PFF Mid-Season NFL All-Pro Teams

According to Pro Football Focus (which grades each play from each player using a +/- system), here are the best players in the NFL at each position for the first half of the season (1^st, 2^nd & 3^rd Teams). PFF grades are in parenthesis (an average player would score a zero). Keep in mind, scores are only comparable to each position – you can’t compare a QB’s score to a RB’s score. Why is this? - each position is asked to do different things. A RB has to pass block. A QB doesn’t.

One note – players must have played 60% of their team’s offensive/defensive snaps to be eligible for these All-Pro teams. That eliminates players who excel in a very a specific role. For example: a huge blocking TE like Carolina’s Ben Hartsock, who only comes in on run plays, excels at run blocking (+11.4) and his receiving score is nullified (-0.8) because he never gets an opportunity to fail (played just 186/473 snaps). This augments his score and specialty players like this are not included (just like third-down-only RBs or third-down-only pass rushers aren’t eligible).

There are 27 spots for each All-Pro team, the same number of positions as the Associated Press All-Pro team.

1st TEAM
QB Peyton Manning, DEN (21.7)
RB LeSean McCoy, PHI (16.3)
RB Frank Gore, SF (9.7)
FB Anthony Sherman, KC (11.0)
WR Calvin Johnson, DET (14.9)
WR Jordy Nelson, GB (14.2)
TE Vernon Davis, SF (8.9)
OT Nate Solder, NE (20.5)
OT Jordan Gross, CAR (17.3)
OG Evan Mathis, PHI (25.1)
OG Louis Vasquez, DEN (13.7)
C Chris Myers, HOU (12.4)

DE JJ Watt, HOU (44.5)
DE Robert Quinn, STL (32.1)
DT Jason Hatcher, DAL (20.9)
DT Gerald McCoy, TB (20.7)
OLB Justin Houston, KC (20.8)
OLB Robert Mathis, IND (16.1)
ILB Derrick Johnson, KC (11.4)
ILB Brandon Spikes, NE (10.6)
CB Darrelle Revis, TB (13.7)
CB Alterraun Verner, TEN (11.4)
S Devin McCourty, NE (16.2)
S TJ Ward, CLE (11.4)

K Matt Prader, DEN (37.9)
P Johnny Hekker, STL (17.8)
KR Cordarrelle Patterson, MIN (7.9)

2nd TEAM
QB Philip Rivers, SD (16.9)
RB Marshawn Lynch, SEA (8.6)
RB Adrian Peterson, MIN (6.4)
FB Mike Tolbert, CAR (6.4)
WR Antonio Brown, PIT (13.1)
WR Brandon Marshall, CHI (12.3)
TE Jordan Cameron, CLE (8.6)
OT Doug Free, DAL (16.6)
OT Andrew Whitworth, CIN (16.3)
OG David DeCastro, PIT (11.3)
OG Daryn Colledge, ARZ (7.9)
C Manuel Ramirez, DEN (11.4)

DE Cameron Jordan, NO (18.8)
DE Michael Johnson, CIN (18.3)
DT Geno Atkins, CIN (19.9)
DT Randy Starks, MIA (18.4)
OLB Elvis Dumervil, BAL (15.4)
OLB Tamba Hali, KC (14.3)
ILB Sean Lee, DAL (9.0)
ILB NaVorro Bowman, SF (6.9)
CB Jason McCourty, TEN (10.8)
CB Vontae Davis, IND (8.8)
S Earl Thomas, SEA (11.0)
S Eric Berry, KC (9.2)

K Stephen Gostkowski, NE (26.9)
P Shane Lechler, HOU (17.7)
KR Golden Tate, SEA (5.7)

3rd TEAM
QB Aaron Rodgers, GB (16.8)
RB Arian Foster, HOU (5.6)
RB Jamaal Charles, KC (3.9)
FB Bruce Miller, SF (5.8)
WR Dez Bryant, DAL (11.5)
WR Andre Johnson, HOU (10.9)
TE Jimmy Graham, NO (6.6)
OT Joe Staley, SF (16.3)
OT Joe Thomas, CLE (15.8)
OG Ben Grubbs, NO (7.8)
OG Jon Asamoah, KC (7.8)
C Alex Mack, CLE (9.8)

