Last updated Sep 1, 2025 9:26 PM ET

The NFL Top 100 released its top 10 players this evening, with Saquon Barkley finishing in the first spot. The top five came in order as follows: Patrick Mahomes at fifth, Ja'Marr Chase at fourth, Josh Allen at third, Lamar Jackson in second, and Saquon Barkley filling out the ranks in the first spot.

Barkley had a transcendent season in 2024 in his first season as a Philadelphia Eagle. He spent six productive years with the New York Giants, but each one felt like wasted potential, struggling to find success behind consistently subpar offensive lines. Finally, he was traded to the Eagles, where all of that success and potential was finally realized.

Since he was traded, Barkley has been named a first-team All-Pro, won the Offensive Player of the Year award, came in third in MVP voting, and won the Super Bowl. Once a player thought of having all the potential in the world with a franchise that would never help him reach it, now Barkley has gotten everything a player could hope for in just one season.

Barkley was the engine of the Eagles’ offense all season, something you wouldn’t expect from an offense that rosters DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown. However, running behind the best offensive line in the league, Barkley showed time and time again that giving him the ball was the best route for the Eagles to win games.

Barkley rushed for over 2,000 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2024, finishing with the most rushing yards of any running back in the NFL. While this season was wildly impressive in its own right, its historical implications took it over the top. His rushing total ranked eighth on the all-time single-season rushing list, just 100 yards behind first-ranked Eric Dickerson.

This wasn’t just a situation where Barkley’s stats were inflated by his number of attempts, either. His 5.7 yards per carry tied for second in the NFL, just behind fellow elite running back Derrick Henry. His advanced statistics were mind-boggling as well, forcing 80 missed tackles last season, again ranking second in the league behind Jerome Ford, according to Pro Football Focus.

When considering his playoff performance, this No. 1 ranking feels further justified. In four postseason appearances, Barkley rushed for nearly 500 yards and five touchdowns at five yards per carry. Again, when zooming out to a historical scale, Barkley’s 205 rushing yards in the Eagles’ playoff game against the Rams is the fifth-most rushing yards in an single playoff game in league history.

Long story short, what Barkley did as an Eagle in 2025 more than justifies this ranking. This is what fans wanted to see when he was drafted second overall back in 2018, as a freak athlete with all of the potential in the world. It took longer than many would have liked, but we’re finally here.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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