{"id":669481,"date":"2026-01-11T19:02:35","date_gmt":"2026-01-11T19:02:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/669481\/"},"modified":"2026-01-11T19:02:35","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T19:02:35","slug":"aaron-schatz-my-2025-all-pro-ballot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/669481\/","title":{"rendered":"Aaron Schatz: My 2025 All-Pro Ballot"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<p>This is my sixth year as an official Associated Press voter for both the All-Pro Team and the end-of-season awards. Each year, after the All-Pro team is officially announced, I write an article listing who I voted for at each position and giving some reasoning where appropriate. All of my choices were based on play through Week 17 and all stats below are through Week 17 unless otherwise noted.<\/p>\n<p>Obviously, some of my choices will be controversial, and I had to leave some very good players off my ballot. Please trust that I take this responsibility very seriously and I am thinking about my votes throughout the season, then spend a good few hours on it once we get to the end of the year and I have to make my final picks.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll find the full first and second team <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/nfl-all-pro-2025-76fbd57c87e524c320e1194d860b61b3\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">listed here<\/a>. The <a href=\"https:\/\/wtop.com\/nfl\/2026\/01\/2025-nfl-all-pro-team-voting\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">full voting numbers are here<\/a> (and I assume will be on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Pro Football Reference<\/a> soon as well).<\/p>\n<p>There were three unanimous choices: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/puka-nacua\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Puka Nacua<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/jaxon-smith-njigba\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jaxon Smith-Njigba<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/myles-garrett\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Myles Garrett<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>2025 All-Pro Ballot<br \/>\nOffense<br \/>\nQuarterback 1: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/drake-maye\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Drake Maye<\/a>, Patriots<br \/>Quarterback 2: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/matthew-stafford\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Matthew Stafford<\/a>, Rams<\/p>\n<p>OK, this is the big one, because as we all know it\u2019s a proxy for other choices that will be announced in a few weeks.<\/p>\n<p>First of all, let me say that schedule strength absolutely matters. I don\u2019t understand the idea that it doesn\u2019t matter. If we\u2019re going to look at statistics to help us determine which quarterback is better, how can we not consider the context of those statistics? Let\u2019s be blunt: it was easier to accumulate good stats this year with <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/drake-maye\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Drake Maye<\/a>\u2018s schedule than with <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/matthew-stafford\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Matthew Stafford<\/a>\u2018s schedule. Through Week 17, the Patriots had played the easiest QB schedule in the league based on the average pass defense DVOA of their opponents. The Rams had the third-toughest schedule behind Tennessee and San Francisco. If you look at EPA per play instead, there\u2019s a smaller difference, but the Patriots still have the easiest schedule and the Rams rank 14th.<\/p>\n<p>Also, the idea that this is the first time anybody has ever considered strength of schedule is absolutely absurd. Remember a couple years ago when I was the only one to vote for <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/josh-allen\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Josh Allen<\/a> for MVP? I specifically put <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/dak-prescott\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dak Prescott<\/a> second instead of first <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/aaron-schatz-my-2023-all-pro-ballot\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">because of strength of schedule<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>So, through Week 16, I absolutely was going to have <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/matthew-stafford\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Matthew Stafford<\/a> as my top quarterback. At that point, <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/matthew-stafford\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Matthew Stafford<\/a> led the NFL in passing DYAR at 1,815. <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/drake-maye\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Drake Maye<\/a> was fifth at 1,013 DYAR behind Stafford, <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/jared-goff\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jared Goff<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/dak-prescott\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dak Prescott<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/jordan-love\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jordan Love<\/a>. Even though Maye has positive rushing value and Stafford has negative rushing value, there\u2019s no way that rushing value was going to make up even half of a gap that big.<\/p>\n<p>Week 17 made me rethink things. It\u2019s not that <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/matthew-stafford\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Matthew Stafford<\/a> had a bad game in prime time on national television, but just that he had his worst game of the season, period, in the same week where Maye had his best game of the season (even after adjusting for the Jets having a historically bad pass defense this year).<\/p>\n<p>Now, the numbers look like this when you add in rushing value. I do something called Adjusted DYAR that reflects the fact that a yard of rushing DYAR is worth more than a yard of passing DYAR. (A \u201creplacement level\u201d QB rushing play is worth a lot more than a \u201creplacement level\u201d passing play.)