It is often said that in the NFL you can follow the money. How much a player is paid allows people to discern just how big of a priority they are going to be to their respective team. Some would argue that this is the case for a certain running back on the Dallas Cowboys, but we are not hear to address that issue.
A different sort of label that can often provide a look at how players are valued is draft stock. Obviously the more prestigious the draft selection that was spent on a player the more chances and opportunities they are going to have because the team wants their investment to pay off.