All-Pro Team: First Half of the Season
Every team in the league has now played at least eight games, — officially putting us at the halfway mark. It's a good moment to pause and recognize the players that have had the biggest impact so far and are playing lights out football. There have been a lot of stellar performances so far, but some have risen above the rest.
A couple of notes before diving in: this review is based purely on the stats available and doesn't account for situations where a player is lining up out of position. So if you have a MLB who is killing it OLB, it’s not gonna be reflected here. Also this list doesn't adjust for scheme, so a team running a 3-4 versus a 4-3 isn't factored into how these positions are compared. Lastly, it was REALLY hard picking some players over others. And so I had to leave a lot of amazing work off the list. No disrespect intended! I tried to capture some of those who deserved recognition as well.
With that said, here is my list of the All Pros so far this season:
OFFENSE
QB — Donovan McNabb, Lions
No quarterback in the league is doing more with less pressure to force the issue than McNabb. He's completing over 54% of his throws, posting a
107.5 rating — second-best of any starter — and doing it behind the league's best record. Throw in 22 touchdowns against just 8 picks and a league-leading 10.32 yards per attempt, and he's a critical engine behind Detroit's 7-1 start.
Snub watch: Peyton Manning (Vikings) has more touchdowns (24) and a gaudy 103.8 rating of his own, and Matt Hasselbeck's 117.8 rating in Seattle is the best in football on a per-throw basis — but McNabb's combination of volume, efficiency, and team success edges them both out, though a strong case could be made for any of the above.
RB — Willis McGahee, Titans
This is another position with a few contenders. McGahee leads the league in rushing yards (
1,180), yards per carry among the workhorse backs (5.93), and touchdowns (
— and he's doing it for the best team in the AFC. McGahee has rushed for 100 yards in every game except 1 – and he ran for 97 in that one.
Snub watch: Edgerrin James (Bears) deserves a mention — he's averaging 6.46 yards per carry with zero fumbles on a 6-2 team, arguably the most efficient back in the league, just without McGahee's workload. Plus two games with 250+ yards is nothing to sneeze at. And don’t sleep on Thomas Jones who had a 300 yard effort in week 6.
FB — Doug Jolley, Lions
All-Pro fullback recognition usually comes down to who does the dirty work best, but Jolley stands out because he's a legitimate three-way threat: 26 pancakes with just enough sacks allowed to stay respectable, 72 rushing yards and a score on the ground, and 47 yards through the air.
Snub watch: Bubba Franks (Bears) is the purest blocker in the league — 43 pancakes and zero sacks allowed — but without any rushing or receiving production to round out the résumé.
Pass Catchers
WR — Chad Johnson, Bengals
Johnson is putting up numbers that would stand out in any era:
1,248 yards, 10 touchdowns, and a ridiculous 24.47 yards per catch, all with only 2 drops on the year.
WR — Brandon Marshall, Vikings
Marshall's the rare case where the raw yardage (1,158) isn't even his best trait — his
12 touchdowns lead all wideouts, and he's doing it as the go-to option for a team tied for the best record in the NFC North.
Snub watch: Marques Colston (Cowboys) is nearly impossible to leave off — 15 touchdowns on just 36 catches for the league's best team is an absurd touchdown rate (41.67%), but the overall volume is too thin to crack the top two yet. Vincent Jackson has also been a beast this year. On pace for close to a 2,000 yard season with a gaudy 18.45 ypc. Similarly, The Bills’ Craphonso Thorpe has put up insane numbers and already has 10 TDs on the year.
TE — Tony Gonzalez, Vikings
Gonzalez is putting together the most complete tight end season in the league — 37 catches, 579 yards, 7 touchdowns, and only a single drop.
Snub watch: Antonio Gates (Lions) is right behind him, and he's doing it for the league's #1 team — 6 touchdowns and just 3 drops of his own. Leonard Pope of the Raiders has also been balling out, giving Oakland a serious threat in the passing game. And Jerome Collins of the Bills has numbers that any wideout would salivate over.
Offensive Line
For naming the tops of the OLine, I didn’t differentiate between left and right tackles and guards and they are combined into single OT and OG groups rather than split by side, with the top two at each spot recognized. At first I split it out but then thought it better to group them. This group is built around whoever's keeping their quarterback clean
and opening lanes at the highest rate, not just piling up raw pancake totals.
OT — Anthony Alabi, Colts
Alabi's pancake-to-sack ratio (49.00) is the best of any tackle handling real volume — 49 pancakes against a single sack allowed, anchoring the line for one of the AFC's best teams.
OT — Alex Barron, Bears
Barron leads all tackles in total pancakes (51) while keeping his sack total low (2), giving him the best combination of volume and protection at the position.
Snub watch: Lots of great work from the Tackles thru the first have of the season, it was hard to pick just two. Arizona’s Ryan Tucker has been a standout at OT. So have Bryant McKenzie, Chris Samuals. Rob Petitti has been solid stud for Atlanta and could just as easily been cited above.
OG — Jordan Gross, Ravens
Gross leads all guards in pancakes (46) while allowing just a single sack — the best combination of push and protection at the position, even on a .500 team.
OG — Mike Wahle, Cowboys
Wahle checks every box: 41 pancakes, just 1 sack allowed, and he's doing it for the best team in the NFC.
Snub watch: Like the Tackles, some really good offensive line play at Guard so far this season. Washington’s Brian Waters has been a stand out, as has Kris Dielman who has yet to give up a sack. Ben Claxton and Andrew Gurode were also very much in the mix.
