NFL First-Team All-Pro revealed: 4 snubs with realistic gripes and who they’d replace

The NFL playoffs are set to begin this weekend, but before we get to that, we have some hardware to hand out. The league unveiled its first-team All-Pro selections on Friday, and as is always the case, just about every fan base felt like they had a bone to pick with how things shook out.

But which ones have a bit larger of a bone than the rest? That's what we're here to determine. Below are the four most egregious All-Pro snubs this season. And because the iron law of internet football discourse demands that you're not allowed to call someone a snub without also naming the player they should replace, we've gone ahead and done that as well.

4. Broncos DT Zach Allen over Chiefs DT Chris Jones

Jones' reputation is well-deserved, and overall, he might still be the single most disruptive player in football on any given snap. But the Kansas City Chiefs superstar had a slightly down season by his own historically lofty standards in 2024, in part due to nagging injury. That's opened the door for Allen , and he's gone ahead and busted that door down: While his sack total (8.5) doesn't exactly leap off the page, the 27-year-old has far and away the most quarterback hits of any player in the NFL, and he ranks third in pass rush win rate, behind only Jones and DeForest Buckner.

You may look at Jones' inclusion on that list and wonder why Allen deserves the nod. But the gravity he's created for teammates like Nik Bonitto on the outside, his impact in defending the run and his ability to hardly ever come off the field for a surprisingly salty Denver Broncos defense gives him the slightest of edges.

3. Packers G Elgton Jenkins over Broncos G Quinn Meinerz

Give a nod to one Bronco, take one away from another. No disrespect to Meinerz, who had a tremendous season, but I'm not quite sure how Jenkins didn't nab the other first-team guard spot opposite Chiefs stalwart (and emergency left tackle) Joe Thuney. This Green Bay Packers offense has been fueled by an innovative, devastating run game, and it's hard to imagine that run game working nearly as well without the athletic, versatile Jenkins. Plus, he's not too shabby protecting Jordan Love either: According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Jenkins is just the second player in the past six years to allow zero quick quarterback pressures, defined as a pressure that occurs within the first 2.5 seconds of a play.

2. Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez over Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey

The first two corner spots rightfully went to Pat Surtain II of the Broncos and Derek Stingley Jr. of the Houston Texans. The third, however, should have gone to Gonzalez. Sure, the league bills that spot as a "slot" position, and Gonzalez is technically an outside corner. But the New England Patriots ask their star to play more man coverage than just about anyone in the league, meaning that he'll often follow his assignment into the slot.

And wherever he lines up, he's been dynamite: Gonzalez has given up just a 71.5 passer rating in coverage, and opponents have completed 51.9 percent of the passes thrown in his direction as the nearest defender in coverage. Those are both elite marks, and he's done it all despite being surrounded by corners who are weaknesses, to say the least.

1. Bills QB Josh Allen over Ravens QB Lamar Jackson

Jackson is putting up the sort of numbers we've literally never seen before from a quarterback; he's a worthy selection for both All-Pro and MVP, and if you just line up his statistics against Allen's, the Baltimore Ravens star will come out the winner. But it's also worth noting that Allen simply hasn't played as much, largely because his Bills have beaten the breaks off of most of the teams they've faced this season. (He also led Buffalo to wins over both Baltimore and the top-seeded Chiefs, a team that the Ravens lost to in Week 1.)

Allen isn't the walking fireworks show that Jackson is, but he can still pull that club out of his bag when he needs to, and he's somehow evolved from an erratic passer to one of the most mistake-free QBs in the entire league. He's nearly impossible to sack, fluster or force into a turnover-worthy play, and he's done it all while still holding on to the game-breaking ability that made him a star in the first place. All-in-all, Allen has guided the team with the better resume and has had the more impressive season, even if he won't get the MVP nod to prove it.