Muhammad Wilkerson Quietly Having Pro Bowl Caliber Season for New York Jets

By Greg Sulik @GregSulik on October 29, 2014

There have been a myriad of issues with the New York Jets during their disastrous 1-7 season, and most of the talk surrounding the team has focused on those problems. In the endless discussions about everything Geno Smith, Michael Vick, Rex Ryan, and John Idzik are doing wrong, one thing that is lost is what Muhammad Wilkerson is doing right. The fourth year defensive end is turning in yet another outstanding season, and he is deserving of a Pro Bowl spot.

Wilkerson is currently second among all NFL defensive linemen with 39 total tackles, trailing teammate and league leader Sheldon Richardson by just one. The exact number varies depending on where you get your statistics, but Wilkerson universally ranks among the top 10 players overall in tackles for a loss.

He has also recorded 4.5 sacks, which ties him for 16th overall and 8th among defensive linemen in the NFL as well as 2nd among 3-4 defensive ends to only J.J. Watt. Among the players with more sacks than Wilkerson, only Watt and Marcell Dareus can argue they provide the same quality of run defense. It is Wilkerson’s well rounded game that separates him from the more popular and flashy sack artists. Finally, Wilkerson is tied with a number of other players for 5th among defensive linemen with three pass deflections.

Wilkerson is a dominant force on the defensive line who earned a reputation around the league last year as the best 3-4 defensive end this side of Watt. His play this season has backed that up, and it is time for him to get some overdue recognition. Wilkerson was perhaps the most glaring admission from the Pro Bowl last season, and he is playing at the same deserving level again this season.

Wilkerson is fighting an uphill battle because of the turmoil surrounding his team and the fact that he has thus far gotten very little national media attention. However, he is one of the best defensive linemen in football and absolutely deserving of his first Pro Bowl berth. He will probably need to post big sack numbers in the second half of the season to draw the attention of casual fan voters, but he has that ability. Even if he still goes without the public recognition he deserves, there is no doubt that Wilkerson has proven he is an elite player and is deserving of the Pro Bowl.

Greg Sulik is a New York Jets writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @GregSulik or add him to your network on Google