The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL - The Athletic Football Show's All-Pro Defense

Episode Date: January 11, 2023

With offense taken care of, Robert Mays and Nate Tice turn their attention to the other side of the ball. The guys name their First- and Second-Team All-Pro Defenses on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysFollow Nate on Twitter: @Nate_TiceSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeToday's show is brought to you by...Peloton: Try Peloton risk free with a 30-Day Home Trial, New Members only at onepeloton.com/home-trialPhilo: Sign up today at philo.tv and use promo code MAYS to get 50% off your first monthBetter Help: Visit BetterHelp.com/MAYS today to get 10% off your first monthPenrose Hill: Get your first 6 bottles for $39.95 plus FREE shipping. Go to TryFirstleaf.com/MAYS3:16 Edge Rushers15:15 Interior Defensive Linemen29:00 Linebackers41:19 Cornerbacks60:25 Safeties Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the athletic football show. Welcome to the athletic football show. I'm Robert Mays, joining me today. It's my good friend Nate Tyson. How you doing, buddy? I'm doing very well. We're on to defense. On to defense.

On to defense. This one, I want to say I'm disappointed. We were very, we had a lot of overlap with offense. But as I've thought about it, it's like, that's kind of, I think it's going to be a lot of people. And I think this defense is going to be awesome because it's going to be, I think we're going to have some very, here that I think is to be really interesting to talk about. I think that's what defense is because you can't just rely on like, oh, look at the top six receivers, you know, that's a lot of eye holder.

It's a lot of what flavor do you like? It's a lot of what sort of stuff do you value? It says a lot about you, I think, how you vote for some of these positions on an all pro team. That's exactly. My all pro team has got a lot of, it's got a lot of Nate Flare on there. So if you've noticed my tweets over the last couple of years, you might recognize a couple of these guys. So if you have not listened to the offense show, that should be available

in your feeds. Just a quick disclaimer. We're recording this on Friday, January 6th. So the stats we're going to use are only through 17 games. This is coming out the following week, but I did not say that on the offense show. I should have, but just wanted to make that clear before we dug into it. So if you have not listened to the offense show, it should be available to you. We're going to do the defense today. A couple small quirks will get to it when we get to certain positions. I did two edges and two interior. First, team, second team. And now it's edge rusher and into your defensive line.

And at least it was last year. So I think that's important. They still have an outside linebacker distinction. I don't really understand that. I just have two linebackers. Every, yeah, two off ball linebackers.

That's what I did as well. And then I personally did slot. And I know we just, we had like, we had a little, this was fun though. I liked our discussion last night, trying to figure this out. I sort of did.

I guess is where I landed on it. So we can talk about it when we get there. Yeah. So we can talk about it when we get there. But I started my list as I was going through this and I opened up a Google Doc. And I said, okay, all pro defense. I started with edge rushers because writing Nick Bosa into my first team was the easiest thing that I could do in a 22 all pro team on defense. That's why I started that way.

That's why we're starting with edge rushers. Nick Boses on my first team all pro. Yeah, Nick Bosa is the first name on my list as well. And honestly, both edge rushers positions, I'll just spoil it right now as Michael Parsons. I also have Michael Parsons as my first team. Easiest one to fill out in this whole ballot. There's other positions where it was maybe one guy at one spot, but the other one was tough,

but this was very easy. And there's a good crop of edge rushers we'll talk about probably with the second team guys. But Nick Bosa and Michael Parsons, man, this was their season. Bosa man, 48 QB hits. Next closest is Max Crosby at 34.88. Interesting. I was looking at PFF's numbers. That's what I got to.

Oh, I had 30 for Bosa. No one else had more than 22. Oh my goodness. Same thing. Yeah, PFF hits on true media. Interesting. The long story short, more than anybody else. A lot more than anyone else.

A lot more. And then 88 QB pressures for the through true. So I had, yes. Pressures. I had that same number. He led the league. I believe he led the league in pressures. Parsons, I think, was second in pressures.

Parsons was first in. You know what the stat is? I have Sacks plus QB hits. So it's just, okay. That's what it is. Okay. That makes sense. Today I learned.

that's somewhat my true media is sorting right there. Parsons was second in total pressures. He was for, Brandon Thorne does something called true sack score that is really interesting. So what he does is he looks at every single sack from edge rushers and interior defensive linemen and he ranks them by quality. It's a great process. Yeah,

it makes a lot more sense because you can have clean up sacks and Michael Parsons was first in true sack score because of his, I think he has 13 sacks. Eight of them were like high quality sacks. So when you put that multiplier on it, he had the best quality. sacks in the NFL this season. And obviously just down to down, he's been ridiculous.

My favorite Bosa stat, when he is on the field, the Niners have a 38.8% pressure rate, which would rank second in the league. When he's off the field, it's 22.3%. It's last. That's an amazing stat right there. It's last. And I'm sure there are other complicating factors involved in that. But just that number on its own is crazy.

So that was an easy one. I think Bosa is the defensive player of the year. I know. Parsons was my preseason pick, and of course, I'd fight for him. But Bosa, I think, is just a clear cut, a clear cut above. Just this season has just been incredible. Just the numbers when you watch them play, that's always the double whammy. The other, the stat I liked was he has 10 pressures that led to throwaways. I love that stat. Yep. I think that's that is great. That's a great stat because it's a dead play. You basically, it's a run stuff, but as far as, as far as pressures anyways. But yeah, Bosa has been absolutely phenomenal here. So is Parsons. Carson's, like you said, the high quality sacks. That's why his sacks always feel maybe a little different, like, because they just, it's like, because they happen so quickly. They happen so quickly. Like what he's doing. I mean, he's just an unbelievable player.

And Nick Boses had a special season. And that's the only reason that I'd give him the nod for defense player of the year. Spoilers for the award show. Yeah, spoilers. I know. I know. I should have held it out for a little bit. Second team is interesting, though.

So who are your second team edge rushers? I actually, so my first guy of second team was actually pretty easy call. And that's Max Crosby. It's the other one that I'm excited to talk about. Interesting. Okay. I also had Max Crosby in my second team. I didn't know if it would be an easy call for you. Oh, it was. I think he has been the, after just talk about Bosa and talking about Michael Parsons, Max Crosby has been the best three down edge in the NFL. And I will say that as far as affecting the run game and the past game. Not just stat wise, just watch them. You can't run at him. And honestly, if you run away from him, he chases you down.

He has 11.5 sacks. All that, 76 pressures. I think he's second behind Bosa and pressures. But then he had 20, he leads the league and TFLs and run stuff. Any position, 20 of them. So that, like there, that's the stat that I think it makes Max Crosby's case. He's been outstanding this year. I thought this was a pretty easy call for me. If he wasn't in a league without Michael Parsons and Nick Bosa, he'd be a first teamer.

But yeah, just as down to down, I was supposed to say defense at end, but edge player down to down. He does not take plays off. He affects the game every single snap. And yeah, just a tremendous. year for him. You know, the not playing, taking plays off. That's not an effort thing. He literally doesn't leave the field. He's played a thousand twenty four snaps this season. He's the only defensive line meant to play a thousand snaps on the season. There's only two guys that have cracked

900. And he's played a thousand. He's played 96% of the Raiders snaps this year. That's so hard. People don't realize how hard that is. That's incredible. So his down to down like productivity isn't as effective, but it's because he's playing so much. And then you look at the just volume accumulation stats because of that, he has 58 splash plays, which is number one among all defensive players in the NFL at any position. 11 TFLs that weren't sacks, which is third among defensive linemen, fourth among all players.

