GREEN BAY – Four Packers were voted among the Nos. 41-70 players in the NFL Network's "Top 100 Players of 2020," including first-time honorees Za'Darius Smith and Preston Smith.
Za'Darius Smith, who was selected to his first Pro Bowl in 2019, checked in at No. 48 on the annual list, voted on by current players. The 6-foot-4, 272-pound outside linebacker posted career highs in tackles (55), quarterback hits (37) and sacks (13½) during his inaugural season in Green Bay.
Smith's 93 pressures paced all NFL pass rushers, according to Pro Football Focus, and were the most by a Packers defender in more than a decade.
Receiver Davante Adams came in at No. 57, marking the third consecutive year the three-time Pro Bowl receiver has been honored. He previously was ranked No. 35 a year ago and No. 45 in 2018.
Adams missed four midseason games due to turf toe but still led the Packers with 83 catches for 997 yards and five touchdowns. Since 2016, he's the only NFL receiver with at least 4,000 receiving yards and 40 touchdowns.
Four-time All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari was voted No. 62, the third consecutive year he's made the list. Bakhtiari came in at No. 43 last year and No. 91 in 2018.
Bakhtiari and Pro Football Hall of Famer Forrest Gregg are the only two Packers tackles to earn AP All-Pro honors in four-plus consecutive seasons, while Bakhtiari and Kansas City right tackle Mitchell Schwartz are the only tackles in the league to earn AP All-Pro honors in each of the last four seasons (2016-19).
One spot behind Bakhtiari is Preston Smith, who makes his debut on the list at No. 63. Like Za'Darius, Preston enjoyed a career year during his first season in Green Bay.
The fifth-year outside linebacker set career highs with 56 tackles and 12 sacks. Since 2015, Smith is the only player in the NFL to register 25-plus sacks (36½), five or more interceptions and five or more forced fumbles. He's one of only four linebackers to play in all 80 games since 2015 (Demario Davis, Damien Wilson and Lorenzo Alexander are the others).
The NFL Network will announce players voted Nos. 11-40 from 7-10 p.m. CT Tuesday and its top 10 Wednesday from 7-9 p.m. CT.
