Raiders LB Khalil Mack lands at number 13 in NFL Top 100... and that’s a bit disappointing

The NFL Network continued their countdown of the league’s Top 100 players as voted upon by the players themselves. Those votes put Raiders elite pass rusher Khalil Mack at 13th overall. And to be honest, I’m a little surprised we are hearing his name called so soon. I didn’t expect to hear Mack’s number until the single digits.

In just his second season in the league Mack was named a first team All Pro at both linebacker and defensive end. The former fifth overall pick had 15.0 sacks in 2015, which at one time led the NFL until being surpassed on the final week of the season by JJ Watt (17.5 sacks).

He made NFL history as the first player ever to be named first team All Pro at two different positions.

Pro Football Focus recently put Mack at sixth overall in their Top 101, naming him the second best defender behind JJ Watt.

Mack excels in every aspect of the game. He is as vicious and relentless getting after the quarterback as he is stuffing the run and sniffing out screens.

He was ranked just ahead of rival linebacker Von Miller (15) and Aaron Donald (14) who won Rookie of the Year ahead of Mack two seasons ago.

Mack is likely the final Raiders player to be named to the Top 100. Also named previously were Reggie Nelson at 60 overall and Derek Carr at 100.