He has 11 run stops on third and fourth down short of the six, which is tied with Miles Garrett for the most among defensive linemen. Tied for third and QB hits. The accumulation and the overall impact, because of how much he's played plus the rate stats is pretty remarkable. So that's why for me he made second team. I've never really talked about this. Max Crosby's story is I appreciate it deeply.

He and I got sober like a week apart from each other in 2020. And what he has managed to do since and in the couple seasons and what he did last year and what he's done this year is truly inspiring. I just think that that's something that we haven't really talked. about before, but I wanted to acknowledge it here. If we're going to put him on here and really talk about what he's done, I just felt like that was important to acknowledge. It's a fantastic story. Whenever they talk about him and Darren Waller, I mean, I love that stuff.

They go to meetings together. Yeah, they live it, though. It's not just not obviously you have to when you're seeking sobriety, but he is just, when you watch him from when he looked at him at Eastern Michigan in his last year there to what he looks like now and just how clean he looks. Like, not only every guy in NFL looks better because you're at a NFL. programs and trainers and everything, but he just looks cleaner as a human being. So, no, it's been a tremendous story on and off the field.

He's really easy to cheer for. I really enjoy, I really enjoy watching him and I really enjoy just his personality and him as a person. The effort is unbelievable. The effort, every single down consistently is unbelievable. So he first stood out to me. There's a stat. I've talked about this before during scouting season, scouting season coming up, the draft

season is for edge rushers or just defense alignment in general is there's two benchmarks is broad jump and three cone seven two or less three cone nine foot nine foot nine or more broad jump it's just a nice benchmark usually kind of leads to um better sack production it's kind of like one stat i really like to look at or or metrics and crosbie was one of those when he was coming out so i was like you know this fourth rounder i'm going to keep an eye on him he hit those benchmarks you know he might be someone interesting I think it's Ricky Yuri at 10 sacks. And I was like, hey, these metrics are, these are good. He plays with his hair on fire, all three of these guys.

Bosa, Parsons, Crosby, these guys play with her hair on fire, being athletically gifted, but also just being a technician. It's a great combination. That's why they are so productive and dominant. 99th percentile 60-yard shuttle, 96 percentile 20-yard shuttle, 96 percentile three cone, 90th percentile broad jump, 89th percentile vertical, 91st percentile 40-yard dash. It got an athlete. He's an athlete.

Guy's an athlete. And now he's sober. The last couple years, he's gotten out of his way. He's gotten out of his own way. And sometimes that's all it takes. So incredibly good story. And now he can play 95% of a snap. Yes.

I guarantee you if you went back two, three years and told him you'll play 96% of snaps and be a second team all pro in a couple of years. It would have been hard for him to imagine. All right. Your second guy, second team all pro and edge. You know what I, it's the name isn't going to shock anybody, but maybe it shocked me when I started this process. but it's Miles Garrett. Same. Yeah, okay.

So, God, damn. I know. I know. I actually thought this would be someone different. We'll talk about our own mentions in a second, you know, maybe Judon or something like that, but or Brian Burns. But, I mean, he's just a slugger man at pass pressure. And honestly, this, we're talking about three down players.

This is the best Miles Garrett has played against a run in his entire career. He had a new initiative on it. I don't know what it was, but he tied his career, not just stats, but just watching them. He actually was like, that's the thing. Ravens usually could get after Miles Garrett because he didn't always want to play the run on first and second down. He knows where he makes his money. It is what it is. Some of the dressers are like this. But of course, he has the 15 sacks, 70 pressures. He had 78 last year and two more games. 22 total hits. Tide second and splash plays per snap in the entire NFL. But on top of it, he had, what do you have? Seven run stuff this year. He had two all of last year. I'd say 11 and a third and fourth down short of the six on running plays. He was the most of the only game of all among defensive linemen. He really turned the corner. I think I'm affecting every single play.

Sometimes he would just save himself for those third downs. And now he's really being that dominant presence. He's fantastic. And it's one of those things. I almost take him from granted sometimes. It's just how incredibly dominant he can be. I mean, he's getting all those easy matchups according to Debbie and Clowny. So that's why.

Man, come on, Clowny. No, what were those quotes, man? Wild. Wild. Again, we're recording this on Friday, so it just happened last night. When I was reading the story, Mary Kay Cabot wrote it in the Cleveland Plain Deo, or if you guys want to go or read it. I was reading it last night at like 11 p.m.

And I thought I was hallucinating. I was like, this is almost like a parody. There's no way these are real quotes. It read out of parody. They were absolutely real quotes. So good stuff. Man. Jesus.

Like the Brown's sticking to like helping Cloudy out and using them as a mercenary. I don't know, man. This doesn't make sense to me at all. So, just because we shoot from the hip like that. All right. Honorable mentions. You mentioned one guy already. Matt Judon was the first guy off my list.

These other four guys were just so, so good. He would be on there in most other seasons. And then the guy I had right after that was Hassan Reddick. Yep. Not as many snaps, but 16 sacks, five force fumbles on a per snap basis, one of the most impactful edge rushers in the entire league. This year has just been fun to watch. The style that he plays with is different than a lot of these guys, just because he's a little bit undersized and having a player like him in the NFL being deployed the way that he is and kind of coming into that guy late in his career, just been very cool to watch.

So those are the first two guys I had. Zedarius Smith, you know, has had a really nice season. He was somebody else that wanted to mention at least. But is there anybody else that you had on your short list? Yep. My first four off, you know, almost like Bracketology was Brian Burns, Matt Judon, Hassan Reddick, and Zadari Smith. Brian Burns just keeps ascending. I know we both really like him, but he is like just gets better and better every single year.

And he'll make the all pro team sooner than later. But he's also affecting the game against a run more. I think he was really up there with TFLs and run stuff as well this year compared to previous years. And yeah, he can unlock the ghost rush, which is speaking to his athletic ability. Burns is freaking awesome, man. He does a Spider-Man celebration, but he moves like. Spider-Man, like how he can bend and his limbs going everywhere. It's pretty cool.

Judon, fantastic year. I'd say I give him maybe like a half step below just because of how the Patriots unlock him a little bit on the twists and stuff like that. And just, you know, and all that. Redick, you already mentioned him and Zadari Smith had a fantastic year as well. All right. Let's get to interior defensive line. I think this is going to be a little bit harder when we get past the first guy.

So I think this is another one where to me, it's no question. Like Chris Jones. Chris Jones. 13 sacks, third among all players at any position, ninth in pressures among all players. He created nine throwaways on his pressures this year, which is up near the top of the league. Chris Jones has been one of the best defensive players in football,

full stop independent of position this year. Chris Jones plays with the Chiefs, by the way. Chiefs. Oh, yes, yes. Brian Burns plays for the Panthers. Junot plays for the Patriots. Yeah. But no, Chris Jones, yep, this was a lock.

This was in Penn. This was so disruptive. I mean, every game. Like he, he, he, and especially he's a closer. And I love that term that Romo. He shows up in the biggest moments, man. Bigest moments. Always.

Always. I love that. He knows when it turns it up. Yep. I did. Yep. He's a true, true game wrecker. Yeah, weeds all detackles and sacks.

Four PbUs. He's so great getting his hands on the balls. Two force fumbles. Dude is big. He's a very, very good football player. My next one here. Who's your next one? Who's your next one?