<\/p>\n<p>Player<br \/>\nTeam<br \/>\nAdj DYAR<br \/>\nPass<br \/>\nRun<\/p>\n<p>M.Stafford<br \/>\nLAR<br \/>\n1,623<br \/>\n1,780<br \/>\n-75<\/p>\n<p>D.Maye<br \/>\nNE<br \/>\n1,418<br \/>\n1,231<br \/>\n89<\/p>\n<p>D.Prescott<br \/>\nDAL<br \/>\n1,311<br \/>\n1,263<br \/>\n23<\/p>\n<p>J.Goff<br \/>\nDET<br \/>\n1,213<br \/>\n1,255<br \/>\n-20<\/p>\n<p>J.Love<br \/>\nGB<br \/>\n1,122<br \/>\n1,101<br \/>\n10<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Matthew-Stafford-2.jpg\" alt=\"PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 19: Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) calls an audible due to the loud crowd during the NFC Divisional Playoff game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Los Angeles Rams on January 19th, 2025 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Terence Lewis\/Icon Sportswire)\" class=\"wp-image-162369\"  \/><\/p>\n<p>This would still seem to point to <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/matthew-stafford\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Matthew Stafford<\/a> as our top guy, but I thought about it some more.<\/p>\n<p>First of all, I\u2019m not the only guy out here doing advanced metrics. If all the advanced metrics tie, I\u2019m happy to use my numbers as the tiebreaker. But what if the other advanced metrics disagree with DVOA and DYAR? Almost every other advanced metric out there has <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/drake-maye\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Drake Maye<\/a> ahead of <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/matthew-stafford\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Matthew Stafford<\/a>. That includes metrics that try to account for schedule strength. For example, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/qbr\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">ESPN QBR<\/a> through Week 17 has Maye at 76.5, Love at 73.4, Prescott at 71.9 and Stafford at 70.1. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unexpectedpoints.com\/p\/2025-adjusted-quarterback-efficiency-403\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kevin Cole\u2019s adjusted EPA<\/a> puts Maye on top followed by Prescott, Allen, Love and then Stafford. He has Maye on top even though Maye has the largest total adjustment downward. Ben Baldwin also does <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/benbbaldwin\/status\/2001312246530531596\" rel=\"nofollow\">an adjusted EPA per play<\/a> (rather than total EPA) and it has <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/brock-purdy\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Brock Purdy<\/a> first (with fewer games). Then it goes Love, Prescott, Maye, <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/joe-burrow\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Joe Burrow<\/a> and Stafford. (Both Kevin Cole and Ben Baldwin use FTN Data charting in their adjustments.)<\/p>\n<p>I also then thought about the Offensive Player of the Year race, and <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/jaxon-smith-njigba\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jaxon Smith-Njigba<\/a> vs. <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/puka-nacua\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Puka Nacua<\/a>. Man, <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/puka-nacua\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Puka Nacua<\/a> had an amazing season. That emphasizes the way that Stafford, with Nacua and <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/davante-adams\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Davante Adams<\/a>, is in a better setup than Maye, who has <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/stefon-diggs\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Stefon Diggs<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/kayshon-boutte\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kayshon Boutte<\/a> as his top two receivers. Diggs is very good, but look at what happens to Adjusted DYAR when we take out the top receivers:<\/p>\n<p>Player<br \/>\nTeam<br \/>\nTop WR<br \/>\nAdj DYAR<br \/>\nAdj DYAR<br \/>w\/o top WR<\/p>\n<p>M.Stafford<br \/>\nLAR<br \/>\nP.Nacua<br \/>\n1,623<br \/>\n553<\/p>\n<p>D.Maye<br \/>\nNE<br \/>\nS.Diggs<br \/>\n1,418<br \/>\n886<\/p>\n<p>D.Prescott<br \/>\nDAL<br \/>\nG.Pickens<br \/>\n1,311<br \/>\n429<\/p>\n<p>J.Goff<br \/>\nDET<br \/>\nA.St. Brown<br \/>\n1,213<br \/>\n660<\/p>\n<p>J.Love<br \/>\nGB<br \/>\nR.Doubs<br \/>\n1,122<br \/>\n819<\/p>\n<p>That made my decision. <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/drake-maye\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Drake Maye<\/a> is on the first team. <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/matthew-stafford\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Matthew Stafford<\/a> is on the second team.<\/p>\n<p>Running Back 1: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/bijan-robinson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Bijan Robinson<\/a>, Falcons<br \/>Running Back 2: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/jonathan-taylor\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jonathan Taylor<\/a>, Colts<\/p>\n<p>Here are some stats for the top three running backs through Week 17. We\u2019ve got DYAR here for both rushing and receiving, each team\u2019s rank in ESPN run block win rate, FTN\u2019s avoided tackle rate and RYOE (rushing yards over expected) per carry from NFL Next Gen Stats. (All three backs had terrible games in Week 18 but we\u2019re ignoring that here.)