Ira Kaufman’s Official AP All-Pro Ballot
January 13th, 2022
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BY IRA KAUFMAN
The votes are in for the Associated Press All-Pro team, the only one that truly counts. The big awards won’t be revealed until Feb. 10, but you don’t have to wait that long to see my ballot.
Some of the choices were easy, but others, like the MVP award, had several worthy candidates to choose from.
Here’s my team for the 2021 regular season:
WR: Cooper Kupp, Rams
WR: Davante Adams, Packers
WR: Deebo Samuel 49ers, just ahead of Justin Jefferson, Vikings
TE: Mark Andrews, Ravens
LT: Trent Williams, 49ers
LG: Quenton Nelson, Colts
C: Jason Kelce, Eagles
RG: Zack Martin, Cowboys
RT: Tristan Wirfs, Buccaneers
QB: Tom Brady, Buccaneers, just ahead of Aaron Rodgers, Packers
RB: Jonathan Taylor, Colts
DEFENSE
Edge rusher: T.J. Watt, Steelers
Edge rusher: Nick Bosa, 49ers, just ahead of Myles Garrett, Browns
Interior lineman: Aaron Donald, Rams
Interior lineman: Cameron Heyward, Steelers
LB: Micah Parsons, Cowboys
LB: Darius Leonard, Colts
LB: Roquan Smith, Bears
CB: Trevon Diggs, Cowboys
CB: J.C. Jackson, Patriots, just ahead of Jalen Ramsey, Rams
S: Kevin Byard, Titans
S: Marcus Williams, Saints
Special Teams
PK: Daniel Carlson, Raiders
P: Bryan Anger, Cowboys
KR: Braxton Berrios, Jets
PR: Devin Duvernay, Ravens
Coverage: Matthew Slater, Patriots
Long snapper :Josh Harris, Falcons
AWARDS
MVP: Brady. Rodgers was more careful with the football, but Brady’s leadership skills are the difference in a close race.
COACH: Mike Vrabel, Titans. He lost his best player when Derrick Henry was sidelined, but Vrabel made sure Tennessee never lost its identity as one of the league’s most physical teams.
ASSISTANT COACH: Dan Quinn, DC, Cowboys. The Dallas defense was a joke in 2020, but opponents aren’t laughing at a unit that led the NFL with 34 takeaways during Quinn’s first year in Big D.
COMEBACK PLAYER: Joe Burrow, Bengals. Burrow narrowly beat out Dak Prescott as both quarterbacks rebounded impressively from major 2020 injuries.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER: T.J. Watt. Pittsburgh’s relentless pass rusher overcame some injuries along the way to a historic season.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER: Kupp. From Week 1 on, opposing defenses had no answers for Kupp, a masterful route runner who turned in one of the most remarkable seasons ever seen from a wide receiver.
DEFENSIVE ROOKIE: Parsons. Whether he was collapsing the pocket or causing mayhem downfield, Parsons led the way for a defensive resurgence in Dallas.
OFFENSIVE ROOKIE: Ja’Marr Chase, Bengals. Given his uncanny rapport with Burrow, his former LSU teammate, Chase will be giving NFL defensive backs fits for the next decade
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Ira drives a 2020 Ford Escape (cherry red).
January 13th, 2022 at 5:54 pm
Hard to argue any of those selections. Great ballot, Ira! Can’t wait to be able to come down to Tampa and hope (MVP) Brady is still playing.
January 13th, 2022 at 5:55 pm
Ira, mad respect for your picks. I sense that MVP selection was a difficult one for you (though it shouldn’t have been).
Agree with your entire ballot and appreciate and respect you for sharing. I hope the other voters see it your way.
January 13th, 2022 at 6:03 pm
Shocking choice at LT given how great ours is….allegedly.
Wirfs definitely deserves it.
January 13th, 2022 at 6:10 pm
No arguments here.
January 13th, 2022 at 6:26 pm
Thumbs up, Ira.
