theScore's Top 100 NFL Players of 2015: 4 veteran wideouts crack top 50

The Top 100 NFL Players of 2015 were selected by a panel of theScore's NFL editors including Arun Srinivasan, Dan Wilkins, David P. Woods and Justin Boone based on the individual players' performances this past regular season.

theScore's Top 100 NFL Players of 2015

• 100-71
• 70-51
• 50-31
• 30-11
• 10-1

Doug Baldwin, WR, Seahawks
78 catches, 1,069 yards receiving, 14 TDs

Few players caught fire over any stretch this season like Baldwin did after Thanksgiving. From Weeks 12 to 16, Russell Wilson's favorite target caught 11 touchdowns and closed out the year tied for the league lead. Needless to say, it was a career year and could be a sign of things to come if Marshawn Lynch goes through with his retirement plans. - Boone

Anthony Barr, LB, Vikings
68 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 1 INT, 3 FF

Barr is one of the best young outside linebackers in the NFL and was arguably the best player on a ferocious Vikings defense. Barr was named to the Pro Bowl in his second year and, due to his incredible speed and diagnostic ability, represents the wave of modern linebackers and will be on this list for years to come. - Srinivasan

Philip Rivers, QB, Chargers
4,792 yards passing, 29 TDs, 13 INTs

That Rivers finished second in the NFL in passing despite playing behind one of the worst offensive lines in memory is a testament to what a warrior he is. And it's not like Rivers was surrounded by weapons - Keenan Allen went on IR and Malcom Floyd suffered through a painful shoulder injury. - Woods

Chandler Jones, DE, Patriots
44 tackles, 12.5 sacks, 1 INT, 4 FF

A strong pass rush helped the Patriots to squash any concerns about a lack of talent in the defensive backfield this season. Jones led the way for that group, consistently creating pressure off the weak-side edge to post a career high in sacks. - Wilkins

Harrison Smith, S, Vikings
66 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 INTs, 1 FF

As one of the most versatile players in the league, Smith always finds ways to impose his will on games. He's a leader on an emerging Vikings' defense that held opponents to 18.9 points per game (fifth in the league). For his efforts, Pro Football Focus gave him the highest grade of any safety in the NFL this season. - Boone

Muhammad Wilkerson, DL, Jets
64 tackles, 12 sacks, 2 FF

Wilkerson is equally adept at playing defensive end or tackle and his versatility enables the Jets' aggressive front scheme. Primarily used as a pass rusher, it was Wilkerson's most proficient season attacking the quarterback and the 26-year-old recorded seven pass deflections to boot. - Srinivasan

Devonta Freeman, RB, Falcons
1,056 yards rushing, 11 TDs, 578 yards receiving, 3 TDs

Who saw this kind of output coming? Probably not the Falcons, who spent a third-round pick on Tevin Coleman before watching Freeman seize the starting job with six rushing touchdowns over Weeks 3-4. Freeman finished tied for the NFL lead with 14 total touchdowns and proved he's one of the game's brightest rising stars. - Woods

Calvin Johnson, WR, Lions
88 catches, 1,214 yards receiving, 9 TDs

If Johnson indeed chooses to call it a career, as he's been contemplating since the end of the 2015 campaign, it certainly won't be a decision made as a result of declining on-field ability. The Lions' star wideout battled through several injuries to start all 16 games this year and further bolster his Hall-of-Fame resume. - Wilkins

Jamie Collins, LB, Patriots
89 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 1 INT, 5 FF

Collins is the key to the Patriots' defense, serving as a multipurpose weapon that can wreak havoc on offensive schemes. If it weren't for a variety of injuries and ailments that forced Collins to miss four games, he may have made a run at Defensive Player of the Year. - Boone

Calais Campbell, DT, Cardinals
61 tackles, 5 sacks

It's unfair that someone Campbell's size moves as well as he does, and the Cardinals defensive end wreaked havoc upon opposing offensive lines once again in 2015. Campbell allowed for the rest of the front seven to flourish as he can seldom be contained by a single lineman. - Srinivasan

Andy Dalton, QB, Bengals
3,250 yards passing, 25 TDs, 7 INTs

Dalton's season ended in disappointment, as he watched from the sideline with a broken thumb suffered in Week 14. That shouldn't detract from what he accomplished before that. Dalton finished with career highs in completion percentage and yards per attempt - and a career low in interceptions. - Woods

Thomas Davis, LB, Panthers
105 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 4 INTs, 4 FF

Playing the Super Bowl with a broken arm finally got Davis some national recognition, but he's long been deserving of that spotlight. The 32-year-old was once again a force in all phases of the defensive game throughout the season, and particularly so in teaming up with Luke Kuechly to form the league's best group of coverage linebackers. - Wilkins

A.J. Green, WR, Bengals
86 catches, 1,297 yards receiving, 10 TDs

Green can sometimes be forgotten in discussions about the game's elite receivers, but he was masterful in 2015 en route to his fifth straight 1,000-yard season. The Bengals' star was especially dangerous in divisional matchups, averaging over 115 yards and a touchdown per game. - Boone

Marshal Yanda, G, Ravens
0.5 sacks allowed

Yanda started all 16 games for a third straight year and was his typically dominant force in blocking, earning Pro Football Focus' top rating among guards for a second year running. It was a disastrous season for the Ravens in many respects, but Yanda was a very bright spot. - Woods

Todd Gurley, RB, Rams
1,106 yards rushing, 10 TDs, 21 catches, 188 yards receiving

Like 2014 Rookie of the Year Odell Beckham Jr., Gurley didn't play a full season but still managed to earn first-year honors. Gurley handled fewer carries than most starters yet ended the year ranked in the top five in missed tackles forced. Despite one of the worst offensive lines in memory, Gurley finished in the top 10 in yards per carry. - Woods

Fletcher Cox, DE, Eagles
71 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 3 FF

Career highs in almost every statistical category helped Cox earn his first trip to the Pro Bowl. The 25-year-old is quickly proving himself to be one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL, displaying a rare combination of strength and speed, as well as an uncanny ability to shed blockers. - Boone

Kawann Short, DT, Panthers
55 tackles, 11 sacks, 3 FF

A significant, yet somehow underrated, factor in Carolina's defensive success was the production the unit got from an unheralded group up front. Short enjoyed a breakout year to lead the way on the inside, often appearing unblockable while both leading his defensive linemates in tackles and posting a team-high in sacks. - Wilkins

Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals
109 catches, 1,215 yards receiving, 9 TDs

Fitzgerald underwent a renaissance campaign and posted his best totals since 2011 as the primary weapon in a potent Cardinals offense. Equally adept inside and outside the red zone, and in the slot and lined up outside, Fitzgerald continues to be an omnipresent threat. - Woods

Doug Martin, RB, Buccaneers
1,402 yards rushing, 6 TDs, 33 catches, 271 yards receiving, TD

Just when it appeared as though Martin was on the brink of being considered a one-hit wonder, a standout 2015 season saw him recapture the impact that made him a rookie sensation back in 2012. After finishing the year ranked second to only Adrian Peterson among the league's leading rushers, Martin is now set to cash in as a free agent. - Wilkins

Greg Olsen, TE, Panthers
77 catches, 1,104 yards receiving, 7 TDs

Olsen hit career bests in yardage and touchdowns as Cam Newton's primary passing option. He's the ideal modern tight end; as comfortable staying in-line to block as he is split out wide and running deep downfield. Cam Newton's MVP season was the primary driving force in the Panthers' success, but 15-1 wouldn't have been possible without Olsen on the other end of so many Newton passes. - Woods