Cleveland Browns' Joe Thomas moves up to No. 23 on NFL Network's "Top 100'' of 2016
By Mary Kay Cabot, cleveland.com
updated June 23, 2016 at 4:46 PM
link CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns ironman left tackle Joe Thomas isn't getting older, he's getting better.
Thomas moved up from No. 25 to No. 23 in NFL Network's "Top 100 players of 2016" rankings as voted on by his peers.
"Joe Thomas is the best tackle in the game right now,'' his former teammate Alex Mack, now with the Falcons, said in a video on NFL Network.
"Hands down the best,'' said receiver Travis Benjamin, now with the Chargers.
"He's always been to the Pro Bowl because he's that dominant of a player,'' said Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap. "He can dance with the best of them. It doesn't matter how fast guys come off the edge, he has the ability to move with them. If you see one guy that has not changed, that's that left tackle right there. And we have to play him twice a year.''
Thomas, hasn't missed a snap -- up to 8,959 now -- or a Pro Bowl in his nine seasons.
"There's a lot of guys who probably question whether or not they want to do it in that locker after playing Joe Thomas,'' said Bears guard Kyle Long. "He's a super nice guy. You watch him play and it's kind of boring to be honest. It's like watching a great defensive back over there in man coverage and everyone else is in a zone.''
Thomas, who's made the list NFL Network Top 100 six times, is the second Browns player this season to earn the honor. The first was tight end Gary Barnidge, who was No. 94.
"He is a born leader, a true leader," Barnidge said. "He's going to tell you what you did wrong and help you because he wants to win."
Barnidge never ceases to be amazed by Thomas' prowess.
"Any outside zone we run to Joe Thomas, if we're double-teaming to the 'backer or this guy upfield, he just knocks the guy completely out of the picture and then you just wash that out and continue going. If he's going to get a chance to give him a punch and get up to the next level, that guy's going to go flying....he is a born leader, true leader.''
He's earned the respect of Chiefs five-time Pro Bowl linebacker Tamba Hali.
"It's always one of those games where you've got to prepare yourself mentally because you know you're going to be in a fight,'' he said. "Joe is Joe. No secrets. You know who you're going against.''
And you know he'll be there for every snap.
Here's the rest of the list. Do you think Thomas is too low? Too high? Right where he belongs?:
100. Derek Carr – Oakland Raiders, QB
99. Cameron Jordan – New Orleans Saints, DE
98. Jarvis Landry – Miami Dolphins, WR
97. Richie Incognito – Buffalo Bills, OG
96. Sammy Watkins – Buffalo Bills, WR
95. Mike Daniels – Green Bay Packers, DE
94. Gary Barnidge – Cleveland Browns, TE
93. Jeremy Maclin – Kansas City Chiefs, WR
92. Andrew Luck – Indianapolis Colts, QB
91. Travis Kelce – Kansas City Chiefs, TE
90. Matt Forte – New York Jets, RB
89. Allen Hurns – Jacksonville Jaguars, WR
88. Cameron Heyward – Pittsburgh Steelers, DE
87. Julian Edelman – New England Patriots, WR
86. Jonathan Stewart – Carolina Panthers, RB
85. Kirk Cousins – Washington Redskins, QB
84. Tamba Hali – Kansas City Chiefs, LB
83. Telvin Smith – Jacksonville Jaguars, LB
82. Delanie Walker – Tennessee Titans, TE
81. Alex Smith – Kansas City Chiefs, QB
80. Derrick Johnson – Kansas City Chiefs, LB
79. Ryan Kalil – Carolina Panthers, C
78. Chris Ivory – Jacksonville Jaguars, RB
77. Jordan Reed – Washington Redskins, TE
76. Linval Joseph – Minnesota Vikings, DT
75. Jamaal Charles – Kansas City Chiefs, RB
74. Emmanuel Sanders – Denver Broncos, WR
73. Harrison Smith – Minnesota Vikings, S
72. Doug Baldwin – Seattle Seahawks, WR
71. Calais Campbell – Arizona Cardinals, DE
70. Carlos Dunlap – Cincinnati Bengals, DE
69. LeSean McCoy – Buffalo Bills, RB
68. T.J. Ward – Denver Broncos, S
67. Andrew Whitworth – Cincinnati Bengals, OT
66. Earl Thomas – Seattle Seahawks, S
65. Marcus Peters – Kansas City Chiefs, CB
64. Reshad Jones – Miami Dolphins, S
63. Gerald McCoy – Tampa Bay Buccaneers, DT
62. Demaryius Thomas – Denver Broncos, WR
61. NaVorro Bowman – San Francisco 49ers, LB
60. Reggie Nelson – Oakland Raiders, S
59. Michael Bennett – Seattle Seahawks, DE
58. Kawann Short – Carolina Panthers, DT
57. Clay Matthews – Green Bay Packers, LB
56. Blake Bortles – Jacksonville Jaguars, QB
55. Eric Berry – Kansas City Chiefs, S
54. Thomas Davis – Carolina Panthers, LB
53. Lavonte David – Tampa Bay Buccaneers, LB
52. Chris Harris Jr. – Denver Broncos, CB
51. Dez Bryant – Dallas Cowboys, WR
50. Devonta Freeman – Atlanta Falcons, RB
49. Fletcher Cox – Philadelphia Eagles, DE
48. Chandler Jones – Arizona Cardinals, DE
47. Eli Manning – New York Giants, QB
46. Philip Rivers – San Diego Chargers, QB
45. Trent Williams – Washington Redskins, OT
44. Tyler Eifert – Cincinnati Bengals, TE
43. Ziggy Ansah – Detroit Lions, DE
42. Tyron Smith – Dallas Cowboys, OT
41. Le'Veon Bell – Pittsburgh Steelers, RB
40. Ndamukong Suh – Miami Dolphins, DT
39. Muhammed Wilkerson – New York Jets, DE
38. Greg Olsen – Carolina Panthers, TE
37. Marshal Yanda – Baltimore Ravens, G
36. DeMarcus Ware – Denver Broncos, LB
35. Andy Dalton – Cincinnati Bengals, QB
34. Aqib Talib – Denver Broncos, CB
33. Doug Martin – Tampa Bay Buccaneers, RB
32. Kam Chancellor – Seattle Seahawks, S
31. Allen Robinson – Jacksonville Jaguars, WR
30. Drew Brees – New Orleans Saints, QB
29. Geno Atkins – Cincinnati Bengals, DT
28. Tyrann Mathieu – Arizona Cardinals, S
27. Larry Fitzgerald – Arizona Cardinals, WR
26. Justin Houston – Kansas City Chiefs, LB
25. Brandon Marshall – New York Jets, WR
24. Darrelle Revis – New York Jets, CB
23. Joe Thomas – Cleveland Browns, OT
22. Todd Gurley – Los Angeles Rams, RB
21. Ben Roethlisberger – Pittsburgh Steelers, QB
