It's easy to say Aaron Rodgers had a down year in 2015. That's because he did -- by his standards. Even so, he's the best player in the NFL, and the No. 1 player on my Top 100 list. For starters, Rodgers' position is the most important, which helps puts him at No. 1. But despite losing his top receiver in the preseason in 2015, seeing his offensive line go through injury Travis Shaw Jersey i sues and his No. 2 receiver Randall Cobb struggling in the No. 1 role, Rodgers still threw 31 touchdown pa ses and eight interceptions. Things got so bad at one point for the offense that Packers coach Mike McCarthy took the play-calling duties back from a sociate head coach Tom Clements. That's how off the Green Bay offense looked at times, yet Rodgers still rolled. Yes, his numbers were down from the year before and some of his other special seasons, but 2015 was truly a year he put the Packers on his back. He nearly got them to the NFC Championship Game. It was trendy to question Rodgers last year, but I still think he's the NFL's best player -- and 2016 will once again show us that. That's why he's atop my rankings, which I've been doing since 2001. Back then, it was just a top 50, but when the copycats came, I increased it to 100. My rankings are based on play from last season, with a big eye on this season. If a player is scheduled to mi s a majority of the season, like Kansas City's Justin Houston, he isn't on the list. He'd be a top-15 player if he was healthy, but his ACL surgery takes him off. I do take into account injuries from last season. Players who mi sed time and are expected back are included. Even guys coming off major surgeries. So dive in, look around, complain, question and eat the list alive. I know you will. NYJ QB #8 Ask any general manager which player they would take if they had one pick from among all the league's players, and Rodgers would Stephen Vogt Jersey be the winner hands down. He's still the NFL's best. ARI DE #99 He was bothered by a variety of injuries last season and still dominated the position. He led the NFL with 17.5 sacks and was named the Defensive Player of the Year for the third time. He is on his way to Canton. LAR DT #99 He was a dominant inside force for the Rams last season, breaking out into the star category of players. Donald is so quick and strong, even if he is undersized. He had 11 sacks last season and was outstanding against the run. Check out this play that shows his great get-off and quickne s. At the snap, he knifes inside of guard Justin Britt and beats center Patrick Lewis to the runner. The ability to get off the ball as quickly as he did sets him apart from the rest of the defensive tackles in the league. BUF OLB #40 The Super Bowl MVP remains the game's best pure edge rusher. He had 11 sacks during the regular season, and then had five in the postseason, including 2.5 each in both the conference title game and the Super Bowl. Sack, fumble, big play is his calling card. TB QB #12 Brady continued to show why he's an all-time great. He threw for 4,770 yards and 36 touchdown pa ses as he led the Patriots to the AFC title game. Will he ever start to show signs of age? TB TE #87 He had 72 catches, but it's the 16.3 yards per catch that is truly impre sive. He had 22 receptions of 20 yards or more, which was fourth best in the league. That's unreal for a man his size. PIT QB #7 Injuries limited him to 11 starts last season and his numbers were down. He threw 21 touchdown pa ses after throwing 32 the year before. He did have the Ryan Braun Jersey highest completion percentage of his career at 68.0. He will bounce back big if he stays on the field this season. TB WR #81 He tied Atlanta's Julio Jones for the league lead in catches with 136 and was second to Jones in yards. He also had 10 touchdown catches and 25 receptions of 20 yards or more, tying Jones for second in the league. He did it with his starting quarterback mi sing five games. That's why he's ahead of Jones. LAC DE #52 He finished second to Watt in sacks with 15.0 in his breakout season. This second-year player from Buffalo will push Von Miller to be the best edge rusher in the league in 2016. Mack is also good against the run. DAL T #77 Smith is outstanding in pa s protection, but he also does a great job Yovani Gallardo Jersey in the run game. He is strong and can move people off the line. That's impre sive for such an athletic tackle. CAR MLB #59 He has a great nose for the football. He can get to the ball in the run game, but he's also one of the best coverage linebackers in the league. He is a perfect modern-day middle linebacker. CAR QB #1 The reigning NFL MVP is coming off his best season. He led the Panthers to the Super Bowl and did so because he improved greatly as a pa ser. He threw 35 touchdown pa ses and 10 picks and he also ran for 636 yards and scored 10 rushing TDs. TB WR #6 He tied Pittsburgh's Antonio Brown for the most catches in 2015 with 136. Jones led the NFL in receiving yards with 1,871 and he had eight touchdowns. He did most of that without much help from the other receiving options on the Falcons. PIT CB #20 After trimming down last season, the sleeker version of Peterson was outstanding. He matched up against the league's best receivers and had his best season. BAL G #73 You put on the tape of Yanda and see a guy who can get it done in both the run game and the pa sing game. This former college tackle has made himself the league's best guard. NO FS #32 He is a true hybrid, a player who can line up on tight ends, cover the slot, blitz, play corner. He is a perfect player for the way the game is played. He is coming off ACL surgery, but he's on pace to be ready for the 2016 season. NE OLB #58 I loved this kid coming out of college, and he has paid off big for the Patriots. Collins can cover. He can blitz. He is good in the run game and has the speed to chase down runners. Again, he's another player perfect for the current game. Here's an example of him running down a speedy back. It came against the Bills. Working against a really good guard in Richie Incognito, Collins was able to use his quickne s and recognition to react to the play before Incognito had a chance to cut him off. He then was able to beat the wham block of the tight end to dump LeSean McCoy. Eric Thames Jersey BAL FS #29 He's the ball-hawking safety that all teams crave i