2025 NFL All-Pro Picks and Predictions Through Week 16

Matt Verderame makes his latest first- and second-team selections at each position, and the Broncos lead the way with five players.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has thrown for 40 touchdowns against only five interceptions this season. / Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Winning the Super Bowl is the ultimate team accomplishment, while being selected to the NFL All-Pro team is the top individual honor in football, sans the MVP and other individual awards of significance. 

For players who make All-Pro more than a few times, it becomes an essential part of their Hall of Fame résumé, something voters look at and reference when making the case either for or against a former player with his legacy on the line. 

This year, there are the typical names which have almost become formalities at this point, such as Myles Garrett, Penei Sewell, Bobby Wagner and Joe Thuney. But there are also myriad players vying for their first All-Pro team: Matthew Stafford, James Cook and George Pickens. 

Each quarter of the season, Sports Illustrated has provided its 2025 NFL All-Pro teams, the last after Week 12. This is the final installment, starting with quarterback, where two MVP candidates are battling it out.

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OFFENSE

Quarterback

First team (1): Matthew Stafford, Rams

Second team (1): Drake Maye, Patriots

Stafford is clearly the NFL MVP in 2025. Despite losing to the Seahawks, Stafford may have cemented his case, throwing for 457 yards and three scores. All told, Stafford has thrown for a league-high 4,179 yards and 40 touchdowns. 

Meanwhile, Maye and the Patriots are 12–3, while he has averaged an NFL-best 8.7 yards per attempt, totaling 3,947 yards and 25 touchdowns despite being sacked 46 times. 

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Running back

First team (1): James Cook III, Bills 

Second team (1): Jonathan Taylor, Colts

Cook is the lone reason, beyond Josh Allen, that the Bills are a viable threat to make the Super Bowl. The 26-year-old began this season with a contract extension and now leads the league with 1,532 rushing yards on 5.3 yards per carry. 

Meanwhile, Taylor is a clear All-Pro, leading the NFL with 17 rushing touchdowns while ranking second behind Cook with 1,489 yards. With a strong finish over the next two weeks, Taylor could earn first-team All-Pro honors and be named the Offensive Player of the Year.

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Fullback

First team (1): Kyle Juszczyk, 49ers

Second team (1): Reggie Gilliam, Bills

Juszczyk is one of the few fullbacks in recent years whom defenses must account for. He’s still a quality receiver with 21 receptions and 194 yards. As for Gilliam, he’s the quintessential blocking back, paving the way for Cook on 22% of offensive snaps.

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Wide receivers

First team (3): Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seahawks; Puka Nacua, Rams; George Pickens, Cowboys 

Second team (3): Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions; Ja’Marr Chase, Bengals; Chris Olave, Saints

Smith-Njigba has been a revelation for the Seahawks this season. After quietly posting 1,130 yards last year, he leads the NFL with 1,637 yards and 10 touchdowns. 

In Los Angeles, Nacua is coming off a 225-yard performance and sits second behind Smith-Njigba with 1,592 yards despite missing a game. Meanwhile, Pickens is building a case as the most coveted free agent to the market in March, catching 88 passes for 1,342 yards and nine touchdowns in his first year with the Cowboys.

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Tight end

First team (1): Trey McBride, Cardinals

Second team (1): Kyle Pitts Sr., Falcons

McBride is the best tight end in the game and is only ascending. The Cardinals are a bad team, but McBride is a superstar, with 109 receptions for 1,098 yards and 10 touchdowns, leading tight ends in all categories. 

As for Pitts, he’s finally coming of age after being No. 4 overall in 2021. The Falcons’ stud has 80 receptions for 854 yards and five touchdowns as he prepares to become a free agent.

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Left tackle

First team (1): Tristan Wirfs, Buccaneers

Second team (1): Trent Williams, 49ers

Wirfs was injured to start the year but in 11 games has showcased why he’s a two-time first-team All-Pro. His Pro Football Focus grade of 92.0 is the highest for any left tackle. As for Williams, the 37-year-old remains an elite bookend, permitting only four sacks all year.

