Below is an analysis of the three Green Bay Packers players who made the NFL Top 100 players of 2016 list, as well as a discussion of three Packers who were snubbed.
Green Bay Packers Players on NFL’s Top 100 List
Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers was ranked too low. He is the best player in the league at the most important position on the field, bar none. A bad year for Aaron Rodgers is on par with Cam Newton’s best year as a pro.
| TD – INT | Yards | Rating | |
| Aaron Rodgers | 31-8 | 3,821 | 92.7 |
| Cam Newton | 35-10 | 3,837 | 99.4 |
Rodgers should be ranked number one because he is simply the best player on the field each and every week regardless of which team the Packers play. Arizona Cardinals cornerback Tyrann Mathieu said it best, “You always have a chance with Aaron Rodgers as your quarterback.” Enough said.
Clay Matthews
Clay Matthews is ranked where he should be (#57). The former USC Trojan is one of the more talented players in the league, but there are better linebackers than him in the NFL. Matthews showed his versatility and brilliance by moving to inside linebacker over the last two seasons. However, the talented linebacker should go back to his natural position and play outside in 2016. Matthews is coming off a solid season where he recorded 66 tackles, one interception, and 6.5 sacks.
Mike Daniels
Mike Daniels is finally getting some well deserved recognition. After another very good season, the Packers fifth-year pro has finally cracked the top 100. Daniels’ peers ranked him as the 95th best player. The defensive end out of the University of Iowa set a career-high in tackles (49), had four sacks and also added the first interception of his career. Daniels is becoming a disruptive force on the Packers defensive front as he enters the prime of his career. Look for him to quickly rise up in those rankings over the next few years.
Players Who Should Have Made the List
Julius Peppers
Julius Peppers made the list a year ago, but was incomprehensibly snubbed this year. To make matters worse, the former member of the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears was somehow also left off of the honorable mention list. At 36 years old, and after 14 years in the NFL, Peppers still finished the 2015 season with 37 tackles, two forced fumbles, and his 10.5 sacks were tied with Everson Griffen and Melvin Ingram for 12th in the NFL. How did Peppers not make the list? Regardless of this snub, look for the future Hall of Famer to show what he is still capable of and to prove that he belongs on this list in 2016.
Josh Sitton
Josh Sitton is a very good player who fits well in Green Bay’s pass-happy offense. Sitton is much better in pass protection than he is in run blocking. He is a savvy veteran who uses his technique to keep as clean a pocket as possible for his quarterback.
Jordy Nelson
This is just a fun one. Jordy Nelson was coming off a career year in 2014 and, naturally, his best ranking on the top 100 followed, where he was ranked at 18. But after Nelson was lost for the season before the 2015 season even got underway, the rest of the receivers on the Packers were unable to create separation from defenders. The Green Bay pass catchers looked slow, defeated, and lacking some of the confidence and swagger they played with in the past. Last season proved that outside of Nelson, there might not be a game-changing pass catcher in Green Bay.
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