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Players You Never Thought You’d Vote Into the Pro Bowl
Just the offense to start...
Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa
Seahawks QB Geno Smith
Tua started the year as one of the most vulnerable starters in the NFL, but as I write this, he’s the highest rated QB at Pro Football Focus leading one of the most potent offenses in the league. And Geno Smith wasn’t even the favorite to start, but he’s now a strong candidate for Comeback Player of the Year.
Raiders RB Josh Jacobs
Texans RB Dameon Pierce
The Raiders added running backs through free agency this year, and pundits figured it was the end for Josh Jacobs. Now, Jacbos sits atop the PFF ratings. And Pierce was a longshot to start for the Texas after being the 7th running back selected in the draft.
Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown
This year’s best receivers are pretty much who we expected them to be. Amon-Ra, however, may be worthy of a spot in the Pro Bowl. After ending last year on a hot streak, he formed a bond with QB Jared Goff that led to a hot start in 2022, and now he’s become reliably great.
Browns TE David Njoku
When the Browns committed a significant amount of money to resigning Njoku, I thought he hadn’t deserved that sort of contract. But paradoxically, now that he’s made the money, he’s actually playing up to his draft position. Njoku has quietly become one of the best tight ends in the league.
Vikings OT Christian Darrisaw
Giants OT Andrew Thomas
Raiders OT Kolton Miller
Forget the big names you’ve come to know (and vote for) - this new crop of left tackles is legit. Darrisaw and Thomas are #1 and 2 on the PFF rankings. It’s been an amazing rise for Thomas, who spent his rookie year getting torched. He’s made incredible strides to become an elite tackle. Miller took a while to develop too, but he’s now one of the very best in the AFC.
Falcons G Chris Lindstrom
Dolphins G Robert Hunt
Bears G Teven Jenkins
All three of these guys had a hard time when they first got in the league, so it’s great to see them grading out incredibly high on PFF these days. The networks don’t spend much time taking up the o-line, so they’ve flown beneath the radar. Don’t lunge for names like Brandon Sherff or Quenton Nelson when casting your ballots; these guys have outperformed them.
Browns C Ethan Pocic
Lions C Frank Ragnow
The Browns have an elite interior o-line - both guards and their center deserve to be in the Pro Bowl (despite their record). And Frank Ragnow has slowly climbed the ranks of the NFL’s centers to become one of the very best.