Who was snubbed from the Pro Bowl rosters? Our panel picks the biggest surprises

The rosters for the 2023 Pro Bowl are set, with Dolphins backmost Tua Tagovailoa starring the league successful votes from fans but not making the AFC squad. Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs), Josh Allen (Bills) and Joe Burrow (Bengals) alternatively made the team, arsenic Tagovailoa was the unusual passer out. In the NFC, the quarterbacks are Jalen Hurts (Eagles), Geno Smith (Seahawks) and Kirk Cousins (Vikings).

The Eagles pb the mode with 8 Pro Bowl selections, followed by the Cowboys and Chiefs (seven each) and Ravens and 49ers (six apiece). The NFL announced Monday that Rams antiaircraft tackle Aaron Donald and Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander were the first 2 NFC players to marque the roster. This is Donald's ninth consecutive twelvemonth being named to the Pro Bowl.

The Pro Bowl volition person a antithetic look this year, moving distant from the accepted shot game. Instead, players volition present enactment successful a weeklong skills competition that volition reason with a emblem shot game. The AFC volition look the NFC connected Feb. 5 astatine Allegiant Stadium successful Las Vegas, unrecorded connected ESPN, ABC and ESPN+ astatine 3 p.m. ET.

Which players were snubbed from these rosters? Who should each of the snubs replace? And which players who were near retired should marque it successful 2023? We asked our NFL analysts and reporters to measurement in, with sports analytics writer Seth Walder picking snubs and the remainder of our sheet answering 2 questions.

Let's get into each the buzz surrounding the 2023 Pro Bowl, starting with which players were snubbed.

Walder picks the 7 biggest Pro Bowl snubs

James Bradberry, CB, Eagles

Who helium should replace: Trevon Diggs, CB, Cowboys

Bradberry is the astir egregious snub connected the board. He has allowed 0.6 yards per sum drawback and minus-37 expected points added (EPA) arsenic the nearest defender, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, and those are some the champion by immoderate extracurricular country with astatine slightest 250 sum snaps. Those aren't conscionable Pro Bowl numbers; they're numbers that should enactment him successful the speech for Defensive Player of the Year.

Christian McCaffrey, RB, 49ers

Who helium should replace: Miles Sanders, RB, Eagles

Sanders mightiness person had the amended play connected the ground, but what McCaffrey brings successful the passing crippled is worthy much, overmuch more. McCaffrey's 2.0 yards per way tally is champion among each backs with astatine slightest 15 routes per game, and his 79 wide people successful the receiver tracking metrics is 2nd champion among moving backs.

Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Bills

Who helium should replace: C.J. Mosley, LB, Jets

Edmunds ranks sixth successful run halt triumph rate among linebackers and is rated lowest and 2nd lowest astatine the presumption successful yards per sum drawback allowed and full EPA allowed, per NFL Next Gen Stats.

Side note: Inside linebackers truly get the abbreviated extremity of the instrumentality with these rosters -- with conscionable 2 per league -- portion borderline rushers efficaciously get six per conference.

Jared Goff, QB, Lions

Who helium should replace: Kirk Cousins, QB, Vikings

There's nary ace evident campaigner for the 3rd NFC backmost spot, but Goff's numbers are intelligibly amended than Cousins'. Goff is much than 10 points wide successful QBR (62.5 to 51.6) and is starring the discourtesy that ranks 3rd successful EPA per dropback this season. Third! And helium did each that contempt not having arsenic beardown a receiving radical to propulsion to arsenic Cousins.

Tyler Lockett, WR, Seahawks

Who helium should replace: Terry McLaurin, WR, Commanders

Lockett ranks 2nd successful some unfastened people and drawback people -- and is tied for 2nd successful wide people with Justin Jefferson -- successful the receiver tracking metrics, an denotation of his exceptional skills that person gone agelong overlooked. In a play successful which Russell Wilson foundered successful Denver without Lockett and DK Metcalf, portion Geno Smith flourished successful Seattle, we shouldn't place Lockett again.

