Top 100 Players of 2024, Nos. 30-21: Brock Purdy makes debut among three 49ers; two Lions appear

Deebo does it all for the 49ers. Samuel fought through a litany of injuries in 2023 to put his dynamic skill set to work in 15 games. His 60 receptions and 892 receiving yards were his second-best results through five seasons, and he achieved a new career high with seven touchdown receptions. Samuel topped that off with another five scores and 225 yards on 37 rushing attempts, good for a 6.1 yards-per-carry average.

Mack now has 25 sacks since joining the Chargers in 2022, nearly a quarter of his career output. It’s been a remarkable surge for the 2010s Hall of Fame All-Decade Team member, who has eight Pro Bowls and three All-Pro seasons across 10 campaigns. Mack’s 17 sacks last season ranked fourth in the league and propelled him to 101.5 in his career. Now the 43^rd member of the NFL’s 100-sack club, Mack mans the edge in perfect harmony with Los Angeles’ Joey Bosa.

It turns out 2022 was no fluke. Purdy has firmly entrenched himself in San Francisco’s future two years after he was drafted as Mr. Irrelevant. The 24-year-old signal-caller threw for 4,280 yards, 31 touchdowns and 11 interceptions last season while leading the NFL in TD percentage (7.0%), yards per attempt (9.6), passer rating (113.0) and QBR (72.8). More importantly, he’s yet to fall short of the NFC Championship Game and was some Patrick Mahomes magic away from capturing a Lombardi in February.

He didn’t reach the heights of his Defensive Player of the Year campaign the season prior, but Bosa was still a pivotal part of the Niners’ defense in 2023 as one of the league’s most dangerous pass rushers. By pacing San Francisco with 10.5 sacks, Bosa moved his career tally to 53.5 while logging a third straight season with both double-digit sacks and a Pro Bowl nod by year’s end.

Nothing is certain except death, taxes and Evans going for 1,000 yards receiving. In 2023, the five-time Pro Bowler extended his record of 1,000-yard seasons to 10 to begin a career. He did so while tying for the NFL lead in receiving touchdowns (13) and posting 79 catches for 1,255 yards, both his most since 2018. From Josh McCown to Jameis Winston, Tom Brady and Baker Mayfield, it makes no matter who is throwing him the ball — Evans will get his.

The most impressive part of Ramsey’s eighth season might have been how quickly he returned from a full meniscus repair. Expected to be out until December after injuring his knee in training camp, the seven-time Pro Bowler returned for Miami’s final game of October, then went on to contribute three interceptions and five passes defensed in total. Despite playing seven fewer games, he moved up 11 spots from last year to celebrate his first season with the Dolphins.

Lawrence remains a constant on the defensive line for a Giants squad still looking to find consistency. The numbers don’t initially jump off the page — Lawrence had 53 tackles, 4.5 sacks and two pass deflections in 2023 — but he was nonetheless a dominant force in the trenches. Lawrence’s 92.9 was the highest overall PFF grade for any interior defensive lineman, as was his 92.6 pass-rush grade. His run defense graded out at 89.5, third among his peers.

St. Brown’s reputation has risen each year as part of a Lions team that’s clawed its way back into Super Bowl contention for the first time in decades. He made his latest jump by transforming from 2022 breakout to 2023 superstar, setting career highs across the board. His 10 touchdown catches ranked fourth in the league, while his 119 receptions and 1,515 yards both placed third. It’s little wonder that Detroit responded this offseason by making him the third-highest-paid WR in the NFL.

Sewell appeared to be a sure thing at No. 7 overall in the 2021 draft, and through three years he sure has been. The anchor to Detroit’s pugnacious offense, Sewell led the way last season for an operation that finished fifth in rushing yards and first in scores on the ground. His efforts — he was PFF’s highest-rated tackle overall (91.3) and best run blocker by three points (93.1) — resulted in his first All-Pro nod and second straight Pro Bowl.

Brown has continued to make the Eagles look like geniuses for trading for and paying a premier wide receiver. Through two seasons as Philly’s No. 1 receiving threat, Brown has 194 receptions for 2,952 yards and 18 touchdowns. Even with such stellar output, he’ll be on the redemption tour in 2024 after suffering a knee injury in Week 18 and having to watch the then-defending NFC champions crash out of the playoffs on Super Wild Card Weekend.