There was a couple guys, but I went with Quinn and Williams. And I, Quentin Williams for the Jets. God, just another disruptive pass rusher from the interior, especially on first and second down, but also it can play the run as well. Just another, him and Chris Jones are kind of cut from the same cloth, just being disruptive and explosive from the middle. He just turned 25 this month, like Hennon Hooker, the quarterback for Tennessee and him are like the same age, which I think is hilarious, who's coming out as a quarterback. But 50 pressures, 26 quarterback hits combined with his 12 sacks, only behind Jones and defensive tackle sacks. It just affects the play. Another game record, notice how to crank it up.

I wanted to see him in the home stretch with the Jets competing and, you know, really see him keep cranking it up. But there was times this year where he was stopping offensive drives just by himself on that talented Jets defense for him to stand out like that. That's saying something. But credible player, I'm glad that he keeps emerging. He truly, he started to emerge last year, truly broke out this year and he's he's really really good he's on my second team so he also had 31 stops this year which is 10th among all interior defensive linemen so you had a really nice season against the run as well i had dexter lawrence on my first team love it i have dexter lawrence on my second team i loved watching him this year he's just such a unique player and the way that he affected the game

he has 63 pressures this year second to chris jones he has 22 quarterback hits this season dexter Lawrence does. And he plays from the nose. The nose. From the nose, I just want people to understand why that's a big difference. Nose, being so disruptive from the nose, you're usually guaranteeing yourself a double team because you're in between the center and the guard. So you're getting double team more often than not. So the fact that he's splitting to create those pressures is pretty absurd. 22 quarterback hits. No interior defensive lineman has more than 14. Okay. Yeah. He has 39 stops, which is a combination of run stops and past stops is just a PFF stat. But it's just shutting down to play. He's 39. It's tied for sixth among defensive linemen. That's absurd. He's third in PFF pass rush productivity. So on a rate basis per snap, he's been the third most disruptive interior defensive

lineman. And Nate, he's played 864 snaps this year. See, that's. He was so impressive. Yeah. To be that consistently impactful while playing that amount is crazy. at that size. I've loved watching him this year.

One of my like four or five favorite guys in the league to watch. Every time I turn the Giants out, I'm like, oh boy, I cannot wait to just check out what this guy did today. He has been awesome. It's because he's, I wouldn't say one of a kind, but he's, he kind of is right now. Right now, yes. Right now he's one of the past. But it's just right now he's one of one.

It's different than Vea at nose. And he's pushing pockets and Vea as a pass rusher, but also against run. Veya helps everybody else out. But Dexter helps everybody else out, but then also gets his own production. Yeah, well, it gets his own. It's, it's incredible what he's doing. He's, I've always liked him, but this year it was, you truly felt his presence because the Giants are winning games. So you're also probably paying attention more. But no, man, he's been awesome. Just an awesome football player. He was second team for me. I have no qualms from making him first team. Who's your other second team guy? This one was tough. I ended up going.

with Jeffrey Simmons. Okay. I get that. He is not on mine, but he's one of my first, one of my first off. Nope. This was one of the hardest ones on my entire, the entire teams was this last spot for defense tackle, but, or defense alignment. Monster in the middle.

He battled some injuries. He would have been fighting for that first team spot, really, if you didn't battle some injuries. He missed two games, which I think is worth mentioning. There's going to be, I would have. But still played almost as many snaps as these guys. He played a lot of snaps, too. So among interior defensive linemen, passing snaps this season, even missing two games, he's third.

Yeah. In passing snaps among interior defensive linemen while missing two games. That's how much he is on the field. And on top of it, so he has seven half sacks. He has seven PbUs. He gets his hand. He's just a disruptive guy. He fills the box score.

Five run stuff, four TFLs. Like he affects run and pass. He's a true just muller. Some of these guys are bendy. Some of these guys are true, just pluggers. he's kind of that combo of being explosive but strong and athletic and with size. He's a monster in a middle. I wanted to reward him because he truly did have a really good year.

He battled some injuries and the Titans kind of fell off. But I ended up going with second team. I'm really curious what you say because de-tackle, I had a lot of names. My short list is more like a medium list. So I also, I had four names in my honorable match. And I probably could have had more than that. My first, my guy on the second team, I put Chris. Wilkins.

Love it. Nope. That's my first guy off. It's a little bit different than some of these other guys. I tend to prioritize pass rushing production over everything else at these two positions. But I think he had such a special season in some of these other ways that I just wanted to acknowledge that. He had 52 stops this year. No other defensive linemen had more than 44.

He had 13 non-sack TFLs, the most among defensive linemen. Five passes defensed, six throwaways on his pressures, which was also top five. among defensive linemen, nine hundred and three snaps, most in the league among interior defensive linemen. So just all of that stuff combined. I just wanted to give him a nod. He's also just been a really fun player to watch.

He affects the game in a different way than a lot of these guys do. And even if it's not as much as a pass rusher, he's just consistently wrecking shit and it's enjoyable. It really is. Him and Dexter Lawrence were on the same D line in college. And it's crazy. Yeah. No wonder they want some games there,

Clemson. No, he was my first name off. Everything you just said, he's been a really fun player to watch. TFL's and run stops. I think he was tied for second in the NFL. Doing that from the defensive tackle position is crazy. But everything you said, he's so disruptive against the run. On top of it, he does help out affect the past game a little bit as well.

So who are your other first guys off? Okay, so Durant Payne. That's a good one. I did not have him. I had his teammate Jonathan Allen, just because I still think Jonathan Allen is right up there as the best pure interior past rushers in the league. And Jonathan Allen was tough not to make as one of my all pros, too. Like that was another name that just missed the list. But yeah, those two.

I had Aaron Donald just as a legacy because when he has been healthy. Cam Hayward, Cam Hayward has had a fantastic year. I also had Derek Brown from the Panthers has really, really emerged this here. Panthers got so many fun players. I've got to give this, I've said it before, but I've got to really reiterate this. So many fun players on that team. So whoever ends up head coach there, figure out the quarterback spot, you might be sit pretty. And then the last one, and this is kind of my hipster pick, but Grover Stewart.

It's a good one. Yeah, Robert Stewart is. I've got a Colts hipster pick on here later, so. I love it's Colts hipster pick because that's what they all are. That's the whole team. But no, Grover Stewart, I think the stat I've looked up before is like their run success rate for the Colts. They're like bottom five when he's off the field and that's like their second best when he's on the field. Like he just truly affects the run game.

And that's a true, true nose tackle right there. So I had Jonathan Allen. Cam Hayward. Cam Hayward is 33 years old. Cam Hayward had eight and a half sacks again this year. Look at pressures among interior defensive linemen. Cam Hayward was fourth. Chris Jones, Dexter Lawrence, Javon, Hargrave, Cam Hayward.

It just good. He's just always good. He's always really, really good. And so I just you have to acknowledge him in some way, even if it's not first or second team. Jeffrey Simmons was on mine, Jonathan Allen. The last guy I had, DJ Reeder. I just think that what he has done against the run this year missed a couple games. So I don't think can break the top four.

But somebody who sees it, I wanted to acknowledge because he's been fantastic in that area. He really has. And he's been a pretty good pass rusher. He's just a really good player. Yeah, he's really good player. No, he, that's a great, great call. What was going to say? Oh, Cam Hayward, 33 years old, he mentioned it.

looks at we're the same age. I mean, he, he, he might, he's, he looks a little over that with the beard going on. He's a weathered man. He has a weathered looking man. He's got some city miles. He looked that way when he was like 22. He did. I know.

