A trio of young NFL players with connections to the state of Utah had breakout years during the 2023 season.
As a result, all three ended up making their debut in the NFL Top 100 Players of 2024 rankings, which has been released in groups of 10 over the past week and has only the top 20 left to reveal.
The NFL Top 100 is made more prestigious by the fact that current NFL players are the ones ranking their peers for this list.
Detroit Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell came in at No. 22, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua checked in at No. 33 and Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love debuted at No. 34.
Why is Penei Sewell on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2024 list?
Sewell, the former Desert Hills High standout, earned first-team All-Pro honors last season in his third year in the league while manning the right tackle position for the Lions.
That breakout season netted Sewell a four-year contract extension this offseason worth a reported $112 million.
Earlier this offseason, Pro Football Focus’ Zoltan Buday named Sewell the top NFL player league-wide under the age of 25.
“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,” NFL.com’s Bobby Kownack wrote.
“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.”
Why is Puka Nacua on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2024 list?
Nacua, the former BYU and Orem High star who also played collegiately at Washington, had a record-breaking rookie season in 2023 and became one of the young receivers of the pro game.
He ended up breaking the NFL rookie record for receptions (105) and receiving yards (1,486) in helping a young Rams offense overperform expectations and make a run to the playoffs.
In his first taste of the postseason, Nacua even set a league rookie record for receiving yards in a playoff game with 181 (on nine receptions), though it came in a bitterly close loss.
That has set the bar high for Nacua heading into his sophomore season.
“The 2023 fifth-rounder came out of nowhere to make his mark. Nacua finished his first month as a pro with 39 catches for 501 yards and a touchdown, and he ended his first regular season as a pro with the rookie record in both catches (105) and receiving yards (1,486),” Kownack wrote.
“He then lit up the Lions in a losing postseason effort, collecting nine catches for 181 yards and a score, already his fifth performance of 140-plus yards.”
Why is Jordan Love on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2024 list?
Love turned in a brilliant year in his first season as a starter after sitting behind All-Pro quarterback Aaron Rodgers the previous three years.
The former Utah State quarterback threw for 4,159 yards, 32 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions and improved as the season went on. He eventually led the Packers to the postseason, where Green Bay knocked off Dallas before losing a close game to San Francisco.
That kind of performance convinced the Packers to give Love a hefty four-year, $220 million contract extension. The deal is set to pay him an average of $55 million annually — a number that ties him for being the highest paid quarterback in NFL history, along with Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence and Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow.
Love is also reportedly guaranteed $155 million, and he will get an NFL record $75 million signing bonus.
“It wasn’t pretty immediately, but the end result of Love’s first season as a starter suggests Green Bay has miraculously hit on a third straight franchise quarterback,” Kownack wrote.
“From Week 11 through the Divisional Round, Love threw for 2,616 yards, 23 touchdowns and three interceptions, rallying the Packers to a postseason berth and delivering a shocking demolition of the Cowboys on Super Wild Card Weekend during that span.”
What other Utah ties appear on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2024 list?
Thus far, only one other Utah tie has appeared on the NFL Top 100 rankings — former Utah State linebacker Bobby Wagner, who made his eighth straight appearance on the list by coming in at No. 59.
Wagner, who’s headed into his 13th NFL season, signed with the Washington Commanders this offseason. It’s his third team in three seasons, after he spent his first 10 years in Seattle.
One other Utah tie that is expected to show up in the top 20 of the list is 49ers linebacker Fred Warner, a former BYU standout.
Warner was ranked No. 15 on the NFL Top 100 list last season and is considered one of the premier linebackers in the league.
He has appeared on the NFL Top 100 list each of the past four years, after making his debut at No. 70 in 2020.