<\/p>\n<p>Player<br \/>\nTeam<br \/>\nRun<br \/>DYAR<br \/>\nRec<br \/>DYAR<br \/>\nTotal<br \/>DYAR<br \/>\nRBWR<br \/>Rk<br \/>\nAVT%<br \/>\nRYOE<\/p>\n<p>J.Taylor<br \/>\nIND<br \/>\n366<br \/>\n84<br \/>\n450<br \/>\n7<br \/>\n32.7%<br \/>\n+0.73<\/p>\n<p>C.McCaffrey<br \/>\nSF<br \/>\n37<br \/>\n398<br \/>\n435<br \/>\n12<br \/>\n20.8%<br \/>\n-0.50<\/p>\n<p>B.Robinson<br \/>\nATL<br \/>\n167<br \/>\n265<br \/>\n432<br \/>\n27<br \/>\n34.2%<br \/>\n+1.02<\/p>\n<p>As you can see, <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/christian-mccaffrey\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Christian McCaffrey<\/a> compares very well to <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/jonathan-taylor\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jonathan Taylor<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/bijan-robinson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Bijan Robinson<\/a> in total value, but he had a terrible year as a runner. I like <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/bijan-robinson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Bijan Robinson<\/a> the best here because I think the numbers make it clear he did the most to produce on his own without the help of his blockers. I put <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/jonathan-taylor\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jonathan Taylor<\/a> second on my ballot. However, it turns out there is a place where I can honor CMC as well\u2026<\/p>\n<p>All-Purpose 1: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/christian-mccaffrey\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Christian McCaffrey<\/a>, 49ers<br \/>All-Purpose 2: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/bijan-robinson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Bijan Robinson<\/a>, Falcons<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" src=\"https:\/\/dmxvtdt4jwgem.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Christian-McCaffrey-and-Bijan-Robinson.jpg\" alt=\"Christian McCaffrey and Bijan Robinson\" class=\"wp-image-172507 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1000px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1000\/667;width:840px;height:auto\"  data- bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\"\/><\/p>\n<p>So, they added a 13th spot on the offensive ballot this year called \u201cAll-Purpose.\u201d For the record, let me state that I do not like this idea. I do not like the idea of a position that really isn\u2019t a position. A couple years ago when we started producing snap count lists and defining positions for the AP voters, the whole point was that nobody should make the All-Pro at two different positions. Now you have this spot where you can have players make the All-Pro team at two different positions again. We were told \u201cIt should recognize do-it-all players who excel in multiple ways \u2014 running, receiving, blocking.\u201d But if you are the top all-purpose running back in the league, aren\u2019t you also the top running back in the league? It doesn\u2019t make sense to me.<\/p>\n<p>Originally my plan was to just vote for the same two running backs here that I voted for at the running back position. Then I realized that this would be my opportunity to give an accolade to <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/christian-mccaffrey\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Christian McCaffrey<\/a> even though he wasn\u2019t as good as <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/bijan-robinson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Bijan Robinson<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/jonathan-taylor\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jonathan Taylor<\/a> as a runner. So I put CMC first and <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/bijan-robinson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Bijan Robinson<\/a> second.<\/p>\n<p>Fullback 1: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/alec-ingold\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Alec Ingold<\/a>, Dolphins<br \/>Fullback 2: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/patrick-ricard\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Patrick Ricard<\/a>, Ravens<\/p>\n<p>Look, what are you going to do about <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/kyle-juszczyk\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kyle Juszczyk<\/a>, who is playing a completely different role than all the other fullbacks? How much is his receiving worth compared to everyone else\u2019s blocking? We ran a query showing the run DVOA for teams that used fullbacks, with and without the fullback on the field. Surprisingly, there were only three teams that had a higher run DVOA with the fullback. In order, they were the Ravens, the Dolphins, and the Vikings (<a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/c-j-ham\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">C.J. Ham<\/a>). I made a decision to honor blocking more than receiving. I did want to account for both, and <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/patrick-ricard\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Patrick Ricard<\/a> doesn\u2019t have a reception this season, so <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/alec-ingold\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Alec Ingold<\/a> became my first-team fullback and Ricard goes to the second team. (Ricard ended up finally catching a pass in Week 18 but I stuck with Ingold as my top guy.)<\/p>\n<p>Wide Receiver 1: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/puka-nacua\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Puka Nacua<\/a>, Rams; <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/jaxon-smith-njigba\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jaxon Smith-Njigba<\/a>, Seahawks; <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/george-pickens\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">George Pickens<\/a>, Cowboys<br \/>Wide Receiver 2: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/amon-ra-st-brown\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Amon-Ra St. Brown<\/a>, Lions; <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/jamarr-chase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ja\u2019Marr Chase<\/a>, Bengals; <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/chris-olave\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Chris Olave<\/a>, Saints<\/p>\n<p>The first two names here are very easy to choose. For the third spot on my first team, I went with <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/george-pickens\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">George Pickens<\/a>, who is fourth behind <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/amon-ra-st-brown\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Amon-Ra St. Brown<\/a> in Route DYAR but far ahead of him in standard DYAR. There\u2019s a little bit of an eye test thing there as well, as Pickens and his outstanding catches really stood out to me this season. St. Brown and <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/jamarr-chase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ja\u2019Marr