2011 NFL Predictions: A First-Time Pro Bowler at Every Position

Every season, there are a number of players that take the next step around the NFL. Some of these players were high draft picks with expectations heading into the league. Others fell through the cracks and are now making the most of an opportunity. 

Some say, and I would have to be inclined to agree, that the NFL Pro Bowl is somewhat of a popularity contest.

There is a reason that a 6-10 team (Dallas Cowboys) has four more Pro Bowl selections than a 10-6 team (Tampa Bay Buccaneers).

It really is hard for young, unassuming players to take the next step among the league's perceived "best."

But it does happen more than people would like to believe. 

Of the 82 players selected to the 2010 Pro Bowl, 21 were first-timers. It is an incredible achievement and these players should be proud.

Today, I am going to focus on possible first-time Pro Bowlers at every position this season. You will see a mix of well-known individuals and some of the lesser-known variety. 

Quarterback: Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2010 Stats: 61.4 completion percentage, 3,452 yards, 25 touchdowns, Six interceptions

Many people, including myself, questioned the Tampa Bay Buccaneers taking Freeman in the middle of the first round a couple years ago.

After all, he wasn't the most heralded college prospect in the 2009 draft. The learning curve seemed to be huge for the former Kansas State standout.

I even told a fellow draft nerd, "you don't take a project quarterback in the first round." Well, I couldn't have been more wrong when it came to Freeman.

After struggling through a tough rookie season that saw him throw 18 interceptions, Freeman surprised a lot of people with his play last season.

He led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 10-6 record and helped them improve across the board on offense. 

You are looking at a young quarterback that had a 4:1 TD/INT ratio and threw only one interception in his final nine games in 2010 (229 passing attempts.)

This season, the Buccaneers offense promises to be better as young players gain experience in the system and in the NFL. There is no doubt in my mind that Freeman should be selected to his first Pro Bowl this season.

Other Possibilities: 

Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions

Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams

Running Back: LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles

2010 Stats: 207 attempts, 1,080 yards, 5.2 average, Seven touchdowns, 78 receptions, 592 yards, Two touchdowns

I was completely shocked when McCoy fell to the second round of the 2009 draft. He deserved to be a Top 15 pick. So far, the former Pitt Panthers star hasn't proven me wrong.

After taking a backseat to a couple of veteran running backs for the Eagles in 2009, "Shady" jumped onto the scene last season. He compiled over 1,600 total yards on offense and averaged over five yards per carry.

I don't think McCoy has the build to run the ball 350-400 times but he wont be asked to do that in Philadelphia's west coast offense. You are looking at a player that can take it to the house on any play and is one of the better receiving backs in the game. 

Look for McCoy to improve on those 2010 numbers this season. He will have a legit shot at the Pro Bowl in his third NFL season. 

Other Possibilities: 

Felix Jones, Dallas Cowboys

Peyton Hillis, Cleveland Browns

Full Back: Marcel Reece, Oakland Raiders

2010 Stats: 30 attempts, 122 yards, 4.1 average, 25 receptions, 333 yards, Four touchdowns

It isn't a coincidence that the Oakland Raiders had one of the best running games in the NFL last season and it was Marcel Reece's first season as a starter for them.

He is one of the best lead-blockers in the entire league and can open up holes in the middle with the best of them. 

Reece can also do things with the ball in his hands. He combined for nearly 500 yards of offense last season. 

It will be hard for the lead-blocker to break into the top of the conference's elite full backs with Vonte Leach and Le'Ron McClain still in the AFC. 

Other Possibilities: 

Owen Schmitt, Philadelphia Eagles 

Tight End: Jermichael Finley, Green Bay Packers

2010 Stats: 21 receptions, 301 yards, One touchdown

Those statistics are not indicative of Finley's talents. He only played in five games for the Super Bowl champions last season. When healthy, Jermichael Finley is one of the best receiving tight ends in the entire league.

