Pro Bowl 2012: Players That Shouldn't Be Denied Their First Trip to Hawaii

There are a handful of players having breakout years, and they need to be honored for that season with a trip to the Pro Bowl.

All of these guys are the cream of their crop at their positions, and they are having seasons that can't be ignored.

New Orleans Saints, TE, Jimmy Graham

Graham has turned into an absolute force in his second season. He has 91 catches for 1,591 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The scariest part about all of this is that Graham is still getting the hang of this football thing. The second-year tight end switched to football after attending the University of Miami to play basketball.

Graham is an absolute force, and he should be a lock to make his first Pro Bowl.

New York Giants, DE, Jason Pierre-Paul

Just like Graham, Pierre-Paul is still getting the hang of this NFL deal. He has very little football experience, and was drafted due to his pure athleticism.

In his second season, Pierre-Paul has made amazing strides, and his athleticism is doing the rest. Pierre-Paul has 13.5 sacks on the season and at times is downright unblockable.

Pierre-Paul is playing at a high level, and he is just scratching the surface.

New England Patriots, TE, Rob Gronkowski

Gronkowski is making such a huge impact in his second season that the word "Gronker" has become a part of the football lexicon.

The Gronker has 82 catches for 1,219 yards and 15 touchdowns. His sheer size makes him a nearly impossible matchup in the passing game, and he has solid hands. He can also add yards after the catch as he is a load to bring down.

And on top of all of that, he is one of the best blocking tight ends in the league.

Cincinnati Bengals, OT, Andrew Whitworth

Whitworth is turning in the best season of his six-year career.

Despite playing in the defensive monster that is the AFC North, Whitworth has allowed just three sacks, three QB hits and 13 pressures (according to Pro Football Focus—this is an unofficial stat).

Whitworth is a beast in both the run and pass game. He is playing as good as any left tackle in the game.

Oakland Raiders, K, Sebastian Janikowski

Janikowski has yet to make a Pro Bowl in his 12-year career. It is time for that to come to an end.

The beefy kicker with a booming left foot is hands down the best kicker in the game. Janikowski has made 27 of 31 field goals this season—including an NFL record-tying 63-yarder. None of his misses came within 40 yards, and three of the four were outside of 50 yards.

Janikowski has also booted 31 of his 71 kickoffs for touchbacks. And he has done all of this despite spending a good portion of the season dealing with a severe hamstring pull.