Chase<\/a> are third and fifth in Route DYAR, and then there\u2019s a gap before we get to a pack of guys who are all close to each other. Three of those players had good quarterbacks: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/ceedee-lamb\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">CeeDee Lamb<\/a> with <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/dak-prescott\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dak Prescott<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/davante-adams\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Davante Adams<\/a> with <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/matthew-stafford\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Matthew Stafford<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/stefon-diggs\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Stefon Diggs<\/a> with <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/drake-maye\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Drake Maye<\/a>. The fourth player was <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/chris-olave\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Chris Olave<\/a>. He overcame mediocre quarterbacking to put up big numbers this year, so he\u2019s my final choice for the second team.<\/p>\n<p>Tight End 1: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/trey-mcbride\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Trey McBride<\/a>, Cardinals<br \/>Tight End 2: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/george-kittle\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">George Kittle<\/a>, 49ers<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Trey-McBride.jpg\" alt=\"MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 30: Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride (85) runs a route during warm-ups before a game between the Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals on October 30, 2022, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN(Photo by Nick Wosika\/Icon Sportswire)\" class=\"wp-image-84701 lazyload\"  data- style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1000px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1000\/667;\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The hard thing here was deciding how many games played was the line between whether or not I considered someone for the All-Pro team. I mean no disrespect to Eagles fans, but I decided that <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/george-kittle\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">George Kittle<\/a> played enough (11 games) but <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/lane-johnson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Lane Johnson<\/a> didn\u2019t quite (10 games).<\/p>\n<p>Left Tackle 1: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/dion-dawkins\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dion Dawkins<\/a>, Bills<br \/>Left Tackle 2: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/garett-bolles\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Garett Bolles<\/a>, Broncos<\/p>\n<p>For offensive line positions, I used a combination of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/story\/_\/id\/46138675\/2025-nfl-win-rates-top-teams-players-rankings-pass-run-block\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">ESPN\u2019s win rate stats<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sisdatahub.com\/leaderboards\/C\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">SIS Total Points<\/a>, plus some eye test and word of mouth and trusting the opinion of <a href=\"https:\/\/trenchwarfare.substack.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">offensive line expert Brandon Thorn<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/dion-dawkins\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dion Dawkins<\/a> ranks first in SIS Total Points among left tackles. ESPN has him second among all tackles in pass block win rate and 12th in run block win rate. <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/garett-bolles\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Garett Bolles<\/a> is third among left tackles in SIS Total Points (behind Dawkins and <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/jordan-mailata\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jordan Mailata<\/a>) and ESPN has him 11th in pass block win rate and 19th in run block win rate. The word of mouth\/eye test is very strong with Bolles and with <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/trent-williams\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Trent Williams<\/a>, and I had to leave one of them off my team.<\/p>\n<p>Left Guard 1: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/joe-thuney\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Joe Thuney<\/a>, Bears<br \/>Left Guard 2: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/peter-skoronski\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Peter Skoronski<\/a>, Titans<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/joe-thuney\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Joe Thuney<\/a> leads all offensive linemen in SIS Total Points and leads all guards in ESPN pass block win rate. He is fourth among guards in run block win rate. <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/peter-skoronski\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Peter Skoronski<\/a> is only average in run block win rate but he ranks fifth among guards in pass block win rate and third among left guards in SIS Total Points (behind Thuney and <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/david-edwards\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">David Edwards<\/a> of the Bills).