Tom Brady, QB, 12th Pro Bowl: With his eighth consecutive selection, Brady tied Pro Football Hall of Famer John Hannah for the most consecutive Pro Bowl selections in New England Patriots history. He's 249-of-372 for 3,064 yards, 22 touchdowns and two interceptions. He did all that while missing the first four games as part of the NFL's Deflategate penalties.
Dont'a Hightower, LB, first Pro Bowl: A first-year captain, he leads the defensive huddle, the all-important communication runs through him, and he is one of the game's hardest-hitting players at the position. The 6-foot-3, 265-pound Hightower, a 2012 first-round draft choice out of Alabama, has been credited with 64 tackles while adding 2.5 sacks.
Devin McCourty, S, third Pro Bowl: His speed and range, most recently shown in Sunday's 16-3 win over the Broncos, in which he darted to the sideline and delivered a blow to jar the ball away from Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas on fourth-and-2 to effectively secure the win, are two of his best assets. He previously made the Pro Bowl as a cornerback in 2010 and as a safety in 2014.
Matthew Slater, special teams, sixth Pro Bowl: The best statistic to reflect Slater's value in the kicking game is one that doesn't officially exist: how many times he is double-teamed. Slater regularly draws that type of attention, which opens opportunities for others. This is his sixth straight Pro Bowl berth, even though he said earlier Tuesday that he believed teammate Nate Ebner was more deserving of the honor.
SNUBS
LeGarrette Blount, RB: He has had a career year, with 265 carries for 1,060 yards, while setting the Patriots' single-season record for rushing touchdowns (15). It was tough competition at the position, with Le'Veon Bell (Steelers), DeMarco Murray (Titans) and LeSean McCoy (Bills) getting the nod at the position. All three have rushed for more yards than Blount this season.
Congratulations to all the RBs that made it to the Pro Bowl!! Especially my fam @L_Bell26 and the big homie @CutonDime25 https://t.co/0MmOJsJDs8
— LeGarrette Blount (@LG_Blount) December 21, 2016
Malcolm Butler, CB: After making it last year, the durable, feisty, second-year starter was beaten by Marcus Peters (Chiefs), Aqib Talib (Broncos), Casey Hayward (Chargers) and Chris Harris (Broncos). Hayward's NFL-high seven interceptions likely put him over the hump over Butler. That's a tough one for Butler to digest, as he has sometimes drawn the assignment of matching up against opponents' top receivers.
Ebner, special teams: With a team-high 16 tackles and overall command of the punt team as the personal protector, Ebner was hoping to achieve the rare double in the same year -- Olympic athlete and Pro Bowler. Said Slater, "I think Nate deserves it. I haven't really seen anybody playing the way he's played. I know what type of year it's been for me, dealing with injuries and things like that. ... When a guy works hard, and he deserves it, you definitely pull for him."