There are always a few players who should make the Pro Bowl but aren’t named in the initial AFC and NFC rosters. A year ago, Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner were among the biggest snubs.

With the full rosters for the 2024 season released Thursday morning, we asked NFL analysts Ben Solak and Seth Walder to pick the players who should be most disappointed to not make the AFC or NFC teams. In selecting snubs for the 2025 Pro Bowl, Solak and Walder broke them out into three categories:

• Players who should be in — the glaring misses

• Players who could be in — the guys with strong cases

• Players who would be in most years — those with great seasons but were left out because rosters are limited (not technically snubs)

And because there are only so many spots on these rosters, we’re also selection players for each of the snubs to replace. It’s only fair. Let’s dive in. (And remember, some of these snubs will still ultimately make the rosters as replacements for injured players and Super Bowl participants.)

Jump to a section:
Should be in | Could be in | Maybe next year

Biggest snubs: Players who should be in

A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

Who he should replace: Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders

Why he should be in: I don’t know where to begin! If we’re comparing Brown to McLaurin, consider that the former has more receiving yards (1,079) than the latter (1,034) despite running more than 100 fewer routes. Brown dominates McLaurin in targets per route, receptions per route and yards per route. If we look at yards per route run against man coverage you could double McLaurin’s figure (1.4) and then he would still be a yard shy of Brown (3.8).

The advanced rates are even stronger. In ESPN’s receiver scores — which measure a receiver’s ability to get open, make the catch and generate YAC relative to expectations using NFL Next Gen Stats player tracking data — Brown has a 99 overall score, the highest ever given out in a season. So yeah, I’d say he’s at least a Pro Bowler. McLaurin making it over Brown because he has 12 touchdowns to Brown’s seven (I guess?) is silly. — Walder

Kerby Joseph, S, Detroit Lions

Who he should replace: Xavier McKinney, S, Green Bay Packers

Why he should be in: It’s tough that only one free safety is allowed from each conference, because the two best free safeties in the league this season don’t just play in the same conference — they play in the same division!

While McKinney had a strong and splashy start as a big free agent addition to the Packers’ defense, Joseph has made more plays on the ball (nine interceptions and 11 passes defensed to McKinney’s seven and 10, respectively), and his splash plays have been more integral to a reeling Detroit defense than McKinney’s have been. Joseph deserved the nod. — Solak

Zach Allen, DT, Denver Broncos

Who he should replace: Nnamdi Madubuike, DT, Baltimore Ravens

Why he should be in: Allen has been a huge part of a Broncos defense that ranks No. 1 in EPA per play this season. His 16% pass rush win rate at defensive tackle ranks third at the position.

Volume-wise, he’s been even more impressive, ranking second in pass rush wins (51) among qualifying defensive tackles to go along with his 8.5 sacks. That’s due in part to Allen’s playing time, which is another reason he should have made it. He was on the field 90% of the time in games he played, the highest among win rate-qualifying defensive tackles and much higher than other high performers, who might not even crack 70%.

He’s an easy sub for Madubuike, who ranked 41st out of 48 defensive tackles in pass rush win rate and had 6.5 sacks. — Walder

Jordyn Brooks, LB, Miami Dolphins

Who he should replace: Roquan Smith, LB, Baltimore Ravens

Why he should be in: Smith has been excellent his entire career, but for whatever reason — age, lingering injury, new defensive coaching staff — this was a down season for him. Meanwhile, Brooks signed with the Dolphins in free agency to join one of Smith’s departed coaches — Anthony Weaver, Miami’s new defensive coordinator — and immediately had a Roquan-like effect on the defense.

Brooks is a three-down linebacker with Fred Warner-lite coverage ability in the middle of the field, and this was one of his strongest seasons against the run. He’d get All-Pro votes from me, not just Pro Bowl recognition. — Solak

Danielle Hunter, Edge, Houston Texans

Who he should replace: Maxx Crosby, Edge, Las Vegas Raiders

Why he should be in: Hunter has been magnificent in his first season in Houston, not only recording 12 sacks but leading the NFL with a 27% pass rush win rate. And he had the volume, too, as his 77 pass-rush wins are the most in the NFL and 29 more than Crosby.

