theScore's Top 100 NFL Players of 2016: 40-31

The Top 100 NFL Players of 2016 were selected by a panel of theScore's NFL editors including Justin Boone, Arun Srinivasan, Dan Wilkins, and David P. Woods based on the individual players' performance this past regular season.

theScore's Top 100 NFL Players of 2016

• 100-91
• 90-81
• 80-71
• 70-61
• 60-51
• 50-41
• 40-31
• 30-21
• 20-11
• 10-1

Vic Beasley, LB, Falcons
15.5 sacks, 39 tackles, 6 FF

Beasley followed up a quiet rookie season with a monster sophomore campaign that saw him lead the NFL in sacks. As the Falcons young defense improved, so did Beasley, disrupting offensive schemes and forcing a league-high six fumbles in 2016. - Boone

Fletcher Cox, DT, Eagles
43 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 1 FF

An immensely talented defensive front can get any and all credit for masking the deficiencies Philadelphia had on the back end this season. Once again, Cox was the leader in those efforts. There are few opposing linemen that even hope to slow him down as an interior pass-rusher. - Wilkins

Eric Berry, S, Chiefs
77 tackles, 4 INTs, 2 TDs
9 passes defensed, 1 FF

Berry embodies what the modern safety ought to be, starring in coverage and against the run. The leader of the Chiefs' secondary, Berry recorded a career-best four interceptions, returning two for touchdowns. Earning first-team All-Pro honors, Berry's array of skills remains the standard to beat. - Srinivasan

Marcus Peters, CB, Chiefs
6 INTs, 20 passes defensed
45 tackles, 1 FF

With six interceptions in 2016, bringing his career total to 14, Peters is on pace to break the NFL’s all-time interception record if he plays at this pace for another decade. Sure, he has a long way to go, but can we rule out the possibility? - Woods

Jordy Nelson, WR, Packers
97 catches, 1,257 yards, 14 TDs

Nelson, who sat out all of the 2015 season with a torn ACL, returned to the field and immediately reestablished his connection with Aaron Rodgers. It's not surprising he had a league-best 14 scores, since the veteran wideout was only kept out of the end zone in five games this season. Welcome back, Jordy. - Boone

A.J. Green, WR, Bengals
66 catches, 964 yards, 4 TDs

Has there ever been a star receiver more overlooked than Green? Despite missing the final six games of the year with a hamstring injury, the Bengals star still managed to come within 37 yards of a sixth consecutive 1,000-yard season to open his career. The only receiver in NFL history who's accomplished that feat: Randy Moss. - Wilkins

Damon Harrison, DT, Giants
86 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 1 FF

Harrison once again proved he's the NFL's best run-stopper, fortifying the middle of the Giants' line during his first season with the club. The 28-year-old finally earned first-team All-Pro status, an honor that should've been bestowed upon him long ago, crushing opponents into submission. - Srinivasan

Tyron Smith, LT, Cowboys
2 sacks allowed

You don’t produce the NFL’s leading rusher and a quarterback who wins Offensive Rookie of the Year without all-world blocking. Smith isn’t the highest rated Cowboys lineman in our list, and this season wasn’t his best as a pro, but he played at a consistently high level despite a bulging disc in his back. - Woods

Travis Kelce, TE, Chiefs
85 catches, 1,125 yards, 4 TDs

In a year when Rob Gronkowski and Jordan Reed missed time with injuries, Kelce captured the tight end throne with his first 1,000-yard season. Kelce's numbers have increased in all three of his NFL campaigns, as the Chiefs send more targets in his direction, but he also deserves credit for developing into a quality run blocker. - Boone

Eric Weddle, S, Ravens
89 tackles, 4 INTs
13 passes defensed, 1 FF

The Chargers letting Weddle move on last offseason was confusing enough at the time. One year later, it's downright astonishing. The veteran defensive back showed no signs of slowing down throughout his first year in Baltimore, posting his highest interception total since 2011 while leading a seventh-ranked Ravens defense. - Wilkins

theScore's Top 100 NFL Players of 2016

• 100-91
• 90-81
• 80-71
• 70-61
• 60-51
• 50-41
• 40-31
• 30-21
• 20-11
• 10-1