Three Sleeper Pro Bowlers for Arizona Cardinals

The 2022 Arizona Cardinals are devoid of certified Pro Bowlers for this season, but these three deserve some recognition for their play.

It's no secret that the 2022 Arizona Cardinals have been an abysmal team to watch this year. Unsurprisingly, the team has very few players worthy of the honor of Pro Bowl status. Funny how those two tend to go hand in hand with each other.

While there are some prominent Pro Bowl players here like DeAndre Hopkins and Budda Baker, guys we're used to seeing make the Pro Bowl like Kyler Murray have had down years and are simply undeserving of the nod. 

Some other guys who usually appear like Zach Ertz and Rodney Hudson have been hindered by the injury bug this year and thus have no chance for the accolade.

There are a few players for the Cardinals, however, who have had much better years than given credit for and deserve votes and at least an argument for Pro Bowl status. 

Here are three Cardinals players who are playing at a Pro Bowl level even if the rest of the world might not notice.

Three Sleeper Pro Bowlers for Arizona Cardinals 

J.J. Watt

For a player that was literally on the edge of death at one point this year, J.J. Watt has been playing as dominant as ever and it's gone largely unnoticed by the rest of the league.

Watt currently leads the team in sacks with 6.5, but his disruption on the defensive line has been noticeable every week and nearly every rep. For a pass rush that has struggled to consistently generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks, Watt has certainly not been a hindrance.

Best of all, Watt has been instrumental in the development of Zach Allen, who has 4.5 sacks of his own and has blossomed into a young star for this defense. Watt could be argued as the most important defender for the Cardinals this season, as without him they would have no pass rush. 

His dominance on the field and rock-solid box score numbers make me believe he deserves your Pro Bowl votes.

Marquise Brown

The one thing that is standing in Brown's way of his first career Pro Bowl is health. Brown was placed on injured reserve this season with a foot injury but worked his way back on the field to miss just five games. When he's been on the field, he's made the most out of every opportunity.

It took Brown no time at all to again establish his chemistry with Murray - his college quarterback - and the two made serious waves throughout the league over the first six games. 

Brown was top-five in receptions and yards at the time of his injury. Now that he's back, he has a chance to reignite the flame that made him so dominant.

The numbers won't be beautiful for Brown, who would currently finish short of 1,000 receiving yards if he kept his per-game average and didn't miss any more games, but we've seen plenty of players get into the Pro Bowl in spite of gaudy numbers. 

For Brown, he just needs to resume his electric play style and everyone will remember how good he was prior to his injury. With Hopkins opposite him to take away some attention from the defense, brown could flourish and end the season hot and get his first Pro Bowl.

Byron Murphy

This one is definitely a bit of a stretch, as Murphy has neither impressive box score numbers nor name-brand recognition to garner votes. Murphy has also missed three games with an injury, which hurts his argument even more. But with that being said, Murphy has been playing at a Pro Bowl level in 2022.

The Cardinals have faced a cavalcade of talented wide receivers in 2022, including but not limited to Cooper Kupp, DK Metcalf, A.J. Brown, Davante Adams, and D.J. Moore. 

Against those pristine receivers, Murphy didn't flinch and neutralized them. While he didn't blanket them and eliminate them from the game entirely, what he did to these guys is what defensive coordinators dream about. He's been as close to an eraser as the Cardinals have seen since the prime days of Patrick Peterson.

If you threw a couple of interceptions onto Murphy's box score, we might be discussing him as one of the biggest breakouts of the 2022 season. Even without them, Murphy's play this year deserves more recognition than he's getting. While a Pro Bowl would be earth-shattering, he hasn't played undeservingly of the accolade.

Follow All Cardinals on Facebook

Subscribe to All Cardinals on YouTube

Arizona Cardinals Top Stories

Two Cardinals Who Need More Playing Time After Bye Week

A Cardinals Fan Rooting Guide For Week 13

NFL Week 13 TV Coverage Map

Cardinals Should Have Top-Flight Passing Attack Moving Forward