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Left guard

First team (1): Joe Thuney, Bears

Second team (1): Quenton Nelson, Colts

Thuney has played for the Patriots, Chiefs and Bears, and he’s been elite for each. The 33-year-old has allowed one quarterback hit this season. In Indianapolis, Nelson is a mauler who is looking for his sixth All-Pro honor, having surrendered only 10 hurries in 2025.

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Center

First team (1): Creed Humphrey, Chiefs

Second team (1): Drew Dalman, Bears

With Frank Ragnow and Jason Kelce retired, Humphrey is the clear benchmark at center. Already a two-time All-Pro, Humphrey has given up only one sack. Dalman changed teams this offseason, leaving Atlanta for Chicago, and he’s lived up to the three-year, $42 million contract he signed in free agency. Dalman is responsible for one quarterback hit all year.

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Right guard

First team (1): Quinn Meinerz, Broncos

Second team (1): Chris Lindstrom, Falcons

Meinerz has a case as the best guard in the league. A stalwart on Denver’s right side, the 27-year-old ranks first on PFF with a 90.9 grade. Meanwhile, Lindstrom is a three-time second-team All-Pro and could become one again, permitting only one sack this season.

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Right tackle

First team (1): Penei Sewell, Lions

Second team (1): Zach Tom, Packers

Sewell is the best tackle in football, and it’s not particularly close. The Lions have had a disappointing season, but Sewell will likely be an All-Pro for a third consecutive year after allowing only six hits all year. Tom is one of the more underrated tackles in the game. He’s given up one sack in 12 contests.

DEFENSE

Browns defensive end Myles Garrett needs one more sack to break the record held by Michael Strahan. / Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Edge rushers

First team (2): Myles Garrett, Browns; Brian Burns, Giants

Second team (2): Danielle Hunter, Texans; Nik Bonitto, Broncos

Garrett is going to win Defensive Player of the Year. He has 22 sacks, only a half-sack away from tying Michael Strahan’s record. Meanwhile, Burns has 15 sacks and 27 quarterback hits, numbers that should make him an All-Pro for the first time. 

In Houston, it’s a competition between Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. to reach the quarterback. Hunter has won more often, with 13 sacks, compared to Anderson’s 11.5. Meanwhile, Bonitto has been the best rusher on the NFL’s best pass rush, totaling 12.5 sacks and 26 quarterback hits.

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Defensive tackles

First team (2): Jeffery Simmons, Titans; Chris Jones, Chiefs

Second team (2): Brandon Dorlus, Falcons; Byron Murphy II, Seahawks

Simmons has been a bright spot on the Titans, racking up nine sacks and 16 tackles for loss in a lost campaign. The same can be said for Jones, who, at 31 years old, has four sacks, 19 quarterback hits and four tackles for loss. 

In Atlanta, Dorlus is becoming a star in his second season with 7.5 sacks, helping the Falcons’ defense rank second in sacks. Murphy is another second-year defender becoming a star, with seven sacks and seven tackles for loss.

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Linebackers 

First team (3): Jack Campbell, Lions; Bobby Wagner, Commanders; Jordyn Brooks, Dolphins

Second team (3): Demario Davis, Saints; Carson Schwesinger, Browns; Ernest Jones IV, Seahawks

There are a plethora of excellent linebackers in 2025, but none are better than Brooks. He leads the league with 169 tackles, but more importantly, also has 3.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, two passes defensed and a forced fumble. 

In Washington, the 35-year-old Wagner is aiming for a 12th All-Pro nomination and should get there with four sacks and a pair of interceptions. Campbell has also blossomed into a star with the Lions, totaling five sacks and three forced fumbles in his third season with Detroit.

