NFL Players Inc. on Thursday unveiled the NFLPA 2016 Rising 50, its second annual list identifying players best positioned to rank among top-sellers of all officially licensed merchandise. Rams RB Todd Gurley leads the list, followed by Redskins QB Kirk Cousins and Seahawks RB Thomas Rawls. Two draft picks in '16 -- Rams QB Jared Goff and Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott -- round out the top five. In total, there were 10 picks from this year's Draft on the list, including the first four picks. Six teams -- the Cardinals, Texans, Jaguars, Rams, Seahawks and Redskins -- boast at least three players. The Redskins have the most players with five. The rankings take into account on-field performances during the '15 season, fantasy-league popularity, early demand from current sponsors and licensees and new faces in strong markets as factors determining potential future sales popularity. To be considered for the ranking, players must not have appeared in previous NFLPA Top 50 Player Sales quarterly lists (NFLPA).
|
RANK
|
PLAYER |
RANK
|
PLAYER |
|
1
|
Rams RB Todd Gurley |
14
|
Cardinals S Tyrann Mathieu |
|
2
|
Redskins QB Kirk Cousins |
15
|
Bears RB Jeremy Langford |
|
3
|
Seahawks RB Thomas Rawls |
16
|
Bills QB Tyrod Talyor |
|
4
|
Rams QB Jared Goff |
17
|
Broncos QB Paxton Lynch |
|
5
|
Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott |
18
|
Seahawks WR Doug Baldwin |
|
6
|
Bengals QB Andy Dalton |
19
|
Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett |
|
7
|
Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins |
20
|
Rams DT Aaron Donald |
|
8
|
Redskins CB Josh Norman |
21
|
Panthers WR Kelvin Benjamin |
|
9
|
Jaguars WR Allen Robinson |
22
|
Packers WR Randall Cobb |
|
10
|
Eagles QB Carson Wentz |
23
|
Texans RB Lamar Miller |
|
11
|
Cardinals RB David Johnson |
24
|
Redskins TE Jordan Reed |
|
12
|
Chargers WR Keenan Allen |
25
|
Texans QB Brock Osweiler |
|
13
|
Falcons RB Devonta Freeman |
|
|
