The Associated Press 2022 NFL All-Pro Team First Team: pic.twitter.com/xJEVWCHTjJ
Buy Eagles Tickets— Rob Maaddi (@RobMaaddi) January 13, 2023
The Eagles earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC with a 14-3 record this year and the honors are starting to roll in as six players were named to the Associated Press NFL All-Pro team.
Travis Kelce and Justin Jefferson were unanimous choices for The Associated Press 2022 NFL All-Pro Team, while Jets star Sauce Gardner is the first rookie cornerback selected in 41 years.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa and Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones each got 49 of 50 first-team votes.
Gardner, the fourth overall pick by the New York Jets, was named on all 50 ballots, receiving 43 first-place votes. Pro Football Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott was the last rookie cornerback chosen for the first team in 1981.
Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson were named to the first team, while the Chiefs and Niners led the way with four players each on the first team.
Here are several key takeaways from the news, including how it impacts Jalen Hurts’ MVP odds.
Jalen Hurts won't win the MVP
Hurts had been an MVP favorite up until he suffered a shoulder sprain in the win over the Bears. During his two-game absence, the Eagles lost consecutive games, and Patrick Mahomes put on a show down the stretch to earn Kansas City a No. 1 overall seed.
Mahomes earned All-Pro honors in 2018 when he was the NFL MVP.
in 2022, he led the league with 5,250 yards passing and 41 touchdowns, helping the Chiefs go 14-3 to capture their seventh straight AFC West title.
Hurts got one first-team vote, preventing Mahomes from being a unanimous choice, and it appears the AFC’s top passer will secure another MVP as well.
Jason Kelce bonafide Hall of Famer
Kelce earned the fifth All-Pro nod of his career and he did it in a dominant fashion amid rumors that he may retire.
According to Pro Football Focus, Kelce was:
• 2nd among centers in offensive grade (88.5)
• 2nd among centers in run-block grade (89.4)
• 2nd among centers in pass-block grade (82.0)
Kelce was one of only two centers not to allow a sack or QB hit (min. 400 pass-block snaps) (0.0% knockdown percentage)
Hurts earned 2nd team nod over Bills Josh Allen
Allen and Joe Burrow are the topics of discussion every morning on the NFL news circuit, but it was Hurts who made 2nd team All-Pro over the Bills and Bengals stars.
OFFENSE
Quarterbacks
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City, 148 (49); Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia, 22 (1); Josh Allen, Buffalo, 15; Joe Burrow, Cincinnati, 15
Hurts received seven more total votes than Allen, and seven more than Burrow as well in a close but runaway vote for the Eagles star.
T.J. Edwards is Rodney Dangerfield
There are some really good linebackers in the NFL, but Edwards was on another level this season and didn’t earn a first or second team honor.
Edwards was among the league leaders in pass breakups, the second-highest-graded linebacker in football per PFF, and among the top five in tackles as well.
Players and media differ on Darius Slay
Slay is one of the NFL’s top cornerbacks, but finished the regular season amid criticism from some in the media questioning his play.
The Eagles veteran was named a first-team All-Pro by the players, but the Associated Press was a different story, as he only earned five first-team votes, and finished behind James Bradberry, and outside of the second-team slot.
Javon Hargrave snubbed
The Eagles defensive tackle had 60 tackles on the season, 11 sacks from the defensive tackle position, and was 1st among interior DL in pressure percentage (13.9% via PFF) and 4th among DTs in sacks.
They might hate both of us 😂 https://t.co/aueUynan7F
— Darius Slay (@bigplay24slay) January 13, 2023
