All-star game voting in pro sports, any sport, is centered on one thing-popularity. That's what happens when you involve fans in the process, and in the case of the NFL Pro Bowl fan voting accounts for one-third of the process. Due to the sheer nature and limitations of it, there are always snubs in any kind of All-Star selection process. There are more worthy players than there are spots to fill.
The Detroit Lions had five players selected for next month's Pro Bowl games, and all are worthy. Seven more Lions were voted as alternates, including Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs as first alternates and Jared Goff as a second alternate. All three could ultimately go to Orlando, as long as the Lions aren't playing in the Super Bowl of course.
The wide receivers on the NFC Pro Bowl roster are CeeDee Lamb, A.J. Brown, Mike Evans and Puka Nacua.
Woodward Sports did the St. Brown vs. Evans statistical side-by-side.
Can anyone explain how Mike Evans made the Pro Bowl over Amon-Ra St. Brown 🤔 pic.twitter.com/GYdlVfSovW
— Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) January 4, 2024
Amon-Ra St. Brown is massive, and ridiculous, Pro Bowl snub
Was Amon-Ra St. Brown the BIGGEST Pro Bowl snub in the NFL? 🤯 pic.twitter.com/1qGgybeg0e
— Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) January 4, 2024
St. Brown is top-five in the NFL in receiving yards (1,371; fifth), receptions (112; tied for second); receiving yards per game (91.4), and touchdowns (nine; fifth). Evans, and Nacua for that matter, do not have that combination of numbers. For as great as Nacua has been as a rookie this year, he still has fewer catches (101) and touchdowns (five) than St. Brown does. "The Sun God" also has more receptions and touchdowns than Brown.
NFL.com had St. Brown on their immediate list of top-10 Pro Bowl snubs, and he made Bleacher Report's list of snubs too. Touchdown Wire went the direction of swapping Nacua in for Brown as a starter, which is about as inconsequential as it gets.
As a first alternate the odds St. Brown goes to Orlando for the Pro Bowl games on Feb. 4 are pretty good, as long as the Lions aren't otherwise occupied getting ready to playing a real football game a week later. But based on actual production and leaving aside the popularity contest element, St. Brown should be No. 1 on any list of Pro Bowl snubs this year.