The NFL's Top 7 Surefire Pro Bowl Locks

Being selected to the Pro Bowl is an honor, despite the game rarely being all that compelling.

Fans and players alike make their picks at every position, and those with the most votes get to play with their fellow top players from around the league.

It's not hard to imagine, for the most part, which players are going to get the most votes. Year after year, there are certain guys who are always named to their respective AFC or NFC squads.

Here are seven players who are definitely going to be selected to play in the Pro Bowl this year.

Aaron Rodgers, QB (Green Bay Packers)

The only reason Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers won't play in the Pro Bowl after being a guaranteed lock to be selected is that his team will be playing in its second consecutive Super Bowl.

Rodgers is having an excellent year. He's one of the best, if not the best, quarterback of the season, completing 70.6 percent of his passes for 3,844 yards for 37 touchdowns to five interceptions and rushing for 207 yards and two more scores thus far.

The combination of Rodgers' great season and the sheer number of Packers fans around the nation should see him being the top vote-getter for NFC Pro Bowl quarterback this year.

Rob Gronkowski, TE (New England Patriots)

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is having a fantastic season.

He's established himself as quarterback Tom Brady's most reliable and productive target not named Wes Welker, and has totaled more than 1,000 receiving yards with 1,088 on the year through 14 weeks. He has 15 touchdowns as well, the most of any tight end.

In fewer than two full seasons, Gronkowski has established himself as the best at his position and, if he can keep it up, will easily wind up one of the best tight ends to ever play the game.

No football fan is unaware of all the things Gronkowski has already accomplished, and as such, he's guaranteed to be rewarded with a trip to the Pro Bowl.

Adrian Peterson, RB (Minnesota Vikings)

While Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has been sidelined with a sprained ankle for the last three weeks, that shouldn't damage his chances to make the Pro Bowl lineup this year.

Peterson is one of the most recognizable names in the game thanks to his prodigious production since entering the league in 2007. He's never rushed for fewer than 1,200 yards in his career, and he's had double-digit touchdowns every year to boot.

There are few running backs who are capable of playing the game at the high level he does with such consistency. No matter how well or poorly his Vikings team as a whole has been playing, AP never gives up, never accepts defeat and will always look for the extra yard.

He's the definition of a star running back and, as long as he's in the league, he'll be a top Pro Bowl vote-getter.

Calvin Johnson, WR (Detroit Lions)

There are few consistently elite wide receivers in the league, but when thinking of the biggest playmaking wideouts of 2011, one name rises to the top—Calvin Johnson.

Johnson is the most talented wide receiver on his Detroit Lions team and might trump practically every other receiver in the NFC.

It's true that the first half of his season has been far better than the second half now that teams have found creative ways to keep him in check.

Double, sometimes triple-coverage has served to hold Johnson to under 100 receiving yards per game and a single touchdown in his last five games, but it doesn't discount neither what he managed to accomplish earlier in the season nor how incredibly talented he is.

There's little chance that Johnson won't make the Pro Bowl this year; he's simply one of the best in the game.

Troy Polamalu, SS (Pittsburgh Steelers)

Pittsburgh Steelers strong safety Troy Polamalu is one of the most recognizable players in the league, thanks to his playing style and his signature mane of black curls.

Polamalu is fast, elusive, brutal when he hits you and, most of all, he's unpredictable. His dynamism, soft-spoken personality and yes, that hair again, have made him a fan favorite for years, and he's a perennial Pro Bowl selection.

Maybe there are other safeties better than Polamalu and maybe there are younger guys who deserve the accolade of reaching their first Pro Bowl, but as long as Polamalu is playing the game, he's guaranteed to play in January with the NFL's best.

Sebastian Janikowski, K (Oakland Raiders)

Name recognition is often the reason many players see themselves in the Pro Bowl year after year. Fans are prone to vote for those they recognize and names they hear and remember.

Kickers, often afterthoughts to fans, are especially prone to this line of reasoning, but sometimes the name recognition and talent overlap.

That's just why the Oakland Raiders' Sebastian Janikowski will be selected to the Pro Bowl.

Few kickers have attempted—and made—as many 50-plus-yard field goals as Janikowski. The former first-round draft pick with the big leg has made a difference for the Raiders time and time again this season (and in seasons' past).

That big leg, the long name and the fact that he never drops off the radar make him a lock for the Pro Bowl this year.

Tim Tebow, QB (Denver Broncos)

Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow is one of the most well-known players in the NFL. Just his presence in the league makes him a major topic of conversation, even if he's not playing.

Now that he's the Broncos' starter, Tebowmania has practically taken over every media outlet that covers the game, with the NFL Network dedicating an entire episode of Playbook to him and ESPN airing a special edition of SportsCenter entitled "TebowCenter" just to cover Tebow from every angle (again).

He's both popular and controversial, talented and at times completely awful. Tebow has somewhat managed to change what it means to be a professional quarterback, and for now he's the NFL's darling.

There are far, far too many Tebow supporters around the league to keep him out of the Pro Bowl—simple as that. After Aaron Rodgers, I wouldn't be surprised if Tebow gets the most votes of any starting quarterback.