He has the ability to dominate the hashes and opposing defenses are going to find it hard to stop him. It is going to be nearly impossible to defend Finley with single-coverage coming from the safety or linebacker position.

He is going to cause a lot of match-up problems.

Also, Aaron Rodgers is one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the league. So you will see the ball put on target more often than not. 

A great comparison to Finley would be San Francisco 49ers tight end, Vernon Davis. 

Not a bad comparison for the budding star. 

Other Possibilities: 

Dustin Keller, New York Jets

Jermaine Gresham, Cincinnati Bengals

Wide Receiver: Santonio Holmes, New York Jets

2010 Stats: 52 receptions, 746 yards, Six touchdowns (10 games)

I am still more than shocked that Holmes has not made the Pro Bowl yet. He had a 1,200 yard receiving season with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2009 and is one of the best all-around wide receivers in the game.

The New York Jets will be relying more on Holmes this season after the departure of Braylon Edwards. So you will see Holmes targeted more than last season.

The former Ohio State standout has soft hands, creates separation in the open field and isn't afraid to go up the middle. There is no doubt in my mind that Santonio Holmes will be a Pro Bowl performer in 2011. 

Let's just hope that the NFL starts choosing players based on performance, not popularity. 

Other Possibilities: 

Mike Williams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Wide Receiver: Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys

2010 Stats: 45 receptions, 561 yards, Six touchdowns (12 games)

Off-field issues aside, Dez Bryant is one of the most talented receivers in the entire NFL. He has the ability to break it on every play but can also be a possession receiver if asked. 

The departure of Roy Williams to the Chicago Bears is also going to help Bryant, who won't be asked to play in the slot as much. He will become the Dallas Cowboys No. 2 receiver after Miles Austin. 

In fact, Bryant could take that spot away from Austin during the season.

He looks to be in sync with Tony Romo this preseason and that will also help the 2010 first round pick a great deal. 

Other Possibilities: 

Steve Johnson, Buffalo Bills

Offensive Tackle: Rodger Saffold, St. Louis Rams

 The Rams really got a steal when Saffold "fell" to the first pick of the second round in the 2010 draft. They were able to find a tackle that would be able to protect their franchise quarterback, Sam Bradford (taken No. 1 in 2010), for the next decade. 

Saffold is extremely strong on the end in terms of protecting the offensive backfield. He is an elite physical specimen that played extremely well as a rookie.

Of course, rookie tackles are going to struggle to some extent. It is one of the toughest positions to transition from college into the NFL.

But he did a solid job nonetheless. Expect Saffold to fix some of those technique issues this season and become a premiere tackle in the NFL. 

Other Possibilities:

Russell Okung, Seattle Seahawks

Eugene Monroe, Jacksonville Jaguars

Guard: Mike Iupati, San Francisco 49ers

 I could state a case for Iupati being selected to the Pro Bowl as a rookie last season. The 49ers averaged over five yards per rush when they ran behind the massive guard.

He dominated the trenches at times and opened up huge holes for 49er running backs. 

As I stated with Rodger Saffold earlier, there are going to be some issues in regards to technique for young offensive linemen. 

Mike Iupati is no different. He did struggle in some aspects of the game, including pass protection. 

Iupati is the best offensive linemen on what appears to be a bad San Francisco 49er unit. That could cause him to miss out on the Pro Bowl this season unless the unit dramatically improves. 

Other Possibilities: 

Ben Grubbs, Baltimore Ravens

Center: Chris Myers, Houston Texans

 Sure I could have gone with younger players here. But there is something said about being, if nothing else, consistent in the NFL. 

Chris Myers has started every game for the Houston Texans since joining the club prior to the 2008 season. He has been a solid workhorse for the offense and one of their best offensive linemen.

The Houston Texans offensive line has gradually gotten better over the course of the last couple seasons and now has to be considered one of the best in the league.

The common component? Chris Myers, who unassumingly continues to shine a long the interior of the unit. 

