Which NFL players could make the Pro Bowl for the first time in 2025? Kevin Patra spotlights one candidate from each AFC team below. (Click here for the NFC selections.)
Many rookie corners get dragged around the gridiron. Not Wiggins. Like any cover man, he experienced ups and downs in his debut season, but he showed the physicality and ball skills to grow into an elite outside corner. His performance portends a breakout Year 2. Wiggins generated a -28.4 target EPA -- tops among every single corner in the NFL last season, per Next Gen Stats -- while allowing a 47.8% completion rate (third-best in the league among CBs targeted 50-plus times) and -4.5 receptions over expected (fifth). His -0.42 EPA per target ranked third, one tick behind 2024 Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II (-0.43). Wiggins also allowed zero touchdowns in coverage. He'll need to grab a few more picks to earn a Pro Bowl spot, but then again, he's in an even better position to shine in 2025, playing next to Marlon Humphrey and new teammate Jaire Alexander.
Rousseau could pay off the $20 million-per-year contract extension he signed in March with his first Pro Bowl nod. Last season, the Miami product matched a career high with eight sacks while continuing to show improved pass-rush skills. According to Next Gen Stats, he's upped his total QB pressures every year, going from 27 in 2021 to 32 in 2022, 47 in 2023 and 59 last year. His 13.8% pressure rate also marked a career high. The addition of Joey Bosa on the opposite side could work to free up more favorable matchups for Rousseau to exploit in 2025. The Bills have lacked a potent pairing since Von Miller's production spiraled following his 2022 knee injury. Rousseau is in a place -- in terms of talent, experience and, possibly, his new pass-rushing partner -- to put up his best campaign yet in Buffalo.
Brown is in a smash spot for a massive role with a hefty workload in a juggernaut Bengals offense. Rookie Tahj Brooks could earn some touches, and Samaje Perine returns to Cincinnati as a complementary back, but there is no doubt that Brown is the lead tiger and the "focal point" of the backfield. In his first year as the primary starter last season, Brown generated 990 rushing yards and seven TDs on 229 totes in 16 games. The dual-threat weapon added 54 catches for 360 yards and four more scores. Defenses must protect against a passing attack led by Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, virtually guaranteeing Brown will get to scamper through light boxes. Last year, Brown saw a light box on 52% of his rushing attempts, the second-highest rate in the NFL (among those with a minimum of 200 carries). The usage plus the offense plus the talent give Brown an excellent chance to break into the Pro Bowl.
The Browns' roster is an amalgam of players who've earned Pro Bowl recognition over the past several seasons, rookies and those whose upside (or lack thereof) leaves them short. That brings us to Newsome. The former first-round pick has underperformed his draft status, leading to questions about his future in Cleveland as he enters the final season of his rookie contract. Newsome started just three games last year, as Martin Emerson overtook him on the outside. Emerson's Achilles injury in training camp opens the door for Newsome to take back his career, with the 25-year-old now in line to return to the spot opposite Denzel Ward. Newsome is sure to see a host of targets this season, particularly early in the year, as opposing QBs test him. If he pounces on a trove of balls (and turns some into picks), Newsome can stuff the stat sheet enough to earn a payday in Cleveland or elsewhere.
The fact that Allen even qualifies for this list as a zero-time Pro Bowler is comical. Put this Broncos D-lineman among the most underrated players in the entire league. He's a pocket-collapser. A people mover. A body slammer. A QB tormentor. Last season, he was the only non-edge rusher in the NFL to rank in the top 10 in QB pressures, tying for ninth with 67, per Next Gen Stats. Allen generated that figure despite being the only player in the top 10 with a double-team rate higher than 18% (35.9%). His 14 QBPs while double-teamed tied for fifth among all interior defenders. Allen fits beautifully into Vance Joseph's system -- which, in turn, works best because of Allen's skill. Get this man to the Pro Bowl already. Sheesh.
