2022 Pro Bowl: Complete AFC Roster Revealed

SportsurgeJanuary 4, 2022

The NFL Pro Bowl is back after last year’s cancellation due to the pandemic this season. The 2022 Pro Bowl will take place on Feb. 6, 2022, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Fans have had the chance to vote on their favorite players from the 2021 season since Nov. 16 and now have an opportunity to try these picks when placing bets.  The results are out, so fans who are punters can now get ready for 2022. Below are the revealed lists:

20022 Pro BOWL

Quarterback

  • Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (90.4)
  • Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert (89.2)
  • Derek Carr is a quarterback with the Raiders of Las Vegas (78.9)

Any discussion over Burrow vs. Herbert should be put to rest because it appears that both teams have hit home runs! Through Week 15, those two quarterbacks are among the top three quarterbacks in the NFL. Burrow and Herbert are on their way to becoming the third and fourth-best second-year quarterbacks in the PFF era (since 2006), trailing only Patrick Mahomes in 2018 and Lamar Jackson in 2019.

Back-up Running

  • Indianapolis Colts’ Jonathan Taylor (90.0)
  • Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Mixon (80.6)
  • Cleveland Browns Nick Chubb (78.3)

 

According to PFF WAR, Taylor is the most valuable running back in the NFL, and it’s not even close. With an NFL-high 270 carries, he’s been a workhorse back. Despite this, he has the highest proportion of carries that result in a first down in the league.

Fullback

  • Baltimore Ravens Patrick Ricard (74.6)

Ricard is the highest-graded of the four fullbacks that have recorded over 100 snaps so far in the 2021 season. His blocking has been a significant factor in this. Ricard has an 88.1 run-blocking grade after 291 run-block snaps.

Wide Receiver 

  • Kansas City Chiefs Tyreek Hill (87.9)
  • Buffalo Bills’ Stefon Diggs (80.5)
  • Cincinnati Bengals’ Tee Higgins (81.4)
  • Los Angeles Chargers Keenan Allen (80.1)

 

Hill may not be putting up the kind of deep receiving numbers that we’ve come to expect, but his 87.9 PFF grade ranks fourth in the NFL, indicating that he’s still one of the best pass-catchers in the league. With 69 first downs, he has the second-most in the league.

Tight End

  • Baltimore Ravens Mark Andrews (91.0)
  • Kansas City Chiefs Travis Kelce (82.4)

Despite working less downfield this season than in the past, Kelce has prospered. When targeted nine yards or less downfield, he is second only to Kittle in receiving grade among NFL pass catchers.

Offensive Tackle

  • Las Vegas Raiders’ Kolton Miller (80.8)
  • Los Angeles Chargers’ Rashawn Slater (79.9)
  • Indianapolis Colts’ Braden Smith (84.6)

Slater has been performing at a high level for a rookie left tackle for a high level. For the 2021 season, he has a 79.9 pass-block grade and a 4 percent pressure rate, both of which are on pace to be among the top five marks for a rookie left tackle in the last decade.

Offensive Guard

  • Cleveland Browns Joel Bitonio (93.7)
  • New England Patriots’ Shaq Mason (83.7)
  • Cleveland Browns’ Wyatt Teller (83.4)

 

This season, there hasn’t been a better guard duo in the NFL than Cleveland’s Bitonio and Teller. By almost six grading points, the two have given the Browns the highest-graded guard duo in the league. Teller has been the nastiest run-blocking guard, with 14 big-time run-blocks to his credit, while Bitonio has been the cleanest, ranking first in both pressure rate allowed and negatively graded run-block rate.

Center

  • Kansas City Chiefs’ Creed Humphrey (90.4)
  • Los Angeles Chargers’ Corey Linsley (84.3)

In his debut season, Humphrey is making history. His 90.4 PFF grade tops all centers for 2021 and leads all rookie centers in the PFF era by a significant margin.

 

On the other hand, Linsley is living up to the hype after signing a big contract this offseason. Linsley, who was the highest-graded center in 2020, is one of the top three centers in 2021.

Interior Defensive Line 

  • Pittsburgh Steelers Cameron Heyward (91.3)
  • Kansas City Chiefs Chris Jones (86.9)
  • Baltimore Ravens’ Calais Campbell (84.4)
  • Miami Dolphins’ Christian Wilkins (83.6)

Jones began 2021 on edge, but his dominance waned, prompting Kansas City to transfer him back to the inside by the middle of the year. This season, Jones has also reclaimed his elite status, earning a 90.1 PFF grade when lining up over or inside the tackle.

Edge Defender 

  • Cleveland Browns Myles Garrett (92.1)
  • Las Vegas Raiders’ Maxx Crosby (91.0)
  • Los Angeles Chargers Joey Bosa (88.6)
  • Pittsburgh Steelers’ T.J. Watt (87.0)

These four edge defenders are the best in the NFL when rushing the passer, with individual pass-rush grades of first, second, third, and fourth through Week 15. Crosby, who improved his PFF grade by over 33 points year over year and is the league’s second-most valuable defender behind Donald, was the only player who entered 2021 without a Pro Bowl-caliber season under his belt.

Linebacker

  • Indianapolis Colts Darius Leonard (77.4)
  • Cleveland Browns’ Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (76.5)
  • Buffalo Bills’ Matt Milano (68.9)

Owusu-Koramoah has earned the title of draft steal. This season, the second-round rookie has been a force in pass coverage, allowing only six first downs or touchdowns while recording seven passing stops and four forced incompletions. JOK has ten pass-rush pressures in 43 pass-rush reps as a pass-rusher.

Cornerback

  • Cincinnati Bengals’ Chidobe Awuzie (80.2)
  • Las Vegas Raiders’ Nate Hobbs (78.6)
  • New England Patriots’ J.C. Jackson (78.4)
  • Las Vegas Raiders’ Casey Hayward Jr. (77.7)

What about the Raiders’ cornerback pairing? Due to Hobbs and Hayward Jr.’s contributions to Gus Bradley’s single-high defense, the Raiders have dramatically improved their coverage after several years of mediocrity. According to PFF WAR, Hobbs and Hayward are among the eight most valuable cornerbacks in the NFL this season.

Safety

  • Tennessee Titans’ Kevin Byard (90.3)
  • New England Patriots’ Adrian Phillips (83.5)
  • Miami Dolphins’ Jevon Holland (81.6)

This season, Byard has been the top safety in the league. He has the highest PFF rating at the position and has played well against the run and pass while also being one of the finest tacklers. Byard has a run defense grade of 83.5 and a coverage grade of 90.5. On 75 attempts, he’s only missed four tackles for a 5.3 percent missed tackle rate.

 

Holland was one of the most promising rookies in the 2021 season. According to PFF WAR, he’s the NFL’s second-most valuable safety and fifth-most valuable rookie this season.

Special Teams

  • Baltimore Ravens Justin Tucker (K) (92.8)
  • Las Vegas Raiders’ P A.J. Cole III (84.9)
  • New York Jets RS Braxton Berrios (68.5)
  • Indianapolis Colts SS Ashton Dulin (91.0 [ST Grade])
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