Calvin Johnson and 9 Detroit Lions Who Could Make the 2011 Pro Bowl
In 2010, Calvin Johnson and Ndamukong Suh both made the Pro Bowl.
Both deserved the honor, and for Johnson it was probably a couple of years overdue. But they got their dues, and even though Suh didn't play, he was one of the leading defensive vote-getters.
Now that the Lions have gotten over that hump and sent players to the Pro Bowl for the first time since Roy Williams in 2007, is it time to open the floodgates on Lions in the Pro Bowl?
If so, here are some likely candidates.
Calvin Johnson
1 of 10
Might as well get this one right out of the way—I doubt there was much suspense here.
It's downright criminal that Calvin Johnson has only made one Pro Bowl to date. He has played phenomenal football every year since he was drafted, with the exception of an injury-hampered rookie season in which he played second fiddle to Roy Williams.
With Johnson's work ethic, incredible physical gifts and a rapidly improving offense forming around him, he will undoubtedly be a Pro Bowler again in his career.
I'd guess it happens sooner rather than later.
Ndamukong Suh
2 of 10
Big surprise, right? The first two players on a list of the Lions' potential future Pro Bowlers are the Lions' current Pro Bowlers.
Well, why not?
Ndamukong Suh notched 10 sacks his rookie season and he played a greater percentage of his team's snaps than any defensive tackle in the NFL. And he was double-teamed on almost every play.
That is to say, Suh, as a rookie, fought against 650 pounds of man for roughly 40 snaps a game and somehow managed to become the most dominant defensive tackle in the NFC.
Then the Lions went and drafted another defensive tackle, Nick Fairley, who can be just as dominant and will at the very least take some pressure off Suh.
Now, Suh can use his talent to dominate opposing offenses and still get an adequate amount of rest.
Another Pro Bowl is feasible.
Louis Delmas
3 of 10
Of the Lions on the team right now, Delmas is probably the nearest miss when it comes to making the Pro Bowl.
Delmas has been good to very good over the last couple of years, but he's still working out the kinks in his game and he hasn't had a great deal of support from his surrounding defense.
Delmas has also played both his professional seasons with lingering injuries, and we have yet to see if and how he can play fully healthy.
He has been very good even in the unfavorable conditions he's had to play thus far. With things starting to swing in the Lions' favor, Delmas could be poised for a breakout year.
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Brandon Pettigrew
4 of 10
Brandon Pettigrew is another Lion right on the cusp of greatness. After an injury-shortened 2009, Pettigrew became the Lions' second-most productive receiver in 2010.
That's particularly impressive when you remember that Pettigrew's blocking is better than his receiving.
Pettigrew is probably looking at a slight statistical dip in 2011, since many of his numbers in 2010 came from there being no open receivers. The Lions' improved receiving corps should assist in that.
But where Pettigrew may lose some receptions, he could gain some effectiveness by limiting his drops. He also won't have to run as many "pressure release" routes, which should mean his limited receptions will come in better areas of the field.
Matthew Stafford
5 of 10
If Matthew Stafford is to make the Pro Bowl in 2011, we're going to need to see a whole lot less of this and a whole lot more of him in helmet and pads.
Even still, Stafford is a dark horse for the Pro Bowl. He'll have a difficult time fighting through Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan and Drew Brees for a spot (and there are other rising stars who could threaten), but the potential is certainly there.
If Stafford is going to silence his doubters, becoming the first Lions quarterback to make the Pro Bowl since Greg Landry in 1971 would be a good first step.
To accomplish that, Stafford is going to need to look a lot more like a third-year player than a rookie. In terms of years in the league, Stafford is in his third year. In terms of straight playing time, he's a rookie.
Which one will show in 2011?
DeAndre Levy
6 of 10
DeAndre Levy is a long shot to the Pro Bowl because so much of what he does isn't sexy.
Levy doesn't play with a lot of flash or an obvious impact, he just flies under the radar and makes the players around him better.
That's great for the Lions, but bad for Levy in terms of Pro Bowl voting. People are looking for the flashy player when it comes time to submit the Pro Bowl ballot, and Levy isn't it.
