Detroit Lions: Which Players Will They Be Sending to the Pro Bowl in 2012?

For far too long, the Lions were snubbed from the Pro Bowl. Whether  this streak was justified, it was ended last year when Calvin Johnson and Ndamukong Suh were voted into the Pro Bowl.

This may be early to be predicting Pro Bowlers, but that is what the NFL off season is for after all. Also, with the increase in negative articles on the Detroit page lambasting our draft, a dose of healthy optimism about the upcoming season would never go amiss.

I will first list off the players who I believe will make the Pro Bowl, then quickly name the guys who are sleepers if the Lions play well and they live up to their potential.

Enjoy!

Calvin Johnson

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DETROIT - NOVEMBER 25: Calvin Johnson #81 of the Detroit Lions celebrates a first quarter touchdown with teammate Brandon Pettigrew #84 to give the Lions a 7-3 lead over the New England Patriots at Ford Field on November 25, 2010 in Detroit, Michigan. (

He made it last year, and with the projected improvement of the Lions offense in 2011, he should be able to put forward an even stronger case for selection. What's more, the stigma against selecting Lions to the Pro Bowl seems to have disappeared after a few strong drafts.

If Stafford starts, Leshoure and Best make the run game more respectable and Titus Young helps draw some coverage off Megatron, then it would be no surprise if he had a 90 catch, 12 TD and 1400 yard season. With production and a nickname like that, he would be a shoo in.

Even if he does not get this help, he should still make it to Hawaii. With another year of experience he will be better at the intricacies of playing wide receiver, and he did make it to the Pro Bowl last year.

Ndamukong Suh

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DALLAS, TX - FEBRUARY 03: Ndamukong Suh #90 of the Detroit Lions poses during a press conference where he accepted Pepsi's 2010 NFL Rookie of the Year Award at the Super Bowl XLV media center on February 3, 2011 in Dallas, Texas. The Green Bay Packers wi

He is currently one of the biggest names in the NFL, and will only play better in 2011 with another year of experience under his belt, more strength from an NFL weight program and more elite help on the defensive line.

Suh made the Pro Bowl last season en route to his rookie of the year award, and while he will not be up for that gong again, he is as close to a sure thing as possible for the earlier accolade. He is a powerful, fast and hard-working lineman who is a lethal pass rusher, and was showing massive improvement in the run game late in 2010 which bodes well for his all-round game come the 2011 season.

He is also going to play less snaps this season following the drafting of Nick Fairley. Suh will probably play 250 less snaps, which on the surface may sound bad statistically, but really should improve his performance. He will be able to go harder each play, and have more energy late in the game when the defensive line can be at its most dominant.

Fairley will also make it easier for Suh when they are both on the field. Suh will attract the majority of the double teams, but if Fairley goes on a tear for a few plays then the offensive line may be forced to make a change to slow the rookies momentum. They would surely pay for that.

Brandon Pettigrew

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ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 21: Brandon Pettigrew #84 of the Detroit Lions catches the ball for a first down as Orlando Scandrick #32 and Terence Newman #41 of the Dallas Cowboys defend during the game at Dallas Stadium on November 21, 2010 in Arlington, Te

Pettigrew performed well last season, and I predict that he will move into the upper echelon of tight ends this year.

He projects to be a player in the mould of Jason Witten. He is not a field stretching tight end like Vernon Davis, but is as good as any in making those important catches that move the chains and keep the quarterback off his back. He is also a good blocker, and is expected to become a great NFL blocker next season or the one after.

While he will have a tough time displacing incumbent Pro Bowlers Vernon Davis, Jason Witten and Jermichael Finley, he should perform that well. Last year he caught 71 passes for 722 yards a four touchdowns, and with another year of experience he should improve all these numbers while continuing to impress as a run and pass blocker.

Cliff Avril

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TAMPA, FL - DECEMBER 19: Defensive end Cliff Avril #92 of the Detroit Lions sacks quarterback Josh Freeman #5 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the game at Raymond James Stadium on December 19, 2010 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)

This is a more contentious pick, because this time last year no one out of Detroit even knew his name. However, last year he really broke out as an amazing speed rusher, and in his next season I am sure that he will be an even better pass rusher while becoming a much better run defender.

While there are a lot of good defensive ends in the NFC, his situation and play will put him into at least a Pro Bowl reserve berth. He is playing on arguably the best defensive line in the NFL, and he will be the best defensive end on that line.

In addition, he will never see a double team all season, because either Suh or Fairley will command them. This will allow Avril to use his quickness and speed to get around offensive tackles without getting bogged down in other blockers.

He also plays on the left side of the defensive line, which lets him compete with what is usually the second best pass protecting offensive tackle on a team.

Sleepers

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DETROIT, MI - DECEMBER 12: Louis Delmas #26 of the Detroit Lions leaves the field celebrating a 7-3 victory over the Green Bay Packers on December 12, 2010 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Titus Young

This young explosive receiver would certainly be a dark horse for the playoffs, but if Burleson proves to be ineffective then Young could see quite a few balls thrown his way to take advantage of the heavy coverage on Johnson. He certainly has the talent to be a top receiver in his first season, and with the return of Matthew Stafford, will be blessed with one of the strongest arms in the league to help him stretch the field.

Nick Fairley

This is another rookie who could be a sensation in his first year. The reasons for this have been expounded many times on this website, so I will cut to the chase. He will rarely see a double team, Nick is a very athletic pass rusher and he should see a work ethic increase because of Kyle Vanden Bosch and Ndamukong Suh. For these reasons, Fairley could easily see a season equal to Suh's rookie of the year bid in 2011, at least as a pass rusher.

These next two players, Louis Delmas and Matthew Stafford, are less likely sleepers.

Louis Delmas

Delmas is one of the stalwarts of a patchy Lions back seven, and has played remarkably well overall in his first two seasons. He is pretty solid in coverage, and his ability to do so should improve with a better offensive line, and an improved linebacker corps which will allow him to play "out of the box" more. He is also a powerful tackler who has the ability to make momentum swinging tackles and intimidate receivers who go over the middle.

Matthew Stafford 

The Lions signal caller has suffered a terrible run of injuries in his first two seasons, but is finally likely to have a full season in his third year as a pro. However, on the field he looked like a franchise quarterback in the two games he played in 2011, including against the vaunted New York Jets defense. He showed an ability to throw accurately and cut down on his interceptions. With the draft additions to the offense, he should be leading one of the more talented groups of skill position players in the league, and it would not be all that surprising if he passed for 3,000 yards next season while throwing 30 TD's and 10 interceptions. If the Lions are playoff bound by the time Pro Bowl votes are counted, that could be enough to earn him a reserve spot on the team.