The end of the regular season allows time to reflect on the players that defined the season. In that spirit, Pro Football Network is recognizing the best of the best with the staff’s First-Team All-Pro squad.
Some choices were unanimous, but others were far more difficult to choose from. Who ultimately made the cut?
PFN’s First-Team All-Pro Offense
Quarterback: Lamar Jackson
Lamar Jackson was PFN’s MVP winner, so it’s no surprise that he also gets the First-Team All-Pro nod. In this case, Jackson was actually a unanimous winner in our voting over Josh Allen.
Jackson posted the highest QB+ grade in a season since the metric began in 2019 — a 100.0 A+. For perspective, Jackson graded out at 98.0 in 2019 and 81.7 in 2023, his other two MVP-winning seasons.
Running Back: Saquon Barkley
PFN’s unanimous choice for Offensive Player of the Year was also the runaway choice at running back. Barkley could be a unanimous selection on the AP ballot as well after becoming the ninth player to rush for 2,000 yards in a season, despite not playing the Philadelphia Eagles’ 17th game.
When he inevitably gets selected, Barkley is in line to join LeSean McCoy, Brian Westbrook, and Steve Van Buren as the fourth All-Pro tailback in Eagles history.
Wide Receivers: Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, Amon-Ra St. Brown
The Cincinnati Bengals’ Triple Crown winner was the only unanimous wide receiver selection on PFN’s ballot. Ja’Marr Chase was the sixth receiver to lead the league in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns in the same season.
His LSU teammate Justin Jefferson finished second behind Chase in receiving yardage. Jefferson has shockingly only been named First-Team All-Pro once in his career (2022), despite having the most receiving yardage through five seasons in NFL history.
The third spot on this team goes to Amon-Ra St. Brown. The Detroit Lions’ top wideout finished second in receptions and fifth in receiving yardage. In addition, his eight-game streak with a receiving TD was the longest by any player all season.
Also receiving votes: A.J. Brown
Tight End: George Kittle
George Kittle was one of the few constants for an injury-riddled San Francisco 49ers offense. Kittle finished third among tight ends in receiving yardage and fifth in receptions.
However, the counting stats don’t do justice to his efficiency. Kittle led all tight ends in yards per route run (2.65), the highest mark by a tight end over the last five seasons. Additionally, his 14.2 yards per reception led all tight ends and ranked 19th among all players, ahead of wide receivers such as Ja’Marr Chase and Mike Evans.
Also receiving votes: Brock Bowers
Offensive Tackles: Tristan Wirfs, Lane Johnson
Tristan Wirfs was a First-Team All-Pro right tackle in 2021, and he’ll likely add First-Team All-Pro left tackle to his mantle this year. Wirfs was a unanimous choice for PFN’s staff as the best pass-protecting tackle this season. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers superstar allowed 12 pressures on 605 pass-blocking snaps, a 2.0% pressure rate that was best among all OTs.
The other tackle spot was a near-deadlock between Lane Johnson and Penei Sewell. While both are deserving candidates, Johnson was noticeably superior in pass protection, allowing a 2.9% pressure rate to 4.7% for Sewell.
Also receiving votes: Penei Sewell
Offensive Guards: Joe Thuney, Landon Dickerson
The ultra-durable Joe Thuney earned First-Team All-Pro honors for the first time in 2023 and is a unanimous choice from PFN’s staff to repeat that feat. The Kansas City Chiefs needed their left guard to play left tackle down the stretch, and Thuney proved up for that as well.
The other spot was closely contested between Landon Dickerson and Ben Powers. Despite Powers recording superior pass-protection numbers (3.3% pressure rate allowed to 5.8% for the Eagles’ guard), Dickerson earned the nod for his work in the Eagles’ league-best rushing attack.
Also receiving votes: Ben Powers
Offensive Center: Creed Humphrey
Similar to Thuney, Chiefs center Creed Humphrey is annually among the most durable and reliable players at his position.
This season was no different, with Humphrey playing all 17 games for the fourth straight year and allowing the lowest pressure rate (1.1%) of any offensive lineman at any position.
Also receiving votes: Luke Wattenberg, Frank Ragnow
PFN’s First-Team All-Pro Defense
Edge Rushers: Trey Hendrickson, Myles Garrett
There wasn’t much debate here, with both Trey Hendrickson and Myles Garrett earning unanimous selections from PFN’s staff. Hendrickson led the league with 17.5 sacks, becoming the first Cincinnati Bengals player to do so. He accounted for 48.6% of the Bengals’ sacks, the highest share by a player since J.J. Watt in 2014.
Garrett finished second with 14 sacks, his record-breaking fourth straight season doing so. His 83 pressures were tied with Hendrickson for most in the league. Overall, the Cleveland Browns’ superstar posted virtually identical numbers to last season (14 sacks, 86 pressures) — when he won Defensive Player of the Year.
