2016 NFL Midseason All Pro Team

We’ve reached the halfway point of the 2016 NFL season, and what better time to honor the top players at each position so far? Our team of NFL writers and editors each submitted their All-Pro picks for each position and the votes have been tallied to create the team presented here. Some choices were easier than others—the first of the two running backs chosen received 10 out of 10 votes, while the second got eight out of 10. But just one vote separated Matt Ryan from Tom Brady at quarterback, and Chandler Jones just missed out on being one of our four linebackers. Read on for our complete team—and note that the asterisk* indicates a unanimous selection.

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Nov 2, 2016

2016 NFL Midseason All Pro Team

QUARTERBACK: Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons

Ryan is leading the league in passing yards (2,636) and touchdowns (19), averaging 9.45 yards per attempt as Atlanta shot out of the gate as one of the year's most surprising teams.

RUNNING BACK: Ezekiel Elliott*, Dallas Cowboys

The fourth pick in the 2016 draft is taking the NFL by storm, with a league-high 799 total yards through eight weeks for a staggering 114.1 yards per game.

RUNNING BACK: David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals

It seems like every game Arizona gets another mind-boggling gain from Johnson, who has eight touchdowns on the ground through eight games and, with 35 catches for 407 yards so far, is an integral part of the Cardinals’ passing game.

WIDE RECEIVER: Julio Jones*, Atlanta Falcons

Surprise, surprise. The Falcons’ offense has been the talk of the 2016 NFL season, and Jones has been at the center of it. He put together perhaps the most impressive performance of the year so far in Atlanta’s Week 4 win, when he recorded a franchise record 300 receiving yards on 12 catches.

WIDE RECEIVER: A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals

Green has been so dominant for so long that it almost feels like we take it for granted sometimes. He has been making physics-defying grabs all season and leads the league in yards, yards per game and receptions.

TIGHT END: Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers

Sure, the Panthers’ 2016 season has been a disappointment, but Olsen has been as reliable as ever, with 621 total yards through eight weeks—by far the most by a tight end.

CENTER: Travis Frederick, Dallas Cowboys

Want to know why the Cowboys’ rookie quarterback and rookie running back are having such impressive seasons? It all starts with Frederick, who's the anchor of the best offensive line in football.

Trent Williams, Redskins

"Shout out to my O-line," Redskins RB Matt Jones said on Oct. 16 after he rushed for 135 yards. It was a worthy shoutout indeed, as Washington has had one of the best units in the league this year, led by four-time Pro Bowler Trent Williams on the left side. Williams was handed a four-game suspension for substance abuse that will be a brutal loss for the Redskins.

OFFENSIVE TACKLE: Taylor Lewan, Tennessee Titans

Lewan isn’t just helping pave the way for the career revival of DeMarco Murray (who has 756 yards already and was an honorable mention on this All-Pro list)—he also scored a big-man touchdown in Week 7 on a screen pass from Marcus Mariota.

OFFENSIVE GUARD: Zack Martin, Dallas Cowboys

Martin was one vote away from being a unanimous selection here, and his protection has been particularly huge to Ezekiel Elliott. Martin was last seen keeping disruptive defensive tackle Fletcher Cox under wraps in the Cowboys’ Sunday-night win over the Eagles.

OFFENSIVE GUARD: Brandon Scherff, Washington Redskins

The Redskins took Scherff with the No. 5 pick in the 2015 draft, and that decision is paying off handsomely for them this year. After moving from tackle to guard as a rookie, Scherff has become a dominant presence on Washington line. Just as fellow SI All-Pro guard Zack Martin did in Week 8, Scherff made Fletcher Cox invisible in a Week 6 win over the Eagles, and PFF ranked him as the best right guard in Week 3’s win over the Giants.

DEFENSIVE END: Brandon Graham, Philadelphia Eagles

Carson Wentz got a lot of the attention early in the season, but it’s been the Eagles’ defense that has carried Philadelphia so far, starting with Graham, who's been a force to be reckoned with. He has four sacks, two forced fumbles and 25 combined tackles at the halfway mark.

