Patrick Peterson, Cornerback
Patrick Peterson was voted as the 19th best player in 2015, and there is a good chance he will move up in the rankings for 2016. Peterson started all 16 games for the Cardinals, in addition to the playoffs.
Peterson didn’t rack up the stats in 2015, finishing the regular season with 35 tackles, 1 forced fumble and 2 interceptions. The reason for Peterson’s low numbers is simple; teams were scared to throw to his side of the field. This point was further highlighted when Tyrann Mathieu went and quarterbacks targeted Justin Bethel.
In the regular season, Peterson only gave up one touchdown (Week 2 vs the Chicago Bears) while only allowing a 46.8 completion percentage when he was targeted. To further illustrate Peterson’s dominance, he shut down the likes of Antonio Brown and A.J. Green in head to head match ups.
Peterson rebounded from his struggle with a diabetes and was named a First team All-Pro and to the Pro Bowl while making a strong case for a top 15 placing on the top 100 list.