The 3 Main Vikings Pro Bowl Snubs
K. Joudry
|
Yesterday, we learned that the Vikings have 5 players who have been chosen for the Pro Bowl. Seeing the 5 inclusions leads to a natural follow-up question: who are the main Vikings Pro Bowl snubs?
I recognize that many fans overlook the game event – I’m often among them – but it’s an accomplishment that should still be celebrated.
Unless the team heads to the Super Bowl, Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson, Za’Darius Smith, and Andrew DePaola will get the chance to represent the purple and gold in the Pro Bowl. There are at least 3 other Vikings who should be accompanying them, though.
3 Vikings Pro Bowl Snubs
#1: Christian Darrisaw, Left Tackle
It’s possible that the injuries and missed time hurt his chances. It’s possible that the rest of the NFL hasn’t seen what Vikings fans have seen: an elite young talent at one of the game’s preeminent positions.
At 23, Darrisaw is still near the beginning of his career. He has missed time as both a rookie and a sophomore due to injury. The end result, then, is a limited amount of time on the field and thus some limited opportunity for people to see just how excellent he is.
Regardless, this one feels like a notable miss. He only has two penalties against him this year. Darrisaw, according to PFF, is the second-best tackle in the NFL. Not too many Vikings fans will be surprised if he ends up being a dominant LT for the next decade. He’s that good.
Forced to guess, I’d say Darrisaw becomes a regular on Pro Bowl teams in not too long. Even more importantly, we’ll likely see him start getting recognition from the All Pro voters.
#2: Kris Boyd, Corner (and Special Teams Ace)
The fourth-year corner doesn’t see too many snaps for Ed Donatell’s defense. Instead, he is a mainstay for Matt Daniels on special teams, bringing a ton of speed and physicality to the group.
During the most recent game, though, Boyd had a chance to bring those traits to the defense:
Those few plays aside, Boyd’s ability to make the Pro Bowl rested exclusively with his special teams prowess. Heading into Week 16, Boyd has piled up significant snaps in all phases of special teams:
- 72 on kickoff
- 81 on kickoff return
- 70 on punt
- 51 on punt return
- 69 on FG/XP
Clearly, Boyd has earned the trust of the coaching staff. More importantly, he rewards that trust with some excellent play. He had the fan votes to get into the Pro Bowl, but he didn’t make the team since the selection of the final roster goes beyond just the fans.
Expect to see Boyd continue making a difference on special teams, especially as a gunner.
#3: Patrick Peterson, Corner
Of the 3 Vikings Pro Bowl snubs, Peterson is the one who was probably the most unlikely to make it.
It’d be difficult to send him to the game given that he plays for a team with such poor pass defense. Nevertheless, we should recognize that he has been mostly excellent in 2022.
The 32-year-old corner has 3 interceptions, 13 PDs, and 54 tackles in 2022. He has held QBs to a 60.0 completion percentage and an 83.7 passer rating. For the most part, teams are simply avoiding him in coverage. He’s the 6th-ranked corner on PFF.
Think there are other Vikings players who should have made it? The list of 3 Vikings Pro Bowl snubs not cutting it? Let me know what you think on Twitter.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF and Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
You must be logged in to post a comment.