The Pro Bowl rosters are the subject of plenty of debate every year. The fact they are a glorified popularity contest tends to lead to glaring omissions, with big names selected ahead of players who have performed better on the field. I’ve already written about the five worst selections in this year’s Pro Bowl. Here are the five biggest snubs.
A.J. Terrell – CB, Atlanta Falcons
The Pro Bowl tends to overlook good players on bad teams. There might not be a better example of that than the omission of Terrell. The second-year cornerback has shown himself to be one of the best defensive backs in all of football this season, despite playing on an otherwise terrible Falcons defense. He has been almost unbeatable in coverage all year long, and the stats back him up.
Terrell has been targeted 52 times in his 13 games, allowing just 23 completions for 150 yards. For context, the next fewest yards allowed by a cornerback with 50+ targets was Rasul Douglas with 287. Terrell has allowed 30+ yards in a game just once this season and hasn’t allowed one catch of 20+ yards since Week 1. He has been excellent at the catch point too, with two picks and 11 pass breakups. His 54.6 passer rating allowed ranks third amongst all corners.
Joe Burrow – QB, Cincinnati Bengals
Burrow has bounced back strong from his injury last season and has lived up to the expectations of a No. 1 overall pick. He hasn’t just been one of the top quarterbacks in the AFC this season – he might well have been the best. He has passed for 3,640 yards, with 26 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. His 8.4 yards per attempt ranks second in the NFL and his 77.8% adjusted completion rate is fourth.
Burrow has been an aggressive passer downfield too and has also logged a 6.4% big time throw rate. This leads all AFC quarterbacks and is second in the NFL behind only Kyler Murray. He has 11 deep passing touchdowns to his name, three more than any other quarterback. Some will raise his 14 interceptions, but Burrow’s 2.9% turnover worthy play rate is actually 19th in the NFL.
Creed Humphrey – C, Kansas City Chiefs
Humphrey has not only been one of the best rookies in the NFL, but he’s been one of the best centers in football this season. He has been a starter for the Chiefs since Week 1 and has barely put a foot wrong all year. His work in pass protection has been impressive, allowing just 10 pressures across his 14 games. He has also allowed just one sack on his league-high 678 pass-blocking snaps.
Compare this to Pro Bowler Ryan Kelly, who has allowed 24 pressures and three sacks on over than 200 fewer pass blocking snaps. Humphrey has also excelled in the running game. He has earned a 92.5 PFF run blocking grade so far this season, which leads all centers. It actually ranks third amongst all offensive linemen, behind only Trent Williams and Zack Martin.
De’Vondre Campbell – LB, Green Bay Packers
Green Bay signed Campbell on a one year, $2 million deal in the summer and he has been excellent value for money. He has also stepped up to be a defensive leader in the absence of star players like Jaire Alexander and Za’Darius Smith. Campbell has 113 tackles to his name this season, with just a 3.4% miss rate. This is the lowest missed tackle rate of any linebacker with at least 40 tackles. He has also earned the third highest PFF run defense grade of any linebacker.
Campbell has also been a reliable presence in coverage. He has given up 354 yards on 65 targets for a passer rating of just 86.3. This includes two interceptions and a pass breakup. The Packers have also employed him as an occasional blitzer and he has had success there too, with 10 pressures and two sacks on 40 pass rushing snaps. All of these numbers put him ahead of Bobby Wagner, who was one the NFC’s two linebackers in this year’s Pro Bowl.
Cordarrelle Patterson – RB, Atlanta Falcons
Patterson has blossomed into an offensive weapon for the Falcons this year and has been a major difference maker. It comes as no surprise that the best part of his game on offense has been his work as a receiver. His 524 receiving yards rank second at the position and he is one of only three backs to average more than 10 yards per catch. He hasn’t registered a single drop on 48 catchable targets and has logged a passer rating when targeted of 124.9.
Patterson has also been a solid runner too, supplanting Mike Davis as Atlanta’s lead back. He has rushed for 557 yards on his 132 carries, averaging 4.2 per attempt. He’s been able to overcome a poor offensive line, with 75.5% of his rushing yards coming after contact and his 14.4% explosive run rate ranks ninth at the position.
