The NFLPA released its second annual All-Pro roster on Wednesday. It’s not to be confused with the AP All-Pro list that comes out later. This year’s selections included five members of the Dallas Cowboys.
Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, right guard Zack Martin and left guard Tyler Smith made the team on offense while cornerback DaRon Bland and kicker Brandon Aubrey made the list on their sides of the ball. Smith ended up in a tie with Cleveland guard Joel Bitoni, even though Smith did not make the initial Pro Bowl Roster.
As those players celebrate a great achievement, Cowboys fans will find it puzzling that their two most important players did not get selected. Quarterback Dak Prescott led the league in almost every statistical passing category yet was left off the first-team in favor of Lamar Jackson who threw for 12 fewer touchdowns and 841 fewer yards.
Jackson earning the best record in the NFL is apparently more of an indication of greatness than statistics are for an individual award.
Equally as puzzling was the decision to leave pass rusher Micah Parsons off the list as well. While it would be hard to argue against the case for Clevelands’ Myles Garrett, placing the Raiders’ Maxx Crosby over Parsons seems a bit questionable.
While Crosby registered 14.5 sacks compared to Parsons’s 14, the Dallas defender led the league in pressures with 103 compared to Crosby’s 94. According to PFF, Parsons had a higher overall grade, a higher pass rush grade, more quarterback hits and more quarterback hurries.
While a better record appears enough to overtake the quarterback discussion, it does nothing for a tightly-contested comparison among defenders.