DEFENSIVE END: Joey Bosa, San Diego Chargers

The Chargers' off-season was marred by the holdout of the No. 3 pick in the 2016 NFL draft, but now that Bosa is on the field (and recovered from a hamstring injury that pushed his debut back further), he's making his impact felt. Despite playing in only four games so far, he already has four sacks, and according to Pro Football Focus, he's on pace to finish the season with 80 total pressures—and that’s not even on a full 16-game season.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE: Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams

The Rams may be mediocre, but Aaron Donald certainly is not. The two-time Pro Bowler may only have three sacks on the season, but that should not fool you—he’s been ruthless when it comes to pressure. Pro Football Focus has him at a 95.6 pass-rush grade, and according to PFF, he's averaging 5.4 pressures per game.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE: Calais Campbell, Arizona Cardinals

Campbell is a reliable staple of the Cardinals' defense, and he’s been consistent again this year outside of his glamour stats: two sacks, three passes defended, a safety forced and an interception.

LINEBACKER: Von Miller, Denver Broncos

What is there to say about the reigning Super Bowl MVP that hasn't been said already? He's the linchpin of the defense that has yet again led Denver to a great start despite a dicey quarterback situation, and he’s second in the league with 8.5 sacks.

LINEBACKER: Lorenzo Alexander, Buffalo Bills

The 33-year-old former special teams ace has been a revelation this year, leading the league with nine sacks at midseason (the Bills' Week 8 loss to the Patriots was his first game without at least half a sack to his credit). In Week 5 against the Rams, he had a three-sack day.

LINEBACKER: Luke Kuechly, Carolina Panthers

Things look different for the struggling Panthers this year, but Kuechly has stayed the same: He’s still a dominant force in the Carolina defense. He’s second in the league with 74 combined tackles (52 solo).

LINEBACKER: Bobby Wagner, Seattle Seahawks

Wagner is tied for fifth in the NFL in tackles, with 72 combined, plus one sack and one pick.

CORNERBACK: Marcus Peters, Kansas City Chiefs

Peters is another one who missed the unanimous selection by one vote. After finishing tied with Reggie Nelson for the league lead in picks as a rookie, he’s all alone at the top with five so far this year, including two straight two-pick games.

CORNERBACK: Aqib Talib, Denver Broncos

The flashy, confrontational complement to Chris Harris Jr.'s technical dominance on the perimeter, Talib has 11 passes defensed, 20 tackles and three interceptions in his first eight games.

SAFETY: Harrison Smith*, Minnesota Vikings

The only unanimous selection on defense, Smith has been a beast at the heart of the Vikings' top-ranked unit.

SAFETY: Eric Weddle, Baltimore Ravens

Weddle went through an ugly, public breakup with the Chargers, his long-time team, in the off-season, but he's showing them what they're missing in his new home in Baltimore. The Ravens have the No. 2 total defense in the league and the No. 5 passing defense, and Weddle has been a crucial acquisition for them.

KICKER: Adam Vinatieri, Indianapolis Colts

In a season that's been riddled with missed kicks, good old Vinatieri remains perfect, converting 18 of 18 field goal attempts, including five from 50-plus yards out, plus all 20 extra points. The Colts have problems almost everywhere, but the 43-year-old kicker is not one of them.

PUNTER: Marquette King, Oakland Raiders

Ah, the selection you've all been waiting for ... I'm sure the suspense has been killing you. Though the Lions' Sam Martin got a few votes as well, it's ultimately King who pulls away with the honors. He has punted for 1,961 yards this season and is averaging 49.0 yards, with a net of 43.5.

RETURN SPECIALIST: Jamison Crowder, Washington Redskins

Crowder has been an impressive weapon for the Redskins all season, but he probably cemented his place on this list in Week 5, when he returned a punt 85 yards for a touchdown early in a win over the Ravens.

2016 NFL Midseason All Pro Team