<\/p>\n<p>Center 1: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/creed-humphrey\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Creed Humphrey<\/a>, Chiefs<br \/>Center 2: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/connor-mcgovern\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Connor McGovern<\/a>, Bills<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/zach-frazier\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Zach Frazier<\/a> of the Steelers leads all centers in SIS Total Points but <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/creed-humphrey\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Creed Humphrey<\/a> is second and <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/connor-mcgovern\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Connor McGovern<\/a> is tied for third. ESPN pass block win rate puts Humphrey first and McGovern third. Run block win rate has McGovern fourth and Humphrey 10th. There wasn\u2019t room on my team for <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/tyler-linderbaum\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Tyler Linderbaum<\/a> of the Ravens or <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/aaron-brewer\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Aaron Brewer<\/a> of the Dolphins; Brewer had a breakout season but the stats weren\u2019t quite there to back up the reputation.<\/p>\n<p>Right Guard 1: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/quinn-meinerz\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Quinn Meinerz<\/a>, Broncos<br \/>Right Guard 2: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/jonah-jackson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jonah Jackson<\/a>, Bears<\/p>\n<p>This was the toughest of the offensive line positions. I will admit I picked Meinerz more on reputation than on stats from this season. The Broncos obviously have a great offensive line overall; Meinerz was eighth among guards in ESPN run block win rate, above average in pass block win rate, but was not one of the top guards in SIS Total Points. <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/jonah-jackson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jonah Jackson<\/a> got a lot of accolades for his first season in Chicago, finishing third among guards in pass block win rate. For what it\u2019s worth, the top right guards in SIS Total Points are guys without the same reputation or the same standing in the ESPN blocking stats: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/daniel-faalele\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Daniel Faalele<\/a> of the Ravens and <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/ocyrus-torrence\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">O\u2019Cyrus Torrence<\/a> of the Bills.<\/p>\n<p>Right Tackle 1: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/penei-sewell\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Penei Sewell<\/a>, Lions<br \/>Right Tackle 2: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/darnell-wright\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Darnell Wright<\/a>, Bears<\/p>\n<p>The main question here was whether 10 games was enough to put <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/lane-johnson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Lane Johnson<\/a> on my team. You can argue it either way. It may be that it was easier for me to do <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/george-kittle\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">George Kittle<\/a> with 11 games because he has \u201ctotal stats\u201d that are higher than players who had 16 or 17 games, whereas with <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/lane-johnson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Lane Johnson<\/a> you\u2019re talking about vibes and reputation and rate stats. Anyway, I decided to go in a different direction. <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/darnell-wright\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Darnell Wright<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/penei-sewell\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Penei Sewell<\/a> are the top two right tackles in SIS Total Points. <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/darnell-wright\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Darnell Wright<\/a> was fourth in pass block win rate, but Sewell was surprisingly mediocre in the ESPN blocking stats. Still, I\u2019m sorry to get un-stats-like for a second here, but he\u2019s Penei freakin\u2019 Sewell. The whole Lions offense runs through him.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Defense<br \/>\nEdge Rusher 1: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/myles-garrett\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Myles Garrett<\/a>, Browns; <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/micah-parsons\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Micah Parsons<\/a>, Packers; <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/will-anderson-jr\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Will Anderson Jr.<\/a>, Texans<br \/>Edge Rusher 2: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/nik-bonitto\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Nik Bonitto<\/a>, Broncos; <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/brian-burns\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Brian Burns<\/a>, Giants; <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/aidan-hutchinson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Aidan Hutchinson<\/a>, Lions<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Myles-Garrett-CLV.jpg\" alt=\"SANTA CLARA, CA - OCTOBER 07: Cleveland Browns Defensive End Myles Garrett (95) looks on during the National Football League game between the Cleveland Browns and the San Francisco 49ers on October 7, 2019, at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller\/Icon Sportswire)\" class=\"wp-image-74484 lazyload\"  data- style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1000px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1000\/667;\"\/><\/p>\n<p>This year, the AP had us vote for three edge rushers and two linebackers instead of two edge rushers and three linebackers. Like the \u201cAll-Purpose\u201d position on offense, I am not a big fan of this change. I understand that we want to reward a lot of good, big-name edge rushers but most teams do not play three edge rushers at a time. They do play three linebackers at a time in base defense. Teams may play more nickel than base, but most of them do play some base. I like the idea of a 12-man roster for All-Pro that can play either base or nickel.