ESPN AFC North Site Ranks Carlos Dunlap No. 14 Player In The Division

Listing the top-25 players in the AFC North isn't an easy task. And god knows it's a futile effort if one's goal is to make everyone happy; ask ten people to come up with their own best players list and the further back one goes, the more variable it becomes. For example, no one probably expected ESPN's Jamison Hensley to list Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap at No. 14, over Terrell Suggs who comes in at No. 15 (despite an offseason injury that could limit his participation). Hensley wrote:

Still, Dunlap proved to be one of the best pass-rushing defensive ends in the AFC North. While he only had 4.5 sacks, he recorded 13 quarterback hits and 20 quarterback pressures to finish as a top-five defensive end in the Pro Football Focus ratings. His performance in 2012 should be even better because he's only scratching the surface of his potential. It's easy to forget that he's only 23 and has yet to reach his ceiling.

We have to say we're impressed with Dunlap's ranking, which is definitely giving Hensley a few knocks on the chin in their comments section. Respect, yo.