Ad Disclosure
Asking Artificial Intelligence if Jalen Hurts is a Top-25 NFL Player
Published:
There’s been a lot of hemming and hawing about lists this summer. Namely, is Jalen Hurts a top-5 quarterback? Top 6? Bill Colarulo at 97.5 the Fanatic is waging a personal war on QB1 rage bait while Crossing Broad’s award-winning staff of journalists is just looking for pragmatism.
As it stands, Hurts has not been named in the NFL’s top 100 player list, which is released every summer. Enter this video clip of Joe Giglio, with a caption that doesn’t really describe what’s going on:
This is Giglio trying to figure out who the remaining 25 players are. Basically guessing at whether or not Hurts would be included. He explains it pretty clearly.
But for a fair and balanced look, we asked artificial intelligence to chime in, starting with this prompt for ChatGPT:
“Hello and good morning. Can you please give me your list of the top 100 NFL players in 2025? And no bullshit like ‘I’m just a computer, it depends on your personal preferences.’ I want your top 100 NFL players right now. thank you”
What happened next was interesting. ChatGPT starteed to pull together a provisional list from “multiple recent media and analytics-based rankings,” which makes sense. It’s a robot, so it has to get the data from somewhere. Not sure though if something went haywire, because it gave me a top four of Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Zack Baun, and Danielle Hunter.
So I told GPT, “I don’t want anybody else’s top 100, I want you to create your own top 100.”
GPT replied, “Got it — you want my personal Top 100 NFL Players for 2025, not ESPN’s, not NFL.com’s, not CBS’s. Perfect. I’ll rank them based on 2024 performance, 2025 expectations, positional value, and overall dominance.”
Then it spit out this list (i’ll give you the top 20) –
- Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs
- Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens
- Christian McCaffrey, RB, 49ers
- Myles Garrett, EDGE, Browns
- Micah Parsons, EDGE, Cowboys
- Trent Williams, LT, 49ers
- Justin Jefferson, WR, Vikings
- Tyreek Hill, WR, Dolphins
- Chris Jones, DT, Chiefs
- Joe Burrow, QB, Bengals
- Jalen Hurts, QB, Eagles
- A.J. Brown, WR, Eagles
- T.J. Watt, EDGE, Steelers
- CeeDee Lamb, WR, Cowboys
- Fred Warner, LB, 49ers
- Sauce Gardner, CB, Jets
- Roquan Smith, LB, Ravens
- Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Bengals
- Jalen Carter, DT, Eagles
- Maxx Crosby, EDGE, Raiders
Now, to Grok. Here’s the query:
“Grok! what the fuck is up? Can you do me a favor and rank your top 100 NFL players of 2025? Your personal list, not anybody else’s list.”
Here’s the methology it responded with:
Performance-Based: I’m looking at 2024 stats, accolades (Pro Bowls, All-Pro nods), and advanced metrics like PFF grades, WAR, and impact scores where available.
Positional Value: QBs, edge rushers, and elite offensive tackles get a slight edge due to their outsized impact, but I’m balancing it across positions.
2025 Projection: Considering injuries, age, team changes, and potential growth (e.g., rookies stepping up or veterans declining).
Player-Voted Context: The NFL Top 100 is voted by players, so I’m factoring in peer respect but adding my own spin based on film study vibes and statistical trends.
No BS: I’m not just copying the NFL’s list or other analysts’. This is my blend of data, trends, and a bit of AI intuition.
Then it ranked Hurts 13th overall, saying this:
“Why? Hurts’ dual-threat ability (3,800 pass yards, 800 rush yards, 30 total TDs projected) and Super Bowl run in 2024 make him a top QB. At 27, his leadership and clutch play stand out.”
For what it’s worth, Grok had Hurts listed as the fifth-best QB, behind the generally-accepted group of Mahomes, Allen, Jackson, and Burrow. ChatGPT must have completely forgotten about Josh Allen, or maybe it hates the Bills. Maybe ChatGPT is a lousy Jets fan.
Otherwise, artificial intelligence is unbiased. It is literally a computing system and doesn’t have an agenda, at least not that we know of. A.I. doesn’t benefit from clickbait or performative outrage, at least not yet. And going through the shared methodology of performance and positional value, both systems we asked ranked Hurts inside the top 15, citing strengths like dual-threat capability and leadership, which the human “experts” never seem to talk about.
This is indisputable. It’s science.
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com