Cam Jordan’s No. 99 Ranking Means ‘Diddly Poo’

January 26, 2014; Honolulu, HI, USA; Team Rice defensive end Cameron Jordan of the New Orleans Saints (94) sacks Team Sanders quarterback Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers (1) during the second quarter of the 2014 Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

I’m scratching my head, Who Dat Nation. I’ve attempted to let this digest a little, but the more I think about it, the more I think that these NFL Rankings are getting a little ridiculous. If you aren’t familiar with what I’m talking about, NFL Network recently started their 2014 rankings of the Top 100 Players. Cam Jordan came in at #99.

The ‘Top 100’ rankings are based on an off-season poll organized by the NFL. Players vote on their fellow peers based on the previous season performance, the vote goes to how the player will perform in the upcoming season.

Before you say anything, let me state that if you are automatically going to say that I’m biased, then shame on you. This has nothing to do with bias. Why do I feel the way I do? Simply look at the facts, folks!

Exhibit A – Overall Sack Leaders

Jordan (and Galette) finished among the top sack leaders in his first year with defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. I guarantee you won’t see Junior Galette on the Top 100 list. At any rate, Jordan’s sack production earned him (righftully so) his first Pro Bowl appearance.

Exhibit B – Overall Yards Lost from Sack

Mathis and Quinn had more sacks than everyone in the league, but when you look at the impact of how many yards lost per sack, Jordan is at the top.

Exhibit C – Overall Effectiveness

I’ve used the snap count charts courtesy of the Sporting Charts. I’ve added my own formula in to determine the overall production of sack per number of plays with the top leaders of 2013.

Snaps Participated / Actual Sacks = Sack per Plays

Robert Mathis: 840/1058 snaps (79.4%) – Sack every 43 plays

Robert Quinn: 831/1065 snaps (78.0%)- Sack every 44 plays

Greg Hardy: 873/1014 snaps (86.1%) – Sack every 58 plays

Cameron Jordan: 898/975 snaps (92.6%) – Sack every 72 plays

Mario Williams: 1001/1145 snaps (87.4%) – Sack every 77 plays

What more can be said about Jordan? He finished as the fourth ranked 3-4 defensive end from Pro Football Focus behind J.J. Watt, Kyle Williams, and Calais Campbell. As far as pass rushing goes, Jordan finished only behind J.J. Watt.

From Bleacher Report’s NFL 1000 rankings, Jordan is rated as the 5th ranked defensive end. He scored a 48/50 on pass rushing.

"One of the best pass-rushing 3-4 defensive ends in the league, Jordan has the movement skills of a much smaller man. He’s able to knife through blockers and gaps and get into the backfield. Once there, his length and speed make it tough for quarterbacks to get away. Jordan is productive, impactful and still has room to grow. He’s scary good.Based on all of this information, I’ve come to the conclusion that this ‘ranking’ means diddly poo. Sure, the nomination alone and fact that Jordan did make the top 100 is special, but remember, this was the same series that didn’t put Jimmy Graham in the top 100 last year. We’re talking about one of the best turnarounds in league history going from the worst ranked defense to fourth.The bottom line? If you see any defensive ends that aren’t in the previously mentioned paragraphs appear in the NFL’s Top 100, then you should declare erroneous. Jordan should be ranked a bit higher than the #99 he received.As always, we thank you in advance for the motivation (see Jimmy Graham).Like Who Dat Dish? Follow us on FacebookFollow @whodatdishFollow me on Twitter for more NFL Analysis & News!Follow @johnjhendrix One of the best pass-rushing 3-4 defensive ends in the league, Jordan has the movement skills of a much smaller man. He’s able to knife through blockers and gaps and get into the backfield. Once there, his length and speed make it tough for quarterbacks to get away. Jordan is productive, impactful and still has room to grow. He’s scary good."