Lists of top players are notably subjective to the whims and appraisals of the list-maker, but one thing is true across sports: Talent is king.
Top 100 list shows gap between Packers and Vikings — unless Aaron Rodgers is traded
It's hard to argue with the breakdown of the 100 top players in the NFL from CBS Sports' Pete Prisco, and it shows just what Green Bay would be missing if it trades its franchise QB.
June 1, 2021 at 3:46PM
You can coach and scheme and grind, but when it matters most, games more often than not are decided by the team with the most talented players making the most plays.
As such, you can look at a ranking of the Top 100 players in the NFL, as determined by CBS Sports' Pete Prisco, and quibble with some of the slotting and notable omissions.
But if you're a Vikings fan or a Packers fan, you also have to look at it and reach this conclusion: There exists a notable talent gap between Green Bay and Minnesota, which isn't surprising given the Packers finished 13-3 and the Vikings went 7-9 a season ago.
However: That gap would get a lot more narrow, and might disappear altogether in 2021, if Aaron Rodgers is traded.
Prisco has Rodgers No. 3 overall on his list behind only Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Donald — a spot that is hard to argue with based on Rodgers' MVP season in 2020.
Two more Packers — receiver Davante Adams at No. 7 and corner Jaire Alexander at No. 14 — appear on the list before we see our first Vikings player, running back Dalvin Cook, at No. 19.
But look overall at the six non-Rodgers Packers on the list: Adams (7), Alexander (14), OT David Bakhtiari (27), LB Za'Darius Smith (52), RB Aaron Jones (84), C Elgton Jenkins (91).
And now look at the six Vikings in the top 100: Cook (19), WR Justin Jefferson (45), DE Danielle Hunter (75), S Harrison Smith (77), QB Kirk Cousins (93) and WR Adam Thielen (97).
Prisco also puts two Vikings (Eric Kendricks and Patrick Peterson) on his "just missed" the top 100 portion, while the Packers have safety Adrian Amos.
Depth certainly plays a role and was an enemy of the Vikings last season when injuries decimated a thinner-than-advertised defense. But if you're talking about high-end talent, these rosters are pretty similar ... except for Rodgers.
We've watched that play out for years, and this is just one new way of looking at it. If somehow Rodgers gets his wish and is traded — a stronger possibility timing-wise now that Green Bay would save $16 million on the cap post-June 1 — it would turn 2021 from a likely breezy Packers NFC North division repeat to a tossup with the Vikings.
When he was hired after the disastrous 2016 season to reshape the Twins, Derek Falvey brought a reputation for identifying and developing pitching talent. It took a while, but the pipeline we were promised is now materializing.