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Cornerbacks

First team (2): Patrick Surtain II, Broncos; Derek Stingley Jr., Texans

Second team (2): Devon Witherspoon, Seahawks; Quinyon Mitchell, Eagles

Surtain is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, and while that’s out of his reach, he should be an All-Pro once more. Playing in 12 games, he’s the top boundary corner in the league alongside Stingley, who has four interceptions, including a pick-six last week against the Raiders. 

Witherspoon has earned Pro Bowl honors in each of his first two seasons and should become an All-Pro in his third with sticky coverage, an interception and four quarterback hits in 10 games for Seattle. Meanwhile, Mitchell is a shutdown corner, one of the reasons he’s without an interception in his NFL career.

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Slot cornerback

First team (1): Cooper DeJean, Eagles

Second team (1): Ja’Quan McMillian, Broncos

DeJean has become a legitimate superstar for the Eagles, whether aligned inside or on the boundary. This season, he has 613 slot snaps, totaling a 79.4 coverage grade to rank fourth among all corners.

McMillian is only 183 pounds, but plays much bigger. A scrappy slot corner, he has four sacks, an interception and five tackles for loss. He’s a weapon on every play. 

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Safeties

First team (2): Kyle Hamilton, Ravens; Jalen Pitre, Texans

Second team (2): Xavier McKinney, Packers; Derwin James Jr., Chargers

Hamilton does it all for the Ravens. He’s able to play in the box, in man coverage, or as a deep safety with 92 tackles, a sack and seven tackles for loss. Pitre is another stud in Houston’s secondary, with four interceptions and 12 passes defensed. 

In Green Bay, McKinney may earn All-Pro honors in his second season with the Packers, registering 94 tackles and two interceptions. And in Los Angeles, James is a dynamo with two interceptions, two sacks and six tackles for loss for the playoff-bound Chargers.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey has connected on 18 field goals of 40-plus yards. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Kicker

First team (1): Brandon Aubrey, Cowboys

Second team (1): Cameron Dicker, Chargers

Aubrey is in his own stratosphere at this point. The Cowboys’ kicker is 32-of-36 this season while hitting 18 field goals of 40-plus yards. Dicker is also enjoying an All-Pro campaign, nailing 36-of-38 attempts with five field goals of 50-plus yards. 

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Punter

First team (1): Jordan Stout, Ravens

Second team (1): Ryan Rehkow, Bengals

Stout has been on the All-Pro team throughout the season, and there’s no reason to change. Baltimore’s boomer ranks first in net (44.3 yards) on 48 punts. As for Rehkow, he’s tops in average (51.3 yards) and sixth in net (43.0), with 23 punts inside the 20-yard line.

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Kick returner

First team (1): KaVontae Turpin, Cowboys

Second team (1): Ray Davis, Bills

Turpin has enjoyed another tremendous year, checking in second with 1,484 kick return yards despite playing only 13 games. Meanwhile, Davis is eighth with 837 yards but has been fantastic on 27 returns, including a 97-yard touchdown.

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Punt returner

First team (1): Chimere Dike, Titans

Second team (1): Marcus Jones, Patriots

Dike is the clear first-team choice, giving the Titans a true star in his rookie season. The 24-year-old has notched a league-high 18.2 yards per punt return with two scores. Jones also has two return touchdowns with 363 yards on punts.

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Special teamer

First team (1): Del’Shawn Phillips, Chargers

Second team (1): Devon Key, Broncos

Phillips is having an excellent season under coordinator Ryan Ficken, pacing the NFL with 23 tackles in his sixth season. Key is second to Phillips with 21 tackles, earning 83% of the special teams snaps with Denver.

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Long snapper

First team (1): Andrew DePaola, Vikings

Second team (1): Morgan Cox, Titans

DePaola is attempting to be a first-team All-Pro for the third time in his storied career, while Cox is in his 16th season, including the past five with the Titans, hoping to earn a sixth Pro Bowl and second All-Pro nomination.

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