I know. Yeah, when he got drafted, he looked like he was 40. But he, yeah, he's got the Greg Odin going on. But it's the, watch him. And we talked about the Steelers and we, we gushed about Tomlin and everything and, and all that being a, what? I'm looking at a picture of Cam Hayward from Ohio State. and he has a goatee. He's 20, 21 years old, and he's got a goatee, like a full goatee.

Like the goatee that Brian Daeble has right now is the one that Cam Hayward had when he was 21. It's really funny. The head coach loses four games in a row goatee. That's what it is. It's exactly what it is. When the Dano Hack it had in November. Yeah, I love that. Watch his hustle being a pro's pro.

Watch him run down the sideline, like chasing after like screens and stuff. That guy's 33 and 300, I don't know, 320 pounds. And watch his hustle every single snap. That's a pro right there. So I'm glad we both give him some love. This is another kind of underlying thing. I remember being in a training camp this year and standing on the sideline in Pittsburgh and watching him just the chatter to the other defensive players, to the offensive players during practice. He is a driver.

Yeah, it's the most fun training camp practice I can remember going to for a bunch of different reasons. competitive professionalism. Steelers have some of the best practice. That's Tomlin. It feels different. It's a small thing, but it feels different. And he is such a culture driver there. And even just being there for a day, you can feel that.

And then you combine that with the on-field production. He's a special player who's had a special career and I think he's probably going to go to the Hall of Fame one day. Oh, yeah. Can you imagine that at locker room, though, him, Minka and T.J. Watt just on the defensive side. Not an accident, my friend. Oh, I know. Those are just pros, pros. man and just so talented.

So yeah, that's always those locker rooms, man, especially in Steelers. Let's get to linebacker. This one wasn't super easy for me. So I think that linebacker also, you correct me if I'm wrong, has another write it in pen. This one's easy. First got a list off. And that's Fred Warner.

Easy. Fred Warner's been the best linebacker in the league this year. He's an unbelievable player. He's the best coverage linebacker in the league, but has also been really productive against the run this season. So that one was easy for me. who is your other first team linebacker? I went, Roquan Smith, uh, from my other first team.

And this was signed between him and my, my second team guy. I don't get that in sec, but the stat I have, okay, he's fourth and splash place of all positions. Third, tied for third and TFL's and run stuff. So just affecting the run. This is the stat that speaks to, no, he just him as a player, but just the value who brings. And I mean, it was almost, this is like the CMC discussion a little bit for the

offense, just like him going to the Ravens. So the Ravens, they traded for him, by the way. Okay. So since week nine, he originally was my second team and I bumped him up after I started diving in more about this. And he's just such a good player. But without Roquant Smith, the Ravens defense, without them, they're 26th in success rate right above the Texans and the lines. So that's the first eight weeks and all the snaps since they've traded for them without. With him, they're tied for seventh at 60.2%.

Funnily enough, with other two AFC North teams, they're tied for seven. The Bengals and the Steelers, which I thought was pretty funny. EPA per play without Rockwon Smith, they're bottom five. They're basically tied with the Falcons and the lines. Those aren't really the defenses you want to be with. EPA per play with him, they're tied for second with the 49ers. The Ravens have like this trade was as good as they could have hoped as far as what he's done for their defense, a calming presence while also affecting the game.

He's an all-around linebacker. He can cover the pass. He's smart as all get out. he can play the run obviously stat wise but just watching him he calms everyone else is down you can bring blitzes because he helps everybody else out helps him sort it out hell of a player i wanted to reward him with the first team once we talk about the second team i'll decide who i was deciding between between him and this other guy but hell of a year from him and that was a very good trade for the ravens splash play i think the calming presence is a really good point the splash plays against the run have been numerous this year as multiple interceptions so i put him on the second team just because i think the guy i had on my first team even if he's missed a little bit of time has just

and so good in coverage and talked about being a calming force. I had Matt Milano as my other first team linebacker. That was my gut instinct first team and I bumped him down. That is him and Roquan where the who I decided to watch a lot of guys over the last like 12 hours or so just to make sure that I was like, God, do I feel good about this? Right. And going back and watching Matt Milano in coverage in some of these games, that dropped interception that he had against the dolphins, which could have swung the game even though he dropped it. It's just a great play. It's like he's reading that. It's not like a tipped ball to him.

He was really, really good in coverage the season. Also, much more impactful as a pass rusher than you might think. He had 19 pressures, which was top five among linebackers. He had five PBIUs this season. So I had him on the first team even missing a little bit of time. There was a reason when they played the Chiefs, they made him the spy. They made it because he's such a smart athletic player. No, I have no...

Not a lot of place for the bills. For the bills, yes. He's, yes, he's the other bills linebacker, other than admins. But no, and also third and TFL and run stuff, or tied for second, I should say. Or third, no, it's third with 19. Like you said, the PVUs. He's greatest past defender just affects the game. Every snap, every snap he's doing something.

So, no, I love Matt Villano. So I'm glad you gave him the first team choice. Who is your other second team guy? Okay, this was, I'm breaking my own rules here because I like guys that stay healthy throughout the year. And I went with David Long here. And that he only played 12 games. I'm breaking the rules here. This is you're just trying to make a point.

And I respect it, even though I do think that you're, it's a little too far with the 12 games. But I understand the point you're trying to make. 12 games was hard. That was tough. I wish it was 14. Like 14 is usually my parameter when I can award these guys. Actually, there's a couple of guys I'm breaking my own rules with. But watching David Long this year, I've always liked him.

And then this year, it's like, I love him. And as far as how he affects the game, he's smaller. He plays for Titans. He plays for Titans. He's this little undersized lineback for the Titans. He plays like a missile every single snap. Great against the run, great against a pass.

He had seven TFLs this year, also five PBOs. There's this metric I like to look at, especially for linebackers. It is a tackle success rate, not in the sense of mistackles or anything, but what percentage of your tackles led to a successful play for the defense?

So it's like a first and ten, you tackle a guy for a two-yard gain, et cetera, et cetera. He's second in that metric. He has 86 tackles this year. year, 65% of those were successful plays for the Titans. This guy reads the game as well as any defender in the entire NFL at any position. Super intelligent.

I know he's kind of like this kind of a hipster pick for me, but it's like if this guy played one or two more games, this was an easier call. But I just had to break my own rules because he is a truly, truly great player. It just can't stay healthy. And he's going to be a free agent this year. And I hope he gets with a fun team because I think he's a really, really great player. You know, I really like watching him play. I think that second team is a lot for a guy who missed that much time, but I understand the point that you're trying to make.

Yeah. I went with Drake Greenlaw. That first name off. That was Drey Greenlaw for me. That's, yep. It felt silly because it's like, man, we put both Niners linebackers on here. But I almost feel like we underrate him or overlook him because of Warner. But the amount of, we talk about splash plays.

So splash plays as they're defined by true media, which we should describe what they're. that is. So splash plays, as defined by true media are, sacks, TFLs, pressures leading to a throwaway, run and past stuffs, run and past stuffs, interceptions, force fumble, fumble recovery, passes defense, and stops on third and fourth down. It's a fuck shit

up stat. Do shits. Do shits. Do shit stats. That's what it is. So that's what that is. So he is among linebackers, he's right up at the top. He's tied with Warner at, with 40. That's 20th on the season among all positions. But the splash plays like, holy shit plays.