Defensive Tackles: Cameron Heyward, Zach Allen
The ageless Cameron Heyward rebounded from an injury-shortened 2023 to post eight sacks and 56 pressures. In addition, the Pittsburgh Steelers icon led the league with 10 batted passes, four more than any other defender.
The best pass rusher along the interior this season was Zach Allen, who enjoyed a breakout season with the Denver Broncos. Allen led all interior linemen with 75 pressures, while also recording 8.5 sacks. His pressure total was fifth overall in the league behind Hendrickson, Garrett, Jonathan Greenard, and Jared Verse.
Also receiving votes: Zach Sieler, Chris Jones
Linebackers: Zack Baun, Roquan Smith, Frankie Luvu
Zack Baun was one of the surprise breakouts of the 2024 season. A part-time starter over four seasons with the New Orleans Saints, Baun arrived in Philly and immediately became a staple in one of the NFL’s most improved defenses. He started all 16 games he played in after starting 14 his first four seasons combined.
Roquan Smith has been First-Team All-Pro two of the last three years. While his play dipped a bit in 2024, PFN still honored the Baltimore Ravens linebacker on its ballot. Smith’s 154 tackles were tied for fourth-most across the league this year.
Finally, Frankie Luvu gets in as one of the more unique and underrated wild card players in the NFL. A part-time edge rusher, Luvu added 8.0 sacks in addition to 99 tackles and seven passes defended. His playmaking next to Bobby Wagner provided much-needed juice to a young Washington Commanders defense.
Also receiving votes: Kaden Elliss
Cornerbacks: Patrick Surtain II, Derek Stingley Jr.
Patrick Surtain II has a chance to join Stephon Gilmore has the only defensive backs to win Defensive Player of the Year over the last decade. The face of a Broncos defense that finished first in PFN’s Defense+ metric, Surtain is one of the very few true lockdown cornerbacks that can shadow an opposition’s top receiver.
The other spot went to third-year pro Derek Stingley Jr., who narrowly beat out Christian Gonzalez. Stingley recorded five interceptions for the second straight season, giving him the most interceptions for any cornerback over the last two years. Despite some turnover at the cornerback spot opposite him and injuries at safety, Stingley’s presence solidified a very strong Texans pass defense.
Also receiving votes: Christian Gonzalez, Denzel Ward
Safeties: Kyle Hamilton, Brian Branch
If the Ravens finally break through and reach their first Super Bowl with Lamar Jackson, Week 11 will be seen as one of the primary turning points. That’s when Baltimore moved Kyle Hamilton to deep safety, transforming a bottom-five pass defense into arguably the best pass defense in the game. While the Ravens would surely love Hamilton to return to a Swiss Army knife role in 2025, his game-changing presence at any level made him an easy choice.
The other spot goes to a similarly versatile player in Detroit Lions defensive back Brian Branch. Primarily a slot corner as a rookie, Branch transitioned to safety for most of 2024 before returning to the slot for the three games with injuries destroying Detroit’s cornerback group. He was productive anywhere he went, with four picks, 16 passes defended, and 109 tackles.
Also receiving votes: Xavier McKinney, Kerby Joseph
PFN’s First-Team All-Pro Special Teams
Kicker: Chris Boswell
The kicking hell known as Acrisure Stadium was no match for Chris Boswell in 2024. The Steelers kicker propped up a shaky offense with a league-high 41 field goals, hitting 94% of his field-goal attempts. That included an excellent 13 of 15 (87%) showing from 50 yards or longer.
Also receiving votes: Brandon Aubrey
Punter: Logan Cooke
The Jacksonville Jaguars certainly got plenty of work in for their punter this year. Logan Cooke had the second-best net average (44.8), behind only Jack Fox of the Lions. However, Cooke punted 23 more times than Fox did on the super-powered Detroit offense.
Also receiving votes: AJ Cole, Ethan Evans
Kick Returner: KaVontae Turpin
KaVontae Turpin is one of the best minor league football success stories ever. Having played in the Indoor Football League, Spring League, European League of Football, and USFL before catching on with the Dallas Cowboys, Turpin is now unquestionably one of the most dangerous returners in the NFL.
Turpin led all players in both kick return yards (904) and kick return average (33.5) this season. His lone kick return score was a spectacular 99-yarder featuring a lethal spin move near the end of a Week 12 win over the Washington Commanders.
Punt Returner: Marvin Mims Jr.
Marvin Mims Jr. has emerged as one of the most dangerous home run hitters in the NFL for the Broncos on offense.
However, Mims is also a threat on special teams, having led the NFL with 15.7 yards per punt return this year. Although he’s yet to return a punt for a touchdown in his young career, that’s likely a matter of time with his six receiving touchdowns averaging 36.7 yards this season.