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Miami football alum Calais Campbell named in NFL top 100 players

By Alan Rubenstein

FOXBOROUGH, MA - JANUARY 21: Blake Bortles #5 of the Jacksonville Jaguars reacts with Calais Campbell #93 after a touchdown in the first quarter of the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on January 21, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MA - JANUARY 21: Blake Bortles #5 of the Jacksonville Jaguars reacts with Calais Campbell #93 after a touchdown in the first quarter of the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on January 21, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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Miami football alum defensive end Calais Campbell of the Jacksonville Jaguars has been named one of CBS Sports.Com’s top 100 players in the NFL. He is ranked the 15th best player in the NFL by CBS Sports Senior Writer Pete Prisco.

Campbell is coming off the best season of his NFL career in his first year in Jacksonville. He finished second in the NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting. Campbell would have been the first Miami football alum to win the award since Ed Reed did so with the Baltimore Ravens in 2004.

Campbell was beaten out by the Los Angeles Rams Aaron Donald. Donald received 23 of the 50 votes. Campbell finished second with 17.

The leader of the Jaguars defense had 47 tackles, career highs with 20 assists and 14.4 sacks and added three forced fumbles, three passed defended and one fumble recovery that he returned for a touchdown.

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    • Campbell helped elevate the Jaguars defense last season. The Jacksonville defense improved from 25th in points allowed in 2016 to second last season.

    After finishing 3-13 and in last place in the AFC South in 2016, the Jaguars went 10-6 last season and won the division.

    They upset the Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs before losing to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game.

    Campbell’s dominance was clear on the field. His presence off of it made more of an impact on the Jaguars season. Prisco commented on the importance of Campbell’s leadership on a young defense.

    "“In his first season with the Jaguars, he could have easily been the Defensive Player of the Year with 14½ sacks. He was even better off the field for a young group of defenders.”"

    Campbell is the only Miami football alum on the list. NFL.Com has their own top 100 list that is released every year. The list comes out over a ten-week span with ten players released every week in a show on the NFL Network. They are currently up to number 31.

    Former Miami tight end Jimmy Graham is the only Miami player to make the list thus far. Campbell will assuredly be on the list as they continue their countdown. Many people are counting on Graham getting back to the numbers he put up in New Orleans.

    Graham was traded from Seattle to the Packers in the offseason. Graham had 57 receptions for 520 yards and ten touchdowns last season. That was the most touchdowns he scored since his last season in New Orleans in 2014.

    Next: Is Miami football alum Calais Campbell NFL's Kevin Durant?

    Graham will be a huge upgrade at tight in Green Bay this fall. The Packers three tight ends combined for 54 receptions for 496 yards and six touchdowns last season. With wide receiver Jordy Nelson gone to free agency with Oakland, Graham will receive plenty of opportunities to thrive with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback.

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