I know I glowed about Nate Wiggins' rookie season above -- but Lassiter was even better, snagging three interceptions while generating 10 passes defended. Generally, when a rookie is playing opposite an All-Pro like Derek Stingley Jr., we'd expect him to be targeted significantly more, even with help coverage going his way. In 2024, Lassiter's target-per-coverage-snap rate sat at 15.0%. Stingley's: 15.1%. That underscores just how suffocating Lassiter was. His -11.5% completion percentage over expected was by far the best among all corners, with no one else at the position cracking double digits (the Cardinals' Garrett Williams was No. 2 at -8.6%). Lassiter's -7.8 receptions over expected also ranked No. 1 among all corners (minimum of 300 coverage snaps). The knock on Lassiter was the four TDs allowed (which cut into his EPA numbers), but the rookie consistently forced tough throws from QBs and made plays on the ball when given the chance. In a fierce DeMeco Ryans defense, the corner can grow even more in 2025.
The Colts agreed to pay Raimann $100 million on his extension this offseason for good reason. The native Austrian has grown from a third-round pick into a rock-solid left tackle. At age 27, he's a reliable pass protector and run blocker, with no glaring weakness in his game. Last season, Raimann ranked as Pro Football Focus' No. 8 overall tackle (min. 500 snaps). In 14 games, he allowed 20 QB pressures, per PFF, and his blocking efficiency rate of 97.3 was comparable to those who have made the Pro Bowl. It takes a lot for an unpedigreed O-lineman to get noticed by the voting public. Perhaps the Central Michigan product's big-money contract will garner the attention his play has warranted.
Lloyd continues to be one of the better run defenders in the NFL, patrolling the middle of the field in Jacksonville alongside Foye Oluokun. Lloyd generated at least 113 tackles each of the past three seasons. He played behind the line of scrimmage more in 2024, netting a career-high seven tackles for loss. His five missed tackles counted as the fewest among linebackers in 2024 (minimum of 500 snaps), per PFF, and his 4.5% missed tackle rate was the lowest. Lloyd also displayed more punch in the pass rush last year, earning the first two sacks of his career and totaling five QB hits. Pass coverage remains a work in progress, but Lloyd gobbles up tackles and doesn't miss when he gets his mitts on ball-carriers. New Jaguars DC Anthony Campanile came from Green Bay, where he served as the linebackers coach/run game coordinator for the Packers. His résumé presages Lloyd's best season is ahead.
I attempted to avoid naming McDuffie here again after he made this list last year, but his omission would just be too glaring. He moved into the role vacated by L'Jarius Sneed's departure last year and continued to shine, generating a career-high 13 passes defended and two INTs. A physical cover man, McDuffie forced a tight-window throw rate of 33.3% last year. Playing out wide much more than he did in his previous two seasons, McDuffie proved he could go toe-to-toe with some of the best wideouts in the NFL. The 24-year-old has continued to be unafraid against the run game and timely in pressures. The Chiefs' defense wouldn't have been anywhere close to where it was last season (fourth in scoring D, ninth in yards allowed) without McDuffie's presence on the outside.
After going to Justin Tucker for years, the AFC's Pro Bowl kicking spot is no longer an afterthought for absent-minded voters. So Carlson can obtain the honor he deserved a few years ago. The Raiders kicker is coming off a down season by his standards, connecting on 85% of his boots and missing two PATs in 2024. However, he was perfect inside 40 yards, and the bulk of his botches were 50-plus yarders. Vegas' revamped offense, now led by Geno Smith and Ashton Jeanty, should be more potent, putting Carlson in a position to put more points on the board.
The return of veteran wideout Keenan Allen to the Chargers doesn't adjust McConkey's outlook. The rookie was a sensation last season, snagging everything in sight and becoming a big-play weapon for Justin Herbert. He finished 2024 with 82 catches for 1,149 yards and seven TDs -- and if not for a slow-ish start, those figures would have been even more ridonkulous. Through the first six games of his career, McConkey went over 50 yards once. In his final 10 games of the regular season (he missed Week 14), he never generated fewer than 52 yards and went over 90 five times, tallying 58 catches for 884 yards and five TDs in that span. Extrapolate that yardage over 17 games, and he'd have put up 1,503 yards. Bazinga! McConkey owns the route-running skills, hands and athleticism after the catch to build on last year's finish and prove he's among the Pro Bowl-caliber weapons dotting the league.
