NFL News & Analysis

Early NFL All-Pro Team: Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown highlight roster

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) reacts after a first down catch against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Eagles QB Jalen Hurts takes the spot at QB. He’s averaging 9.1 yards per attempt and has another 200 rushing yards. 

Hurts' WR1, A.J. Brown, has generated a passer rating of 119.2, and he’s broken six tackles on his way to 2.9 yards per route run — the third-best mark in the league.

49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa is coming off a fourteen-pressure game on Monday night against the Rams. He is as unstoppable as it gets on the edge and is deserving of a spot on the early All-Pro Team. 

Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

The 2022 NFL season is already a month old, and while the four-game mark isn’t quite the neat “quarter of the season” it used to be, it’s still close enough for our first All-Pro check-in.

Here is PFF’s All-Pro from the first quarter(ish) of the season.

The team selection doesn't just rely on the PFF grading. Instead, consideration has also been given to role, supporting cast and consistency (for example, one bad game in four is a significant negative, even if the output of the four games is slightly higher than another player without the poor performance.)

Offense

QB Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

Second Team: GENO SMITH, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

It’s tight at the top, with several outstanding candidates, but Hurts is the one with the highest floor through four games. He’s averaging 9.1 yards per attempt and has another 200 rushing yards.

RB Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns

Second Team: JOSH JACOBS, LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

Since entering the league, Chubb has been a master of gaining more yards than he should, and he keeps on doing it. He has 316 yards after contact this season and has broken 10 more tackles than any other back.

WR Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams

Second Team: STEFON DIGGS, BUFFALO BILLS

The Rams offensive line is a shadow of its former self, and the rest of the weaponry has dried up, but Kupp just keeps on trucking. He’s caught 80.8% of passes thrown his way, including 63.6% of the contested ones.

WR A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles

Second Team: DRAKE LONDON, ATLANTA FALCONS

Through the first four weeks, Brown has proven to be the most valuable first-round pick spent in the 2022 draft. Passes thrown his way have resulted in a passer rating of 119.2, and he’s broken six tackles on his way to 2.9 yards per route run — the third-best mark in the league.

TE Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

Second Team: MARK ANDREWS, BALTIMORE RAVENS

No Tyreek Hill is no problem as long as Patrick Mahomes still has his No. 1 target in Travis Kelce. He leads all tight ends in yards per route run by a significant margin, and passes thrown his way are generating a passer rating of 134.7.

FLEX-O Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins

Second Team: JAYLEN WADDLE, MIAMI DOLPHINS

Miami’s offense has been transformed from last year, and while the credit for that likely lies in several places, Hill makes an obvious difference. The comeback in Baltimore doesn’t happen without him on the field, and that’s a permanent threat to defenses.

LT Andrew Thomas, New York Giants

Second Team: LAREMY TUNSIL, HOUSTON TEXANS

The Giants’ offensive line is a mess, but they have the best left tackle in the league over the first month of the season. Thomas hasn’t allowed a sack and has given up only six pressures across 157 pass-blocking snaps while earning an elite PFF run-blocking grade above 90.0.

LG Joe Thuney, Kansas City Chiefs

Second Team: JOEL BITONIO, CLEVELAND BROWNS

We can debate whether Thuney was worth the money the Chiefs invested in him, but it’s impossible to deny he’s living up to his billing as an elite player at the position. He has allowed three pressures in four games, all of which have been hurries.

C Creed Humphrey, Kansas City Chiefs

Second Team: JASON KELCE, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Humphrey is proving that his rookie season was no fluke, and he’s ready to officially assume the mantle of the best center in the league. His run-blocking has been peerless, though six pressures through four games is more than a typical center allows.

RG Chris Lindstrom, Atlanta Falcons

Second Team: WYATT TELLER, CLEVELAND BROWNS

Lindstrom earned one of the highest single-game grades ever recorded this past week. He has been a dominant force as a run-blocker, and while his pass protection has been weaker, the offense Atlanta runs means he has surrendered just three pressures.

RT Tristan Wirfs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Second Team: RYAN RAMCZYK, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Wirfs has allowed just three pressures in four games and has been the best player on the Buccaneers offensive line. He is one of the best offensive linemen in the league at any position.