DE Muhammad Wilkerson, NYJ (16.2)
DE Fletcher Cox, PHI (14.8)
DT Jurrell Casey, TEN (16.9)
DT Brandon Mebane, SEA (16.6)
OLB Junior Galette, NO (12.2)
OLB Lavonte David, TB (11.8)
ILB Daryl Washington, ARZ (6.1)
ILB Kiko Alonso, BUF (5.5)
CB Richard Sherman, SEA (8.7)
CB Brent Grimes, MIA (8.3)
S Troy Polamalu, PIT (8.7)
S Michael Griffin, TEN (7.7)

K Dan Bailey, DAL (26.5)
P Thomas Morstead, NO (15.2)
KR Julian Edelman, NE (4.6)

2014 NFL Draft at the Quarter Mark

If the NFL season ended at the quarter mark, here is what the Top 10 picks would look like with my projections for each selection:

1) Pittsburgh Steelers select: LT Jake Matthews (6-5/308), Texas A&M
With Big Ben still able to play well, the Steelers try to buy their franchise quarterback some time by taking Matthews, son of Hall of Fame offensive lineman Bruce Matthews and cousin of Green Bay’s Clay Matthews. Jake has picture-perfect technique (his punch stuns defenders and speed rushers never get around him because his feet are so good) to go with his exceptional athletic gifts and will be a HOF player in his own right if healthy.

2) New York Giants select: DE Jadeveon Clowney (6-5/274), South Carolina
The Giants need a LT badly (2013 #1 pick Justin Pugh cannot play the position), but there is no way they can pass up on Clowney, who is the most talented athlete in the draft by a wide margin. Currently playing with a foot injury that will need surgery after the season, Clowney is a 4.45 player when healthy at 275 pounds. He’s as big as Bruce Smith and as fast as Darrelle Revis. Think about that.

3) Jacksonville Jaguars select: QB Teddy Bridgewater (6-3/205), Louisville
In all likely-hood, the Jaguars will have to trade up for the #1 pick to take Bridgewater. I’m sure Pittsburgh would field offers from any team picking in the Top 10, including Jacksonville, Tampa, Minnesota and Philly. Teddy has exceptional accuracy and above-average arm strength and athleticism. Reminds me of Andrew Luck.

4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers select: QB Brett Hundley (6-3/227), UCLA
Time to hit the reset button in Tampa and you could do a lot worse than Hundley, who is big and athletic and equipped with a rocket arm. Hundley is used to doing it all himself at UCLA and the presence of WR Vincent Jackson and RB Doug Martin will help him immensely.

5) St. Louis Rams (from Washington Redskins) select: LT Taylor Lewan (6-7/315), Michigan
Lewan is a nasty player – he has displayed questionable character both on and off the field. A lot of Ndamukong Suh in him. Huge and athletic, he’ll start at RT and work his way to LT. If he adjusts to the speed, and he should, he’s an annual Pro-Bowl player. I would take Oregon QB Marcus Mariota here, but the Rams brass is convinced Sam Bradford is a star.

6) St. Louis Rams select: NT Louis Nix (6-2/352), Notre Dame
The Rams play a 4-3, but every 4-3 needs someone to play two-gap and control the center and guard, stopping the run game. Nix is the best NT to enter the draft in a very long time. Star Lotulelei is dominating at NT in Carolina’s 4-3 defense, helping turn that team into a Top 3 unit (12.0 pts/game) and Nix is an even better player.

7) Oakland Raiders select: WR Marqise Lee (6-0/195), USC
Terrelle Pryor looks like the future for Oakland and Lee, a local HS & college star in Los Angeles, would be the perfect weapon to help him succeed. Lee is not the biggest and not the fastest, but he can really play football. Think Chad Johnson in his prime.

8) Minnesota Vikings select: QB Marcus Mariota (6-4/212), Oregon
Vikings break Chip Kelly’s heart and take the electric Mariota who has both the best arm and legs of any available quarterback. He’s thin and has accuracy problems at times, but the upside is Randall Cunningham in his prime.

9) Philadelphia Eagles select: OLB Anthony Barr (6-4/248), UCLA
Birds take the best pass-rusher available. Barr is perfect for the 3-4 under defense and should supply 12-15 sacks a year. Reminds me of Kansas City’s Justin Houston.

10) Atlanta Falcons select: DE Stephon Tuitt (6-5/303), Notre Dame
An exceptional 3-down player, Tuitt brings some star power to a Falcons defense that has let the team down late in games so far this season, putting a serious damper on any Super Bowl hopes. Tuitt is big and strong and can rotate along all 4 positions of Atlanta’s defensive line, bringing them a great deal of versatility.