A fourth Arizona Cardinals player has made the NFL Top 100 Players for 2022. Running back James Conner, safety Budda Baker and quarterback Kyler Murray all made the list revealed last week.
Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, despite playing in only 10 games last season, made the cut, coming in at No. 37. He was eighth last year.
Hopkins’ numbers were down in 2022 because of production from other receivers on the team, but he had 42 catches for 572 yards and eight touchdowns.
He is one of the most feared players in the league and commands constant respect from opposing defensive coordinators.
Several players had good things to say about Hopkins in the NFL Network special revealing the top 100 players.
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Chandler Jones, Hopkins’ teammate with the Cardinals in 2020 and 2021, said he was a fan of Hopkins even before they were teammates.
“Just the things that he does, the respect he commands on the field, it can be a defensive coordinator’s nightmare,” he said.
“He’s definitely a great player,” Los Angeles Rams safety Jordan Fuller said. “Real talented, great hands. He gets open and, even if it’s a 50-50 ball, a lot of times he comes down with it.”
Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward called Hopkins “a great player, a physical player.”
“He’s a guy that’s initiating contact. Not many receivers do that.”
Rams cornerback Dont’e DeAyon said, “I definitely think he’s saying, ‘if I’ve got a one-on-one, give me the opportunity,’ because gets a lot of one-on-one opportunities and makes a lot of them.
“His catch radius is crazy. He goes up and attacks the ball and high-points it.”
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
Latest show:
Previous shows:
and
