Each year the NFL players, through the help of the NFL Network, puts together their list of the Top 100 players in the NFL. That will, hopefully, be on the horizon near the end of the summer but due to restrictions/shelter-in-place orders due to COVID-19 outbreak, who knows whether we'll get one. But, NFL analyst and one of my long time follows Pete Prisco of CBS Sports put together his own Top 100 as he does every single season. I've always been a fan of Pete and respect the work that he puts into his list. I like to look at his Top 100 to gauge the strength of the quarterbacks, in particular, on the Texans 2020 schedule.
That's one of the first things that I look at and wouldn't you know right at the top of the list, the first quarterback that the Texans are going to face - Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes. It's not surprising, in the slightest, that Mahomes leads the way on Prisco's Top 100. Taking out any bias I have for our guy Deshaun Watson, Mahomes would clearly be at the top of my list too. Moving on, I knew that it wouldn't be long until we got to Lamar Jackson, Baltimore's MVP signal caller, but I was surprised to see him all the way down at number seven. I wouldn't have him that low, but it's not as if he's out of the top ten. Of course, it's often discussed how the Texans will face those two quarterbacks right out of the chute to begin the 2020 season.
Rounding out the overall Top 10 on the Top 100 is Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers. Mahomes, Jackson, Russell Wilson and Rodgers are the four quarterbacks that make up Prisco's top ten and the Texans, according to my crack research, are the only team in the league to play at least three of those four quarterbacks.
That, of course, is the bad news. The good news? Well, there's only one other quarterback on the Texans schedule in the 100 and that's Minnesota's Kirk Cousins, who must tangle with the Texans at home. In fact, the only one of Prisco's top 100 quarterbacks that the Texans face on the road is Mahomes and what a night it'll be when we see Mahomes again.
All of the quarterbacks the Texans could face in 2020.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) passes against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half of an NFL divisional playoff football game, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Seattle Seahawks' Russell Wilson warms up before an NFL divisional playoff football game against the Green Bay Packers Sunday, Jan. 12, 2020, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) passes in the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Brett Duke)
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) looks koto throw against the Washington Redskins during the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2019. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes drops back to pass against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half of the NFL Super Bowl 54 football game Sunday, Feb. 2, 2020, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) works in the pocket against the Tennessee Titans during the first half an NFL divisional playoff football game, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger throws a pass during the first half of a 28-26 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in an NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019. Roethlisberger did not play the second half of the game. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew II (15) throws a pass against the Indianapolis Colts during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)
Tennessee Titans' Ryan Tannehill throws during the first half of the NFL AFC Championship football game against the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020, in Kansas City, MO. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers passes against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of the NFL NFC Championship football game Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield throws during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)
New England Patriots quarterback Jarrett Stidham warms up before an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2019, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane)
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers in action during the second half of an NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders in Carson, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)
Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky throws a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Andy Clayton-King)
FILE - In this Jan. 13, 2020, file photo, LSU quarterback Joe Burrow throws a pass against Clemson during the second half of the NCAA College Football Playoff national championship game in New Orleans. No. 1 overall pick Burrow and the rest of the rookie class will begin preparing for their first seasons in the NFL at home instead of at minicamps and team facilities this month. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)
