Former President and savior of organized football Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Believe you can, and you are halfway there.” Well, as we pass the halfway mark of the National Football League season, we believe we’ve seen some pretty good performances. To reward those performances, SumerSports presents our midseason All-Pros at each position.
Jump to:
- Quarterback (2)
- Running Back (2)
- Wide Receiver (6)
- Tight End (4)
- Offensive Line (10)
- Edge (4)
- Interior Defensive Lineman (4)
- Linebacker (4)
- Cornerback (4)
- Safety (4)
Quarterback
- First Team
- Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens)
- Second Team
- Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders)
The admirals of the two most effective offenses in the league earn the midyear All-Pro nod. Lamar Jackson is currently the betting favorite for his third Most Valuable Player award and has the advanced analytics to back it up. Jackson lands in the top five in SumerSports’ timing, decision making, elusiveness and production over expectation metrics. All these details have led to him being second in the league in expected points added per play. He is second only to a player who, in the pre-draft, was compared to him: Jayden Daniels.
Just as Lamar took over the DMV, Daniels is also taking claim to the DC-Baltimore Metroplex. He has completely turned around the Commanders by putting together a top ten season across the tracking metrics including elusiveness, accuracy, and big throws.
Running Back
- First Team
- Derrick Henry (Baltimore Ravens)
- Second Team
- Saquon Barkley (Philadelphia Eagles)
King Henry still holds the crown as the best pure running back in the NFL, and he has only been supercharged by his pairing with Lamar Jackson. He leads the league in rushing yards, but is just as good at the more tuned analytics as he also leads the league in rush yards over expected per attempt. Mind you, this guy is 30 years old and is 34th in all-time carries. Still, Henry is the 4th fastest running back in the league by SumerSports’ advanced tracking. Speaking of running backs loving their new situations, it has been a similar story for Saquon Barkley, who sits right behind Henry in both rushing yards and rush yards over expected for the Philadelphia Eagles
Wide Receiver
- First Team
- Justin Jefferson (Minnesota Vikings)
- Ja’Marr Chase (Cincinnati Bengals)
- Amon-Ra St. Brown (Detroit Lions)
- Second Team
- A.J. Brown (Philadelphia Eagles)
- Zay Flowers (Baltimore Ravens)
- Terry McLaurin (Washington Commanders)
LSU is officially WRU. Two players from LSU make our midseason All-Pro list. Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson, currently #1 and #2 in total receiving yards, are lighting it up yet again. While Jefferson has been one of the best route runners in the NFL, Chase has been electric after the catch. That is not even to mention Brian Thomas Jr. and Malik Nabers who just narrowly missed this list.
Other players who have been previously awarded an end-of-season All-Pro recognition that made the list were Amon-Ra St. Brown, who is the offensive engine of a dominant Lions team, and A.J. Brown, who despite some missed games, has been an X-factor both before and after the catch.
The first newcomer is Zay Flowers, who is having a breakout season in the Ravens’ offense and is second in SumerSports’ route running metrics. Joining him is Terry McLaurin, who leads the league in expected points added per target and is 95th percentile in SumerSports’ all-in-one wide receiving metric.
Tight End
- First Team
- Brock Bowers (Las Vegas Raiders)
- Second Team
- George Kittle (San Francisco 49ers)
Coming into the 2024 draft process, the SumerScouts had Brock Bowers as their most pro ready prospect, earning him a blue-chip grade. He has lived up to the hype. He leads all tight ends in receiving yards and performs fantastically in the tracking metrics. Especially since the trade of Davante Adams, Bowers will continue to be the bell cow for the Raiders offense. Speaking of performing well despite players being out, George Kittle, the President of National Tight Ends Day, is having yet another premier year. He is the tracking metrics’ favorite superstar pass catching tight end and is also up to his normal shenanigans in the run game.
Offensive Line
Tackle
- First Team
- Tristan Wirfs (LT) (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
- Lane Johnson (RT) (Philadelphia Eagles)
- Second Team
- Garrett Bolles (LT) (Denver Broncos)
- Penei Sewell (RT) (Detroit Lions)
Each of the tackles selected has made an appearance on an All-Pro team before. Wirfs and Johnson, two of the most decorated players in recent history, have been excellent in both passing and running metrics, as they are two of the few players who are in the top twenty across metrics in those roles. Penei Sewell continues his partnership with Ben Johnson, who asks him to do things that other linemen can’t, including running the hook and ladder in the red zone. Bolles is one of the architects behind the Broncos resurgence. He has kept his young quarterback, Bo Nix, clean. He has been a particular standout, ranking in the top ten in both the rushing and passing metrics tracked by SumerSports.
Guard
- First Team
- Quenton Nelson (LG) (Indianapolis Colts)
- Kevin Zeitler (RG) (Detroit Lions)
- Second Team
- Patrick Mekhari (LG) (Baltimore Ravens)
- Chris Lindstrom (RG) (Atlanta Falcons)
The tough guys in the middle comprise some effective run offenses. Zeitler, a longtime journeyman who made his first Pro Bowl as a Raven last year, is now a core piece of the Lions attack. Zeitler has been in the top 70% of all guards both in the rushing and passing game this year. Chris Lindstrom continues his dominance as one of the best offensive lineman in football. He is currently at the 97th percentile in run blocking. The other two members are at different ends of the spectrum. Quenton Nelson, a blue-chip player going back to his time at Notre Dame, remains the best interior lineman by the metrics. He is the best run blocking guard and near the top ten in pass blocking. Patrick Mekhari, meanwhile, has been known as the “sixth man” for the Ravens for years before jumping into a starting role this season. He is a leader on an offensive line which went from a weakness in Week 1 to a barnstorming menace by midseason. He is in the 92nd and 87th percentile in run and pass blocking, respectively.
