When Luke Kuechly landed at No. 14 last summer, it was the highest ranking for a Carolina Panthers' player since the NFL Network began releasing its annual "Top 100 Players" list in 2011.
A year later, Kuechly beat his own mark, jumping up to No. 7 among balloting by fellow NFL players. That record didn't last long though, as Panthers' quarterback Cam Newton landed at No. 1.
Kuechly was the 2nd-highest defensive player in the "Top 100," behind Texans' defensive end J.J. Watt, who wound up at No. 3.
Despite missing 3.5 games in 2015, Kuechly made his third Pro Bowl and finished 12th with 118 tackles. He then became the first linebacker in the Super Bowl era with multiple interception return touchdowns in a single postseason when he had pick-6s in back-to-back games against the Seahawks and Cardinals.
What Fellow Players Said About Kuechly
Panthers’ History on "Top 100 Players" List
2016
1. Cam Newton
7. Luke Kuechly
38. Greg Olsen
54. Thomas Davis
58. Kawann Short
79. Ryan Kalil
86. Jonathan Stewart
2015
14. LB Luke Kuechly
73. QB Cam Newton
89. TE Greg Olsen
2014
15. LB Luke Kuechly
24. QB Cam Newton
53. DE Greg Hardy
93. C Ryan Kalil
2013
46. QB Cam Newton
79. LB Luke Kuechly
84. WR Steve Smith
2012
35. WR Steve Smith
40. QB Cam Newton
99. C Ryan Kalil
2011
87. OT Jordan Gross
95. LB Jon Beason