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Steelers Rankings: The Table Is Set For Antonio Brown As #1 Player For 2015

By Craig Gottschalk

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The Steelers potent offense is receiving props this offseason in the NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2015.

Maurkice Pouncey (#83), Ben Roethlisberger (#26), and Le’Veon Bell (#16) have all been named to the list already. One Steeler who has yet to have his named called is Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown.

Brown resides among some prestigious names yet to be revealed – Aaron Rodgers, J.J. Watt, Tom Brady, Marshawn Lynch, Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck, Rob Gronkowski, Calvin Johnson, and DeMarco Murray.

Brown already receives a ton of respect throughout the league from players and coaches. The NFL Top 100 is a player voting system, yet we’ve seen some questionable rankings such as Murray and Lynch outranking Le’Veon Bell.

AB and his performance in 2014 catapulted the consideration of being not only the best wide receiver in the NFL but perhaps even the best player to the front lines. Brown led the league in receptions and yards, and he was in the Top 3 in touchdown receptions.

He is extremely difficult to cover and always finds a way to get open – the five reception and fifty yard streak exists for a reason. He’s become Roethlisberger’s favorite target, and when AB catches the football, there’s always the chance of the offense moving the chains a good distance.

How does Antonio Brown stack up against those other players yet to be featured on this year’s list?

Without a doubt, Brown is easily Top 5 material against the rest who are on this list. He’s been given the tip of the cap by fellow wide out Calvin Johnson when fans voted Brown as the best wide receiver in the league.

There’s only two players standing in the way of Brown from being named the top player for 2015 – Aaron Rodgers and J.J. Watt. Those two will be tough to overcome, but it’s not out of the world of strong possibilities that Brown moves past those two and is named tops.

I think you have to factor in Brown’s hard work ethic and charisma. My impression is that he is well respected and liked by just about anyone who meets him. I don’t think you can say the same for Rodgers.

J.J. Watt, however, probably has the strongest chance of taking home the honor over Brown. The dude is a beast and has proven for the last few seasons that he is a tidal wave of force to be reckoned with. Not to mention that he can also catch touchdown passes with ease.

Can Brown bull rush an offensive lineman and sack the quarterback? Or leap up with perfect timing to swat down a pass? My guess is no, and that might be why Brown will find himself sitting at #2 for 2015.

My hope is he gets the top spot, but we’ll just have to wait to find out.

The final ten players will be featured in a two hour long event on July 8th starting at 8pm EST.

Next: Steelers TD Formula: Ben To Bryant

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