Center
- First Team
- Creed Humphrey (Kansas City Chiefs)
- Second Team
- Frank Ragnow (Detroit Lions)
Creed Humphrey has been the best center in the league this year, and it is not particularly close. He ranks first in pass blocking and sixth in run blocking according to SumerSports’ advanced metrics and has absolutely dominated en route to a 9-0 start for the Chiefs. Frank Ragnow is the centerpiece of an offensive line which could arguably take two more spots in addition to the three awarded in this article. He has been the second best run blocker this year (the first if you don’t count Erik McCoy, who has missed a large swath of the season due to injury) and has been a plus player when pass blocking as well.
Edge Defender
- First Team
- Trey Hendrickson (Cincinnati Bengals)
- Will Anderson Jr. (Houston Texans)
- Second Team
- Nick Bosa (San Francisco 49ers)
- Myles Garrett (Cleveland Browns)
Trey Hendrickson, the current sack leader with 11, has been an absolute machine. With extreme violence and top five finishing, Hendrickson could make his first All-Pro team after three straight Pro Bowl appearances. The young Will Anderson is the crux of a gnarly DeMeco Ryans defense. Anderson has been a top ten run defender to match his 7.5 sacks. The usual suspects, Nick Bosa and Myles Garrett, have also had very effective years both in the running and the passing game.
Interior Defensive Linemen
- First Team
- Dexter Lawrence (New York Giants)
- Cameron Heyward (Pittsburgh Steelers)
- Second Team
- Leonard Williams (Seattle Seahawks)
- Chris Jones (Kansas City Chiefs)
Sexy Dexy tops this list as someone who has almost single handedly won games for the New York Giants. Mixing power and finesse at his nose guard spot, Lawrence is currently second in the league in sacks, despite lining up in the 0 technique almost every play. Right behind him, in a stunning return to form, is the 35-year-old Cameron Heyward, who is currently above the 80th percentile in all seven defensive lineman advanced tracking metrics SumerSports has created. Similarly, Leonard Williams has excelled at winning his matchups both in the pass and the run game. Rounding out the group is five-time all-pro Chris Jones, who sits above the 93rd percentile in 3 of the 4 pass rush metrics SumerSports has created.
Linebacker
- First Team
- Fred Warner (San Francisco 49ers)
- Quincy Williams (New York Jets)
- Second Team
- Bobby Wagner (Washington Commanders)
- Zach Baun (Philadelphia Eagles)
Fred Warner is one of my favorite players. I basically wrote an ode to him at the beginning of the season. Despite an up and down year from the 49ers thus far, Warner has been as productive as possible. He leads the league in forced fumbles, has added two picks onto that, and is just as flummoxing for offenses as ever. Quincy Williams has been the stalwart of the Jets defense; he is amongst one of the best coverage linebackers in the league and has been productive in run defense as well. Bobby Wagner has been primarily a run stopper in the Commanders defense as the unit has found success over the last few weeks. Finally, and a little off the beaten path, is Zach Baun. The former Saint was a little bit of a tweener in his early years, but he has settled in as an off-ball backer under Vic Fangio. He has been excellent in coverage this year, defended the run well, and is third in the league in solo tackles.
Cornerbacks
- First Team
- Pat Surtain (Denver Broncos)
- DJ Reed (New York Jets)
- Second Team
- Trent McDuffie (Kansas City Chiefs)
- Garrett Williams (Arizona Cardinals)
Patrick Surtain is a fringe Defensive Player of the Year candidate with his absolute lockdown coverage that virtually sections off a side of the field. This has been key to a Broncos gameplan which heavily utilizes man schemes. DJ Reed has been excellent in both the passing and running games. He is one of the few corners who ranks around the 80th percentile or above in our metrics regarding closing in coverage and finishing run plays. Trent McDuffie is having another smothering year for the Kansas City Chiefs and has held the fort down after they traded L’Jarius Sneed. He is above the top quarter of all qualifying cornerbacks in both the run stuff and pass coverage games. Closing out this group is a name many won’t be familiar with. Garrett Williams is the starting slot corner for the Arizona Cardinals and has had an incredible season so far according to SumerSports’ all-in-one coverage metric.
Safety
- First Team
- Brian Branch (Detroit Lions)
- Xavier McKinney (Green Bay Packers)
- Second Team
- Kerby Joseph (Detroit Lions)
- Evan Williams (Green Bay Packers)
The NFC North is home to the best safeties in the league, and they play for the Packers and the Lions. McKinney, Joseph, and Branch are the top three players in interceptions and rank in the Top 25 in passes deflected. Add in Williams, and they all are around the 90th percentile in terms of their ability to cover. Williams and Joseph are also in the 90th percentile and above in terms of defending the run. Life is difficult with these fellas flying around in the Midwest.
