Week after week, game after game, year after year, NFL players put their bodies on the line. The vast majority go unnoticed.
For better or worse, the spotlight and headlines are hoarded by a select few who draw the eyeballs. It's all fair game, but sometimes, players performing on the edges of the national consciousness deserve some of that shine.
Often, their hometown fans know them and their worth, but these players are too often left out of the national discussion because their highlights don't always show up on NFL RedZone, or they fail to stuff fantasy box scores. It's a shame, really. The world deserves to know these men and their exploits more significantly.
With Pro Bowl Games voting set to open up later this month, I'm here to remind fans, players and coaches not to simply tick off the prominent names. There are deserving players who have stood out through the halfway mark and can continue making a mark for the rest of the 2024 campaign.
Before I get onto my list of 10 sleeper Pro Bowl picks, some self-prescribed boundaries: No one who has already been to a Pro Bowl. No rookies (sorry, Jared Verse and Jayden Daniels). And no other big names -- if my wife knows who they are, they're out.
Now, onto the list!
DEFENSE
Allen might be too easy a pick to kick off our list, but I get a distinct feeling that far too few observers outside Broncos Country recognize the defensive lineman's wrecking-ball ability. In 10 games, he's generated 42 QB pressures, tied for eighth-most among all players, according to Next Gen Stats. Unlike every player above him in that ranking, Allen is doing it primarily from the interior as a multigap horse. His 42 pressures are the most by a defensive tackle through 10 weeks, and he's on pace for 71.4 QBPs, which would be the most from a DT since Aaron Donald's 79 in 2021. Allen's 11.7% QB pressure rate is No. 2 among all DTs, behind only Jets' Pro Bowler Quinnen Williams (who has 100 fewer pass rush snaps entering Week 11). Allen isn't just getting after the QB. His 35 stops are tied for the most among all defensive linemen, and his 11 tackles for loss are tied for third-most. A Tasmanian devil with a mean streak, Allen has been one of the most underrated players in the NFL for the past several seasons. It's time that ends.
Baun is the classic case of a player exploding after finding the right fit. Ill-conceived as primarily an on-ball defender the past few years under Dennis Allen in New Orleans, Baun's talent has been unleashed with Vic Fangio moving him off the ball.
In Philly, Buan has displayed the ability to diagnose plays, react and discombobulate opposing offenses. In Week 10's destruction of Dallas alone, he generated eight tackles, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a tackle for loss. Buan hasn't been a one-week wonder. His 52 stops are third among all linebackers, and his 10.7% stop rate is tied for second. Toss in a half-dozen pressures, two sacks, an interception, two passes defended and three forced fumbles, and Baun has morphed from a no-position fit to a weekly befuddler.
You could toss several Lions secondary players on this list, but Joseph's consistent play, coupled with an uncanny Johnny-on-the-spot ability, takes the cake. The safety's six interceptions are tied for the NFL lead, most of which have come in massive spots or changed games. It's not just those moments when Joseph has shined. His -39.1 target EPA is by far the lowest among all safeties (Xavier McKinney is next at -20.8). He's allowed a 20.2 quarterback rating as the nearest defender, the lowest among all DBs, and his 45 percent completion rate allowed is the third-lowest (minimum 200 coverage snaps). The former third-round pick has grown into the glue of Aaron Glenn's secondary and enables the rest of the operation to play physical up front.
Sidebar: If you prefer Lions teammate Brian Branch in this spot instead of Joseph, you'd get little argument.
Fowler followed Dan Quinn from Dallas to Washington, and boy, did it pay off for all parties. Fowler's nose has been all over the pigskin. He's generated 8.5 sacks, third-most in the NFL, and his 17.7% QBP rate is ninth among all defenders. He hasn't seen the massive amount of snaps that others with impressive counting stats get either (167 pass rush snaps), but he has made the most of them, boasting a league-high 5.1 sack percent (min. 100 pass rushes). Translation: Quinn is putting the veteran in a spot to do damage, and Fowler is paying off with big plays. Fowler's 6.1% stop rate is comparable to the likes of T.J. Watt (6.2%) and Khalil Mack (6.1%). The former No. 3 overall pick didn't live up to the lofty draft status early in his career and eventually became a nomad (on his fifth club). However, he is putting together a potential career year in the Commanders' resurgence.
