EAGAN, Minn. – Death, taxes and Harrison Smith being named to the NFL's Top 100.
The six-time Pro Bowler on Monday was named to the list for the seventh time in 12 seasons, landing at No. 93 on the countdown that began this week on NFL+.
Launched in 2011, "NFL Top 100" is a ranking of the league's top players by their peers. Smith previously made the list five straight years – 2016 (No. 73), 2017 (No. 74), 2018 (No. 46), 2019 (No. 83) and 2020 (No. 64) – and returned to the rankings last July at No. 97.
This year's video opened with a defensive play against the Eagles in which Smith helped force a Jalen Hurts interception by Theo Jackson.
"When [Hurts] threw the pick on Indigo, 22 [messed] me up," Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith is heard saying after the play. "Man, did you see him hit me?"
Vikings defensive tackle Harrison Phillips has grown accustomed to seeing "The Hitman" impact games with such hits, even at 35 years old and entering his 13th season with Minnesota.
View photos of Vikings S Harrison Smith from the 2023 season.
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Phillips called Smith an "unbelievable teammate and unbelievable football player."
"He probably could have made another Pro Bowl, probably could have been another All-Pro player this past season, but he deferred to what's best for this defense and [asked], 'How can I help this defense the best?' " Phillips said. "There was a 10-week stretch where we were the No. 1 defense in the NFL, and that was largely due to how he saw the game and his conversations with [Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores] on how we want to play some things."
Phillips pointed to the Vikings Week 4 game last season, in which Smith dominated a road contest that helped Minnesota avoid starting 0-4. He finished the outing with 3.0 sacks, a forced fumble and two tackles for loss.
"You saw him single-handedly beat the Panthers," Phillips said. "I mean, it was back-to-back-to-back, in the biggest moments of the game … incredible."
Eagles safety Sydney Brown complimented Smith's ability to "listen to his natural instincts and just trigger on stuff," while Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnson said the defender is "everywhere" in the backfield.
"I think his physicality, his knowledge for the game, his versatility is what makes him such a great safety," said fellow longtime safety Michael Thomas. "He's been doing it so long. He's the O.G. at this point. Harrison Smith, that's one of the last of a dying breed right there."