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m going to be lazy and not list specific stats on all these players, but they\u2019re all great edge rushers and I don\u2019t think I\u2019m going to get much pushback from readers on these choices. <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/danielle-hunter\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Danielle Hunter<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/maxx-crosby\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Maxx Crosby<\/a> were the toughest guys to leave off but <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/brian-burns\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Brian Burns<\/a> (the last guy on for me) finished second in sacks and also had 13 pass tackle stops (pass tackles that prevent a successful gain despite a reception) which is a ton for an edge rusher! <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/andrew-van-ginkel\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Andrew Van Ginkel<\/a> was second among edges with eight. Nobody else had more than six.<\/p>\n<p>Interior Lineman 1: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/zach-allen\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Zach Allen<\/a>, Broncos; <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/jeffery-simmons\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jeffery Simmons<\/a>, Titans<br \/>Interior Lineman 2: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/leonard-williams\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Leonard Williams<\/a>, Seahawks; <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/quinnen-williams\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Quinnen Williams<\/a>, Cowboys<\/p>\n<p>This is somewhat about feel, not just stats, and there were a lot of good defensive tackles this year who deserved consideration including <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/jalen-redmond\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jalen Redmond<\/a> of the Vikings and <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/derrick-brown\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Derrick Brown<\/a> of the Panthers. But a few stats: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/zach-allen\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Zach Allen<\/a> led all players in QB knockdowns this season. <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/jeffery-simmons\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jeffery Simmons<\/a> led all interior linemen in sacks. <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/quinnen-williams\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Quinnen Williams<\/a> was fourth in ESPN pass rush win rate among interior linemen and second in run stop win rate. <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/leonard-williams\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Leonard Williams<\/a> was an integral part of the top defense in the league and made his average run tackle after a gain of just 1.9 yards.<\/p>\n<p>Linebacker 1: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/jordyn-brooks\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jordyn Brooks<\/a>, Dolphins; <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/jack-campbell\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jack Campbell<\/a>, Lions<br \/>Linebacker 2: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/ernest-jones-iv\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ernest Jones IV<\/a>, Seahawks; <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/foyesade-oluokun\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Foyesade Oluokun<\/a>, Jaguars<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/jack-campbell\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jack Campbell<\/a> led all linebackers in SIS Total Points, with a big gap between him and the rest of the league. <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/jordyn-brooks\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jordyn Brooks<\/a> led all linebackers in tackles and in percentage of team plays, and was tied for second in the NFL in defeats. I did consider not putting him on the team because he had a terrible coverage DVOA, but I don\u2019t know quite how much to trust linebacker coverage DVOA until I look at it further. I looked at the plays considered and it was a lot of zone coverage, not man coverage. That seems like more of a failure of the whole defense and not just Brooks.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/foyesade-oluokun\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Foyesade Oluokun<\/a> led the NFL with 33 pass tackle stops and nobody else in the league had more than 26. I picked him over teammate <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/devin-lloyd\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Devin Lloyd<\/a> and his early-season interceptions. <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/ernest-jones-iv\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ernest Jones IV<\/a> also had five picks, just like Lloyd, with better numbers overall.<\/p>\n<p>Outside Cornerback 1: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/jamel-dean\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jamel Dean<\/a>, Buccaneers; <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/derek-stingley-jr\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Derek Stingley Jr.<\/a>, Texans<br \/>Outside Cornerback 2: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/donte-jackson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Donte Jackson<\/a>, Chargers; <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/quinyon-mitchell\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Quinyon Mitchell<\/a>, Eagles<\/p>\n<p>This is a combination of <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/cornerback-dvoa-2025-week-17-stingley-shines\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">my coverage DVOA metric<\/a> and reputation\/eye test. I\u2019ve written a couple times about how good <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/jamel-dean\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jamel Dean<\/a> has been for the Buccaneers this year, leading all outside cornerbacks in coverage DVOA. <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/donte-jackson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Donte Jackson<\/a> is second among outside cornerbacks, <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/derek-stingley-jr\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Derek Stingley Jr.