The Atlanta Falcons had two players selected to the 2022 NFL Pro Bowl, but they weren’t the two that fans were expecting. Rookie Kyle Pitts was basically a lock, but Josh Harris earning a starting spot in the NFC was truly a surprise.
Kicker Younghoe Koo, running back Cordarrelle Patterson, defensive lineman Grady Jarrett and cornerback A.J. Terrell were all deserving of strong consideration at the very least.
Just got off a plane — Falcons rookie TE Kyle Pitts and LS Josh Harris named to the 2022 Pro Bowl.
Alternates:
Cordarrelle Patterson (1st as returner, 5th as RB).
Younghoe Koo (2nd at K)
Keith Smith (2nd at FB)
Grady Jarrett (4th at DT)
A.J. Terrell (4th at CB)
— Michael Rothstein (@mikerothstein) December 23, 2021
Jarrett and Koo have been instrumental in the team’s success this season and while both are producing at a high level, there’s other players at those two positions that have a pretty good case.
As for Cordarrelle Patterson, this is where it can get a bit frustrating. Patterson’s versatility to play multiple positions has been invaluable this season. However, this has hurt Patterson in Pro Bowl voting because people still don’t think of him as a running back. When there’s more established names having great seasons, it makes sense that Patterson, a converted kick returner, would be left off.
After Patterson, the biggest possible snub comes from A.J. Terrell. The former first-round pick has become one of the league’s elite corners and a future cornerstone in this Falcons defense. His play this season has been nothing short of exceptional.
If there is one part of Terrell’s game that knocks him down a few points, it’s that he only plays on one side of the field. Of his 685 snaps taken as an outside cornerback, only three were taken on the right side of the formation. All four cornerbacks selected before Terrell have this ability and recorded at least 100 reps on both sides.
This is also a reason why Terrell’s attempted targets are much lower than his competition because teams can scheme around a cornerback who only plays one side of the field. This, of course, leads to less targets. Terrell averages 8.7 snaps per target, while Darius Slay (7.2), Jalen Ramsey (6.5), Marshon Lattimore (6.1), and Trevon Diggs (6.1) all average less.
Any way you look at it, the Pro Bowl always has elements of a popularity contest to it. It’s nice for fans to get to see their favorite players earn recognition, but there’s a reason people put more weight into All-Pro selections.
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