With each NFL team having 53 players on their respective active rosters on a week-to-week basis and up to 16 on the practice squad, there are roughly 2,200 competitors under contract at any given point.
As such, being named as one of the league's top 100 players by your peers heading into a new season is kind of a big deal, as that figure represents approximately the top 4.5%.
During his seven-year stint with the Green Bay Packers, running back Aaron Jones was lucky enough to receive the honor on three occasions, ranking No. 33 in 2020, No. 30 in 2021, and No. 64 in 2023
And now, following a strong first season with the Minnesota Vikings, the 30-year-old can now call himself a four-time "Top 100" honoree, as he was included among the first batch of players revealed for the 2025 list, coming in at No. 98.
Aaron Jones rushed for a career-high 1,138 yards for the Minnesota Vikings in 2024
NFL Top 100 Players of 2025:@Vikings RB Aaron Jones is ranked No. 98! #NFLTop100 @NFLFilms pic.twitter.com/PJ1SVYrKrW
— NFL (@NFL) July 1, 2025
Released by the Packers last March after Green Bay added Josh Jacobs in free agency, Jones quickly signed with the Vikings and proved to be one of the franchise's biggest assets during the 2024 campaign.
Following a less-than-stellar season in his final year in Green Bay, Jones proved he had plenty left in the tank in his first season in Minnesota, rushing for a career-high 1,138 yards and five touchdowns on 255 carries.
He did suffer through a stretch in the second half of the season where he had issues holding onto the football, recording four of his five fumbles for the year over a three-game period from Weeks 11 to 13. But head coach Kevin O'Connell stuck with him, and that faith was rewarded, as Jones was fumble-free the rest of the way.
The one-time Pro Bowler has long been a dual-threat type of back, and that didn't change with the change of uniform, as he tacked on an additional 408 yards and two scores on 51 receptions for the Vikings.
Overall, his 1,536 total yards from scrimmage ranked eighth among all NFL players, putting him one spot ahead of none other than Justin Jefferson, who we'll undoubtedly see on the "Top 100" list down the line.
Effectively playing the 2024 season on a one-year "prove it" deal worth $7 million, Jones never reached free agency, as he and the Vikings came to terms on a new two-year contract just ahead of the New League Year, one that could see him collect up to $20 million and included $13.5 million in guaranteed money.
