The 2023 NFL season will kick off Sept. 7, and that means it’s time for our annual ranking of the league’s top 100 players. What can we expect from the game’s best this season? And how do they stack up against each other?

To create our list, we asked a panel of dozens of ESPN NFL experts to rate players based on performance expectations for the 2023 season as compared with their peers. Emphasis was placed solely on the upcoming season and predicting potential greatness, rather than past performance, career résumé or positional value. That means long-term injuries and suspensions played a part, which is why Jalen Ramsey, for instance, is missing (out with a left meniscus injury). And from those ratings, we were able to rank the best of the best, 1 to 100.

The San Francisco 49ers lead this year with eight players on the list. Thirty-one franchises are represented in all, with just the Arizona Cardinals coming up short. Two-thirds of last year’s top 100 returned for another appearance. In terms of positions, wide receiver dominated (again), with 21 making the list. Quarterbacks (12) and edge defenders (14) also were well represented. Six players entering their Year 2 season cracked the list, and the average age of the players featured is 27. And the person who made the biggest jump from last year? It’s a running back at No. 10 overall.

For each player, our NFL Nation reporters weighed in with a 2023 outlook then asked a player, coach or executive from around the league what makes the player so dominant. ESPN Stats & Information also provided a signature statistic to know, and fantasy analyst Mike Clay projected a stat line for this upcoming season. Here’s the full list, starting with the Chiefs’ star signal-caller, who’s on top for a fourth straight season.