Ravens have 5 players on CBS Sports' Top 100, but one omission stands out

The Baltimore Ravens aren’t chasing respect anymore. They’re chasing another Lombardi Trophy, their third. That’s the expectation every season when Lamar Jackson is healthy. Baltimore enters 2026 with one of the NFL’s deepest rosters, a revamped coaching staff, and several new faces expected to play major roles. Add Trey Hendrickson to an already talented defense. Pair Derrick Henry with Jackson once again, and it’s easy to understand why many believe the Ravens belong among the AFC’s elite. National recognition usually follows teams built like that.

Every offseason, player rankings provide another opportunity to measure how outsiders view a roster. They rarely tell the full story, but they often spark interesting conversations. CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco recently released his list of the NFL’s Top 100 players entering the 2026 season. Five Ravens found their way onto it.

Lamar Jackson led the way at No. 10 after another productive campaign that was interrupted by injuries. Kyle Hamilton landed at No. 28, continuing to solidify his reputation as one of football’s premier safeties. Derrick Henry checked in at No. 45 after rushing for 1,595 yards and continuing to prove he remains one of the NFL’s most productive running backs despite entering his age-32 season.

Baltimore’s biggest offseason acquisition, Trey Hendrickson, appeared at No. 67. Prisco pointed to Hendrickson’s ability to transform a pass rush when healthy, one of the primary reasons the Ravens aggressively pursued him this spring. Nnamdi Madubuike rounded out Baltimore’s representatives at No. 98 despite seeing his 2025 season cut short by a neck injury.
‘ absence is difficult to ignore

As impressive as those five selections were, the player who wasn’t included may generate even more discussion than the ones who were. Zay Flowers failed to crack the Top 100 despite emerging as Jackson’s No. 1 receiving target and earning Pro Bowl honors in each of the past two seasons. With Flowers widely regarded as one of the league’s ascending young receivers, it’s fair to wonder whether his omission says more about the depth of talent across the NFL than it does about his production.

Adding another wrinkle to the conversation, former Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum landed at No. 92 following his move to the Las Vegas Raiders. Player rankings are subjective by nature, and Baltimore’s goals won’t change because of one offseason list. Even so, don’t be surprised if Flowers remembers this omission. If he delivers the type of season many expect, CBS Sports may have a much harder time leaving his name off next year’s rankings.