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Jeremy Fowler, senior NFL national reporter
With 2024 NFL training camps on the horizon, it is again time for the league’s true insiders to make their voices heard. ESPN surveyed league executives, coaches and scouts to help us rank the top 10 players at 11 different positions, from quarterback to cornerback and all positions in between. This is the fifth edition of these rankings, and as usual, several players have moved up or fallen off last year’s lists.
A reminder of the rankings process: Voters give us their best 10 players at a position, then we compile the results and rank candidates based on number of top-10 votes, composite average and dozens of interviews, with research and film study help from ESPN NFL analyst Matt Bowen. In total, nearly 80 voters submitted a ballot on at least one position, and in many cases all positions. Additional voting and follow-up calls with those surveyed help us break any ties.
Each section includes quotes and nuggets from the voters on every ranked player — even the honorable mentions. The objective is to identify the best players right now for 2024. This is not a five-year projection or a career achievement award. Who are the best players today?
We will roll out a position per day over 11 days. The schedule: running backs (7/8), defensive tackles (7/9), edge rushers (7/10), safeties (7/11), tight ends (7/12), interior offensive linemen (7/13), offensive tackles (7/14), quarterbacks (7/15), off-ball linebackers (7/16), wide receivers (7/17), cornerbacks (7/18).
A few themes emerged from this year’s guards and centers rankings.
There’s zero consensus about who’s the best. Seven different players received at least one No. 1 vote, including some from the honorable mention category.
Several stars are aging, and various sophisticated offensive schemes affect player values. In other words, being the best guard or center doesn’t necessarily mean the best player.
Take the Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers, which run the ball with great efficiency but didn’t have a guard or center that ranked anywhere near the top five.
And while the Philadelphia Eagles have a compelling case for the league’s best offensive line, the Kansas City Chiefs have the best interior, as the voting clearly showed.
Below are the league’s top 10 interior linemen as voted by league executives, scouts and coaches.