Dez Bryant Replaces Julio Jones on NFC Roster at 2017 Pro Bowl

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant was named the replacement for Julio Jones of the Atlanta Falcons on the 2017 NFC Pro Bowl team. 

Bryant, 28, made 50 receptions for 796 yards and eight touchdowns in 2016. He's making his third Pro Bowl appearance despite missing three games due to injuries.

Jones, who was named to his fourth Pro Bowl, will be unable to participate after the Falcons advanced Sunday to Super Bowl LI. The Falcons star finished second behind T.Y. Hilton in receiving yards despite missing a pair of games.

Bryant's selection gives Dallas seven Pro Bowl selections. Quarterback Dak Prescott, running back Ezekiel Elliott, offensive tackle Tyron Smith, center Travis Frederick, guard Zack Martin and linebacker Sean Lee were previously named to the team.

Prescott and Elliott drew national headlines for leading Dallas to a 13-3 regular-season record in their first NFL season. Prescott and Bryant struggled at times developing the same rhythm as Bryant and Tony Romo, whose back injury paved the way for the former fourth-round pick.

Bryant's injury issues did little to help matters, but he and Prescott seemed to click toward the end of the season. He posted at least 70 yards in three of the final four regular-season games where Dallas starters played significant time and had 132 yards and two touchdowns in Dallas' playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers.

"Hopefully just with time and experience together that there's a comfort level that exists," head coach Jason Garrett said about Prescott and Bryant, per Todd Archer of ESPN.com. "That's an important thing between a quarterback and a receiver, just spending time together, working on routes against all the different looks in practice and in games."

Still, Bryant's selection may be perplexing to some. New Orleans Saints wide receivers Brandin Cooks and Michael Thomas, the Seattle Seahawks' Doug Baldwin and the Detroit Lions' Golden Tate are among the players who had better numbers than Bryant and have not been named to the Pro Bowl.