There is less to ridicule about the NFL's Pro Bowl these days, thanks to a series of ancillary events and innovations that bleed attention away from the game itself. But one (rather large) elephant remains in the room: the roster selection process.
The original 88 players elected to AFC and NFC teams this season only vaguely represent a credible list of the best players in the game. Of the 27 players named to the 2018 All-Pro team, an elite group that combines the NFC and AFC, six were missing from Pro Bowl rosters (more than 20 percent). The exclusions included Indianapolis Colts linebacker Darius Leonard, who led the league in tackles, as well as three of the All-Pro team's five starting offensive linemen.