NFL Pro Bowl 2012: 7 Players Who Will Shine in Hawaii

The 2012 NFL Pro Bowl teams have been announced, but there are several names in both conferences that will make this glorified backyard football game worth watching.

It's no secret that most of the participants in the Pro Bowl, are there simply to enjoy a mini-vacation in Hawaii and play about half-speed when it comes time to suit up in those hideous uniforms.

However, even playing at 50 percent these seven selections have the potential to make this game worth talking about at the office water cooler the day after.

Eli Manning

While the New York football Giants have been unpredictable as a unit this season, quarterback Eli Manning has been anything but.

If not for the unheard of seasons guys like Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Drew Brees are having this year, we'd be talking about Manning for Most Valuable Player.

The Giants quarterback has 26 touchdowns on the season with a passer rating of 90.3 through 15 games. The Ole Miss product has been one of the biggest reasons for the G-Men having a shot at the playoffs.

He'll see the most playing time in the Pro Bowl due to the fact he's the third-string QB, and there's no reason he won't be able to light up the AFC secondary.

Steve Smith

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith doesn't grab as many headlines as Larry Fitzgerald or Greg Jennings does these days, but he's arguably had the best season out of the three.

Smith has racked up more than 1,300 yards receiving along with six touchdowns in 2011, quickly becoming one of rookie quarterback Cam Newton's favorite targets.

Smith will be playing in his fifth Pro Bowl, but his first since the 2008 season where he scored six touchdowns and had 1,421 yards receiving.

Expect NFC quarterbacks Eli Manning, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers to feed the ball to Smith in this bout, because Newton has shown what good can happen when this Panther has the ball in his hands.

Maurice Jones-Drew

Despite being on one of the worst offensive teams in the league in the Jacksonville Jaguars, all Maurice Jones-Drew does is run the ball at an elite level.

He currently leads the NFL in rushing yards despite the fact opposing defenses do everything possible to keep No. 32 from being a factor. MoJo just seems to be one of those running backs that just doesn't know how to go half speed.

Jones-Drew was the only Jaguar selected to be apart of the AFC team, so look for him to do everything possible to represent his franchise in Honolulu.

Vonta Leach

It's hard to measure a fullback's importance based on stats, but Vonta Leach has helped Arian Foster and Ray Rice reach 1,000 yard seasons in back to back years.

In his first year as a member of the Baltimore Ravens, Leach has paved the way for Rice to score 10 touchdowns and five 100-plus yard games in 2011.

Rice is a talented back, and many might say he would have reached the 1,000-yard mark without Leach, but boy does this fullback make running the ball easier.

With a talented backfield consisting of Maurice Jones-Drew, Rice and Foster, expect big numbers from all three backs as long as Leach is in the game.

Jason Pierre-Paul

The New York Giants have had to deal with more than a team's fair share of injuries on defense this season, but Jason Pierre-Paul has eased that burden all year.

Star defensive players Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora have been in and out of the lineup this season with injuries, but JPP has made up for their absence on more than a few occasions.

He single-handedly shut the door on the Dallas Cowboys a few weeks ago with his field goal block and harassment of the 'Boys offensive line.

Pierre-Paul has had a breakout 2011 and will look to make the most of his first appearance in the Pro Bowl.

Patrick Willis

Speaking of breakout 2011 seasons, the San Francisco 49ers have exploded onto the NFC Super Bowl contender scene this year and a major contributor to this cause has been linebacker Patrick Willis.

Willis has posted four forced fumbles (say that three times fast) along with an interception and 93 tackles for San Fran this year.

Absolutely nobody has been able to run on this 49ers team, and they have the top ranked rush defense to prove it. Willis will look to show off just how much he has to do with the '9ers impressive defensive unit when the Pro Bowl rolls around.

Ed Reed

Not that I condone this, but if you're ever in a situation where you need to gamble on a player to make the Pro Bowl, Ed Reed might be your safest choice.

In 10 NFL seasons, this Baltimore Raven has been to the Pro Bowl a total of eight times. Reed only has three interceptions on the year and just 48 tackles, but he's just one of those names that seems to be a shoe-in for an all expense paid trip to Hawaii each year.

The University of Miami product has constantly shown football fans that he has trouble dialing it down in this exhibition game, so don't be surprised to see Reed knock a few receivers in the mouth and give the NFC quarterbacks fits.