Crosby gets squeezed out by the splitting of defensive linemen and outside linebackers. If I could remove any edge defender, I’d keep Crosby and cut Khalil Mack. — Walder

Jonnu Smith, TE, Miami Dolphins

Who he should replace: Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

Why he should be in: It is unsurprising that a popular player like Kelce made the Pro Bowl — especially because he still is productive in his age-35 season! But the production was not efficient, as Kelce’s speed and quickness have tailed off. He still had good volume — 133 targets, 97 receptions — but only averaged 1.6 yards per route to Smith’s 2.1, had negative receptions and receiving yards over expectation and got smoked in EPA per target (0.11 to Smith’s 0.58).

Smith had a career season in Miami and added a new, needed dimension to a passing game that has lacked success at tight end for a few seasons. That addition should have been marked with a Pro Bowl appearance. — Solak

Christian Gonzalez, CB, New England Patriots

Who he should replace: Marlon Humphrey, CB, Baltimore Ravens

Why he should be in: I understand everyone has different flavors at cornerback, but I would give Gonzalez the nod over Humphrey, Denzel Ward, and Derek Stingley Jr. this season; I’d give him an All-Pro nod over any corner not named Pat Surtain II, to be frank.

Gonzalez had some of the hardest jobs a cornerback can have this season – travelling with star receivers out wide and into the slot, playing heavy man coverage with minimal safety help, all on a team without much of a pass rush — and was absolutely dominant. Only four corners allowed a worse passer rating when targeted, and none of them played as much man coverage as Gonzalez did. He’s a star. — Solak

Players who could be in

Christian Benford, CB, Buffalo Bills

Who he could replace: Denzel Ward, CB, Cleveland Browns

Why he could be in: Benford’s coverage numbers are strong. He has allowed just 0.7 yards per coverage snap, which only trails Surtain (also 0.7) among outside cornerbacks with at least 200 coverage snaps, per NFL Next Gen Stats. That alone should be enough to earn a Pro Bowl nod.

Benford has been targeted just 12% of the time (well below the 16% average for an outside corner) and allowed minus-10 EPA as the nearest defender, buoyed by his two interceptions. All of this is in pretty sharp contrast to Ward, who has allowed 1.9 yards per coverage snap on a 19% target rate. Nearest defender numbers are not gospel, but in this case the difference is extreme. — Walder

Daiyan Henley, LB, Los Angeles Chargers

Who he could replace: Zaire Franklin, LB, Indianapolis Colts

Why he could be in: Franklin has become a good player for the Colts, but I don’t think he had the same three-down impact that Henley had. Henley is a young, unknown name who will likely earn his Pro Bowl nods in future seasons, but even in 2024, the second-year pro fought his way into a starting job and found unique success as an undersized but smart and explosive linebacker in the Chargers’ college-inspired defense.

Henley has seen more targets as the nearest defender than any linebacker according to NFL Next Gen Stats, but he has allowed negative receiving EPA in coverage despite that volume. That’s an impact player, and one integral to making the Chargers’ defense go. I would have liked to see him acknowledged. — Solak

Leonard Williams, DT, Seattle Seahawks

Who he could replace: Vita Vea, DT, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Why he could be in: Firstly, how could we not put Williams in after his 91-yard pick-six, where he rumbled at a top speed of 17.8 miles per hour (the fastest by a defensive lineman ballcarrier since 2022) all the way to the end zone? But Williams’ season was far more than just that one play. He recorded 9.0 sacks, 15 tackles for loss and ranks fourth and seventh in pass rush win rate and run stop win rate at defensive tackle, respectively. Those are Pro Bowl numbers. — Walder

Chase Young, DE, New Orleans Saints

Who he could replace: Rashan Gary, DE, Green Bay Packers

Why he could be in: In a thin year for NFC pass rushers and Rams star rookie Jared Verse getting the nod as an outside linebacker (despite only having 26 coverage snaps this season), a third spot opened at defensive end behind Nick Bosa and Micah Parsons.

