How many players are an All-Pro selection but fail to get voted into the Pro-Bowl? Not many.
Well, it could be reality for Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari for the second straight year.
Bakhtiari was elected to his first Pro-Bowl back in 2016. He also earned second-team All-Pro honors protecting Aaron Rodgers blindside. That year Green Bay ranked eighth overall in terms of total offense.
The Packers had a down year offensively in 2017 but Bakhtiari still managed to garner recognition and made the second All-Pro team once again. However, he was left out of the Pro-Bowl despite grading out as the best pass blocker in the entire NFL according to Pro Football Focus.
It’s true that the Pro-Bowl is very much a popularity contest which could be why Bakhtiari was snubbed. Rodgers made this year’s team even though he’s having one of the worst seasons of his career.
Somehow Washington Redskins tackle Trent Williams was voted in with less impressive numbers. Per PFF, Bakhtiari has the second best overall grade among all tackles in the league while Williams sits at 15th. And again, Bakhtiari has a comfortable lead for the best overall pass blocker and will likely hold that honor for a second straight year.
Williams is a great player and the fact he’s already been to seven Pro-Bowls is probably why he got in. His numbers, however, do not compare.
Bakhtiari has allowed 24 quarterback pressures all year compared to Williams who has allowed 21. Williams has him beat by a small margin but has also played 235 fewer snaps at left tackle.
Perhaps it’s for the best that one of the Packers best players doesn’t risk injury in a meaningless game. That does not take away from the fact he should not be overlooked.
What’s really sad is Bakhtiari is not even a first alternative if someone gets hurt or decides not to play. He’s a second alternate which is unthinkable.
Bakhtiari could very well be on his way to a third consecutive All-Pro selection with only one Pro-Bowl.
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Brandon Carwile was a Cheesehead at birth. His dad grew up attending games at Lambeau and passed on the legacy. He has covered the Packers for over five years and currently works with packerstalk.com. Find him on twitter at @PackerScribe.
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3 responses to “David Bakhtiari Among Biggest Pro-Bowl Snubs”
Its what happens to great players when playing on mediocre football teams, and then you have the Bigger Injustices, like seeing Aaron Rodgers go to the Pro-bowl. Good things typically don’t happen for bad football teams. This is a bad franchise right now from top to bottom.
No Packer except maybe Clark deserved Pro Bowl status.
Bakhtiari is a good player. Pro Bowl or not. All year I’ve listened to people say “we don’t have the horses” Nonsense. We have plenty of good players on this team.