I think among linebackers, he's probably number one in the league this year for the amount of that guy is jumping off the screen right now. In coverage against the run, he is such a tone setter for that defense. He's a special player. And I think that when he hits free agency, he's going to get paid because I'm not sure

they're going to be able to afford him. Yes. And oh my God, just run, like, the fact that they're the linebackers are just so fast. Yes. And they're so fast and smart. And watching him and Warner. No, this is a great call.

He was my first one off. This is the guy who I knocked off for David Long. So I'm kind of glad that you twice now awarded these guys. I'm really happy about that. Him and then Aziz Al-Share. Like those three linebackers, man, are just, oh my God, they're just missiles. And no, Drager-R-R-R-Lad is-Decid job building their team. This is why I'm, because I know there's always been a theory that like,

coaches are better scouts of the other side of the ball than they are of their own side of the ball. Like offensive coaches are better scouting defensive players and vice versa. And I, you know why? You know why I think that might be? Because you watch more of them. I don't think it's that you watch more of them. I think you remove your ego from the process. Yeah.

Oh, if I coached them up, I would do this. Bingo. That's exactly right. Great call. No, I know. People, yes. No, but there's something to it. There's something to it.

There's something to it. Like, since I'll shan a guy out there. and they're getting all these middle round defenders that are just affecting the game every snap. I don't know. There's something to that. Spoiler, there will be more of them coming. At least one more for me.

Yeah, same. So other guys that I left off here, DeMario Davis, DeMario Davis is just awesome all the time. Just good play. One of the most impactful pass rushing linebackers in the league, still really good against the run. Him at Pete Warner are really fond.

It's a good combat. The Saints also have Kate Nellis, who had seven sacks this year. I mean, they got some guys at that position. making some stuff happen. So that's, DeMaro Davis, Bobby Wagner had a really nice season for the Rams.

It's kind of a lost season for the Rams. I think he kind of bounced back. A lot of pass rushing production, a lot of run stuffing production. So I think maybe fair or unfair team success kind of weighed him down a little bit in my mind as far as putting him on one of these teams. And the other guy that I had on here was C.J.

Mosley. I thought that was C.J. Mosley had a really nice year for the Jets. It was tough for me to decide between Quincy Williams and C. I know you love Quincy Williams. I do like Quincy, man. He's, yeah, he, he didn't make my short list, but I was, it was hard not to.

But Drey Greenlaw was on my short list. Tremaine Edmins has actually had his best year as a pro, I think. Good timing, man. Yeah, he's right. Dude, the contract years more than any, this year was like the year of contract years. But, uh, no, but he lived up to his reputation that he's had before. I've always thought he was slightly overrated because of his pedigree and everything. But I think now he actually lived up to it this year.

Levanti David had a good. had a good year. I also had Lomte David on my list. He had a good year. David is just always good. Steady. He was awesome in coverage again this year. He was seventh in stops among linebackers.

He had three sacks. I almost put him on the second team. It was between him and Roquant from my second team. And then I had Logan Wilson on my short list. And then I had. And then the last one. And this was a guy. And I'll be honest, I knew of the guy, haven't really studied him, started diving

into this. I was like, I'm going to study this guy right now. that's Frankie Louvo for the Panthers. Holy shit. I almost made him second team. Like this was really, really hard not to. That guy is a study.

He plays for the Panthers. This is his first year. He played 880 snaps this year. The most he's ever played before is 400. And he's been healthy. It's not like because of injuries or anything. They finally made him a full-time starter. This dude is awesome as far as I, it's truly all pro-worthy.

We should have, we should probably do this at some point where we do a like, not even that, but like a team that's just, who is that? Yeah. Who is that team? Because when you watch the Panthers, that's the reaction. It's like, who is that? He's, number who is 49? Yeah.

Yeah. He was really, really good. They wind him up on the ball and like, it was awesome watching them against the Bucks last week. So the, you know, bucks will pull a guy, you know, like a counter or split zone or something or that. And watching him thud up like Shack Mason. Like, Shaq Mason, you can tell it was like, oh shit.

Like that wasn't expecting that. And on top of it, you. plays the past extremely well. No, awesome, awesome player. Another guy that, and they signed him off. I think they have under contract one more year. Yeah, Frankie Louvo. Like, take a bow.

Really good year. Really productive year. I think all of his metrics were outstanding as far as like, you know, tackle success rate, TFL's and run stuff. Like just a really dynamic player that's all three down type of player that can play on the ball and off the ball. Good player. So I would have to assume that among the better linebackers in the NFL this year,

he played on the ball. as much as anybody. It was like 275 snaps. There were times the season when I would watch him be like, what position does he play? When you're not super familiar with the Panthers, there were times. I was like, what is he exactly? They move him around. Yeah, because he's like a, it's funny because he's a Sam.

A Sam is on the ball linebacker, like almost what we call, you know, edges and everything now when they're in the base. But usually a Sam moves down to D-end when you go into Sup, when you go into Nickel. I think of like Bruce Irvin over the years. That's like a good example of that. But he, when they go into sub, they move him to inside liebacker off ball because he's so good coverage and so good reading the game. So it's a unique kind of like how they use them in that sense.

Like Michael Parsons, they put them on the ball and then the past rush snaps. They put them, they keep them on the ball because it's like they've realized that maybe inside linebacker is not his bread and butter. So, but yeah, no, I totally agree.

It's like one of those like, what are you, but in a good way? The answers to all of those questions have been very fun. for Frankie Louvre this year. By the way, with Persons, it's not even close to his snap distribution this season. That's why there was no sense in putting him at offball linebacker.

No, I think it's like 80 snaps. It was just a Packers game. He was an edge rusher. Yes. Yeah, I think they realized that. All right. Cornerback. So here's how I handled this for the first team.

Just before we even get started. I thought there were three guys I had to put on here. So I didn't have a slot-specific corner in my first team. And I just did slot player. So I looked at the stats and I looked at guys. There's like 26 or whatever guy NFL players that play 50% or more of their snaps into slot. So that's how I kind of discerned it. So I did.

I stayed with just slot. So but I want to hear who this third guy is because I know you're fighting it. I just cheated. That's fine. All right. I just had a guy with 12, 12 games as my pro linebacker. So first guy, first team corner, think is easy. I had sauce first.

I put him down first. I put the other guy first. Okay. But he was a lock. Okay. First team edge and first team corner were both in Penn. First names I put down, those four names were these four names. All right.

So sauce was probably right after Micah and Nick boasted to me. Because obviously, anecdotally, he's played very well. He leads the league in forced incompletions despite ranking 30th in targets. Yep. He has full games where he doesn't even get targeted. he's forced an incompletion on 28% of his targets according to pff no player in the league is higher than 22%. That's insane. He leads the league in PbUs despite being 30th in targets.

A lot of times those stats, interceptions, past breakups are correlated to how much people throw at you. That's the case. He doesn't get thrown out that much and he is still having that sort of on the ball production wild year. That's how he was in college. Same thing. he never got targeted. And when he did, he just said, like, you would see the stats to be like, when targeted, one for 12, like the opposing quarterbacks.

No, I have the other guy. So my first law, I'll talk with sauce first. Yeah, PbUs, all that. Right away, I didn't, I really liked him coming into the draft. Him and Stingley. I thought were, it was like, you don't get two corners like this all the time. It was like, I thought those guys were no-brainers. I just didn't understand his intelligence of the game.

