The Arizona Cardinals have three players in the 2025 edition of the “NFL Top 100.” On Thursday, safety Budda Baker was revealed as player No. 34.
He has made the top 100 for six consecutive years, and he made a massive jump this year. He moved up 55 spots from No. 89, where he ranked a year ago.
Budda Baker in the 'NFL Top 100' again
NFL Top 100 Players of 2025:@AZCardinals S Budda Baker lands at No. 34! @NFLFilmspic.twitter.com/0ASGIUIOuw
— NFL (@NFL) August 14, 2025
In 2024, he was selected to the Pro Bowl for the seventh straight year and for the eighth time in his career. He was a second-team All-Pro for the second time, to go with two career first-team All-Pro nods (one of his Pro Bowls and first-team All-Pro selections came his rookie season as a special teams player).
He had a career-high 164 total tackles, second in the NFL, with 95 solo takedowns. He added two sacks, 10 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and, after zero pass breakups in 2023, he had five last season.
Detroit Lions safety Brown Branch, a Pro Bowler last season, called Baker “a dog.” Cardinals tight end Trey McBride also said that about him and added that Baker is “the heart and soul of our defense.”
Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams resorted to expletives to describe Baker, saying he is “a (expletive) in a game playing against (him).”
Branch added that has “never seen anybody play in the box like him.”
Bills tight end Dawson Knox said that, despite always being one of the smallest guys on the field, “it's as if he is the biggest guy on the field.”
Knox and Williams both spoke to the force with which Baker tackles. Williams, a physical runner, “can't really brush off his tackles.”
What has Baker been ranked before?
Baker has made the list every year since 2020. He debuted in 2020 at No. 97. He shot up the rankings in 2021 all the way up to No. 19.
In 2022, he was No. 67 and then No. 73 in 2023. Last year, as mentioned, he was No. 89.
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This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Arizona Cardinals S Budda Baker is No. 34 in 'NFL Top 100' in 2025
