Every year we complain about NFL players who were snubbed from the Pro Bowl, but there are a finite number of spots. So if you’re going to put one player in, you have to take one out. That’s what we did. Here are For The Win’s picks for the biggest Pro Bowl snubs along with the players whose spots they deserve…
MORE: 2019 NFL Pro Bowl: Selections from every team
Luck has dragged a mediocre Colts team into the playoff race and has done so while putting up better numbers than the quarterback who took his spot on the roster.
Brady has had a fine year. It just hasn't met the standard he has set in the past. Or the standard Luck has set with an inferior supporting cast. This off-year for the GOAT did not deserve Pro Bowl recognition even if he still remains one of the very best QBs in the league.
These two are revolutionizing the running back position. We've seen back used as receivers in the past, but McCaffrey and Kamara have become the focal points of their teams' offense. At least McCaffrey has in Carolina. Kamara is fighting with another Pro Bowler for Drew Brees' targets. but that hasn't stopped him from putting up monster numbers.
Barkley has lived up to the hype, but he's not quite the dual-threat McCaffrey and Kamara have become in their sophomore seasons. Playing in New York probably helped the rookie's cause.
Leonard is on pace for a record-breaking rookie season. He's been all over the field as a tackler and has made plenty of splash plays. He has been one of the keys to the Colts' turnaround.
Maybe Pro Bowl voters just got used to voting Mosley in and didn't actually give this one any thought. The Ravens LB is a good player, but this hasn't been one of his better seasons. And he certainly hasn't made the impact Leonard has.
Bakhtiari deserves more respect. He's long been one of the league's tackles but never gets credit for it. He was the best tackle in the NFC this season, and it wasn't all that close.
Here's another reputation pick. Williams has been fine in 2018 but hasn't played at the blue-chip level we've come to expect from the Redskins' blindside protector. Bakhtiari has been the better blocker.
Forget about the Pro Bowl. Vander Esch deserves to be in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation. He's been that good for the Cowboys defense, which has been one of the bigger surprises of the 2018 season.
This was a hard cut to make, but we certainly weren't taking Bobby Wagner off the list. Kuechly has been his typical brilliant self but we haven't seen many splash plays from the Panthers star.
Cook has been one of the lone bright spots in Oakland this season. He's on pace for a 1,000-yard season and has already found the end zone six times. Jon Gruden, of all people, was the coach who finally helped Cook realize his potential.
Touchdowns make highlight reels, and no tight end has scored more than Ebron. But Cook has been far more efficient with his targets. He has 200 more yards on five fewer targets.
Jones has 14 sacks on the season. As a defensive tackle. He's enjoying one of the greatest seasons we've ever seen from that position and didn't even get a Pro Bowl nod.
Atkins has been long underrated, so nobody should be too upset about his inclusion on the team. But the Bengals DT tailed off in the second half of the season after a dominating start. Jones was the more consistent player in 2018.
Nobody pays attention to the Chargers, so it makes sense that King's season has gone overlooked. That doesn't make it right. King has allowed only two touchdowns on 69 targets this season.
Ward has been one of the league's best rookies, but he was not one of the AFC's four best cornerbacks this season. He allowed four touchdowns and struggled as a tackler.
Swearinger does it all for the Redskins. He's good in coverage, stops the run, creates turnovers and even rushes the passer. What more does he have to do to get a Pro Bowl nod?
Smith has been snubbed for the Pro Bowl in past years, so this is probably a makeup call. But this hasn't been a great year for Smith or the Minnesota secondary. He's been good, but nearly as good as he was during his historic 2017 season.
The argument for Wilson is simple: He IS the Seahawks offense. He's putting up his most efficient season to date and doing so while throwing to a limited receiving corps. The same cannot be said for this next guy...
When the Rams have lost, Goff has been the reason. They've done a lot of losing lately and Goff's numbers have fallen off a cliff.