And like just he's a complete player. He can lock you down a man. He's competitive as hell. Great tackler, like willing to stick his nose in there despite his frame. And on top of it, he's just so smart. When they're in zone, he's great. He doesn't get manipulated like a lot of rookie corners do. He knows how to communicate.

He communicates really, really well. The amount where you can see him talking. Yep, from the first game of the season. Yep. He has that confidence. He has a confidence of a guy named Sauce. And that I mean that. He does.

That's always the name is Sauce. because he plays like that. No, he's, he's outstanding. I can believe, I knew the whole year I was like, man, this guy's playing like a pro bowler. And as he just kept getting better throughout the year,

it's like, this guy's an all pro as a rookie. Rookie corner, all pro is absurd and he's played at that level. Who's your second guy? Pat Sartan. And I also had Pat Sartan. These guys were locks to me.

Sertan after six weeks or maybe first half the season, he was on my short list for a defense player of the year. He kind of tiled off with whatever was going on with the Broncos. but certan to me is the best corner in the game. I think now Sauce is in that short list now too. Complete player. I think he is a true lockdown. Put him on whatever guy you want.

Doesn't matter to match. That's smart. That 100% is the deciding factor for me as to why he belongs on here, even though some of the underlying numbers might not be as good as other guys. Here's the example. Go back and watch the first Raiders game. Okay? Yeah.

He gives up seven ketches in the first Raiders game. He's on Devante Adams, the entire. game. Every snap. He follows him around the entire game. So giving up six or seven catches in that game on 13 targets. It looks like he gives up six catches, but it's a 50-50 split with the best receiver in football. It's like Garden Kobe. Yeah, you gave up 38 points, but he shot 12 for 30. You know, like you you made it really, really tough on him. Like that's what he does when he locks down these guys. Pure coverage player, I think he is the best pure coverage player in the league. You go watch him right now. His ability to just play with people is absurd. It's absolutely obnoxious how good he is. So he was an easy one for me.

Exactly. It is obnoxious how good he is. It's like, you shouldn't be able to move like this, brother. Like you're too good. My third one, and I think this was decided over the last two weeks is J. Here Alexander. Yeah. No qualms. He's on my second team. So it just over the course of the season, you know, he's a really good player. He's been a really good player. What he did against Miami and then what he did against the Viking. and then putting him on Justin Jefferson some of those situations, how physical he was with Justin Jefferson, even against Miami. Watching him play trail coverage is very fun. So, Sir Tan does a lot of like mirroring guys and watching him play step for step people on the outside is great.

Jair is so good when they let him do that. And he just is sticking with people in that trail technique. He's really, really good at it. And the numbers back it up. His 11th and forced and completion percentage. He's a really good zone corner. They play a lot of zone. So I just think that anything you ask him to do,

he can do. And you have the interception production recently. So he just checks a lot of boxes for me. I just thought these three guys were one step above everybody else this year. Yep. Jair was easy. My second team, I'll pro because I did the slot.

If I were to name three guys on the first team at corner, he would have been my third as well. Really, he, you know, he came back from injury last year and then late. And then this year he battled, I think he had a shoulder that knocked them out of the game. Once he came back from that injury,

it was like a new player. And he was already damn good. It was just that I think, he kind of was like, okay, screw this. Like, like, I'm, I'm locking in. And no, very good corner. The physicality showed last week against Justin Jefferson was so cool. Um, they, they told him, hey, press them or jam, jam Justin Jefferson.

He was like, okay. He was like, he, I haven't seen a quarter like that because he was confident because he was like, speaking of confidence, him doing the gritty after an incompletion. I was like, man, that seems early. Playing a little fire. When he did that on the first drive, I was like, that seems early. And he got away with it. It was funny.

because they were they Joe Barry that was probably Joe Barry is one of his best coach games or as far as schematically and but they're doing some double stuff they're running some cover two and then that was like one of the first snap up quarters where he was truly jire was truly one-on-one with Justin Jefferson so Kirk Cousins smartly was like hey I'm going to take this so that must have been so frustrating for Justin Jefferson's like finally I'm going to get targeted here and then it gets BVU physical it gets gritty so yeah it was it was a nice little battle there. So I'll talk about my slot guy here.

So this is my first team slot guy. And this is a 49er. It's Jimmy Ward. I think he's been a revelation in the slot. He's always been a good player. Interesting that you put him on there. I'm not surprised because he led to the league in slot snaps this year. He was primarily a slot player.

It's not like he was a safety moonlighting in the slot. He was their slot corner this season. I'm the best defense in football. And really, really good. Another smart physical player. I honestly, I'm going to use that term again, Revelation, because he's always been a physical player, you know, coming from safety. Like, even despite his kind of size, he's been banged up over the years, but he's just a smart physical player as well as being in long and kind of rangy. And it's perfect for him in the slot, especially how they play because that slot guy has to affect the run game, you know, because they put him in the run, you know, kind of like, they had Kwon Williams there for years.

And K. Kwan Williams is such a smaller guy. And I know that's your guy. such a smaller guy. So, but it's like, okay, but now let's get the guy that's still really good at tackling, but, you know, a little longer and rangier. That tackle success rate thing where it's successful play for the defense, he's just over 50%. He's right at the same as Jordan Brooks for the Seahawks. So he's basically like another linebacker out there when they go into sub-packages.

Really, really good player. I at first was like, man, is this weird putting him at first team? I rewatch him again. I've been aware of Jimmy Ward since he came out in Northern Illinois. He was one of my favorite guys when I was with the Falcons. And we had him for a visit for a top 30 visit. One of my favorite players we ever hosted. Just a cool dude was from Alabama in high school and went to Northern Illinois for college.

Like just had a cool personality. Like just like really good viewpoint of the world, I should say. But I'm really happy to name him as a first team guy because I think he deserves it. He's been really, really good this year. Like you said, on the best defensive football. All right. Second team. You had J.

Who's your other one? This was the hardest spot on my entire All-Pro list, the first or second team. I put Darius Slay. I think he's been a really, really great player for them. You could do either the Eagles corners, really. I have James Bradbury. I'm my second team, All-Pro. I was torn.

I ended up going with Slay. Maybe some games early in the year stood out to me a little bit that maybe that's why it's in my brain. But I think you can't really like go wrong with either of these corners. I want to Slay, though, just as far as being able to lock down the outside, smart player, it could be physical. Yeah, I went with him. I think he's had a great, great year. He's a great, great player, and I want to award him with the second team. I totally get that.

And so James Bradbury, teams that went after him a lot, I think, because Darius Lay exists. And James Bradbury. I know. So he had a lot of on-ball production, and I was wondering. I was like, okay, is that a product of how many targets he saw? Because he was up near the top of the league. He was third and fourth-in-completed percentage. So not just total numbers.

Also, I loved this because the Eagles, a lot of zone, right? Yep. So how many spots is he really getting put him? He was targeted 33 times in man coverage this season. And some of the target stats, that's hard for me because in your area, I don't know what that means. So when it's in zone coverage, that one's a little weird to me. But in man, it's easy to understand who you're throwing at, okay? Yeah.

So he had 33 targets, James Bradbury did in man coverage this season, a lot of 11 catches. which was one of the best rates in the league. So 33%. So when he was put in those high leverage big moments, he was really, really good. And his on ball production was great the entire year, plus some of the interception stuff, the big plays.

