SJ39 Disrespected by ESPN

Scouts Inc. writer Matt Williamson made a guest appearance on the NFC West blog at ESPN.com this week, and he thought it might be a good idea to rank the top 15 players currently in the NFC West. Seems easy enough, right? As bad as this division is, there are still some pretty decent individual players stepping between the lines every Sunday. The Rams made two appearances on the list, but running back Steven Jackson was not one of them. James Laurinaitis checked in at 9 and Chris Long at 11, which I was pretty pleased with, but how can SJ39 not be on this list? I’m not saying this guy is the best player in the NFL or anything, but I firmly believe he has no problem being in the top 15 in the division. Frank Gore made the list, and I would take Jackson over him in a heartbeat.

While it’s a travesty that SJ39 isn’t named, the list actually isn’t bad. Larry Fitzgerald is at the top, followed closely by Patrick Willis, Justin Smith, and Vernon Davis. I don’t have any huge problems here, although if I was making the list Willis would be far and away my number one overall. I think Laurinaitis is about where I expected him to be, and I was pleasantly surprised that Long is finally getting some recognition for how good of a player he has become. Maybe I’m crazy here, but Steven Jackson should be on the list over guys like Russell Okung (8) who was injured for much of his rookie season, and Mike Iupati (10) who is a guard, just to name a few. I’m going to put it in your hands. Check out the poll on the side of the page to rank where you think Jackson belongs in the scope of this division. We will see what the Rams nation thinks of SJ39 and if ESPN isn’t giving him the respect he deserves.