The 5 Biggest Pro Bowl Snubs

The NFL released their annual Pro Bowl rosters yesterday. Per usual, mayhem soon ensued across social media. People were upset that their favorite guys weren’t selected to represent their conference. This created many instances of people saying who didn’t make it that should’ve, and who did make it that should not have. While it’s a fun debate topic, and one that you could go on for hours about.. There are always a few cases that are really indisputable when asking, “How did he NOT make the team!?” That’s where I come in. Here, I’m going to show you five players that were not selected to the Pro Bowl, making them the biggest snubs of the year.

Justin Simmons- Safety, Denver Broncos
84 Tackles, 4 Interceptions, 14 Pass Deflections

Justin Simmons is not a household name, yet. That doesn’t take away from the dominant season he’s had in Denver’s secondary. If you turned on the film, you’d see him doing everything you could ask out of a safety. Not only is he shutting down the pass, but he’s also been a force in making run stops and stopping the short passes. His numbers are impressive, but even those don’t do justice to the amazing season he’s had. There is a very legitimate chance that he earns an All-Pro selection at the end of the season, which makes the fact that he didn’t even win a Pro Bowl selection even worse.
Player he should’ve made it over- Earl Thomas, Ravens

Julian Edelman- Wide Receiver, New England Patriots
92 Catches, 1,019 Yards, 6 Touchdowns

This was a down year for AFC Wide Receivers overall. A lot of guys who we expect to have great seasons every year, had rather pedestrian seasons. One player that got massively overlooked was Julian Edelman. On a Patriots offense that has been the worst we’ve seen in recent memory, Edelman’s high level of play remained the one constant. Julian Edelman ranks 4th in Catches, and 14th in Yards. (3rd most for an AFC Receiver) His stats compare very favorably to the four Receivers selected over him. While Deandre Hopkins and Tyreek HIll aren’t really debatable, the fact that Jarvis Landry was selected over Julian Edelman is laughable. Even if you hate the Patriots.
Player he should’ve made it over- Jarvis Landry, Browns

Dak Prescott- Quarterback, Dallas Cowboys
340-519, 4,334 Yards, 26 Touchdowns, 11 Interceptions

Dak Prescott was in MVP consideration early in the season, but can’t even make a Pro Bowl roster? That’s wrong. Prescott ranks 3rd in Completions, 2nd in Passing Yards, and 5th in Total Touchdowns. All while also suffering from a league-high 25 drops from his supporting cast. Look, I get it.. it’s fun to rag on the Cowboys and make jokes about their success (or lack thereof) but Dak Prescott is having an amazing season. Even breaking it down by most advanced metrics, Prescott is still near the top in almost all categories. Total QBR is a metric that measures every aspect of a QB’s performance, and there’s only two Quarterbacks with higher QBR’s than Dak. Those two? Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes.
Player he should’ve made it over- Aaron Rodgers, Packers

Darren Waller- Tight End, Oakland Raiders
80 Catches, 1,001 Yards, 3 Touchdowns

Darren Waller has been one of the most productive Tight Ends in the league this year. He has the 3rd most Catches, and 2nd most Yards out of all NFL Tight Ends. Yes, his Touchdown total is a little low, but his performance as a whole should most definitely earn him a spot representing the AFC. His combination of size and athleticism have created mismatches all year. What makes his performance even more impressive, is the fact that he’s really been the only receiving threat that the Raiders have had. Opposing teams could just go into the game with the plan to stop Darren Waller. Or at least, they thought it would be that simple.
Player he should’ve made it over- Mark Andrews, Ravens

Lavonte David- Outside Linebacker, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
104 Tackles, 10 TFL, 6 Deflections, 2 Forced Fumbles

Now this is a peculiar one.. The Outside Linebacker spots are typically reserved for the Pass Rushers. There aren’t a lot of great 4-3 Outside Linebackers out there anymore. Lavonte David is the best when it comes to them. David often gets lost in a Tampa Bay defense that has been notoriously bad the last few years.. But the former All-Pro winner is just as productive as he’s always been. His snub doesn’t come as much surprise, he’s long been one of the most under-appreciated players in the league. This position had a lot of reputation picks this year when it came to selections. If you were going strictly off of a person’s performance and impact on the game, Lavonte David should be a no-brainer to make the team.
Player he should’ve made it over- Khalil Mack, Bears