Other Possibilities: 

Mike Pouncey, Miami Dolphins

Lyle Sendlein, Arizona Cardinals

Guard: Josh Sitton, Green Bay Packers

Josh Sitton just looks like a guard in the NFL. But looks aren't everything. Just ask my girlfriend.

The former Central Florida star has started all 16 games for the shaky Green Bay Packers offensive line the last two seasons and he has improved each year. 

The Packers improved a great deal running up the middle towards the end of last season and Sitton was to thank for that. He can be dominating at times but does struggle with consistency. 

Still young, Sitton can improve on those shortcomings and become one of the most physically dominating guards in the NFL in 2011.  

Other Possibilities:

Uche Nwaneri, Jacksonville Jaguars

Offensive Tackle: Michael Oher, Baltimore Ravens

I fully expected Michael Oher to be a Pro Bowl performer his rookie season. No, not because of the movie The Blind Side but because he dominated solid SEC defenses in college.

Well, it didn't work out that way.

The former Ole Miss star struggled in terms of pass protection and lateral movement as a rookie. He was caught in tight situations as fast defensive ends flew past him.

Oher did improve a great deal last season and should have been considered for a Pro Bowl nod. 

He is a physical beast that can dominate at the line and eat up defensive ends. I fully expect Michael Oher to take that next step towards elite status in 2011.

Other Possibilities:

Doug Free, Dallas Cowboys

Defensive End: Chris Long, St. Louis Rams

2010 Stats: 29 tackles, 8.5 sacks, Three forced fumbles, One fumble recovery

The bloodlines run thick for the Long family. Chris Long's father, Howie, was a Hall-of-Fame defensive end for the vaunted Oakland Raiders defense of the 1970s. 

Some people assumed that Chris Long was selected second overall in the 2008 draft simply due to his namesake. 

And after two seasons in the NFL, those pundits could argue that they were right. Long racked up a mediocre nine sacks in those first two seasons and didn't get consistent pressure on the quarterback.

But halfway through his second season, Long picked it up a great deal. He worked on his technique and became a much more consistent pass rusher from the end position. 

No one has ever questioned his drive to play the game or ability in rush defense. But when you go second overall as a defensive end, it is expected that you rack up the sacks. 

Well, Chris Long did that last season. He had 8.5 sacks and a ton more quarterback pressures. This season, I expect him to rack up double digit sacks and make his first Pro Bowl performance. 

Other Possibilities:

J.J. Watt, Houston Texans

Defensive Tackle: Ahtyba Rubin, Cleveland Browns

2010 Stats: 82 tackles, Two sacks, One interception

It may surprise a lot of people that I have Rubin on this list. I mean he isn't an household name.

But Rubin had a tremendous 2010 season for the Cleveland Browns, recording a whopping 82 tackles from the defensive end position. 

The fact that Cleveland ranked so low in rush defense had more to do with their linebackers than it had to do with the play of their interior defensive line. Rubin was more than solid in that aspect of the game. 

Cleveland is now switching to a 4-3 defense, which is going to help Rubin even more. They will line rookie defensive tackle Phil Taylor alongside Rubin. This will take some of the focus off the Browns massive defensive tackle. 

It seems that the Cleveland Browns are attempting to build a wall like they did in Minnesota with the "William's Brother's."

Rubin and Taylor are a combined 700 pounds. Try stopping that freight train. 

Defensive Tackle: B.J. Raji, Green Bay Packers

2010 Stats: 39 tackles, 6.5 sacks, Three passes defended

Really, don't even look at the picture above. Raji looks more than ridiculous in the "cheese-head," which is kinda the point. 

If you can look beyond that unflattering picture for a second, you will see a player that could become dominating in the NFL. 

B.J. Raji, the ninth overall pick from the 2009 draft, really stunk it up as rookie. He was unable to  contain and lacked the necessary focus to make an impact on the defense.

Accordingly, the Packers rush defense struggled a little bit.

Last season, B.J. Raji, now in his second season, stepped things up a great deal. While, the Packers rush defense was still in the middle of the pack, he wasn't the primary reason for that. 