Gary has been extremely hot or cold for the Packers, not consistently delivering the rush presence he did last season, despite a defensive system focused on weaponizing him on long and late downs. Meanwhile, Young has been productive as the only real pass-rush threat in New Orleans, with a 16.5% pressure rate that ranks seventh among all pass rushers. His resurgent season has been quiet given the Saints’ rough season, but he deserves a Pro Bowl nod. — Solak

Players who would be in most years

Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams

Why he could be in: Because he’s only played 11 games, Nacua’s season is being slept on. Normally I’d hold him out due to that, too, but his efficiency numbers are outrageous. Nacua was targeted on 40% of routes this season, the highest rate by a wide receiver with at least 200 routes run in the past decade. His 3.7 yards per route run is second only to Tyreek Hill‘s 4.0 in 2023 and is well ahead of Cooper Kupp‘s 3.2 figure in 2021, a season in which he nearly reached 2,000 yards. Even at reduced time on the field this season, I’d have loved to sneak him in. — Walder

Baker Mayfield, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Why he could be in: First, let’s stop to acknowledge that the NFC Pro Bowl quarterbacks are Jared Goff (fine, predictable), Jayden Daniels (wow — the rookie, cool!), and Sam Darnold (wait, what?) — and if there were room for a fourth, it would almost certainly be Mayfield! What a topsy-turvy conference for quarterback play.

Mayfield has enjoyed his best season as a pro, both in terms of raw stats — he’ll likely end the year with a completion percentage better than 70%, at least 4,200 passing yards and 40 passing touchdowns — and in his actual play on the field. If not for the narratives around Darnold and Daniels, Mayfield would have made it this season, and deservedly so. — Solak

Bucky Irving, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Why he could be in: Among running backs with at least 100 carries, Irving’s 5.5 yards per carry rank fourth only behind three Pro Bowlers: Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley and Jahmyr Gibbs. While Irving didn’t get as many carries as most of the other top running back contenders, he still ranked ninth at the position in rush yards over expectation (170), per NFL Next Gen Stats. But the key for Irving’s case is that he did all of this while playing a big role in the receiving game. He has 397 receiving yards but, per NGS, accumulated more receiving yards over expectation (163) than any other running back, period. — Walder

Brian Thomas Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars/Ladd McConkey, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

Why he could be in: It’s hard for rookies to make the Pro Bowl roster. They have to be absolutely lights out (see: Brock Bowers and Jayden Daniels) from pole to pole. Both Thomas and McConkey took a little bit of time to get going this season, but if they were household names, they could have easily jumped Zay Flowers or Jerry Jeudy for AFC wideout spots.

Among high-volume receivers, Thomas’ 2.6 yards per route run ranked sixth among all players; McConkey’s 2.5 ranked eighth. These guys deserved nods, and only missed out because we don’t like to send rookies to the Pro Bowl too early. — Solak

Quinn Meinerz, G, Denver Broncos

Why he could be in: I’d have had Meinerz in, but you can understand how he ended up on the outside looking in, as there’s stiff competition at guard in the AFC. Meinerz ranks third in pass block win rate (96%) despite a lower than average double-team rate, and has been a key piece for a Broncos offensive line that ranks first in pass block win rate overall. He’s above average in run block win rate and had only four total penalties this season to Trey Smith‘s nine. — Walder

Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers

Why he could be in: It’s hard to take umbrage with the NFC running back room of Barkley, Josh Jacobs, and Gibbs — all of whom have been delightful this season – but it is a terrible shame that Hubbard is on the outside looking in.

On an offense far worse than what the three NFC Pro Bowl backs faced, Hubbard averaged 4.7 yards per touch on 293 total touches — a high-volume role with great efficiency. If Hubbard was already an established name, perhaps he could have snuck in instead of Gibbs or Jacobs. Instead, he’ll have to do it all again next season. — Solak