<\/a> is fifth, and <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/quinyon-mitchell\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Quinyon Mitchell<\/a> is seventh. Apologies that I had to leave off <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/montaric-brown\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Montaric Brown<\/a> of the Jaguars, who had an excellent coverage DVOA, and <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/pat-surtain-ii\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Pat Surtain II<\/a>, who was \u201conly\u201d very good in coverage DVOA but is probably still the best cornerback in the league if you ask \u201cwho would you want on your defense in next week\u2019s game?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Slot Cornerback 1: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/derwin-james-jr\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Derwin James Jr.<\/a>, Chargers<br \/>Slot Cornerback 2: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/cooper-dejean\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Cooper DeJean<\/a>, Eagles<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Derwin-James.jpg\" alt=\"CARSON, CA - NOVEMBER 18: Los Angeles Chargers free safety Derwin James (33) during the NFL regular season game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, November 18, 2018, at StubHub Center in Carson, CA. (Photo by Ric Tapia\/Icon Sportswire)\" class=\"wp-image-101462 lazyload\"  data- style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1000px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1000\/667;\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Sports Info Solutions put together snap counts for the AP voters to determine what positions we should use to vote for specific players. It went in two steps for defensive backs. First, the total of snaps at cornerback and slot cornerback was compared to the total at safety, linebacker, and edge. (Someone like <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/nick-emmanwori\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Nick Emmanwori<\/a> moves all over the place.) More snaps at the first two positions meant you were a cornerback, and more snaps at the latter three positions made you a safety. Then if the player had more snaps at cornerback and slot cornerback, they were assigned to the position where they had more snaps.<\/p>\n<p>If you do this, you get Chargers safety <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/derwin-james-jr\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Derwin James Jr.<\/a> as a slot cornerback. He lined up at cornerback positions more than other positions this year. He wasn\u2019t the only player rostered as a safety to do this. <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/javon-bullard\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Javon Bullard<\/a> of the Packers, <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/jalen-pitre\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jalen Pitre<\/a> of the Texans, and Emmanwori were also voted on as slot cornerbacks.<\/p>\n<p>If James is a slot cornerback, then he was the best slot cornerback in the NFL this season. James led all defensive backs with at least 200 coverage snaps in my coverage DVOA metric, and his ability to play multiple positions is key to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.matchquarters.com\/p\/chargers-run-defense-small-ball-jesse-minter\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jesse Minter\u2019s scheme<\/a> in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n<p>I went with <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/cooper-dejean\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Cooper DeJean<\/a> for the other spot.<\/p>\n<p>Safety 1: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/kyle-hamilton\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kyle Hamilton<\/a>, Ravens; <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/talanoa-hufanga\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Talanoa Hufanga<\/a>, Broncos<br \/>Safety 2: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/grant-delpit\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Grant Delpit<\/a>, Browns; <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/jessie-bates-iii\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jessie Bates III<\/a>, Falcons<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/grant-delpit\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Grant Delpit<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/kyle-hamilton\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kyle Hamilton<\/a> were the top two safeties in the league in coverage DVOA. The Ravens defense is built around Hamilton\u2019s skill set. Hamilton (4.0) and Delpit (4.2) also made their average run tackle closer to the line of scrimmage than any other starting safeties. <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/talanoa-hufanga\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Talanoa Hufanga<\/a> was tied for the lead among safeties in SIS Total Points (with <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/kevin-byard-iii\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kevin Byard III<\/a> of the Bears) and was third in the league among safeties in how often he was involved with a defensive play for his team. <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/jessie-bates-iii\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jessie Bates III<\/a> didn\u2019t lead any specific stats but he\u2019s very good and I feel comfortable with him as my fourth guy.<\/p>\n<p>Special Teams<br \/>\nKicker 1: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/will-reichard\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Will Reichard<\/a>, Vikings<br \/>Kicker 2: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/nick-folk\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Nick Folk<\/a>, Jets<\/p>\n<p>This was going to be a long thing about how <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/jason-myers\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jason Myers<\/a> led the league in kickoff value and that matters, and then Myers went out in Week 18 and shanked two field goals and put a kickoff out of bounds. So much for that. This leaves <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/will-reichard\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Will Reichard<\/a> as the top kicker in my values if we combine field goals and kickoffs, with <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/nick-folk\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Nick Folk<\/a> second. (Reichard was better than Folk on kickoffs, enough to make up Folk\u2019s small advantage on field goals.)