The NFL began its sixth week revealing players in the “NFL Top 100.” This week, players 41-50 have been revealed. On Wednesday, two players the Arizona Cardinals will face as opponents in 2025 were named. One is player No. 45.
No. 45 in the top 100 this year is a future Hall of Famer the Cardinals play twice a year — San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams. He was No. 7 in the top 100 a year ago.
49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, the man whose blind side Williams protects, said Williams is a Hall of Famer. Few would disagree with that. He is the best tackle in the NFL and has been for years.
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“Every time I step on the field with Trent, I always know my left side is good,” Purdy said. “He goes out and just completely dominates the guy in front of him in the run game, pass game. He makes some NFL guys look like their in high school.”
Defensive lineman Solomon Thomas, now with the Dallas Cowboys but was a teammate of Williams’ with the Niners, called him a “freak of a human being,” noting his size, strength, his athleticism, his technique. “It’s crazy to watch,” he said.
This offseason, PFF found what players have dominated against other individual teams. Williams is the guy who has been the most dominant player against the Cardinals.
The Cardinals play the 49ers twice, once in Santa Clara in Week 3 and then in Arizona in Week 11.
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‘NFL Top 100’ opponents for Cardinals in 2025
Of the players in the top 100 revealed as of this week, the Cardinals face the following:
OL Trent Williams, San Francisco 49ers (No. 45)
OLB Jared Verse, LA Rams (No. 53)
DE Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers (No. 57)
RB Joe Mixon, Houston Texans (No. 58)
QB Matthew Stafford, LA Rams (No. 59)
RB Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons (No. 62)
DE Josh Hines-Allen, Jacksonville Jaguars (No. 63)
RB Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers (No. 73)
WR Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals (No. 77)
QB Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (No. 79)
DE Rashan Gary, Green Bay Packers (No. 80)
RB Kyren Williams, LA Rams (No. 85)
LB Lavonte David, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 96)
DL Leonard Williams, Seattle Seahawks (No. 99)
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This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Arizona Cardinals to face player No. 45 of ‘NFL Top 100’ twice in 2025