NFL Minnesota Vikings

Everson Griffen Is Biggest Pro Bowl Snub

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By @bradberreman24

Everson Griffen, Minnesota Vikings, Pro Bowl

Adam Bettcher-Getty Images

Player A- 12 sacks, 51 total tackles, 60 total quarterback pressures (including sacks; per Pro Football Focus). Seventh-best 4-3 defensive end in the league, according to Pro Football Focus.

Player B- 10.5 sacks , 45 total tackles, 35 quarterback pressures; 13 tackles for loss and five forced fumbles. No. 1 4-3 defensive end in the league in 2013 (Pro Football Focus).

Both of these players are clearly Pro Bowl-level defensive ends this year, but I would argue Player A, Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen is a bit more worthy of a Pro Bowl nod than Player B, St. Louis Rams defensive end Robert Quinn. Yet Quinn was voted to the original roster on Tuesday, while Griffen had to settle for being named an alternate. With plenty of players likely to bow out due to lingering injuries or their team making it to the Super Bowl, Griffen may still make the trip to Glendale, Arizona on Jan. 25. But he should have been on the initial Pro Bowl roster, and there’s no doubt in my mind about that.

Of the four 4-3 defensive ends currently on the Pro Bowl roster, three (Demarcus Ware-10, Quinn-10.5, and Cameron Wake-11.5) have fewer sacks than Griffen. Going a little deeper, again via Pro Football Focus, only Wake (61) has been credited with more total quarterback pressures than Griffen among the quartet of 4-3 defensive ends that were voted to the Pro Bowl.

Advanced Football Analytics.com further backs up Griffen’s breakout 2014 season, ranking him third in Win Probability Added among all defensive ends, regardless of defensive scheme. The top two? Jason Pierre-Paul, who himself qualifies as a Pro Bowl snub with 10.5 sacks and 72 total tackles so far this season, and J.J Watt.

Voting for All-Star games in any sport is largely skewed by a player’s popularity and reputation, and the Pro Bowl is no different. Actual production on the field takes a back seat at times, and team success also plays a role in who gets the recognition they deserve. This is Griffen’s first season as a starter, and the Vikings’ 6-9 record with one game to go surely worked against him compared to his peers.

I expect Griffen’s performance this season to help set the stage for him to make multiple trips to the Pro Bowl, as he becomes more of a household name around the league and the Vikings start winning more games. Even if he doesn’t wind up replacing someone on the Pro Bowl roster this time around, Griffen is well on his way to becoming one of the NFL’s best defensive ends for many years to come.

Brad Berreman is a Columnist at Rant Sports.com. Connect with him on Twitter or Google +.

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