A Miami Dolphins wide receiver made history Friday night. Pro Bowler Tyreek Hill was voted No. 1 player in the NFL Top 100 players list. The placement marks the first time that a wide receiver has finished atop the list in its 13 years of existence. The rankings are based on Hill’s fellow NFL peers. Hill, in 2023, ranked seventh on this list.
Tyreek Hill Voted Best in the NFL Top 100
Hill’s 2023 Resume
The former Super Bowl champion, last season with the Dolphins, was a focal point in the offense. Hill’s motion and speed were eye candy for many. He sped through defenses after receiving passes in the open field like a normal day at the office. The 30-year-old wide receiver, coined with the nickname ‘Cheetah’, was argued to be the fastest player in the league.
Hill ended last season with a league-high 1,799 receiving yards, tied with the league-best 13 receiving touchdowns, garnered 119 receptions, and averaged 15.1 yards per reception. The dynamite receiver was explosive off the line of scrimmage. Hill occasionally would find himself deep down the field wide open. 10 of his 13 touchdowns came from passes beyond 20+ yards from last year — including playoffs.
Miami, as a team, produced a total of 4,698 receiving yards, 30 passing touchdowns, rushed 2,308 yards, and ran in 27 touchdowns. These numbers put the Dolphins as one of the best offenses in 2023. The team averaged 401.3 offensive yards per game that season.
McDaniels Not Surprised at All
Miami head coach Mike McDaniels wasn’t surprised at all of Hill’s selection. The head ball coach said the honor was appropriate for him and is well earned. McDaniels described Hill as a one-of-one, he said.
“It’s such an honor to be, you know, really have all your peers recognize what type of player you are,” McDaniels said. “ There’s a lot of really good players, so it’s a tremendous honor, but I think it’s also interesting that it’s not a surprise.”
McDaniels said that there are so many things that make his first-string receiver unique. One of which is Hill’s ability to do the little things. McDaniels used the example of Hill blocking one-on-one on a linebacker for a run play. The openness to do what is best for his team has given Hill the respect of McDaniels on top of his skillset as a route runner.
“When Tyreek (Hill) runs a really cool route, you put it in the memory bank because you’re like ‘oh, that’s probably the last guy I’ll see to run that route’,” McDaniels said. “That’s the type of player that he is and I think when your best player, or the No. 1 player in the top 100 poll for players, is team-oriented as he is, your team gravitates to that and that’s a good thing for the Dolphins.”
Dolphins Dominated Throughout the List
Hill is one of the eight other Miami Dolphins to have made this year’s NFL Top 100 player list. The Miami players included with the receiver were quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (36), running back Raheem Mostert (60), linebacker Bradley Chubb (62), wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (63), free safety Jordan Poyer (65), offensive tackle Terron Armstead (67) and cornerback Jalen Ramsey (25). This year’s list had the most Dolphins players than any other year.
The eight total athletes put Miami at second behind the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers have nine players in this year’s list. In regards to the AFC East, the closest team to the Dolphins total is the New York Jets with six.
Main Image: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
