The 2016 NFL season was a great one, but it was missing a few key players due to injury. Here are 11 players to watch out for next year as they try to make up for their lost 2016 season.

11. C.J. Anderson

Anderson was having a good year as Denver's feature back in 2016 until he tore his meniscus against the Texans in Week 7. With the inexperience and lack of effectiveness from the quarterback position, Anderson was positioned to be one of the top backs in the league as he was on pace for a 1,000-yard, 10-touchdown year before going down. Unless the Broncos snag Tony Romo, Anderson should get just as many carries as he was on pace for last year, and with almost a full year to rest and recover, he's primed for a good year.

10. Jason Verrett

The Chargers' first-round pick from 2013 struggled his rookie year before really hitting his stride in his sophomore campaign, emerging as one of the best outside corners in the NFL. According to PFF, Merrett only allowed a completion on 56 percent of his passes in 2015, and intercepted six passes, several of which came in clutch situations. Verrett seemed to be on pace to repeat his excellent 2015 campaign until he partially tore his ACL sometime in the first three weeks of the season. While extremely disappointing (but not exactly surprising to Chargers fans, who suffered an injury plague unlike any other last year), if the TCU product gets healthy, you'll see his name in Top 5 CB rankings in 2017.

9. Eddie Lacy

The thunderous young running back from Alabama was trying to rebound from his disappointing 2015 campaign when he hurt his ankle and was sent to the IR in Week 5 of this past season. After his first two seasons, where he put up 1,000-plus yards in each, Lacy was looking to round back into the running back everyone knows he can be when he went down. Rumor around the league is the Packers are going to sign Lacy to a one-year prove-it deal this offseason, which should motivate him enough to make some big plays.

8. Shane Vereen

Vereen had a productive first year with the Giants, racking up 60 catches with 4 touchdowns while filling the scatback role for New York effectively. To the dismay of both Vereen and Giants fans, his attempt to build upon his successful season was derailed early on when he tore his triceps in late September. Vereen is turning 28 this offseason, so he is very much still in his prime, and will head into 2017 trying to be the difference-maker for a Giants offense that needs him.

7. Reshad Jones

Jones was just coming into his own as one of the top safeties in the NFL before his 2016 season was finished just six weeks in thanks to a rotator cuff injury. Jones was awarded his first Pro Bowl bid in 2015 after he collected over 100 tackles to go along with 5 interceptions. After the season, it was reported that he played the whole season with a torn labrum, making it all the more impressive. Jones will be looking to make a big impact in a below-average Dolphins secondary in his first healthy season since 2014.

6. Kyle Fuller

After a stellar rookie 2014 where Fuller picked off 4 passes, the first-rounder struggled in his second year as he was asked to play more man coverage than the zone where he excels. Opposing QBs were wary of his ball-hawking reputation, though, and he finished as the 5th least targeted cornerback in the league. Bears fans were expecting big things from him before he underwent knee surgery in August, effectively ending his 2016 season. Now that he'll have more than a full year to recover, Fuller is primed for a big year as Chicago's top defensive back.

5. La'el Collins

It was a case of the rich getting richer when the Cowboys picked up the top-rated LSU lineman after his draft stock plummeted as a result of his involvement in a police investigation for the shooting of a pregnant woman. Collins had an excellent rookie year in 2015, racking up 11 starts for the league's best offensive line. Unfortunately, the guard's attempt to follow it up was cut short following toe surgery in early October of this season. The Cowboys kept rolling, creating gigantic holes for Ezeikel Elliott the whole year, and Collins is set to be a major contributor to one of the NFL's best offenses come 2017.

4. Jamaal Charles

Given his extensive injury history, it seems like Charles is constatnly on lists like these. But he's so electrifying when he's healthy that it's hard to leave him off. Charles tore his ACL last year, but in 2014 he finished with 1,000 yards and 9 TDs to go along with 40 catches as one of the league's premiere offensive threats. Charles is one of the most exciting players in the game when he gets going, and if he can bounce back from yet another knee injury, he could be in contention for Comeback Player of the Year.

3. Keenan Allen

The star Chargers receiver tore his ACL in just Week 1 of this year, a disappointment to NFL fans everywhere. While Allen doesn't have the speed that many of the league's other players have (his 4.71 40 yard dash caused him to fall to the Chargers in the 2013 draft), his precise route running and timing has turned him into one of the best young receivers in the game. While his injury fell in line with the Chargers' absurd injury-riddled season, Philip Rivers and co. will be looking forward to his return next year.

2. Adrian Peterson

He might not end up on the Vikings again, but it's always risky to bet against AP. Despite his right meniscus tear that essentially ended his 2016 season, Peterson is a complete freak of nature who could very well come rampaging back into the league for his second Comeback Player of the Year award. He's only a year removed from his 2014 1,500 yard rushing campaign, so it looks like he's still got something left in the tank after nearly 10 years of being Minnesota's feature back. Watch out for the AP revenge tour, folks.

1. J.J. Watt