Quarterback (pick 6)
Tom Brady, Tony Romo, Andrew Luck, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger
Pretty easy selections here. Unfortunately you can only pick six QBs as Drew Brees, Phillip Rivers, and Russell Wilson probably could make the argument to go to the Pro Bowl as well.
Running Back (pick 6)
Le'Veon Bell, Jamaal Charles, Justin Forsett, Matt Forte, Marshawn Lynch, DeMarco Murray
Five of these guys are no brainers, but Forsett might surprise you. Eddie Lacy and Arian Foster supporters would probably argue against Forsett being in, but here's a guy that started the year third on the depth chart and was thrust into the starting position due to suspension (Ray Rice) and injury (Bernard Pierce). He has run for 1,080 yards with an impressive 5.6 yards per carry average. He's also caught 37 passes and scored eight total TDs. I think a trip to the Pro Bowl is due for this player who is on his fourth team.
Wide Receiver (pick 8)
Antonio Brown, Dez Bryant, DeAndre Hopkins, Julio Jones, Jeremy Maclin, Jordy Nelson, Emmanuel Sanders, Demaryius Thomas
Lots of new names here. This year has seen veteran guys fade (Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne), elite guys hampered by injury (AJ Green, Calvin Johnson), and a youngster come on strong at the end (Odell Beckham, Jr.), but the above eight guys have been consistently good all year. The three sort of unexpected guys on here are Hopkins, Maclin, and Sanders. Despite a carousel at QB, Hopkins has managed to go over 1,000 yards receiving and outperform Andre Johnson. Maclin has come back strong after he missed the entire 2013 season due to injury. He's gone over 1,100 yards and reached double digit TDs. Sanders, meanwhile, has kept pace with teammate Demaryius Thomas and posted nearly identical numbers.
Fullback (pick 2)
John Kuhn, Marcel Reece
Reece is the highlight here as he is, by far, the most versatile fullback in the league. He has 74 yards rushing, 215 yards receiving on 32 catches, and one TD. I'd really like to see him get out of Oakland and go to a team like Philly or New Orleans who would use him in creative ways.
Tight End (pick 4)
Martellus Bennett, Rob Gronkowski, Greg Olsen, Julius Thomas
This was probably the easiest category to pick as the top four are pretty clear cut. Jimmy Graham had a down year, as did the rest of the Saints' offense, and Antonio Gates just didn't put up the numbers that these four guys did.
Offensive Tackle (pick 6)
Bryan Bulaga, Ryan Clady, Doug Free, Russell Okung, Tyron Smith, Joe Thomas
I'm not going to pretend to have expertise when it comes to offensive line so my picks for offensive tackle, guard, and center will probably be based on names I'm familiar with and/or someone who really has stood out when I watched on TV.
Offensive Guard (pick 6)
Joel Bitonio, David DeCastro, Orlando Franklin, Zack Martin, Josh Sitton, Marshal Yanda
Center (pick 4)
Travis Frederick, Corey Linsley, Nick Mangold, Maurkice Pouncey
Defensive End (pick 6)
Everson Griffen, Robert Quinn, Cameron Wake, DeMarcus Ware, J.J. Watt, Mario Williams
DE was stacked this year. The next six that didn't make my ballot (Ezekiel Ansah, Willie Young, Calais Campbell, Jerry Hughes, Olivier Vernon, Chris Clemons) would still make up a formidable group of defensive ends. The highlight here is obviously Watt as I believe he should be the MVP of the league, even though he won't win it due to the award being skewed towards the offensive side of the ball.
Defensive Tackle (pick 6)
Marcell Dareus, Gerald McCoy, Stephen Paea, Sheldon Richardson, Ndamukong Suh, Muhammed Wilkerson
Another stacked category. The two guys I want to focus on are the two Jets, Wilkerson and Richardson. They have a combined 11 sacks, two forced fumbles, and have helped anchor the number four overall rushing defense in the league. It's important to note that the Jets were trailing in most of their games this year so even with the added "kill the clock" carries they faced, they were still holding up. If they could find some guys in the secondary, this defense could become elite once again.
Inside Linebacker (pick 4)
D'Qwell Jackson, Luke Kuechly, C.J. Mosley, Lawrence Timmons
Mosley is the one that has impressed me the most as he's a rookie on a team that prides itself on defense. He has responded with over 100 tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble, and two interceptions. I'm not ready to make any Ray Lewis comparisons yet, but he certainly gives this defense a bright future. He's turning out to be a steal, even at 17th overall in this year's draft.
Outside Linebacker (pick 6)
Connor Barwin, Elvis Dumervil, Justin Houston, Ryan Kerrigan, Brandon Marshall, Von Miller
The two guys I want to highlight here are Barwin and Marshall. Each time I've watched an Eagles (Barwin) or Broncos (Marshall) game, these two seem to be everywhere. Barwin flies all over the field and has 13 1/2 sacks and two forced fumbles to show for it. Marshall, meanwhile, seems to constantly fly under the radar with Miller and Ware also on the Broncos' defense, and a more famous Brandon Marshall playing receiver in Chicago. The Broncos' Marshall has over 100 tackles and seems to be a fundamentally sound football player.
Cornerback (pick 8)
Vontae Davis, Brent Grimes, Joe Haden, Keenan Lewis, Darrelle Revis, Richard Sherman, Buster Skrine, Aqib Talib
If the players actually give 100% effort in the Pro Bowl, I would love to see the CB vs WR matchups in this game. The three highlights here are Revis, Lewis, and Sherman. Revis Island is definitely back, and for a while, Lewis had his own island going before he got injured. Sherman is Sherman and can still shut down one side of the field, even though people have been trying to pick apart his game all year.
Strong Safety (pick 2)
Kam Chancellor, Donte Whitner
Not only are they the two best strong safties in the league, but they are two of the hardest hitters in the NFL.
Free Safety (pick 2)
Tashaun Gipson, Earl Thomas
Thomas was an easy pick, but it was tough to choose between Gipson and Chargers' safety Eric Weddle. Since Weddle and Thomas play a similar game, I went with Gipson as he is more of a play maker and ball hawk than either guy. Gipson leads all safeties in interceptions with six, and is allowed to float around with Whitner playing beside him.
Kicker (pick 2)
Dan Carpenter, Adam Vinatieri
Carpenter has attempted the most FGs this year and is 28/32 and has banged one through from 58. Vinatieri is a perfect 27/27 as he continues to build on his Hall of Fame career.
Punter (pick 2)
Shane Lechler, Pat McAfee
The two best punters in the league were playing against each other this past weekend. Both have done it for a while and both can absolutely crush the ball.
Return Specialist (pick 2)
Devin Hester, Darren Sproles
Two easy picks here. Hester looks like a new man in Atlanta, as he has the highest punt return average in the league, a punt return TD, and almost 1000 kickoff return yards. Sproles, meanwhile, has the second highest punt return average and two punt return TDs. Both are electric and you have to hold your breath whenever they get even a sliver of room on returns.
Special Teamer (pick 2)
Matt Slater
I know you're supposed to pick two, but I really don't know anything about any of the other candidates. Slater is almost always the first guy down the field on punts and kickoffs for the Patriots. He deserves to go. Coin flip for the rest.
Disagree with my picks? Want to see your favorite player make the trip to the Pro Bowl? Well then, go here to vote for your favorite players.
Matty O
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