The Seattle Seahawks’ move to acquire linebacker Ernest Jones IV in 2024 was unassuming at the time. Seattle was desperate for help at the position, and the Titans needed picks to rebuild, simple as that.
Just over two years later, though, this trade means so much more.
Jones near instantly transformed the Seahawks’ defense into the stifling machine that many had dreamed of when the team hired Mike Macdonald as head coach. Coming off a second stellar season and second Super Bowl ring, it seems the nation
and league are finally catching up to how great Jones has been playing.
Sliding in at No. 97 on the NFL’s Top 100 players list for 2026, Jones makes his debut with high praise from stars like Green Bay Packers linebacker Zaire Franklin, who called him the best linebacker in the league last year.
“He been balling for a little minute too, I respect guys that been balling for a couple of years,” Franklin said on the ranking. “He ain’t a one-hit wonder.”
Multiple running backs, most notably Vikings back Aaron Jones, complimented Jones’ play in the run game. Division rival and superstar tight end Trey McBride said that he always has to be aware of Jones, wherever he is on the field.
“He’s a very smart football player and guy, who is a huge asset for their run game,” McBride said. “And he knows how to take those windows away from a quarterback.
I’d argue only four spots away from not making the list is a bit low for Jones, who totaled 126 tackles and the most interceptions by any linebacker, five, last season. Jones earned NFL second-team All-Pro honors, so it will be interesting to see which linebackers land above him on the players’ ranking.
However, at only 26 years old, Jones still has much more life in his football career, and this should be far from his last appearance on the list.
The full NFL Top 100 will steadily be revealed over the next few weeks, and we should expect many other Seahawks to be on there.
