Pro Bowl 2012: Aldon Smith and More Underrated Defensive Stars Who Got Snubbed

The Pro Bowl is a lot like the NCAA Tournament. No matter how many teams, or in this case players, get chosen to play, a few will always feel left out in the cold. Here are three defensive contributors that are dealing with the snub this week.

Aldon Smith – San Francisco 49ers

Smith's Monday Night Football performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers a couple weeks ago should have been enough to earn himself a spot by itself. The rookie was a dominant force for the entire evening and looked every bit like an elite pass rusher.

He has 14 sacks, which ranks second in the league, and continues to make strides in other aspects of the game as well. Assuming his meteoric rise doesn't come to an abrupt halt, he should make plenty Pro Bowls in the future, which may be why the voters looked elsewhere this season.

Kyle Arrington – New England Patriots

It's been a forgettable season for the New England secondary and defense in general. That said, Arrington has been one of the few bright spots. He's tied for the league lead with seven interceptions and is second on the team in tackles with 82.

The Hofstra alum has made a lot of progress during his three years in the league, especially in terms of being a playmaker. If the unit around him wasn't so poor, the chances of him earning a Pro Bowl bid would have been much better, but that just wasn't the case this season.

Pat Angerer – Indianapolis Colts

Angerer continues to be a tackling machine on an otherwise weak Colts defense. While he's not the most physically imposing presence at the linebacker position by any stretch, his relentless worth ethic allows him to make a big impact anyway.

After emerging as a rookie last season, he's been one of this season's breakout stars. He ranks fourth with 137 tackles and his monster outing against the Tennessee Titans two weeks back helped the Colts pick up their first win of the season.