C — Brad Meester, Steelers
Meester's 35 pancakes against only 1 sack allowed is the best ratio of any center handling a real workload in the league.
Snub watch: At Center, Meester was clearly the best, but Chicago’s Olin Kreutz has been exceptional this season. And Shaun O’Hara of Arizona has yet to give up a sack this season, putting him in the conversation as well.
DEFENSE
Defensive Line
On the other side of the ball, I also combined the right and left ends defensive ends rather than split by side. Again, please keep in mind I haven’t taken into account scheme, which would likely shape these picks.
DE — Matt Walters, Broncos
Walters is putting up numbers nobody else in the league is sniffing — a league-leading
12 sacks through eight games, on a team that's otherwise scuffling at 3-5.
DE — Kalimba Edwards, Lions
Edwards pairs 8 sacks with a league-leading 6 tackles-for-loss among edge rushers, and he's doing it for the best team in football.
Snub watch: Kenny King (Colts) is right there with 9 sacks for a 6-2 contender, and Dolphins DT Gabe Watson — officially rostered as a tackle but lining up at end — put up 8 sacks and a forced fumble from that spot. Aaron Schobel (Browns) also deserves a mention: 8 sacks on a 1-8 team is genuinely impressive work in a lost season. Michael Haynes in Tampa has 8 sacks plus a pick and two deflections which also puts him in the running.
DT — Aaron Smith, Lions
Smith gives Detroit's front four a second disruptive force alongside Edwards — 20 tackles, 6 sacks, and a forced fumble from the interior.
DT — Shaun Rogers, Bills
Rogers brings the havoc factor: 6 sacks, 5 tackles-for-loss, and 2 forced fumbles, anchoring the middle for one of the AFC's best teams.
Snub watch: Tamba Hali (Broncos) leads all interior/edge tackles in raw tackles (21) to go with 6 sacks, and Darnell Dockett (Redskins) is a rare bright spot on an 0-8 team with 6 sacks and 21 tackles of his own. Marcus Stroud has been having a stellar season as well, as have Marcus Tubbs and Darrell Shropshire who both have 5 sacks and 4 Tackles for Loss.
Linebackers
MLB — Roy Williams, Chargers
Williams is the clearest statistical standout at any position on this list —
78 tackles (nearly ten clear of the next linebacker), 11 tackles-for-loss, 3 interceptions, and a forced fumble.
Snub watch: Lots of good linebackers have been representing so far, the candidates is pretty long. Jonathan Vilma has been all over the place, as has DeMeco Ryans in Carolina with his 11 TFLs. ZakDeOssie of the Saints has 5 picks on the year and could easily be named here, and could be the Rookie of the Year. Honestly there are more than half a dozen other names that got consideration.
OLB — E.J. Henderson, Seahawks
Henderson does everything: 71 tackles, 7 TFL, a fumble recovery, and an interception he took 69 yards to the house.
OLB — Victor Hobson, Saints
Hobson's the most explosive playmaker at the position — 6 sacks (rare for an off-ball backer), a forced fumble he took 75 yards, a safety, and a defensive touchdown.
Snub watch: Dhani Jones (Browns) deserves real credit — his 14 tackles-for-loss lead all linebackers, a genuinely elite number, even on a 1-8 team. Likewise for his teammate Ryan Nece who has been a force on the other side. Takeo Spikes also deserves respect for his season to date.
Secondary
CB — Brian Williams, Dolphins
Williams leads all corners with
6 interceptions and has taken one back for a score, doing it for a team tied for the AFC East lead.
CB — Marcus Trufant, Colts
Trufant's 5 picks come with a staggering 31.4-yard average return and two defensive touchdowns.
Snub watch: Champ Bailey (Bears) also has two defensive touchdowns off his 4 interceptions, and Patrick Surtain (Vikings) leads all corners in pass deflections with 25. Fernando Bryant of Buffalo is also in the mix, as is Chris McAlister.
SS — Derek Pagel, Bills
Pagel's the most complete safety in the league right now — 39 tackles, a fumble recovery, and 3 interceptions.
FS — Gerald Sensabaugh, Texans
Sensabaugh does a little bit of everything: 40 tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and 3 picks — including one he returned 70 yards for a score. His 15 deflections to 3 catches allowed is insane.
Snub watch: Gibril Wilson is right in the mix with 33 tackles and 3 interceptions for another top-tier AFC team. Gerome Sapp in Seattle has also quietly had a great season. The Steelers’ Charles Drake is also among the best of the best so far. As are Bob Sanders and Quintin Mikell of the Jets. Erik Coleman has been a force in Minnesota, as have Gary Baxter and rookie LaRon Landry.
SPECIAL TEAMS
K — Danny Boyd, Colts
Boyd is a perfect
22-for-22 on field goals and 27-for-27 on extra points — automatic, on the best team in the AFC South race.
P — Andy Lee, Giants
Lee leads the league in average at
49.51 yards per punt — nearly a full yard clear of second place — for a team firmly in the playoff hunt.
KR — Chad Owens, Bills
Owens averages more than 27 yards per return and had a 100 yard TD return.
PR — Deuce McAllister, Saints
Deuce has more punt return yards than anyone and his 7.94 yards per return is the highest of anyone with more than 4 attempts.
Snub watch: Mark Jensen (Titans, the league's hottest team at 7-2) is also a perfect 21-for-21, and Nick Folk (Texans) has the most total makes in the league at 24. Derrick Frost has been a force in St. Louis in the punting game.