Raji recorded 6.5 sacks and had nearly 40 tackles while starting all 16 games. 

It would seem that his career is on an upswing at this point and Raji may be living up to his pre-draft potential. It will be hard to crack the NFC Pro Bowl roster but he has an opportunity to do it with another solid season. 

Defensive End: Charles Johnson, Carolina Panthers

2010 Stats: 62 tackles, 51 solo, 11.5 sacks, One forced fumble

One strong breakout performance and Charles Johnson received a lucrative $76 million contract with $36 million guaranteed. Talk about breaking the bank after one solid season.

Is Johnson worth it?

I cannot say that he is, but I will say that Johnson scares the jock-straps off opposing quarterbacks; he is a beast, plain and simple.

Not only did Charles Johnson record 11.5 sacks, but he was also among the league leaders in quarterback hits, wreaking havoc on opposing offenses and destroying pretty much every offensive tackle he went up against. 

I fully expect Charles Johnson to be a perennial double-digit sack performer. In fact, the 11.5 he recorded last season may be among the lowest totals in his career moving forward.

This is how high I am on the former Georgia Bulldog. 

Other Possibilities:

Corey Liuget, San Diego Chargers

Outside Linebacker: Chad Greenway, Minnesota Vikings

2010 Stats: 144 tackles, 109 solo, One sack, One forced fumble, 14 stuffs

Chad Greenway missing out on the 2010 Pro Bowl is a prime example of it being a popularity contest. Simply put, he was one of the best linebackers in the entire league last season. 

In fact, Greenway is one of the primary reasons the Minnesota Vikings finished in the top 10 in both pass and rush defense. That doesn't happen all too often. 

The front seven of the Vikings defense were a dominating force, while the secondary struggled to an extent. 

The NFL needs to start recognizing players that mean a lot to their teams, not just players that put up the stats and are well-known nationally.

Greenway fits into this category and the recognition should begin in 2011. 

Other Possibilities:

Von Miller, Denver Broncos

Inside Linebacker: Lawrence Timmons, Pittsburgh Steelers

2010 Stats: 125 tackles, 96 solo, Three sacks, Two forced fumbles, Two fumble recoveries, Two interceptions 

Talk about filling up the stat sheet. Lawrence Timmons was all over the field last season and dominated games at times. He recorded nearly 100 solo tackles and was more than adequate in coverage with nine passes defended. 

Timmons, along with fellow 2007 Pittsburgh Steelers draft pick LaMarr Woodley, made up half of the best linebacker corp in the entire NFL last season. 

Last season, Woodley and James Harrison were noticed and selected to the Pro Bowl. But Timmons was the odd man out. 

That will not happen this season if the former Florida State star continues his ascension into the ranks of the league's top inside linebackers. 

Other Possibilities: 

Rolando McClain, Oakland Raiders

Inside Linebacker: James Laurinaitis. St. Louis Rams

2010 Stats: 114 tackles, 98 solo, Three sacks, One fumble recovery, One interception, 16 stuffs

Laurinaitis sounds like some really bad disease, doesn't he? Well, he is a disease for opposing offenses. A plague that they cannot seem to ever get away from. I am talking about one of those chronic illnesses that many of us have nightmares about. 

He can be a downright nasty force on the defense and seems to shred up blockers like Enron did papers and retirement accounts. 

The former Ohio State play maker was the leader of the St. Louis Rams defense, a unit that surprised a lot of folks last season. He is nearly impossible to defend one-on-one and teams have to scheme solely against him during practice. 

This is the type of force that James Laurinaitis was during his second season in the NFL. Moving forward to you can expect him to become one of the most intimidating and dominating defensive players in the league. 

Other Possibilities: 

Brandon Spikes, New England Patriots

Outside Linebacker: James Anderson, Carolina Panthers

2010 Stats: 130 tackles, 101 solo, 3.5 sacks, Two forced fumbles, Three fumble recoveries, 10 stuffs

The outside linebacker position is different in a 4-3 than it is in a 3-4 as evidenced by James Anderson's 2010 stats. Those stats reflect more like an inside linebacker in most defenses.

