Did 2017 performance warrant Von Miller top 10 spot on ‘NFL Top 100?’

Correction: A previous version of this article featured a quote that should have read Aaron Rodgers, not Aaron Darnold. 

While some called for Von Miller to be ranked higher on the NFL Network’s annual “NFL Top 100” list for 2018, the Denver Broncos pass rusher slipped seven spots from 2017 to 2018 to No. 9 among all players.

However, “Stokley and Zach” hosts Brandon Stokley and Zach Bye said on Tuesday they believe Miller’s performance in 2017 actually warranted a lower ranking among his peers.

“Is Von Miller a top-10 player in football? Yes, he is. Did he have a top-10 season? I don’t think he did,” Bye said.

In terms of getting to the quarterback, Miller had statistically his lowest output of his career, aside from the 2015 season, in which he played in only nine games due to suspension and injury.

The three-time All-Pro also failed to earn a First-Team selection for a third consecutive year, though Miller did earn his fourth Pro Bowl nod in a row in 2017.

“I think, probably, if you look at it, Von … should be out of the top 10,” Stokley said. “… Any time you play on a 5-11 team, you’d better have 15, 16 sacks. You’d better have a special, special year to make it inside the top 10.”

Last week, “Schlereth and Evans” host Mark Schlereth said he’d been fine had the NFL players voted Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald No. 1 on the list followed by Miller at No. 2 or No. 3, putting the quarterbacks on the bottom end of the top 10.

Since the list’s inception in 2011, quarterbacks have made up nearly a third of all top 10 players, including four this year — Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers, Philadelphia’s Carson Wentz, New Orlean’s Drew Brees, and New England’s Tom Brady.

Donald, who grabbed 11 sacks, five forced fumbles, and 32 tackles on his way to winning NFL Defensive Player of the Year in February, landed at the No. 7 spot on the “NFL Top 100” list.

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.