The "NFL Top 100 Players of 2026", voted on by the players themselves, is underway on NFL+.
Check out BuffaloBills.com throughout the summer leading up to the 2026 season to see which Buffalo Bills players made the list. Left Tackle Dion Dawkins checked in at No. 57.
No. 20 — James Cook
After making the NFL's Top 100 Players list for the first time last season, James Cook III's career year shot him up the rankings, earning the No. 20 spot for 2026.
Prior to last season, Cook slotted in at No. 89 after his second year rushing over the century mark and making his second pro bowl appearance.
Cook's fourth year in Buffalo in 2025 was the highlight of his young career to this point, leading the league in rushing yards with 1,621 to go along with 12 touchdowns, earning him All-Pro Second Team honors. The 26-year-old also topped the NFL in rushing yards per game, averaging 95.4.
The 2025 campaign saw Cook take on a huge workload increase, carrying the ball 309 times, up from 207 the year prior. Making the most of the increased opportunities, the rusher played a huge role in the Bills finishing top five in both yards and points offensively.
Across 17 games played in the regular season, Cook rushed for over 100 yards nine different times, headlined by a career-high 216-yard, two touchdown explosion against the Carolina Panthers in Week 8.
The dominant performance also included a 64-yard touchdown run, just one yard shy of eclipsing the longest carry of his career.
Cook also had success through the air in the receiving game in 2025, adding on 33 receptions for 291 yards and two touchdowns. His best game catching out of the backfield came in Week 11 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with 66 receiving yards, the second-best total of his career, along with a touchdown.
Cook's success didn't finish in the regular season, putting together his 10th game over triple-digit yards in the playoffs, with 117 on the ground in the divisional round against the Denver Broncos.