I thought that he was really good this season. Yeah. He, no, he had that awesome interception against Trevor Lawrence. That was so cool in the red zone where he read the little wheel route. That was such a cool player. Bradbury is great player.

Like I have no balls. he's going to get paid this off season. I'm shocked that they got him so easily this year. He kind of was misused. Howie Black Magic? Unbelievable, man. And with Reddick in there. I mean, yeah.

But it's when with the Giants, he was good with the Giants. And then Patrick Graham used a lot more cover two. And he was fine in it. He was good because he can read the game really well. But I never thought that was conducive to his skill set. I actually think he'd be perfect with his former defense coordinator in Sean McDermott in a kind of quarters cover three heavy defense where he can use his reading ability and his The bills can't have all the players, man.

I know, I know. But I thought that would have been the perfect match for him and everything. But yeah, but same, but the Eagles run kind of similar coverages of a lot of that kind of basic kind of quarters and three and everything. So it's perfect for him. So I'm glad he kind of got unlocked again in a new situation because he's a great player. So you had Slay, you had Jair, who's your third guy? Okay.

And then my slot, because I love doing a slot, is Mike Hilton. And this is another guy. He played 13 games. So again, my threshold is usually 14. Like, I always kind of want these guys to play 14. I'm willing to do this with Mike Hilton. That tackle success rates dad, I love. He was fourth among DBEs in that.

He's second in TFLs and run stuff among DBEs with 11. And he did that in 13 games, which is ridiculous. Awesome. We talk about slot guys having to fill the run, probably one, if not the best, at it. at doing that as well as being so smart in coverage. He's forced in completions with how intelligent he is because if they run, say, cover two, he knows how to manipulate the quarterbacks. He understands route concepts.

He does a lot of stuff. So he has free reign, essentially, within the Bengals defense. So there are times where he'll blitz and I'm wondering if that's actually baked into the play. And in practice, he'll just try to, he just fucks around. and just tries to see like what he can do and what he can get away with. And he's just one of those players that has such an intuitive sense of what he's trying to accomplish and how he fits within the defense that he's given significantly morally way than you would typically give to almost any other defensive back. He has a quick trigger in the run.

If he reads it, he's going. And it's awesome because he's really, really good at. I think he epitomizes to me that Bengals defense. I agree. Smart, smart player. Free agent, veteran free agent signing. Like the way they built it, he is an expression of their ideas 100%. So, yeah.

And I had no qualms of making him second team. I thought he was very deserving. He made the 50% or more slot threshold. So I was pretty easy tabbing him here. I did have a slot guy in my second team. I know. I like this. I went with legarius need from the chiefs.

Love it. Leads the league in splash plays among defensive backs. Three and a half sacks. He has 18 pressures on 57 past rush naps. That's pretty awesome. 37 run and past stops. No other cornerback in the league has more than 31. And he's been really good in coverage as a slot player.

So I thought that he definitely has an argument. And in my mind, has probably been the best slot defender in the league this season. So I wanted to acknowledge that. They love blitz in them. Like that's his, that's pretty damn good at it, man. Yeah, that spags is a little Swiss army knife.

That's like, okay, if I want to use, if I want to get creative, I'm going to use Sneed. I, he's my first guy off. I had Antriman Winfield, is the other guy in my short list. Um, he's played more in the slot,

but, you know, all these guys missed time. It was kind of hilarious. A lot of them did. A lot of it. It's a physical position. Playing in a slot as 2005 pounds or 190 pounds having to defend a run and pullers and all that.

It's tough. It's really tough. But I totally understand that was neat because he's a, he had a great year. My other second team outside corner. I went with Tareke Wollen. Okay. You go back and watch all six of those interceptions, all legit. Two rookies.

Not a. passing the bunch. I thought that I went back and watched him play against some really good receivers. He had some awesome reps against Devante Adams. And he's just, he was really good this year. The on ball production is what you want, but it wasn't just those splashy highlight plays.

Down in and down out, he was a really good corner. He went from getting, I think he was like the most penalized corner of the first six weeks to like only having won the rest of the year. Yeah, penalties I didn't look out, which is probably a good point. No, no, but I'm saying is that he just got better.

Like he was always a height, weight speed project that I actually thought was less of a project coming out of UTSA than others kind of. It was weird. I thought he would go into second round, like someone would take a chance on him. And the fact that he lasted a day three, like still kind of blows my mind because he was more of a football player than most of these kind of like long former receivers are at corner. Yeah. And, and yeah, no, he's, he's been way better than I ever could have hoped. And I was glassed at full on him. And he just keeps getting better because he's adding more to his game.

just understanding routes and everything, not everything just being vertical at him, like chasing down over routes and everything. He had one against the lines. I think we had a great interception. Yeah, no. That's probably the most impressive interception.

That was probably the best play of his year. Yeah. But no, he was on my short list. I have no qualms. He have two rookie corners. First and second team and not even batting an eye about it. That's,

at least in a good spot with corners, actually, because short list is actually pretty fun. I had Trayvon Diggs, of course. I had Marvin Humphrey. but then I had Tyson Campbell. I had J.C. Horn was on mine. Yep. I mean, those are, those guys are what, year two? And so it's like, man, this is a good spot with corners for the NFL.

And then Bradbury, of course, was that in Jaywin Ramsey. Those were the other names I had on my short list. All right, safety. First team safety, I think this is probably an easy one for both of us. Make a Fitzpatrick. McFest Patrick was my first time I wrote down. In Penn. One of my favorite players in the NFL, one of the smartest players in the NFL.

If you want to watch Make a Fitzpatrick and what he's, all about like you can use them in any which way talk about true Swiss Army knife he's a true monster back like they used to have the role called monster back which is just read find ball get ball like pass or run that's what he is but the the plays I always like were the first two weeks he had two interceptions against Burrow and Mac Jones they both came on cover two and he baited both of them in different ways and I and that just to me shows how he can read the game he can play in a cover two but fake like he's going to the middle to bait smart quarterbacks into interceptions I love Mika Fitzpatrick.

Honestly, truly any position one of my favorite players in the NFL. My favorite Minka Fitzpatrick stat, he leads the NFL with six interceptions tied for the league. He also leads the NFL among defensive backs in run stops on third and fourth down. He has 17. That's awesome. No other defensive back in the league has more than 11. He has 17. And he has six picks.

Yeah. So he's around the ball. Decent year from old Mink of a football. Fitzpatrick. Yeah. That's the thing is usually sometimes with these guys, you're like, oh, they only have one interception. You're like, no, trust me, he's a good player. It's like, here, you can just point the stats and go, no, no, trust me.

He is a good player because he is. So that was an easy one for me. Who is your other first team safety? This was hard. Okay. I end up going with Durham James. And I, he's on my second team. Yeah.

He missed time. He missed time. I ended up going with him. I wanted to give a nod to someone else. And I am just kind of going back to, it was just kind of going back to, it was just hard for me. As much as I wanted to, I'll talk about the guys in the second team, the versatility, the ability to blitz,

coverage, the hits they said this year as well. Just, I don't know, he had a really good year. Sometimes, really actually the charge defense in the second half the year really picked up. But I don't know, it was hard for me not to give him this nod. And if you wanted to make an argument for someone else, I wouldn't

do it. But either way, he was first or second team. And once I talk about the second team guys, I almost want to argue for them more than James, even though James is my first team guy. He was on my second team. 248 snaps at free safety, 147 at slot corner, 318 in the box.

