NFL News & Analysis

Biggest 2021 NFL All-Pro Team Snubs: Nick Bosa, Creed Humphrey and more

Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa (97) runs off the line during the second quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

There are generally fewer egregious All-Pro snubs than Pro Bowl snubs, which was the case again this season following the release of the AP All-Pro voting on Friday afternoon. Still, there are several positions where PFF would have differed based on play-by-play grading and charting statistics for every player in every game of the 2021 NFL regular season. 


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All the players listed below were represented on PFF’s All-Pro team, which was released earlier this week.

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C Creed Humphrey, Kansas City Chiefs

Replacing: JASON KELCE, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Kelce — PFF’s third-highest graded center in 2021 — was excellent this season in the middle of Philadelphia’s offensive line, but Humphrey was simply better for Kansas City.

Humphrey’s 1.3% pressure rate allowed ranked second among centers with at least 250 pass-blocking snaps — behind only Rodney Hudson and his 92.5 PFF run-blocking grade was the highest among centers since Kelce’s 95.5 run-blocking grade in 2017. 

The Oklahoma product was left off the first- and second-team All-Pro teams at center despite that he had a strong case to be the best at the position in 2021. 

CB A.J. Terrell, Atlanta Falcons

Replacing: TREVON DIGGS, DALLAS COWBOYS

Terrell managed to secure a second-team All-Pro spot at cornerback, but that doesn’t do his 2021 season justice. He received considerably fewer votes (eight) than the top-three cornerbacks: Diggs (33), Jalen Ramsey (32) and J.C. Jackson (25). 

Terrell exists on the opposite end of the spectrum as Diggs, whose boom-or-bust play style was well documented by PFF’s Diante Lee. Diggs came away with the turnovers, which represent massive swings for the defense, but he also allowed a league-high 1,016 passing yards in 2021. 

Category Trevon Diggs A.J. Terrell
Receptions allowed 55 29
Yards allowed 1,016 200
Interceptions 11 3
Forced incompletions 11 13

Terrell managed just three interceptions on the year, but he allowed just 29 receptions and 200 passing yards for the year, which translates to under two receptions and 12.5 receiving yards per game. Terrell's performance this season deserves a first-team All-Pro nod. 

EDGE Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers

Replacing: EDGE ROBERT QUINN, CHICAGO BEARS

Sack production is always going to get rewarded during the end-of-season awards. In that respect, Quinn’s second-team All-Pro selection makes sense. His 18.5 NFL sacks were fewer than only first-team All-Pro T.J. Watt, and many of those sacks came from high-quality pass-rush reps. Nonetheless, those plays remain a small portion of Quinn’s entire 2021 season.

By PFF’s sack count — which only gives out full sacks and no half sacks if a player was involved in the play — Bosa’s 16 sacks were just two shy of Quinn (18). Bosa also won his matchups more often than Quinn did, as his 20.7% pass-rush win rate finished over five percentage points higher than Quinn’s over the course of the regular season. 

A PFF run-defense grade that was over 10 points higher than Quinn’s in 2021 only adds to Bosa’s case for an All-Pro spot. 

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LG Ali Marpet, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Replacing: QUENTON NELSON, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

Nelson stepped into the NFL as the league's best left guard, but in 2021, he was carried to a second-team All-Pro spot by name recognition in a down year.

Category Quenton Nelson Ali Marpet
Snaps played 767 (24th at LG) 1,036 (11th at LG)
PFF run-blocking grade 71.1 (12th at LG) 86.9 (2nd at LG)
PFF pass-blocking grade 62.0 (24th at LG) 77.8 (5th at LG)

Marpet played nearly 300 more snaps than Nelson and graded higher as a run blocker and pass protector. Marpet and Joel Bitonio were the only two players at the position who recorded top-five grades in both facets, and they were PFF’s two All-Pro selections at left guard. 

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S Antoine Winfield Jr., Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Replacing: S BUDDA BAKER, ARIZONA CARDINALS

Winfield made the leap from an impressive rookie season to become one of the NFL's best safeties in 2021. The second-year safety’s 85.6 PFF grade trailed only Kevin Byard at safety, but he received just one All-Pro vote. 

Winfield’s 87.3 run-defense grade leads all safeties since he was drafted, and his coverage ability improved a ton this season. His 15.6% forced incompletion rate and 0.4 yards allowed per coverage snap were both top-10 marks among safeties who were targeted at least 25 times in 2021. 

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