Who bounced back the most in the AFC South: DeMarco Murray, Andrew Luck or Jadeveon Clowney? NFL Nation reporters voted on the comeback player of the year in all eight divisions.

The results are below. Click the links for each division to view the complete answers.

AFC East

Cameron Wake, DE, Miami Dolphins

Wake exceeded everyone's expectations in 2016 -- including those of the Dolphins' coaching staff -- by leading the team with 11.5 sacks. He was 34 and coming off a season-ending Achilles injury. Coach Adam Gase initially brought Wake off the bench and kept him on a snap count; in a Week 2 loss to the Patriots, Wake played just 15 snaps, which Miami admitted right away was a mistake. Wake wanted more and eventually was put in the starting lineup in October, and that led to his Pro Bowl season. Those who continue to doubt Wake were proved wrong once again. Read the full vote.

AFC North

Dennis Pitta, TE, Baltimore Ravens

No one's comeback journey compares to Pitta's. He fractured his right hip in 2013 and 2014, then didn't even play in 2015, causing most to believe his career was over. There were doctors, friends and family members who discouraged Pitta from returning to football. To play his first full season since 2012 was an accomplishment in itself. But what made Pitta's comeback more amazing: He led all NFL tight ends with a career-best 86 catches. Only Antonio Brown had more receptions than Pitta among AFC North players. Read the full vote.

AFC South

Andrew Luck, QB, Indianapolis Colts

Luck went crashing down in 2015 with an assortment of injuries, including a lacerated kidney, that caused him to miss nine games. He also wasn't very effective when he did play, as he committed 13 turnovers and completed only 55.3 percent of his passes in the seven games he played. But Luck bounced back to complete a career-high 63.5 percent of his passes and finish fifth in touchdowns (31) and eighth in passing yards (4,240) in the league this season. Luck's improved play would have received more attention had the Colts not been a mediocre team that missed the playoffs for the second straight year. Read the full vote.

AFC West

Melvin Gordon, RB, San Diego Chargers

Gordon had an uneven rookie year in which he failed to get into the end zone, finishing with 641 rushing yards. Gordon also fumbled six times, losing four of those. However, Gordon refocused during the offseason, spending time training with mentor running back Adrian Peterson in Houston. It showed, as the Wisconsin product finished with 997 rushing yards and 12 total touchdowns. A hip strain and knee sprain kept him from reaching 1,000 yards for the first time in his NFL career, but he totaled 1,416 yards from scrimmage in 2016, No. 10 in the league. Read the full vote.

NFC East

Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, New York Giants

This would've been a runaway had Pierre-Paul not been injured late in the season. Still, he's the winner for comeback player of the year in the NFC East after recording 53 tackles and three forced fumbles to go along with seven sacks in 12 games. It's even more amazing when you consider he did it with 7½ fingers following a July 4 fireworks accident the previous year. Pierre-Paul returned in 2015 but was still learning how to play with the limitations. This season he was a disruptive force against the run and pass. He even scored a touchdown and was tied for the league lead with eight batted passes before a sports hernia injury prematurely ended his season. Read the full vote.

NFC North

Jordy Nelson, WR, Green Bay Packers

What player wouldn't take 97 catches, 1,257 yards and 14 touchdowns? Now give that to someone who had just missed an entire season because of a torn ACL and then didn't play a single down in the following preseason and was thrown into the mix in Week 1 after not playing in a game for 13 months. Nelson should be one of the leading candidates, if not the winner, for the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year after what he did, especially at age 31. Read the full vote.

NFC South

Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons

Nobody can deny the type of bounce-back season Ryan had following a trying 2015 season that had nothing to do with injury. The only thing hurting after last season was the Falcons' feelings after Ryan and his teammates struggled to an 8-8 finish following a 5-0 start. The decline had plenty to do with his 21 turnovers in 2015, including four red zone interceptions. This season, Ryan passed for a franchise-record 4,944 yards and 38 touchdowns. He also cut down on his turnovers with only nine, with seven interceptions -- one in the red zone -- and two lost fumbles. During a four-game winning streak to finish the regular season, Ryan threw 11 touchdowns with no interceptions. The most important number was 11, the number of wins Ryan helped the Falcons accumulate against five losses, a record that resulted in the NFC South title and a first-round playoff bye. Read the full vote.

NFC West

Jimmy Graham, TE, Seattle Seahawks

Graham ruptured his patellar tendon last November and spent the offseason rehabbing before returning for Week 1. His 923 receiving yards ranked third among tight ends. And he averaged 14.2 yards per reception, which ranked first at his position. Graham made highlight-reel catches all season and drew praise from coaches for his improvement as a blocker. "I'm excited, because a lot of people didn't believe that I'd come back," Graham said during the season. "A lot of people just didn't believe that I'd be able to be me again. It means a lot because I put so much work in. When no one was watching, I was in the shadows working." Read the full vote.