Voting for the Pro Bowl ends soon and announcements for the NFC Pro Bowl team will be made shortly. The Green Bay Packers have many players with Pro Bowl experience but are any Packers deserving of a Pro Bowl berth this season after the team is off to a disappointing 5-8 start?
Here is a look at the players on the current roster who have Pro Bowl aspirations and whether they deserve to be on the NFC Pro Bowl squad this season:
QB Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers has struggled at times this season due to a broken thumb, an inexperienced and banged up receiving corps and an offensive line that has had to deal with injuries and inconsistency especially early in the season.
The two-time defending NFL MVP is tied for the NFC lead with 22 touchdowns, but he has not played up to his usual high standards this season. His 92.4 quarterback rating currently places him seventh in the NFC with three quarterbacks selected for the team. He is sixth in passing yards although he has played one extra game than most of his competitors as the Packers bye isn’t until this weekend.
If Rodgers makes the team this season, it would be more on his reputation than his 2022 performance.
Odds of Making the Pro Bowl: 50 percent
RB Aaron Jones
Jones has been to the Pro Bowl once previously, after the 2020 season. That year, he had a career-high 1,104 yards and scored nine touchdowns and caught 47 passes for 355 yards and two more scores.
This year, he is on pace to reach approximately that same number (actually 1,108 yards rushing) and should have more catches and yards receiving.
Jones is presently fifth among NFC running backs in yards gained behind Saquon Barkley, Dalvin Cook, Miles Sanders and Tony Pollard. He has played one more game than most of his competitors as the Packers have the late bye.
The fact that he only has two rushing touchdowns and six total touchdowns may hurt his chances. Ex-teammate Jamaal Williams has nearly 100 yards less rushing but his 14 rushing touchdowns may give him an edge.
Jones has been the best player on the Green Bay offense for most of the season and he is the most deserving player on this list to make the Pro Bowl but the crowd at the position may make it difficult. Jones probably needs a strong finish to make the team.
Odds of Making the Pro Bowl: 45 percent
OT David Bakhtiari
Bakhtiari is a three-time Pro Bowler and a two-time All Pro. Before suffering a serious knee injury before the 2020 season finale, he was widely considered the best pass blocking left tackle in football.
Bakhtiari has only played nine games this season. He missed the first two games as he recovered from the knee injury and was split time in three games.
An emergency appendectomy forced Bakhtiari to sit out last week’s win in Chicago and may cause him to miss more games after the bye week.
Bakhtiari has played at a high level when he’s been healthy, but he hasn’t played enough this season to go to the Pro Bowl.
Odds of Making the Pro Bowl: 20 percent
DL Kenny Clark
Clark earned Pro Bowl honors after the 2019 and 2021 seasons. The former UCLA star was off to a strong start to the season but his play regressed after the first four games.
He has 45 total tackles and three sacks on the season with four tackles for loss and six quarterback hits. Clark has not been consistent against the run and his pass rush has been streaky as well.
Clark has not played well enough to go to the Pro Bowl this season and if he gets there, it will be on reputation.
Odds of Making the Pro Bowl: 20 percent
ILB De’Vondre Campbell
Campbell earned All Pro honors for the first time in his career last season. He got off to a slow start this season, missing more tackles in the first six games of 2022 than he did all last season.
He did pick up his game as the season progressed but suffered an injury during the Bills game and missed the next four games.
Campbell has 75 total tackles, one interception which he returned for a touchdown and six tackles for loss.
The former University of Minnesota star is a leader on the defense and the team definitely felt his absence when he was out of the lineup but he has not played at a Pro Bowl level this season.
Odds of Making the Pro Bowl: 10 percent
CB Jaire Alexander
Alexander went to the Pro Bowl after the 2020 season and was considered one of the best cover corners in the NFL. Last season, Ja’Money suffered a shoulder injury that caused him to miss the rest of the regular season.
This year, Alexander has been just as confident but less consistent. He has made some big plays and has a career-high four interceptions with four games still left on the schedule.
But his coverage has not been as good as it has in past seasons. According to pro-football-reference.com, opposing quarterbacks are completing 60 percent of their passes when throwing to receivers covered by Alexander which is the highest completion percentage since his rookie campaign.
If Alexander makes the Pro Bowl, it will be more on reputation than this year’s performance.
Odds of Making the Pro Bowl: 25 percent
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