However, Anderson has the ability to play both positions in the Carolina Panthers defense and is an elite, sure handed tackler. He reads defenses well and is always around the ball.

Anderson can also get into the offensive backfield if asked to. He is a great all-around player and should be rewarded like such this season with a Pro Bowl invite. 

Other Possibilities:

Aldon Smith, San Francisco 49ers

Corner Back: Brandon Flowers, Kansas City Chiefs

2010 Stats: 65 tackles, Two interceptions, One touchdown, 14 passes defended

Chad Ochocinco once called Brandon Flowers "the best cover corner in the NFL." Mighty high praise coming from the enigmatic New England Patriots receiver. 

The corner position was the most difficult for me to choose on this list. In fact, I really had a hard time choosing between Flowers and his teammate, Brandon Carr.

But in the end, Brandon Flowers won out. Here is why:

He isn't just a top-tier cover corner, which every team covets, Flowers is all around the ball and has great field vision. He has the ability to play all three corner positions and helps out over the top on occasion. 

In order to be a Pro Bowl performer at the corner position, it is a necessity to have all the intangibles that Flowers currently possesses. 

There is no doubt in my mind he will be a consistent Pro Bowl selection once the rest of the league knows what Chiefs fans and Ochocinco found out a while ago. 

Other Possibilities:

Antoine Cason, San Diego Chargers

Joe Haden, Cleveland Browns

Corner Back: Leon Hall, Cincinnati Bengals

2010 Stats: 44 tackles, Four interceptions, Two forced fumbles, 11 passes defended

Leon Hall takes over the No. 1 corner position from the recently departed Johnathan Joseph, and he is an upgrade at that position over the high-priced free agent. At least, in terms of coverage ability. 

Hall has great on-ball instincts and does a solid job jamming opposing receivers at the line of scrimmage. He has the ability to completely take away one side of the field and eliminate opposing offenses top threats. 

This is something that made Hall a first round pick a few years back and now it is translating to the NFL on a huge scale. 

The Cincinnati Bengals are going to be downright awful this season but Hall will be one shining light  on what promises to be a bad team. 

Other Possibilities:

Brandon Carr, Kansas City Chiefs

Free Safety: Earl Thomas, Seattle Seahawks

2010 Stats: 76 tackles, 64 solo, Five interceptions, One forced fumble, Seven passes defended

To say that I wasn't happy that the Seattle Seahawks took Earl Thomas over my San Francisco 49ers would be an understatement. 

This dude was a beast with the Texas Longhorns and he didn't lose a step as a rookie in the NFL. He is a ball-hawk that gets to the ball in quick-form, while being able to recognize offensive schemes and drop back into coverage. 

Last season, Eric Berry made the Pro Bowl as a rookie safety for the Kansas City Chiefs but Thomas was nearly as impressive in the NFC.

He is the best player in a sub-par Seattle secondary, but the impact that Earl Thomas makes should improve the unit dramatically if he continues to progress as a coverage guy. 

Other Possibilities:

Malcolm Jenkins, New Orleans Saints 

Strong Safety: Nate Allen, Philadelphia Eagles

2010 Stats: 48 tackles, 42 solo, Three interceptions, Two sacks, One forced fumble, Eight passes defended

It was a difficult choice between Nate Allen, T.J. Ward and Donte Whitner here. But I had to go with the tremendous amount of upside former second round pick Nate Allen possesses.

He was one of my favorite players heading into the 2010 draft and didn't disappoint when on the field last season. Despite playing in 13 games, Allen made a name for himself as a great ball-hawk and above-average cover guy from the strong safety position. 

Injuries cost Allen a few games last season and he remains questionable for the Eagles season opener. But if Nate Allen is able to stay healthy, you can expect him to have a breakout second season. 

Other Possibilities:

T.J. Ward, Cleveland Browns

Donte Whitner, San Francisco 49ers