Javon Hargrave, DT, Eagles

Who helium should replace: Jonathan Allen, DT, Commanders

Hargrave has 10 sacks and ranks 2nd successful pass unreserved triumph rate, which ranks 2nd down Chris Jones (third if Aaron Donald qualified) among antiaircraft tackles. That's a unsmooth miss.

Trey Smith, G, Chiefs

Who helium should replace: Quenton Nelson, G, Colts

Kansas City teammate Joe Thuney got the well-deserved nod, but Smith should person been close alongside him. Smith ranks 4th successful pass artifact triumph rate among guards this season, good up of Nelson, who softly has not played astatine his accustomed level this season. Nelson ranks 38th -- close astir league mean -- successful the aforesaid stat.

What's the 1 happening that stands retired astir from the Pro Bowl roster release?

Tristan H. Cockcroft, phantasy shot writer: Twenty-one Pro Bowlers hail from the NFC East -- not to notation 13 of the conference's 27 starters -- thing fewer of america could've perchance seen coming successful the preseason. The Eagles and Cowboys accounted for 15 of those, and either squad, 2 of the champion successful the league, could've been the root of immoderate of my anticipated snubs. Instead, deserving candidates specified arsenic Tony Pollard (Cowboys), A.J. Brown (Eagles) and Trevon Diggs (Cowboys) each made the cut. Pollard, especially, has been excellent, and I'm gladsome to spot him included contempt what has been efficaciously a concern relation with Ezekiel Elliott for overmuch of the season.

Jeremy Fowler, nationalist NFL writer: Eight Pro Bowlers wasn't capable for the Eagles. Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and cornerback James Bradberry are among Philly players who deserved a spot connected the NFC team. This is the astir implicit roster successful football.

Jordan Reid: NFL draught analyst: The biggest astonishment to maine was Eagles antiaircraft tackle Javon Hargrave being near disconnected the NFC squad. He has had 1 of the champion seasons among each interior defenders; helium is tied with Chris Jones for the second-most sacks (10) of each tackles.

Mike Tannenbaum, NFL beforehand bureau insider: The juxtaposition of the backmost selections by conference. In the AFC, the passers were each top-10 draught picks and had varying degrees of archetypal success, portion the 3 from the NFC were each drafted successful the 2nd circular oregon aboriginal -- and each took clip to develop.

Field Yates, NFL analyst: Just 2 rookies made the Pro Bowl this season, and portion they each play cornerback, they arrived astatine the league by precise antithetic paths: Sauce Gardner was successful the premix for the astir coveted players successful the full draught (taken No. 4 wide by the Jets), portion Tariq Woolen slid to the 5th circular and the Seahawks. Both person been exceptional and precise overmuch earned their spot.

Which subordinate didn't marque this Pro Bowl roster but volition decidedly marque it for the 2023 season?

Cockcroft: Breece Hall, RB, Jets. He was connected a Pro Bowl-caliber trajectory earlier tearing an ACL successful Week 7, and portion the lengthy betterment required for that peculiar country could origin a sluggish commencement to his 2023 campaign, helium has the skills to instrumentality disconnected successful a large mode by midseason and marque the cut.

Fowler: Christian McCaffrey, RB, 49ers. A afloat play successful San Francisco would person earned McCaffrey his 2nd Pro Bowl nod. In 8 games with the Niners, helium is averaging 110 full yards per crippled and has 7 full touchdowns.

Reid: Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Giants. The rookie No. 5 wide prime is dilatory starting to travel into his own. He has sacks successful back-to-back games and is starting to crook his pressures into backmost takedowns. Expect that to proceed successful Year 2.

Tannenbaum: Austin Ekeler, RB, Chargers. In summation to his 9 rushing touchdowns, helium has 95 receptions (and 5 much scores) -- with 3 much games to go. Ekeler is an incredibly productive and versatile player.

Yates: Justin Fields, QB, Bears. Chicago is successful bully hands with Fields, and the league is fortunate to person him arsenic 1 of the champion young players successful the game. His breakout this play is conscionable the beginning.