Pete Prisco’s NFL Top 100 for 2026 puts Myles Garrett first, Matthew Stafford second, and Puka Nacua at No. 9

Longtime NFL writer Pete Prisco has published his 2026 Top 100 players list, and the opening stretch is heavily weighted toward the Los Angeles Rams. Prisco’s ranking is not an official league evaluation, but it carries sway because of his long-running coverage and because these lists tend to frame early offseason conversations about who will matter most as training camps approach.

At the top of the list, Prisco places Myles Garrett at No. 1. The rationale, as described in the report, is straightforward: Garrett has remained an elite disruptor and, coming off a season in which he set the NFL’s single-season sack record, Prisco sees him as the standard-bearer entering 2026. The ranking also reflects the common view that quarterback pressure is the type of impact that separates top-end defenders from the rest of the league.

Prisco follows Garrett with another Rams star at No. 2, listing Matthew Stafford. The report notes that placing Stafford beneath only Garrett could irritate some fanbases because other quarterbacks often generate the “tippy-top” debate nationally, but it also argues that Stafford still has strong case support when you consider his surrounding environment. According to the report, Prisco emphasizes the combination of offensive leadership and the supporting cast around the quarterback.

Further down, the Rams show up again within the top nine. Puka Nacua is ranked at No. 9, and the report characterizes him as the third-highest ranked wide receiver on Prisco’s list. The implication is that Los Angeles does not need to rely on just one offensive difference-maker, even as NFL rankings frequently hinge on quarterback play.

The report also states that Rams players make up three of the top nine positions on Prisco’s overall list, with two of those Rams appearing at the very top (No. 1 and No. 2) and Nacua rounding out the early top tier at No. 9. It further says there are additional Rams listed elsewhere in the Top 100, bringing the total to five Rams included in the ranking, though the remaining names and positions are not fully detailed in the portions available here.

What makes this kind of ranking worth watching is not that it will decide a division race on its own, but that it provides a snapshot of how prominent observers are valuing specific players and roles before the year’s real indicates arrive. Over the coming months, camps and preseason workloads tend to confirm, refine, or challenge these judgments, especially for players whose impact depends on timing, scheme fit, and quarterback-to-receiver continuity.

For the Rams, the list’s upper-third concentration is a reminder that their internal team-building identity is often built around two pillars: dominating defenses with a pass rush that can change games, and an offense capable of producing high-end receiving production. Prisco’s Top 100 suggests he sees Los Angeles as more than a one-player story, even if the league’s bottom line will still come down to performance, health, and execution once 2026 games begin.

As always, rankings are subjective, and Prisco’s list should be treated as one writer’s ordering rather than a definitive forecast. The next test is whether these same players remain in the same tier after the NFL’s regular-season reality check, when production is measured against game plans, opponents, and the wear that accumulates over a full schedule.