Defense

DI Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs

Second Team: DEXTER LAWRENCE, NEW YORK GIANTS

Few players can wreck an offensive gameplan like Jones, and the Chiefs are tapping into that better this season by allowing him to find the best matchup during games. He has 15 total pressures, five defensive stops and a forced fumble so far.

DI Jeffery Simmons, Tennessee Titans

Second Team: AARON DONALD, LOS ANGELES RAMS

Simmons has always had the ability to dominate — we saw that on his NFL debut — but this season, he has been a far more consistent presence. He has 16 pressures and seven defensive stops across four games.

EDGE Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers

Second Team: VON MILLER, BUFFALO BILLS

Bosa is coming off a fourteen-pressure game on Monday night against the Rams. This year, his one “poor” game came in a monsoon in Chicago to open the season, where conditions were always going to neutralize pass-rush. He is as unstoppable as it gets on the edge.

EDGE Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys

Second Team: MAXX CROSBY, LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

Parsons has transitioned almost fully into an edge rusher in his second season, and he’s already as good as anybody in that role. He was the best edge rusher in the league through three games before an unusually quiet performance against Washington. Only Nick Bosa has more than the 22 pressures Parsons has.

LB Matt Milano, Buffalo Bills

Second Team: BOBBY WAGNER, LOS ANGELES RAMS

Milano has been the best linebacker in football through four weeks. He’s a perfect fit in the Buffalo defense, and passes into his coverage this season have resulted in a passer rating of just 62.0, some 40 points below the league average.

LB T.J. Edwards, Philadelphia Eagles

Second Team: DEMARIO DAVIS, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Edwards has an incredible story, but his play this season matches that story. He is allowing just 4.6 yards per reception in his coverage and has 13 defensive stops for the Eagles defense.

CB Jalen Ramsey, Los Angeles Rams

Second Team: PATRICK SURTAIN II, DENVER BRONCOS

Ramsey’s play this season has changed the outcome of games — look no further than his interception against Atlanta to salt away that victory. He has four pass breakups to go along with that interception and seven defensive stops from his role that allows him to find the football more regularly than many other corners.

CB Jamel Dean, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Second Team: DARIUS SLAY, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

One of the most underappreciated defensive backs in the league, Dean is having an outstanding year so far for the Bucs. He has two interceptions and two pass breakups, allowing just 45.5% of passes thrown into his coverage to be caught by the intended receiver.

S Talanoa Hufanga, San Francisco 49ers

Second Team: DERWIN JAMES, LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

Hufanga draws comparisons with Troy Polamalu because of the hair, but the more important parallel is how he’s replicating Polamalu’s propensity for always being around the football and consistently making plays that look like guesswork without being exposed by the gamble. Hufanga clearly has an incredible ability to apply tape study to the field in-game.

S Minkah Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh Steelers

Second Team: EDDIE JACKSON, CHICAGO BEARS

Minkah Fitzpatrick has put together maybe the best month of his NFL career and has hit impressive highs far more consistently than he typically has. He has three interceptions and a pass breakup from his free safety role with the Steelers.

FLEX-D Nate Hobbs, Las Vegas Raiders

Second Team: L’JARIUS SNEED, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Hobbs was one of the best-graded rookies in the league last season and is looking to continue that play into his sophomore season. He has two pass breakups and is allowing just 7.6 yards per catch while playing on the outside far more this season than he did as a rookie.


Special Teams

K Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens

Second Team: BRETT MAHER, DALLAS COWBOYS

There are kickers with a better grade than Justin Tucker, but they have attempted far fewer kicks. Tucker is also perfect from beyond 40 yards, including three 50-plus-yard kicks.

P Corey Bojorquez, Cleveland Browns

Second Team: TOMMY TOWNSEND, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

PFF’s punting grades account for field position, hang time, direction of the punt and distance in an industry-leading matrix of inputs. Bojorquez has had some phenomenal punts when all of those factors are considered, and just one has been fair caught.

ST Jeremy Reaves, Washington Commanders

Second Team: CHRIS RUMPH II, LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

Reaves plays on five phases of special teams and has seven total tackles. He is one of only five players to have more than 100 special teams snaps so far.

RS Devin Duvernay, Baltimore Ravens

Second Team: BRAXTON BERRIOS, NEW YORK JETS

One kick or punt has been returned for a touchdown this season, so it was an easy call to give Devin Duvernay the spot here. He also returns both for the Ravens, which is important versatility for one spot.

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