ESPN NFL Writer, Bill Barnwell recently published an article with his picks for the NFL All-Pro teams. On the defensive side of the ball, Barnwell put defensive ends and outside linebackers who are edge rushers in the same category.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Bill Barnwell’s All-Pro Defense
Position, First Team, Second Team
- Edge Rusher – T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett
- Edge Rusher – Micah Parson, Maxx Crosby
- Defensive Tackle – Justin Madubuike, Quinnen Williams
- Defensive Tackle – Chris Jones, Dexter Lawrence
- Linebacker – Fred Warner, Quincy Williams
- Linebacker – Roquan Smith, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
- Cornerback – L’Jarius Sneed, Jaylon Johnson
- Cornerback – Denzel Ward, Sauce Gardner
- Cornerback – DaRon Bland, Taron Johnson
- Safety – Kyle Hamilton, Antoine Winfield Jr
- Safety – Jesse Bates III, Justin Simmons
There are no Arizona Cardinals on Barnwell’s defensive team. Which makes sense when looking at the terrible rankings of Arizona’s defense.
The Cardinals are allowing 27.1 points per game, which is second most in the NFL. Arizona has given up 30 passing touchdowns this season which is third most in the NFL. The Cardinals have also not been sturdy against the run.
They have given up 2,296 rushing yards, which is the most in the NFL.
So, it is very easy to overlook any of the players on the Cardinals defense because of how bad they have been as a unit.
Does Jalen Thompson have a case?
The only player who may have a case is safety Jalen Thompson. Thompson had four interceptions, eight pass deflections, one forced fumble, 76 total tackles, and five tackles for loss.
Thompson has had a good season but the safeties that were picked by Barnwell have all had excellent seasons.
Kyle Hamilton has been the ultimate back end protector for the Baltimore Ravens. Thompson and Hamilton both have four interceptions and one forced fumble on the season but that is where the similarities end.
Hamilton has more tackles, tackles for loss, and pass deflections. Plus he plays for one of, if not, the best defense in the NFL. That gives him a huge edge over Thompson.
Another safety that was picked over Thompson was Antoine Winfield Jr of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Winfield has one less interception than Thompson and the same amount of tackles for loss.
Winfield has more pass deflections, forced fumbles, and total tackles than Thompson.
The Atlanta Falcons have had a mostly disappointing season but one of the few bright spots for them has been safety Jesse Bates III.
Bates has more interceptions, pass deflections, tackles for loss, total tackles, and forced fumbles than Jalen Thompson.
The best case for Thompson to make the team is over Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons. Thompson and Simmons have the same amount of pass deflections with eight but Thompson has been more productive in every other category.
So, Jalen Thompson does deserve consideration as the fourth safety on the NFL All-Pro team. It’s a good thing that the Cardinals have Thompson under contract for two more years cause his value is going up.
You can read Bill Barnwell’s article by clicking here.
