NFL All-Pro Roster 2011: Which Superstars Were Snubbed?

Last week, we got to discuss NFL Pro Bowl snubs.

This week, we get to discuss NFL All-Pro snubs.

Per NFL.com, the Associated Press released its selections for the 2011 All-Pro Team. There really aren't many surprises on the First Team, as deserving studs like Aaron Rodgers, Calvin Johnson, DeMarcus Ware and Jason Pierre-Paul were all chosen. 

However, there are some players who should be on the First Team list, but aren't.

Let's take a look at three of the biggest All-Pro First-Team snubs.

3. Darren Sproles, New Orleans Saints

Whether as a running back or a kick returner, Darren Sproles did more than enough to make the All-Pro Team in 2011.

All you have to do is take one look at Sproles' numbers. He rushed for 603 yards to lead the Saints, and he also had 86 receptions for 710 yards. Those are pretty good numbers for a wide receiver, let alone a running back.

In addition, Sproles logged 1,089 yards on kickoff returns and 294 yards on punt returns. 

All told, Sproles gained 2,696 all-purpose yards, a new NFL record.

If it were me, I would have picked Sproles at running back over LeSean McCoy. He definitely found the end zone more often than Sproles did, but Sproles was a more dynamic and more productive player in 2011.

Even if we can't agree on this, I'm sure we can agree that there needs to be a spot on the All-Pro Team for guys like Sproles. He's not the only player in the NFL who helps out in a variety of different roles.

2. Sebastian Janikowski, Oakland Raiders

For setting a new NFL record for most points by a kicker in a single season, San Francisco 49ers kicker David Akers got the nod for the All-Pro Team. A pretty cool story once you consider how Akers' time in Philadelphia ended.

But here's the thing with Akers: Much of his success can be attributed to the way in which the 49ers consistently failed inside the red zone. The majority of his field goals were gimmes.

The same cannot be said of Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski. He kicked half as many field goals from the 20-29 range as Akers did, but made a whopping 17 from beyond 40 yards. He tied the NFL record with a 63-yard field goal in Week 1.

Akers made 13 from that distance, missing on seven of his 20 attempts. Those misses contributed to an 84.6 success rate on field goals.

Janikowski missed four kicks all year, making 88.6 percent of his tries.

So between the two of them, Janikowski was more reliable, and the bulk of his success wasn't owed to bad red-zone offense.

1. Victor Cruz, New York Giants

Calvin Johnson was a near-unanimous pick for one of the All-Pro Team's wide receiver slots. Wes Welker took the other.

It should have gone to Victor Cruz.

Hear me out on this one, New England. I'll give Welker credit for having a brilliant season, as he led the league with 122 receptions and had 1,569 receiving yards and nine receiving touchdowns. He was as good as he's ever been.

But he wasn't quite as dangerous as Cruz. He had 1,536 yards receiving and nine touchdown catches, numbers that closely mirror Welker's. He didn't have as many receptions, but his average of 18.7 yards per reception fairly dwarfs Welker's average of 12.9 yards per reception.

The kicker is that Cruz didn't really get involved in the Giants offense until the third week of the season, and it took a while for him to emerge as Eli Manning's go-to guy.

Despite this, Cruz still managed to put up great numbers. In addition, it's not an exaggeration to say that it's largely because of him that the Giants were able to make the playoffs.

So between Welker and Cruz, I would have taken Cruz.