PFF's "Pro Bowl" guys--their opinion

he official drop of the NFL's Pro Bowl rosters for the 2021 season is right around the corner, so it’s time for PFF to release its opinion on the hotly-contested debate.



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Below you will find PFF’s selections for the NFC and AFC Pro Bowl rosters based on a bevy of metrics, including PFF grade, PFF WAR and many more (subscribe today for access).

The actual Pro Bowl rosters use improper position designations on the ballot, so we went ahead and used the correct groupings by selecting from edge defenders, interior defensive linemen and off-ball linebackers to give credit where it’s actually due.

Enjoy!


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NFC
Quarterback
Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (90.0)
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers (84.6)
Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals (83.5)
Yes, Brady is coming off a poor performance in Week 15 on Sunday Night Football that ended in zero points and a 47.6 PFF grade, but it is just one of a few bad outings from his 2020 season. In fact, it was over 15 grading points lower than his next worst. His 90.0 PFF grade still ranks No. 2 in the NFL and when it comes to PFF WAR, Brady still holds the top spot. The “Brady for MVP” campaign took a big hit this past weekend, but it’s still very much alive.

Running Back
Cordarrelle Patterson, Atlanta Falcons (86.0)
James Conner, Arizona Cardinals (80.9)
Leonard Fournette, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (74.8)
One of the biggest breakout players of the 2021 season is none other than Patterson, who is in his ninth season in the NFL. Patterson has always been considered an elite kick returner but has struggled to consistently find a role on the offense. In his first year in Atlanta, Patterson has finally done so, as he has moved to the backfield. Over half of his snaps have come in the backfield this year, and he’s earned an 86.0 PFF grade overall. Patterson’s receiving grade is even better at 91.8.


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Fullback
Kyle Juszczyk, San Francisco 49ers (66.1)
Juszczyk has been a reliable blocker and the most productive receiving fullback in the NFL. His 14 first down receptions this season are tied for 14th among all running backs and nine more than the next fullback.

Wide Receiver
Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers (91.8)
Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams (91.2)
Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings (89.8)
Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers (84.9)
The NFC has dominated the wide receiver position this year with eight of the 10 highest-graded players at the position. These four were the most deserving of Pro Bowl honors in PFF’s eyes. It shouldn’t be a surprise to see arguably the two best wide receivers against single coverage in the NFL — Adams and Jefferson — on this list along with Kupp — the top slot receiver in the NFL and engine of the L.A. Rams offense.

Samuel, however, has been a big riser since the start of 2021. He is the biggest yards after the catch (YAC) threat in the NFL with a league-leading 9.5 yards after catch per reception and is an explosive play waiting to happen. Samuel ranks seventh in the NFL in the percentage of targets that result in a 15-plus yard gain (29%) and is tied for second in 20-plus yard touchdown runs with three.

Tight End
George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers (92.3)
Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles (85.9)
Kittle has been on fire over the last few weeks, skyrocketing to the No. 1 PFF grade among NFL tight ends. Just like always, Kittle has been a tough man to bring down in an open field. The 49ers tight end ranks top five in both yards after catch per reception (7.0) and broken tackles (18).

Offensive Tackle
Trent Williams, San Francisco 49ers (98.5)
Tyron Smith, Dallas Cowboys (91.7)
Tristan Wirfs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (84.8)
Williams is currently having the best season PFF has ever seen, regardless of position. His 98.5 PFF grade through Week 15 is the highest in the database since grading began in 2006. Williams has produced 14 big-time run blocks this season — five more than any other tackle.

Offensive Guard
Zack Martin, Dallas Cowboys (93.7)
Chris Lindstrom, Atlanta Falcons (80.9)
Ali Marpet, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (80.7)
Martin battled a concussion and season-ending calf injury in 2020, but he has had no returning to his elite form in 2021. His 93.7 PFF grade is tied for first among guards this season and is on pace to be the highest of his career.

Center
Jason Kelce, Philadelphia Eagles (84.7)
Brian Allen, Los Angeles Rams (78.0)
Thirty-four-year-old Kelce is in the midst of a bounce-back season after a down year in 2020. His 84.7 PFF grade is the second-highest at the position through Week 15.

While Kelce is bouncing back, Allen is breaking out. He has grown his PFF grade year-over-year by nearly 20 points this season. He still isn’t the best in pass protection, but his run-blocking has been some of the best at the position. His 85.6 run-blocking grade is third among NFL centers.

Interior Defensive Line
Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams (93.9)
Jonathan Allen, Washington Football Team (90.5)
Al Woods, Seattle Seahawks (79.3)
Arik Armstead, San Francisco 49ers (76.8)
He may not win the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year award, but Donald has been the best defensive player of the 2021 season. Donald’s 93.9 PFF grade is the highest for a defender in 2021. He has generated 0.83 WAR this season, which is 0.25 WAR more than any other defender in the league. The world has become numb to Donald’s dominance but not PFF.

Edge Defender
Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers (89.7)
Randy Gregory, Dallas Cowboys (82.4)
Rashan Gary, Green Bay Packers (83.1)
Shaquil Barrett, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (82.3)
Bosa has been on a warpath in 2021 after missing almost all of 2020 due to a torn ACL. Bosa has earned a 90.3 pass-rush grade this year while racking up 30 combined sacks and hits on opposing quarterbacks. The latter is tied for the most in the NFL.



Linebacker
Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys (83.3)
De'Vondre Campbell, Green Bay Packers (82.9)
Lavonte David, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (77.6)
Parsons has been a rookie sensation in 2021. The 12th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft has long been touted as a versatile defensive weapon, as he's seamlessly gone from off-ball linebacker to the edge defender and is playing both positions at a high level. Parsons has earned a 92.7 pass-rush grade this season — the second-highest regardless of position, behind only Myles Garrett — while ranking eighth among off-ball linebackers in yards per coverage snap allowed (0.73).

Cornerback
A.J. Terrell, Atlanta Falcons (87.3)
Jalen Ramsey, Los Angeles Rams (85.3)
Darius Slay, Philadelphia Eagles (83.0)
Marshon Lattimore, New Orleans Saints (76.0)
Terrell is in the conversation for most improved player in the NFL this season. The 2020 first-round pick has improved his PFF coverage grade over 33 points year-over-year from 57.0 (71st) in 2020 to 90.2 (first) in 2021. The most yards Terrell has allowed in a single game this season is 32. He’s allowed the fewest yards per coverage snap in the NFL this season (0.33) while ranking third in forced incompletion rate (21.1%).

Safety
Antoine Winfield Jr., Tampa Bay Buccaneers (85.1)
Marcus Williams, New Orleans Saints (81.6)
Jimmie Ward, San Francisco 49ers (80.8)
Winfield has quickly approached All-Pro play. The 2020 second-round pick is the second-highest-graded safety in the NFL this season, as he’s been responsible for zero touchdowns in coverage this season while intercepting two passes and breaking up four others.

Special Teams
K Jake Elliott, Philadelphia Eagles (86.1)
P Bryan Anger, Dallas Cowboys (73.4)
RS Kene Nwangwu, Minnesota Vikings (87.2)
ST Troy Dye, Minnesota Vikings (90.8 [ST Grade])