• Kerby Joseph is an obvious omission: The star Lions safety recorded the best PFF coverage grade among non-defensive linemen and also leads the league in picks.
• Some AFC defensive question marks: Poona Ford, Brandon Jones and Danielle Hunter had better cases than players like Nnamdi Madubuike, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Maxx Crosby.
• 2025 NFL Draft season is here: Try PFF's best-in-class Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2025's top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.
Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes
The NFL Pro Bowl remains one of the most polarizing events and accolades in all of sports. While being selected for the event is often a reflection of outstanding season-long play — and even a major criterion in Hall of Fame voting — the game doesn’t always actually pick the most deserving players.
Without fail, every year delivers some head-scratching snubs, and 2025 was no different. These 10 players put forth terrific seasons but, for some reason, won’t partake in the festivities in Orlando (for now).
S Kerby Joseph, Detroit Lions
Joseph is tied for the fourth-highest-graded defender in the NFL (91.0), with the best coverage grade (91.9) among non-defensive linemen. On top of that, he racked up a gaudy nine interceptions in 2024. Somehow, that wasn’t good enough to warrant a spot in the Pro Bowl.
Budda Baker and Brian Branch are both very strong players, but neither should have been the recipient of this honor over Joseph. Despite an incredible start to the year, Branch faded down the stretch, recording only a 62.1 PFF overall grade and a 51.8 PFF coverage grade from Week 10 onward. Likewise, Baker finished 10th among qualified safeties in PFF overall grade (77.8) and 14th in PFF coverage grade (74.7) despite flourishing as a run defender yet again.
T Jordan Mailata, Philadelphia Eagles
Mailata wasn’t just great for the Eagles; he was virtually historically good. The 27-year-old owns a 95.8 PFF overall grade, the highest among any NFL player with 500 or more snaps this year on either side of the ball. Moreover, Mailata’s mark is the best for any offensive player since Trent Williams (97.1) in 2021. Despite playing in only 12 games, Mailata still recorded 0.56 wins above replacement, leading all offensive linemen.
Penei Sewell, Lane Johnson and Tristan Wirfs are all meritorious selections in their own right, ranking in the top 10 in PFF overall grade among tackles. But the simple truth is that none was as good as Mailata, one of two offensive linemen with 90.0-plus run- and pass-blocking grades.
Highest-Graded Tackles in 2024
RB Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
Robinson ranks second among running backs in PFF overall grade (92.8) and rushing grade (92.8) while leading the position in wins above replacement (0.27). By all measures, he enjoyed a true breakout season in his second year as a pro, but he doesn’t have the Pro Bowl to show for it.
Even if Saquon Barkley wasn’t as sound analytically, slotting 10th in PFF overall grade and 11th in PFF rushing grade, there’s little argument against him after a terrific all-purpose season. Josh Jacobs and Jahmyr Gibbs were both outstanding in their own rights too, but Robinson feels like he should have been the selection over Gibbs — especially given the broader strength of Detroit’s offense (third in passing EPA per play).
CB Trent McDuffie, Kansas City Chiefs
Among all cornerbacks to play 350 or more snaps, McDuffie’s 83.1 PFF overall grade slots second and his 80.6 coverage grade is fifth. He enjoyed as well-rounded of a season as realistically possible for a cornerback, securing 76.0-plus PFF grades as a run defender, tackler, pass-rusher and coverage defender. Despite another terrific year — one in which he stabilized Kansas City’s oft-injured defense — McDuffie wasn’t picked for the Pro Bowl.
Pat Surtain II was an obvious pick, so there aren’t gripes there. But McDuffie probably should have gotten a nod over Derek Stingley Jr. (73.9 PFF overall grade) or Denzel Ward (68.4), even if others lead in categories like passer rating allowed when targeted.
CB Christian Benford, Buffalo Bills
Benford falls into the same category as McDuffie: a terrific cornerback on an elite team who was definitely snubbed for more household names. His 82.6 PFF overall grade ranks fourth among qualifiers at the position, and his 82.8 coverage grade trails only three others. If that wasn’t enough, Benford missed just 3.3% of his tackles and permitted only two touchdowns on 51 targets.
RB James Conner, Atlanta Falcons
The Cardinals‘ late-season collapse probably didn’t bolster Conner’s case, but he was a fantastic player all season long. Conner’s 90.4 PFF overall grade and 90.6 PFF rushing grade rank fifth among qualified running backs, and he’s also fourth in wins above replacement at the position (0.20). Moreover, Conner finished third in missed tackles forced and fourth in runs of 10 or more yards.
Extending the discussion from Bijan Robinson, it would’ve been difficult to choose Conner over Barkley or Jacobs. However, there’s a legitimate case that he should have gotten in over Gibbs.
Highest-Graded Running Backs in 2024
Dl Poona Ford, Los Angeles Chargers
In his first season as a Charger, Ford was one of the best interior defenders in the NFL. The former Seahawk posted an 85.1 PFF overall grade, ranking fifth among qualifying defensive linemen and third in the AFC, in addition to a 78.8 PFF run-defense grade. Admittedly, he wasn’t as effective as a pass-rusher, generating only 23 pressures and an 8.2% pass-rush win rate, but his 0.19 wins above replacement still ranks for 16th among all interior linemen.
There shouldn’t be any gripes about the selections of Cam Heyward or Chris Jones, but opting for Nnamdi Madubuike (68.3 PFF overall grade, 62.5 PFF run-defense grade) over Ford was poor judgment.
S Brandon Jones, Denver Broncos
After signing with the Broncos in free agency, Jones rounded into one of the better safeties in football. His 86.7 PFF overall grade is third at the position — trailing only Kerby Joseph and Kyle Hamilton — while his 90.1 coverage mark placed second. Moreover, Jones’ 28 stops were tied for 14th among his counterparts, and he permitted only a 63.1 passer rating when targeted, good for the sixth-lowest mark.
The fact that Minkah Fitzpatrick (68.4 PFF overall grade) made the Pro Bowl over Jones is most certainly not merited. Fitzpatrick is in the midst of his lowest-graded season since 2021 and has allowed a catch on 75.6% of targets into his coverage, while Jones has performed at a career-best level in 2024.
CB Cooper DeJean, Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles inserted DeJean into the starting lineup in Week 6, and since that point, Philadelphia ranks first in success rate and EPA per play. That’s no coincidence, given DeJean’s stellar 82.7 PFF overall grade, the best for any rookie cornerback and third among all qualifiers at the position. The Iowa product was multi-dimensionally strong, recording a 90.8 PFF run-defense grade (second) and a 79.3 PFF coverage grade (sixth).
It's not easy for a rookie slot cornerback to make the Pro Bowl, but DeJean has a good case compared to almost all of the selections. Jaycee Horn (64.5 overall grade) didn’t even finish in the top 50 in either PFF overall or coverage grades, while DeJean ended with higher overall and coverage grades than Devon Witherspoon, Jaylon Johnson and Byron Murphy Jr.
EDGE Danielle Hunter, Houston Texans
Hunter looked like his peak self in his first year in Houston. The 30-year-old has generated 66 pressures, 33 stops and a 16.2% pass-rush win rate, all of which rank in the top 15 among qualified edge rushers.
Admittedly, the AFC is loaded at both defensive end and edge rusher, offering little leeway for a player like Hunter. Still, omitting him for Maxx Crosby feels like a whiff. While Crosby is usually one of the most unstoppable players in the NFL, he didn’t perform as well in an injury-riddled 2024, notching only a 74.1 PFF overall grade with a 12.7% pass-rush win rate — both of which were his lowest since 2020.
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