Over the course of 11 days, we unveiled rankings of the top 10 NFL players at every offensive and defensive position group. Just as teams rise and fall, so do players, and every group had at least one player who fell from last year's charts, whether because of performance, injury or the strength of the rankings. Those players are represented here.
A reminder of the rankings process: Voters ranked their own top 10 players at a position, then we compiled the results and ranked candidates based on the number of top-10 votes, composite average and dozens of interviews, with research and film study help from ESPN NFL analyst Matt Bowen as well as ESPN Research. More than 70 voters submitted a ballot on at least one position, and in many cases all positions. Additional voting and follow-up calls with those surveyed contributed to placements.
This was not a five-year projection or a career achievement award, but meant to answer a simple question: Who are the best players right now?