Cowboys superstars see significant drop in NFL top 100 rankings

The Dallas Cowboys possess two of the NFL’s best talents in edge-rusher Micah Parsons and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, yet surprisingly both players slid down this year’s edition of the NFL Top 100 rankings. Parsons tumbled from No. 17 in 2024 to No. 36 in this year’s rankings, while Lamb slid from No. 13 to No. 35. 

However, both players were victims of unique circumstances that ended up hurting their rankings. 

Bobby Kownack of NFL.com wrote in regard to Parsons ranking, “A high-ankle sprain is the only reason Parsons fell out of the countdown’s top 20 for the first time in his career. When he was on the field, he was as dominant as ever.” 

Parsons — who is still in a contract standoff with the Cowboys — saw his season disrupted by an ankle sprain that forced him to miss four games. Despite the missed time, Parsons still dominated when on the field, forcing 12 sacks, two forced fumbles and 12 tackles for loss. Parsons was on pace for a career year, and his falling has much more to do with missing time rather than performance on the field. 

In regard to Lamb’s ranking, Kownack noted how “Lamb overcame Dak Prescott's Week 9 season-ending injury to reach the Pro Bowl for a fourth straight year. He’s one of the league’s crispest route-runners and feels open more often than not.”

Lamb’s drop in the top 100 is to no fault of his own, as starting quarterback Dak Prescott only played in eight games. Despite the weak quarterback play, Lamb still had 101 receptions for 1,194 yards and six touchdowns in only 15 games, tied for eighth in the league. Lamb also averaged 79.6 receiving yards per game. Had he managed to play for the entire season, his name would have easily been in the top five for total receiving yards in 2025. 

Both players faced significant challenges that would have slowed down much lesser players, yet they both produced at an elite level. Parsons was on pace to surpass his career-best sack total, and Lamb showcased his ability to be quarterback-proof. The lower rankings feel more like the product of situational misfortune rather than a true reflection of performance. Judging them harshly for these circumstances that are out of their control does not seem totally fair, especially when both still performed like top-tier superstars.