Three former Florida State standouts have already turned up in the first half of the NFL’s annual Top 100 reveal, with Derwin James the latest Seminole to land on the list at No. 50.
The rankings, voted on by NFL players and released by NFL.com two players at a time from late June through the start of September, have now included Jalen Ramsey, Josh Sweat and James. The top 10 will be unveiled one player per day over the final 10 days, and more Seminoles could still show up as the countdown continues.
Ramsey was the first Florida State name to surface, checking in at No. 82 as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He fell 16 spots from his previous appearance on the list. In 17 games during the 2025 season, Ramsey totaled 88 tackles, four tackles for loss, three sacks, eight passes defended and an interception.
NFL.com credited Ramsey’s first year in Pittsburgh to a midseason adjustment that changed the shape of the Steelers’ secondary. With injuries piling up, he shifted mostly to safety in the second half and thrived there, tying his career high in tackles while doubling his career sack total. The writeup also pointed to the move as the reason for his eighth Pro Bowl and his ninth straight year on the NFL Top 100 list.
The accompanying NFL Pro Insight noted that after Ramsey began taking most of his snaps at safety in Weeks 9-18, Pittsburgh more than doubled its rate of Cover 2, jumping from 9.2% - fifth-lowest - to 20.1%, fifth-highest.
Sweat followed at No. 78, climbing 17 spots after his first season with the Arizona Cardinals. The defensive end played in 17 games and posted 30 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 12 sacks and 17 quarterback hits in 2025.
NFL.com described Sweat as a player whose standing keeps rising among his peers, noting that he has made the Top 100 in back-to-back years. Even in a three-win season for Arizona, he put together a strong campaign, setting a career best in sacks in his eighth season and matching that with four forced fumbles. The piece also highlighted his status as a Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion with the Eagles, along with the free-agent deal he signed before the 2025 season.
The Pro Insight on Sweat said he led the Cardinals with 42 QB pressures and produced three turnovers caused by pressure, while the rest of the defense combined for four.
James is the highest-ranked Seminole so far, landing at No. 50 and moving up four spots from last season. The Los Angeles Chargers safety played in 16 games in 2025 and finished with 94 tackles, two sacks, seven passes defended and three interceptions.
NFL.com called James one of the league’s best utility players, saying he’s more than just a safety and is really a positionless standout. The profile also noted his second straight Pro Bowl selection, his fifth overall, and the three-year, $75.6 million extension that made him the highest-paid safety in the NFL on an annual basis.
His expanded role in the pass rush was a major part of the case for him, as he posted a 12.9 blitz percentage that led to 16 QB pressures, second among defensive backs with at least 25 pass rushes. He was also chipped on 11.9% of those rushes, another mark that ranked second among DBs.
The Pro Insight for James said he was one of five defenders in 2025 to line up on the line of scrimmage for at least 100 snaps, at linebacker for at least 100 snaps and at safety for at least 100 snaps.
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Barker is also in line for a bigger responsibility in Tony Whites 3-3-5 defense, with the rover spot opening up after Earl Little Jr. transferred to Ohio State. It is the kind of change that can sharpen the edge of a secondary, and it puts Barker in a position to help define what this defense becomes in 2026, even if the true test will not arrive until the season starts to reveal whether all that early confidence has any staying power. [Read more 🡒]