Robinson practically zoomed to the quarterback down the stretch of his rookie season. Over Miami's final 10 games, Robinson earned all six of his sacks on the year, plus 40 of his 56 quarterback pressures, proving in a short time that he has the juice to be among the best edge rushers in the game. His 17.2% quarterback pressure rate ranked fifth among all players (minimum of 300 pass rushes), smooshed between Myles Garrett (18.7%) and Will Anderson Jr. (16.9%). That's great company. Robinson has the athleticism, burst and quickness to cause headaches for opposing QBs. You don't have to take my word for it; just ask his teammates. The second-year pro had a scare this week in practice, getting carted off the field on Wednesday, but he said he had avoided serious injury on social media later in the day.
What the voters whiffed on, free agency made up for. Following Williams' stupendous Super Bowl run with the Eagles, the defensive tackle inked a four-year, $104 million contract with the Patriots. In a part-time role in Philly, Williams generated 35 QB pressures and five sacks in 2024. His pressure rate of 12.9% led all defensive tackles last season (among those with a minimum of 200 pass rushes). Williams' get-off and penetrating ability allow him to wreck plays in the backfield. The only question entering free agency was whether or not he'd be able to maintain the same playmaking ability while logging double the snaps -- a la Chris Jones' 12% pressure rate on 507 pass rushes. If Williams comes even close to keeping up the efficiency with an increased workload, he's a near shoo-in for a Pro Bowl.
We come to another player who inked a big deal this offseason before making his first Pro Bowl. The fact that Wilson was boxed out of the all-star column is a testament to the otherworldly talents the NFL currently boasts at receiver. Wilson is every bit as skilled as his decorated peers, with stellar hands, a knack for getting open and the ridiculous ability to contort his body and make mind-bending plays seem ho-hum. In light of the caliber of quarterback he's played alongside, Wilson deserves more than a Pro Bowl nod for generating 1,000 yards in each of his three pro seasons -- he should get a medal of valor. During the Wilson era, the Jets have started Zach Wilson, Mike White, Joe Flacco, Trevor Siemian, Tim Boyle and a decaying Aaron Rodgers. The best two passers on that list, the 40-year-old Flacco and the 41-year-old Rodgers, are, statistically speaking, closer to death than birth. We don't exactly know how things will work out in a new offense, with a new play-caller and Justin Fields under center. But you can be assured that Wilson will still put up numbers.
Frazier came out of the wrapping paper as a top-10 center, paving the way on the ground while proving solid in pass protection. During his rookie campaign, he opened holes in the run game and allowed just 12 QB pressures, second-fewest among centers, per PFF (minimum 500 pass-rushing snaps). Most young offensive linemen make a significant Year 2 leap after being in the pro strength program for a year and building chemistry with their coaches and linemates. Yes, Frazier is breaking in another QB, but then again, Aaron Rodgers' experience under center should only aid the pivot. Frazier could push his way into the top three at his position this season.
It's impossible to watch the mammoth man (Sweat checks in at 6-foot-4, 366 pounds) and not marvel at his nimble feet. Sweat's ability to move at his size allows him to plug holes when he diagnoses the play. The colossal nose tackle generated 34 run stops and a respectable 10.5 run-stop percentage. Sweat isn't much of a penetrator -- 23 pressures, one sack -- but his ability to slam gaps shut should lead to a trove of tackles in 2025. Jeffery Simmons can overshadow a lot of teammates, but Sweat still flashed his athletic ability as a rookie. If he builds on that trajectory, he could join his veteran linemate on the Pro Bowl stage.
