Good news for Justin Tucker, he is the first team place kicker for the NFL All Pro team. The bad news is that he is the only Ravens player on the list:
The Baltimore Ravens have been an exciting football team this season. They have a rookie quarterback who is about to be the youngest quarterback to start in a playoff game. They have a great running game and a dominant defense. Yet the only player that made the NFL All-Pro team, which was announced today was the placekicker.
Justin Tucker is deserving, but it’s disappointing to see only one Ravens player on this elite list. Marlon Humphrey is the first name that comes to mind. You can make the argument that he’s one of the top five cornerbacks in the league, yet he’s not a Pro Bowl player and he’s not a first team NFL All-Pro. When is Humphrey going to get his due?
Michael Pierce is another player that isn’t getting any love here. Aaron Donald and Fletcher Cox are big names and are probably the players that should be the interior defensive lineman on this honorary list.
Pierce makes players around him better. He clogs up the middle of the line of scrimmage, takes up double teams and provides value that is worthy of accolades. Pierce and Humphrey don’t have the stats, but that is misleading. Humphrey doesn’t have a lot of picks but nobody wants to throw his way.
The Associated Press 2018 NFL All-Pro team selected by a national panel of 50 media members: Attached is the first team. pic.twitter.com/3BHTFoSr10
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) January 4, 2019
The Ravens have one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL. Lamar Jackson isn’t going to make this list, that’s not lost on me. However the offensive line of the Ravens isn’t getting any love. To see no Ronnie Stanley isn’t surprising. The exclusion of Marshal Yanda is a bit baffling though.
The Ravens are a better football team than they have been in a long time. They won their division with a top 10 offense and the top defense in terms of yards per game. Baltimore isn’t a team without elite talent. One thing that hurt the Ravens in the All-Pro conversation is that they got hot late. Players like Jackson and Gus Edwards are having huge half seasons. If they started doing this from week 1, the rookies still probably wouldn’t be on the list, however the Ravens would get more recognition as a whole.
The NFL All-Pro list is pretty spot on in all fairness. Pat Mahomes had 50 touchdowns. It’s hard to imagine a more perfect group of receivers than Michael Thomas, Tyreek Hill and DeAndre Hopkins. The Ravens have had elite players have elite performances this season, but they aren’t a team with big name superstars. Superstars with name value and stats are on this list and that makes sense. The Ravens All-Pro worthy players could make a huge impact in the postseason, which means more than a list of great players.