Trey McBride, Brian Burns Named to NFL Top 100, Check Out the Updated 2026 Rankings

New York Giants linebacker Brian Burns clearly impressed his peers after totaling a career-high 16.5 sacks last year.

Burns came in at 14th in the NFL Top 100 ahead of the 2026 season after missing the cut altogether in 2025. He had previously never ranked higher than 54th.

Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride enjoyed a major bump as well, climbing from 65th to 13th.

Here's how the list looks as it inches toward its conclusion.

100. New Orleans Saints DE Cameron Jordan

99. Indianapolis Colts OG Quenton Nelson

96. New Orleans Saints RB Travis Etienne Jr.

93. Cleveland Browns LB Carson Schwesinger

87. Carolina Panthers WR Tetairoa McMillan

86. Los Angeles Chargers LB Tuli Tuipulotu

77. Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield

62. Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence

52. Tampa Bay Buccaneers OT Tristan Wirfs

50. Los Angeles Chargers S Derwin James Jr.

48. Jacksonville Jaguars DE Josh Hines-Allen

47. Philadelphia Eagles CB Quinyon Mitchell

46. San Francisco 49ers TE George Kittle

40. San Francisco 49ers OT Trent Williams

39. Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert

38. Philadelphia Eagles CB Cooper DeJean

34. Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley

28. New England Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez

25. Houston Texans CB Derek Stingley Jr.

19. Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson

18. Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes

17. Indianapolis Colts RB Jonathan Taylor

New York paid a steep price to acquire Burns in 2024. The trade itself wasn't that expensive as the Giants sent second- and fifth-round draft picks to the Carolina Panthers. Far bigger was the five-year, $141 million contract he received.

Burns proceeded to register 8.5 sacks as the team went 3-14.

The Giants didn't improve much collectively last season, but the veteran edge-rusher at least justified his substantial salary.

"He was different than in years past," one anonymous coordinator told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler . "He was more of a force consistently, more of a pain in the ass to play against."

New York made an aggressive play when it hired John Harbaugh and is prepared to pay him a reported $20 million annually. The front office and coaching staff may nonetheless need more than one offseason to build the franchise into a contender.

Should Burns once again play at an elite level, it might fail to move the needle in terms of the Giants' wider record.

The same goes for McBride after the Cardinals hit the reset button and hired Mike LaFleur. They were 31st in Bleacher Report's most recent power rankings before the start of training camp.

That shouldn't preclude McBride from having another 1,000-yard season. He's likely to remain a top option through the air for Jacoby Brissett, who has a low ceiling but a high floor for a starter.

The two-time Pro Bowler led the team with 169 targets. Michael Wilson was next with 126 and Marvin Harrison Jr. was a distant third at 73.

Harrison could finally assert himself as a No. 1 receiver in the NFL, and that would impact McBride's production if it happens.

But McBride showed his 2024 breakout was no fluke. As long as he stays healthy, he'll be one of the NFL's best at his position.