Saints: All-Pro Honors would be more Impressive than Pro Bowl Vote

Several New Orleans Saints players were not selected to the 2021 NFL Pro Bowl roster, but the AP All-Pro honor would be a more impressive selection.

As an NFL player, a Pro Bowl selection is nice, but an All-Pro honor is a more impressive.   Proof:  Demario Davis.

Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle, USA TODAY Sports

Fans are in an uproar that linebacker Demario Davis and defensive end Trey Hendrickson did not make the roster to the 2021 Pro Bowl.

There are a few reasons why a player with noteworthy contributions is a Pro-Bowl miss by voters.

The NFL determines the AFC and NFC All-Stars for the 2021 Pro Bowl rosters based on the fans, players, and coaches' consensus votes. Each group’s vote counts as one-third toward the selection of the 88 All-Star players. The NFL is the only sports league that combines voting by fans, coaches, and players to determine its All-Stars.  

In layman's terms, the vote came down to the players' popularity, team standings, and how well the fan base voted for their respective players. Often you will have a player whose name is popular because of their production from the previous year(s) and team's standing to make the Pro Bowl versus a player like New Orleans' Trey Hendrickson. 

Hendrickson is relatively unknown by most fans outside of rooting for the New Orleans Saints. Last season was the case for Demario Davis. His dynamic performance and on-field achievements contributed to the Saints' 13-3 regular-season record. Davis name recognition was overshadowed by the top-voted NFC 2020 Pro Bowl linebackers Khalil Mack (Chicago), Chandler Jones (Arizona), and Bobby Wagner (Seattle).  

Although he missed the Pro Bowl vote, Davis had a more significant honor for his 2019 regular-season accomplishments. The Associated Press sportswriters honored Demario Davis as a first-team All-Pro at linebacker. NFC linebackers Bobby Wagner (Seattle) and Eric Kendricks (Vikings) joined Davis with first-team recognitions. 

© Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

An All-Pro honor is a more impressive selection for NFL players.

Why? Because the Associated Press NFL All-Pro Team roster honors are bestowed to the best players across the entire league by sportswriters who cover the NFL. Typically, their judgment is non-biased. Typically. Fortunately for the New Orleans Saints, their players were appreciated by the media in 2019.

Last season, the New Orleans Saints had five All-Pro picks with Demario Davis (Linebacker) were Michael Thomas (Wide Receiver), Ryan Ramczyk (Right Tackle), Deonte Harris (Punt Returner), and second-team selections Cam Jordan (Edge Rusher), and J.T. Gray (Special Teamer).

The arguments for LB Demario Davis (106 tackles, 4 sacks, 4 PD, 10 TFL), DE Trey Hendrickson (12.5 sacks, tied for NFL lead, 24 QB Hits), RT Ryan Ramczyk (100% snaps in 11 of 14 games), S Marcus Williams (59 tackles, 3 INT, 7 PD), C Erik McCoy (~99.6% snaps), and DB Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (63 tackles, 12 PD, 1 INT, 1 sack) Pro Bowl snubs are strong in 2020. However, there is a stronger case for a few of them to make the 2020 All-Pro team.

Especially for Hendrickson.  He has been terrorizing NFL quarterbacks and left tackles the entire season with his 12.5 sacks.  He and the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Aaron Donald (Rams), are tied as the league's sack leaders through 14 games.  Most impressive.

So Saints fans, don't fret. The Pro Bowl is nice, but All-Pro is better.