Of course, Levy is capable of a monster statistical year, perhaps even one worthy of putting him in the Pro Bowl discussion. If that happens, the defensive line is due lots of credit along with Levy himself.
Cliff Avril
7 of 10
Cliff Avril has quietly improved every year since his rookie year in 2008, and by 2010, he wasn't so quiet anymore.
Avril would have had the most sacks of anyone over the last decade, but he was overshadowed by the dominant play of Ndamukong Suh. If Avril improves still more heading into 2011, it might be harder to overlook him.
Avril still has holes in his game, particularly when it comes to playing the run. But he seems to show major improvement year-by-year, so it's still entirely possible that Avril shores up that part of his game.
Even if he doesn't, it's not like defensive ends get to the Pro Bowl for playing the run well. They get to the Pro Bowl for getting after the quarterback, and that is undeniably Avril's speciality.
Jeff Backus
8 of 10
Surprise!
This might not be a name you expected to see on this list, and it's certainly not one of the most likely to punch a ticket to Hawaii.
But Backus has played very close to a Pro Bowl level for the last two seasons, and the addition of Rob Sims improved him even more in 2010. It's possible that blocking for Matthew Stafford and a prolific offense in 2011 could improve him even more.
Of course, the only play anyone remembers Backus making in 2010 was the Julius Peppers whiff that got Stafford injured in the first place. Missing a block on your assigned man and getting your starting quarterback seriously injured as a result—well, that's a compelling argument for not making the Pro Bowl.
But that play aside, Backus is a very good left tackle, although an aging one. He has been a Detroit Lion since 2001, and the 2011 edition might be the best Lions team he's seen his entire career. If that's the case, Backus should benefit in Pro Bowl voting, as offensive linemen often get in through fan voting based on some sort of name recognition.
A lot needs to go right for Backus to make the Pro Bowl, but it could.
If he maintains his approximate level of play from last year, eliminates the catastrophic mistakes and acts like he's in a contract year, he could make his first (and presumably last) Pro Bowl in 2011.
John Wendling
9 of 10
John Wendling, the monster athlete-turned-special-teams superstar was a Pro Bowl alternate on special teams coverage in 2010. There is little reason not to expect a repeat performance out of him in 2011.
The new kickoff rules should minimize Wendling's effectiveness in that area. That's okay, because where he really excels is on punt coverage. He is always around the ball, usually making a play to tap it out of the end zone or forcing a fair catch by the returner.
Wendling isn't likely to make much noise at the safety position and he won't make the Pro Bowl with what little time he gets there.
But if he repeats his 2010 performance on special-teams coverage, he should start building a reputation as a special teams coverage ace, and that might just put him over the top.
Honorable Mentions
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Jahvid Best/Mikel Leshoure
Both players are of likely Pro Bowl caliber, and I expect both to perform extremely well in 2011.
Unfortunately, for that very reason, I don't expect either to stand out head and shoulders above the other (or the rest of the league). They may combine for 1,500-2,000 yards on the season, but neither of them is likely to have a strong enough individual performance to garner serious Pro Bowl consideration.
Stefan Logan
By picking up Stefan Logan off waivers last year, the Lions went from having a a bunch of potential kick returners, none of which rated above “competent,” to having one of the league's best returners.
Unfortunately, Logan plays in the NFC, which means he'd have to perform better than Devin Hester, arguably the best kick returner of all time.
Even if Hester has a down year, Logan would still have to outperform DeSean Jackson, another of the NFL's great returners (and one with a great deal more name recognition than Logan).
Nate Burleson
Nate Burleson should have a great year with a full season of Matthew Stafford and a wide range of other offensive weapons.
But Pro Bowl? There are too many really good receivers in the NFC for Burleson to make it, especially considering he'll probably be utilized in 2011 as an effective slot receiver.
Nick Fairley
Players of Ndamukong Suh's caliber come around about once every decade. It was about this time last yeat that I was telling everyone to cool their jets on Suh's production.
See, very rarely do defensive tackles just step into the NFL and dominate from Day 1. Suh was special. Extremely so.
Fairley is special, too, but even with the fantastic defensive line he has built up around him, I don't know if he's a rookie Pro Bowler at a difficult position.
Keep your eyes out just in case.
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