The All-Pro Case for Za’Darius Smith

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Za’Darius Smith, who turned in a tour de force season to power the Green Bay Packers back into the playoffs, was left off The Associated Press’ prestigious All-Pro team on Friday.

Given Smith’s domination, he certainly was worthy of one of the four spots dedicated to edge rushers. However, the AP’s 50-voter panel had a difficult choice. In fact, these six players all had a legit argument. For the moment, those players shall remain nameless.

Player A: 19 sacks, 53 tackles, eight forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries.

Player B: 14.5 sacks, 55 tackles, eight forced fumbles, eight passes defensed, four fumble recoveries.

Player C: 19.5 sacks, 58 tackles, six forced fumbles, two passes defensed, one interception.

Player D: 15.5 sacks, 53 tackles, zero forced fumbles, three passes defensed.

Player E: 13.5 sacks, 55 tackles, one forced fumble, zero passes defensed or fumble recoveries.

Player F: 14.5 sacks, 70 tackles, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery.

Based on the raw numbers, Players A, B and C should have been slam dunks. Of the other three, Player D had the most sacks and Player F had the most tackles and turnover plays.

Player A was Arizona’s Chandler Jones, who led the way with 32 votes after finishing second in the NFL in sacks and tying for first in forced fumbles. Player B was Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt, who was next with 22 votes after recording an incredible number of big plays. Player C was Tampa Bay’s Shaq Barrett, who was third with 18 votes after leading the NFL in sacks. Player D was New Orleans’ Cameron Jordan, who was fourth with 12 votes. Jones and Watt were the first-team selections, while Barrett and Jordan were the second-team picks.

Player E was Smith, who had the sacks but nothing else. He was fifth with nine votes. Player F was Minnesota’s Danielle Hunter, who this season became the youngest player in NFL history to reach 50 career sacks. He was sixth with four votes.

A deeper investigation, however, does a nice job of stating Smith’s case.

In terms of the NFL’s official count of quarterback hits, Barrett and Smith were first with 37. Jordan, who edged Smith for the final spot on the All-Pro team, had only 25.

According to Pro Football Focus, Smith led the NFL with 93 total pressures. Hunter was second with 88 and Jordan was third with 83. In PFF’s pass-rushing productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap, Smith was first and Jordan was 10th.

Run defense gives an advantage to Smith over Jordan, as well. Smith had 11 stuffs – a tackle against the run resulting in 0 yards or lost yardage – compared to seven for Jordan. According to the official league data, Green Bay’s run defense was 0.16 yards per carry better with Smith in the game; New Orleans’ run defense was 0.09 yards worse with Jordan in the game.

With Smith becoming the chess piece in coordinator Mike Pettine’s defense, Green Bay vaulted from 22nd to ninth in points allowed and from six wins to 13. He was dominant down the stretch. He was a force against Detroit, even though the final stats showed Smith contributed just one assisted tackle, zero sacks and two quarterback hits. The week before, he destroyed Minnesota for 3.5 sacks and nine total pressures.

“That was our guy when we evaluated the outside backers. He was the one that we were the most excited about,” Pettine said of the team’s free-agent search. “So we knew the moment we signed him from a football standpoint that he was going to bring what we saw on tape. But it was at some point during the spring that you felt the presence in the room and the leadership and you were just around him and the work ethic and kind of the infectious confidence and the personality. We just didn’t realize that until we were around him. And I just think that’s been – both he and Preston – a big boost for the room. Not just from a playing standpoint, but all the things I talk about – the intangibles.”

Add us as a preferred source on Google