Yeah. He had four sacks on 27 past rush snaps. That's awesome. That's like he's not a bad thing. That's like he's rushing Justin feels every snap like that. Thanks. What he does, what he's asked to do in that defense.

I think is rare. I think there are only a couple of safeties in the league who they have that sort of burden on them within their defense. And he's one of those guys. I think Mink is one of those guys. Another guy who made my second team, that's the reason he made the second team. We'll talk about him in a second.

My other first team is Funga. Yeah. And that's who I decided between. We talk about telling the story of the season. Yeah. That guy from week one, I understand that it's been a little volatile. You think about the touchdown against Miami. can get him every once in a while.

But he has four picks, four TFLs, 29 stops, which ranks fifth among all safeties, and just the tone setting aspect to the way that he plays and kind of how that permeates the rest of that Niners defense. He's just one of those guys that jumped off the screen to me all year. And that's why he got the nod. Dude, I'm telling you, that was my initial first team. And I kind of, I overthought it a little bit. But it got instinct, that's who I was.

Because like you said, the story of the year, at first it was like, oh, this is a fun, like kind of breakout player, but then it was like, no, this guy's actually like just really good and really smart. Like the interception he had against the Rams on the screen and everything. Like he's an extremely smart player. And I think I think he studies his ass off on film because he just that whole 49ers defense probably does. Like they're just so smart. But just like how he will break on things so quickly. It's like he recognizes, he used to be a quarterback in high school.

Justice Mascay had told me in Oregon high school, he was just a terror at quarter. quarterback. I can't imagine. Yeah, yeah. But he, how he just reads the game and everything. Another guy that I, I'm, I'm not arguing against you. He was on my second team and it was an easy, I knew he was going to be on this list. I just didn't know if it was first or second team, but he was an easy guy to put on here. All right. So who's your other second team guy? Kyle Dugger. I knew you're going to do that. And I, I get it. I get it, man. It's a good, what's your argument? Because I have a feeling it's going to be a good one. Well, fill that box score, baby. But another. guy you list off the James stats. It was in the box, being in the slot, being in the post. That's what Dugger does to a T. He is the ultimate Swiss Army knife. He is the tight end eraser. He plays with the Patriots, by the way. Patriots, number 23 for the Patriots from Lenore Ryan. He's awesome. He's the tight end eraser. I think the Patriots are second or third and defensive DBOA against tight end targets. Last year, they were first because they put him on them, put him on side ends and they just wipes them out. But just he just fills a box score. He has a sack. He has four TFLs.

He has eight PbUs. He has three interceptions, including two for touchdowns. The last one that you had, you would talk about Hufonger reading the game. Dugger read the Derrick Carr to a T and just walked into the end zone. That success rate per tackle. He's third among DBSs. Just an awesome football player. I wanted to make him one of my slot guys, but he only played in the slot about 20% of the snap.

So he didn't make that threshold. But I saw you playing with the threshold to see if you could get him in there. I did. I did. I was like 30% get it down. But I looked at the other safeties and I just couldn't really make that as big of an argument for those guys as I could for Dugger. And just because I just liked how much he, what he does. He's just an awesome great, awesome player for the Patriots and just this, this versatility I just love.

Because he'll just thud up running backs from the box and knock them back or offensive. alignment. He'll fit up on fullbacks. He will blitz. He will play manned coverage against tight ends. He'll play in zone. He'll be their Tampa 2 dropper, but he's good at all of it. It's not just because he can do it that they do it. He's really, really good at all of it. So I had a word of my second

team because I just, I really truly think he's worthy of it. I totally have, I totally get that. He's on my short list along with like three or four other guys. I had Kevin Byard on my second team. I love watching Kevin Byard. I think that what they ask of him in that defense is similar to some of the better

guys around the league. You talk about snap distribution. He played 192 snaps at Slok Corner this season. And the other number that jumps out to me, no safety in football this year played more man coverage snaps than Kevin Byard. What they asked him to do in that defense, they put so much on him. He's their main communicator. I know their past defense fell apart this year, but I just think that he's consistently so good and so smart. I love watching him play. So he was, I gave him the second team. I had a couple guys that I, Jordan Poir missed some time. I think the Jordan Poir was in that company.

And I couldn't like that was it. I couldn't get the second teamer, but a lot of third team guys. So Jordan Poir missed some time. I think he'd absolutely be in this conversation. Two guys that maybe are a little bit further down the list, but I wanted to acknowledge here. Cam Curl from Washington, who I think is an awesome player. And he was so good in a bunch of areas this year. His run stuff stats are amazing.

He was really good in coverage this season. And the other guy who I just thought had a really great year. And every time I turned them on, I was like, geez, he's making a lot of plays was Rodney McLeod from the Colts. He was. His like, he's like, run stuff stuff. It's like he's one of the most productive run defensive one defender's in the league at any position this year. Yeah. As far as Splash plays go.

And he was good in coverage. He was really good this season. You weren't kidding when you had the other, the Colts, impster pick. Dude, they have a. God. This is what I do every year. They have this rookie seventh rounder, Roddy Thomas. I actually kind of like from Yale.

Actually, Rodgers played well at corner from them this year. I'm not doing that. I'm not doing this again. I know. That's what they do. This is what they do. It's all these guys that are like 84 on Madden, 80, 82, like on Madden. That's what they are.

But no, he had a really good year. I had, Buda Baker was on my short list. I actually thought he had a good year. Jordan Whitehead was on my short list, just to stand it out. And no, I'd Poir and Bayard as well. And I had Donovan Wilson from the Cowboys also on my short list. Just yeah. So like I said, a lot of 13 guys and I had to give it to Dugger.

I really, I know David Long and Dugger and it's like, ha, ha, ha, Nate's going with his like little under the radar guys. They're worthy of these picks. I truly want to argue for him because I really do think they are. Dugger especially, I think you can make a very real case for why he should be on there based on everything they ask him to do. He's the Dugger not. Like, you know, he's.

He's getting worthy of a nickname now. Like it's, there's a, you can tell Belichick loves him because he moves them around, like, where he's like, hey, this is what the other team's good at. We're doing, you're putting there. Like, when they play the Bengals and they're running cover two, they're like, okay, Dugger, you're our, you're our Mike linebacker now running down the pipe on Tampa two. Okay, now we play the Raiders.

Okay, now you're in the slot because they have Renfro and everything. So like, you know, it's just they move them where they think the other team's strength is because he's so freaking good. All right. That's all we got. That's fun. There are your all pro teams, folks. If you have not listened to the offense show, please go do that.

You can do that as available to you right now. This should be out on Wednesday. Playing with time a little bit. We'll talk about recording this a little bit earlier. So this should be out on Wednesday. Tomorrow, please check out the football GM with Mike Sando and Randy Muir. We will be back on Friday with a two-part wild card preview. One AFC, one NFC.

Those should both be available overnight. on Friday like our normal preview would be, except we're going to have two parts. So please go check that out. In the meantime, please rate and review the podcast on your podcast platform of choice. I sincerely appreciate that. Please subscribe to The Athletic.

Theathletic.com slash football show. And if you have not, now is the time to subscribe to our YouTube page because we're going to be doing live reaction shows on Saturday night and Sunday night breaking down wild card weekend. So if you haven't subscribed, now is the time to do it. In the meantime, really appreciate you guys listening.

We will talk to you soon. This was The Athletic Football Show.