<\/p>\n<p>Punter 1: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/austin-mcnamara\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Austin McNamara<\/a>, Jets<br \/>Punter 2: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/michael-dickson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Michael Dickson<\/a>, Seahawks<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/michael-dickson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Michael Dickson<\/a> was slighly ahead of <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/austin-mcnamara\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Austin McNamara<\/a> in gross punt value, which looks at the value of every punt if we assume an average return. However, McNamara was far, far ahead of Dickson if we look at net punt value. Yes, most of that is better coverage by the other Seahawks, but I have to assume that at least a bit of it has to do with things like hang time that I am not measuring. So McNamara gets the nod for the first team, Dickson for the second team.<\/p>\n<p>Kick Returner 1: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/kene-nwangwu\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kene Nwangwu<\/a>, Jets<br \/>Kick Returner 2: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/ray-davis\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ray Davis<\/a>, Bills<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Ray-Davis.jpg\" alt=\"MIAMI GARDENS, FL - SEPTEMBER 12: Buffalo Bills running back Ray Davis (22) rushes with there ball during the game between the Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins on Thursday, September 12, 2024 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. (Photo by Peter Joneleit\/Icon Sportswire)\" class=\"wp-image-138211 lazyload\"  data- style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1000px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1000\/667;\"\/><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/ray-davis\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ray Davis<\/a> leads in my kick return value with 11.3 points of field position value, but he did that on 30 returns. <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/kene-nwangwu\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kene Nwangwu<\/a> is second with 10.6 points of field position value on just 18 returns.<\/p>\n<p>Punt Returner 1: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/marcus-jones\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Marcus Jones<\/a>, Patriots<br \/>Punt Returner 2: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/chimere-dike\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Chimere Dike<\/a>, Titans<\/p>\n<p>These two were very close. <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/chimere-dike\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Chimere Dike<\/a> went into Week 18 with 13.1 points of field position value on 22 returns. <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/marcus-jones\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Marcus Jones<\/a> went into Week 18 with 12.9 points of field position on 21 returns. Maybe it\u2019s that I watch the Patriots every week and not the Titans, but Jones just seems a little scarier to me.<\/p>\n<p>Special Teams Ace 1: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/tommy-eichenberg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Tommy Eichenberg<\/a>, Raiders<br \/>Special Teams Ace 2: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/devon-key\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Devon Key<\/a>, Broncos<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/devon-key\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Devon Key<\/a> or the Broncos and <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/delshawn-phillips\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Del\u2019Shawn Phillips<\/a> of the Chargers each had 24 special teams plays by my numbers. <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/tommy-eichenberg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Tommy Eichenberg<\/a> was third with 21 special teams plays. However, 16 of Eichenberg\u2019s plays were \u201cstops,\u201d in that they stopped a return short of an average expected value. Key and Phillips each had only 13 stops. Eichenberg also excelled on kickoffs for a Raiders team that didn\u2019t kick off very much. He\u2019s my guy. (As an added bonus, Key and Eichenberg each had an additional two plays in Week 18 while Phillips did not have a play.)<\/p>\n<p>Long Snapper 1: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/andrew-depaola\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Andrew DePaola<\/a>, Vikings<br \/>Long Snapper 2: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftnfantasy.com\/nfl\/player\/ross-matiscik\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ross Matiscik<\/a>, Jaguars<\/p>\n<p>These are the same two guys as last year, as recommended by former NFL long snapper Pat Mannelly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"&#13; This is my sixth year as an official Associated Press voter for both the All-Pro Team and&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":669482,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[7,6170,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-669481","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nfl","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-football-outsiders","10":"tag-nfl"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/115878018934617519","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/669481","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=669481"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/669481\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/669482"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=669481"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=669481"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=669481"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}