The New England Patriots cornerback checked in at No. The NFL Top 100 is voted on exclusively by current NFL players, making the rise especially notable for a defender whose impact does not always show up in interception totals. At 24 and entering his fourth NFL season, Gonzalez is now firmly in the league’s upper tier while the Patriots continue working through a contract situation that could eventually reset the cornerback market. The NFL Top 100 vote adds the players themselves to the growing list of people around the league placing Gonzalez among football’s elite defenders. A deal still hadn’t been finalized as Gonzalez moved through training camp, though the contract talks have not kept him off the field.