3 Philadelphia Eagles receive All-Pro votes
The Pro Bowl is all about star power.
Fans vote in their favorite players, value flash over substances, and occasionally overlook lesser-known players like Javon Hargrave for “bigger names” like Kenny Clark.
Unfortunate? Most definitely, but hey, historically speaking, that’s just how the Pro Bowl goes.
All-Pro voting, by contrast, is a completely different beast. Voted on by a panel of 50 media members and compiled by the Associated Press, the award typically holds a bit more weight because fewer players are selected, and they are picked by people who are typically more “in the know.”
This year, three members of the Philadelphia Eagles earned All-Pro votes, with two landing on one of the AP’s two teams.
The Philadelphia Eagles were well represented in All-Pro voting.
Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, and Darius Slay are probably the Philadelphia Eagles’ three best players.
Sure, some could argue for the inclusions of Fletcher Cox and Brandon Brooks on that list based on pedigree alone, but over the course of the 2021 NFL season, few members of the Eagles were as impactful as the team’s starting center, right tackle, and perimeter cornerback.
The Associated Press and their voters took note of their efforts.
Of the 50 persons polled, Kelce earned the most votes of any center in the NFL with 21, followed not-so-close behind by Los Angeles Rams center Corey Linsley at 11 and Kansas City Cheifs rookie Creed Humphrey. Kelce has now secured his fourth overall spot on the All-Pro, all of which were on the first team.
Johnson’s trip to the All-Pro list wasn’t quite as clear cut, as Tampa Bay Buccaneers right tackle Tristan Wirfs secured 37 votes, but he still earned second-team honors with a respectable 10 votes, which is more than every other right tackle in the NFL, including Minnesota’s Brian O’Neill, who received the final three votes for a spot on the team. Johnson now has two All-Pro seasons on his resume, including a spot on the first team in 2017 and now a second-team spit in 2021.
Not too shabby for a player who didn’t allow a sack over 821 offensive snaps.
And bringing up the flank is none other than Slay, the Eagles’ first Pro Bowl cornerback since Asante Samuel a decade ago. Despite an incredible campaign headlined by three (!) defensive touchdowns, Slay only secured one All-Pro vote- probably from a Philly guy – and missed out on a spot on either the first or second-All-Pro team.
Are Trevon Diggs, Jalen Ramsey, J.C. Jackson, and A.J. Terrell better than Slay? No, not entirely, but hey, maybe the player affectionately known as “Big Play” will use his snub as fuel to turn in another career performance in only his third playoff appearance.
Sidebar: Yes, you read that correctly; the Detroit Lions were very bad for a very long time, folks.
Next. Darius Slay is a big fan of Mike Williams, just saying. dark
After failing to land a single All-Pro performer in 2020, watching two players land on the list in 2021 is an encouraging sign for a team looking to rebound from a down season. While only time will how the Philadelphia Eagles will fare in 2022, as at least one of those players may not be back, something tells me the team has a few All-Pros in waiting who could find themselves honored in the not too distant future.