Rousseau's career has been building to this season. The uber-talented athlete has been a menace through 10 games. Seemingly every play, there is No. 50 flying onto the screen, hitting a ballcarrier, swiping at a quarterback, tipping a pass, or skunking a play. His 5.5 sacks put the former first-round pick on pace for a career-high, and his 12 tackles for loss are tied for an NFL high (with three-time Pro Bowler and DPOY candidate Trey Hendrickson). He's been a flash, generating 36 QB pressures, and 20 of his pressures are of the quick variety (first 2.5 seconds of a play), tied for the fifth-most in the NFL. The only players above him in that metric: Myles Garrett (26), Hendrickson (24), Danielle Hunter (23), and Brian Burns (21). That's the type of get-off group Rousseau is surrounding himself with in 2024.
OFFENSE
Check in on pretty much any running back metric in 2024, and you'll find Hubbard's name nestled in among perennial Pro Bowlers. Hubbard ranks third in rush yards (818), fifth in carries (161), tied for eighth in rushing touchdowns (six), fifth in rushing success rate (56.5), and sixth in yards per game (81.8). Let's go beyond counting stats: Among RBs with at least 100 carries this season, Hubbard ranks third in rush yards over expected (214), fourth in rush yards over expected per carry (1.4), first in percentage of runs over expected (49.4%), fifth in rush EPA (0.8), fifth in first downs (40) and tied for second in first downs over expected (seven). That enough numbers to make my point? It might be a down year again in Carolina, but Hubbard has been the engine that has gotten things at least a little revved up recently. Jonathon Brooks' eventual return will likely eat away at some of Hubbard's touches, but he should remain the lead back. He's earned it.
I'm not going to pretend to be an offensive line expert. There are better and bigger people for that. But it's impossible not to watch the upstart Cardinals without noticing Froholdt in the middle of it all. From aiding Kyler Murray's pocket to getting out on screens, the former Patriots fourth-round pick is an underrated blocker. Through 10 games, Pro Football Focus charted Froholdt with zero sacks, three QB hits, and 10 QB hurries. The 28-year-old Denmark native found a home in Arizona and earned that preseason contract extension. His ability to get to the second level opens up one of the best ground games in the NFL. Froholdt's athleticism is dynamic in space, helping the Cards become one of the better screen teams in the NFL in 2024.
Pro Bowls usually go to the same cast of receiving characters, but if one longshot can break up the crew, a big-play weapon like Mooney, on a division leader, might be the best bet. The former Bears receiver is finally cashing in on all those early-career hype pieces after two lost-in-the-woods seasons. It's marvelous what a friendly QB can do for a field-stretching receiver. In 10 games, Mooney sits sixth in the NFL with 684 receiving yards and is tied for eighth with five touchdowns. He remains a deep speed weapon but has grown into more with Kirk Cousins. Mooney's 34.8 receiving EPA currently ranks third in the NFL. While his catch rate might be lower than others, he'll make up for it with big plays, snagging seven deep shots, tied for fifth-most in the NFL. His 33 first downs are the eighth-most in the NFL. Not too shabby for a No. 2 wideout.
Otton's season started slow, but the tight end's presence grew as the Bucs' receiving corps became decimated by injuries. In three of the past four weeks, Otton generated at least 75 yards -- a number he'd never previously hit in a regular-season game. Since Week 7, his 20.8 receiving EPA is tops among tight ends, His 39 targets are second-most among TEs (Travis Kelce has 45), and his 293 yards are the most among the position. Those figures are tied for fifth and eighth overall among all players over that span. The Bucs have a tough road ahead to get back into the postseason, but if they can, Otton will be a key reason for the late-season surge.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Given the new kick return rules, I had to shoehorn in one returner. I'll use it to finally get Ekeler to a Pro Bowl after years of being snubbed at the running back position.
On the season, Ekeler has returned 14 kicks for 434 yards, averaging 31 yards per return with a long of 62. Others might have some better stats, but I'll remind you that Ekeler also had a 98-yard touchdown return called back on the opening play of Week 2 that could have goosed his stats. Ekeler's 8.4 average kickoff returns over expected ranks fourth among players with at least 10 returns this season, per Next Gen Stats. As the weather grows colder for outdoor clubs like Washington, Ekeler could see his chance for more returns increase down the stretch as the Commanders push for a playoff spot.