Saints: Cameron Jordan cracks top half of NFL Top 100

New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan won his sixth selection in the NFL Top 100, a list where NFL players vote for the best in the league going into 2021.

Jordan ranks 46th, ahead of New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore but behind Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons.

He’s the fifth Saints player to be included on the list and, currently, the highest rated of the bunch. Jordan’s ranking precedes that of Demario Davis, Michael Thomas, Terron Armstead, and Marshon Lattimore, though the rest of the Top 100 list (1-40) will be revealed later this week.

Despite dropping 23 spots from last year, Jordan still deserves to be in the top half of the league after a respectable 2020 season. He recorded 7.5 sacks, 51 combined tackles, 16 quarterback hits, and three passes defended in 16 games.

Jordan’s production dipped compared to previous years when he was recording double-digit sack numbers in consecutive seasons.

New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan ranks 46th in NFL Top 100 list

While Jordan’s best days may be behind him, he’s still recognized as one of the Saints’ most important players along the frontline.

“Consistency remains the name of his game” as Jordan enters his 11th year with the Saints. So far, he’s played 160 career games and is just 5.5 sacks shy of a career 100. Jordan’s also close to breaking Pro Football Hall of Famer Rickey Jackson’s sack record (115) to become the all-time sack leader in Saints franchise history.

Literally and figuratively, Jordan is a big reason why the Saints ranked third in total defense and fourth in rushing defense last season.

Without him, New Orleans’ pass-rushing group would be more hole-y than Swiss cheese, given Carl Granderson and Marcus Davenport’s inconsistent seasons.

We hope rookie Payton Turner learns a lot from him, and we also hope he doesn’t retire anytime soon.

Ol’ faithful Jordan will be around this season to show them all how it’s done, and his teammates are forever grateful to have him on the field. After a decade-long career on the Saints, Jordan continues to get the respect he deserves.