Giants’ Dexter Lawrence, Malik Nabers added to Pro Bowl Skills Show

New York Giants NT Dexter Lawrence and WR Malik Nabers will participate in the Skills Show at the 2025 Pro Bowl Games.

The 2025 Pro Bowl Games will officially get underway on Thursday night beginning with the Skills Show between the AFC All-Stars and the NFC All-Stars.

New York Giants nose tackle Dexter Lawrence and wide receiver Malik Nabers, who was added to the Pro Bowl roster earlier this week, will be among those participating.

Lawrence will be up first, joining teammates Chris Lindstrom (Atlanta Falcons) and Frank Ragnow (Detroit Lions) in “The Big Spike.”

Linemen look to spike footballs onto a machine that measure power and impact. Three points will be awarded to the winning team.

That trio will take on the AFC’s Rashawn Slater (Los Angeles Chargers), Quinnen Williams (New York Jets), and Joel Bitonio (Cleveland Browns).

Participating in this event is a good sign for Lawrence, who was lost for the season after suffering a dislocated elbow in late November.

In the very next event, Nabers will join 11 other NFC stars in the “Relay Race” against the AFC’s team of 12.

A simultaneous relay-style event where four players from each conference complete a 40-yard dash before handing a football to the next athlete on their team, continuing until the fourth and final leg crosses the finish line. The conferences will compete in three rounds, with the fastest team winning. Three points will be awarded to the winning team.

For the third straight season, Giants legend Eli Manning will serve as head coach of the NFC All-Stars.

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Three Badgers among leading vote-getters for 2025 NFL Pro Bowl Games

Three Badgers among leading vote-getters for 2025 NFL Pro Bowl Games

Three former Wisconsin Badgers were among the early leading vote-getters for the 2025 NFL Pro Bowl Games on Monday.

Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt, Minnesota Vikings outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel and Detroit Lions guard Kevin Zeitler were among 50 players listed as top vote-getters in the early voting window on Monday.

Watt leads the AFC’s outside linebacker voting, Van Ginkel leads the NFC’s outside linebacker vote count and Zeitler spearheads the NFC’s offensive guard ballot at this stage of the voting process.

When voting commenced, a total of 18 former Badgers were featured on the ballot. On offense, the most notable included quarterback Russell Wilson (Pittsburgh Steelers), running back Jonathan Taylor (Indianapolis Colts), running back Braelon Allen (New York Jets) and full back Alec Ingold (Miami Dolphins).

Defensively, 11 Badger playmakers were featured alongside Watt and Van Ginkel. Surprisingly, Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zach Baun did not scratch the early list.

Given the talent at his passion, Baun’s omission isn’t much a surprise. Ironically, both outside linebackers are Badgers.

Van Ginkel accounts for 59 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss, nine sacks and a league-leading two interceptions returned for a touchdown. Watt, a perennial All-Pro, has registered 9.5 sacks, a league-best 16 tackles for loss and NFL-high five forced fumbles in 12 appearances this season.

Zeitler, meanwhile, is one of the more valuable guards in Detroit’s offensive line responsible for blocking for running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. Watt boasts six Pro Bowl appearances, Zeitler was selected for the event in 2023 and Van Ginkel has yet to make a Pro Bowl.

Russell Wilson, Zack Baun headline former Badgers on 2025 NFL Pro Bowl ballot

Russell Wilson, Zack Baun headline former Badgers on 2025 NFL Pro Bowl ballot

A total of 18 former Wisconsin Badgers were included on the 2025 NFL Pro Bowl Games ballot on Tuesday.

On the offensive side of the ball, 11 UW alumni were featured on the NFL’s voting list. The most notable include quarterback Russell Wilson (Pittsburgh Steelers), running back Jonathan Taylor (Indianapolis Colts), running back Braelon Allen (New York Jets), full back Alec Ingold (Miami Dolphins) and tight end Jake Ferguson (Dallas Cowboys).

Offensive linemen Rob Havenstein (Los Angeles Rams), David Edwards (Buffalo Bills), Kevin Zeitler (Detroit Lions), Tyler Biadasz (Washington Commanders), Tanor Bortolini (Colts) and Joe Tippmann (Jets) were also featured.

Defensively, tackle Keeanu Benton (Steelers), inside linebacker T.J. Edwards (Chicago Bears) and outside linebackers Andrew Van Ginkel (Minnesota Vikings), T.J. Watt (Steelers), Nick Herbig (Steelers), Zack Baun (Philadelphia Eagles) and Leo Chenal (Kansas City Chiefs) were selected as eligible for the ballot.

On the surface, the most surprising inclusions on the lists are Benton and Allen. While the list is nowhere near final, these former Badgers rarely receive national attention, and they will surely fail to make the final Pro Bowl roster.

Nonetheless, they’re eligible. A total of 69 defensive tackles and 42 running backs were featured on the ballot. Since both Benton and Allen have each logged 11 games and made a statistical impact for their respective teams, they ultimately appear on the ballot.

Baun, Watt and Van Ginkel are likely shoe-ins for the Pro Bowl Games this winter. With 105 total tackles, Baun is trending towards an All-Pro appearance, Van Ginkel is among the NFL’s sack leaders with nine sacks, while Watt is a perennial Pro Bowler.

This winter’s Pro Bowl features a flag football game and several skill competitions. It is slated for Sunday, Feb. 2 at 2:00 p.m. CT in Orlando, Florida.