January 13th, 2022 at 6:40 pm
No arguments from me other than the glaring mistakes of putting Nelson ahead of Marpet and Kelce ahead of Jensen. No shame Ira, even the best (ie. you) can be wrong and your man crush on Quenton is well documented. 😜
January 13th, 2022 at 7:12 pm
I agree with every single pick on this list. Well done Ira.
January 13th, 2022 at 7:17 pm
Pretty nice list Ira, though I’d ditch the Saints safety.
Fk the Saints! Always.
January 13th, 2022 at 7:24 pm
Good choices. Many were obvious this year. (Brady, Kupp, Taylor, Watts, Diggs, etc.)
Glad to see you got Wirfs in there. Hopefully he gets enough votes to make 1st team.
Not sure though Ira why you feel the need to ‘qualify’ the Brady choices for All Pro and MVP over Karen Rodgers. It wasn’t even close really – even without the “leadership” qualities that would in theory make Brady MVP every year if adhered to.
Brady was 1st in every major statistical QB category and had one of the best years of his illustrious career – AT 44 YEARS OLD!!!!! C’mon man…….
January 13th, 2022 at 7:35 pm
I seriously don’t get Rodgers as an MVP candidate …
1. TB12 led every QB category. He broke all-time, season, and team records. His team is tied for first in the NFL.
2. Cupp led every WR category. He was close to breaking multiple NFL records.
3. TJ Watt tied (should have broken) the season record for sacks.
Rodgers was 10th in yards, 5th in TDs, and tied TB12 for best record … BUT he was a major distraction to his team ALL YEAR! How is that the MVP?
January 13th, 2022 at 7:39 pm
John brown eh?
January 13th, 2022 at 7:51 pm
No arguments here, but only as far as the MVP award goes, it should be Brady all the way because he provides leadership.
Rodgers provides Drama!
A Real MVP does not threaten to abandon his team, every time something does not go his way.
January 13th, 2022 at 7:51 pm
I simply don’t get the Aaron Rodgers MVP narrative. He had a very good season, that TD to INT ratio is impressive. But that ratio pales when you compare it to Brady’s league-leading TDs, yardage, and passing attempts. The passing attempts demonstrate the team’s reliance on Brady. Green Bay has one of the best RBs in the league, which means less reliance on Rodgers… which makes him less valuable to his team.
January 13th, 2022 at 7:52 pm
MVP ordering:
1. Tom Brady (historic season)
2. Cooper Kupp (historic season)
3. Aaron Rodgers (excellent season, not historic)
January 13th, 2022 at 7:56 pm
I would have figured Mike Evans should have been in there as wide receiver
January 13th, 2022 at 8:40 pm
Lavonte should have been on this list. Its not all stats. Sometimes you have to weigh what a player means to the team and teammates.
January 13th, 2022 at 9:17 pm
You practically have to devote all of your time to the NFL to observe all of the players and coaches during a season. You have to at least watch a lot of games or “film”.
Not suprised about your picks for Vrabel and Brady. I guess Wirfs really is some kind of phenomena.
I’m just a fooball fan who watches some college and a bit here and there of other NFL teams. Maybe 80% or more of my attention is on all things Buccaneer!
Go Bucs! Pluck the feathers of the Eagle this week.
January 13th, 2022 at 10:04 pm
Off topic but just saw that the LA County Health official Barbara Ferrar has asked for a BAN on ‘non-essential’ activities. Wonder if it includes the Souper Bowl?
January 13th, 2022 at 10:59 pm
Vrabel lost a starter?! Oh my! I bet if Arians lost a starter he’d be in the mix. (The preceding comment was brought to you by sarcasm. Sarcasm. It’s what’s for breakfast.)
January 13th, 2022 at 11:30 pm
Looks pretty legit …..Only T. Diggs gets beat a hell of a lot…I know he got a lot of picks but many other corners are lockdown…not him.
January 13th, 2022 at 11:54 pm
@WillieG
Excellent point!
January 14th, 2022 at 1:18 am
dang ira you freakin’ nailed it !
#IraOnPoint
January 14th, 2022 at 2:32 am
Nice
January 14th, 2022 at 4:40 am
A true football expert. Well done Ira, looks perfect to me 👍
January 14th, 2022 at 5:02 am
I’m happy w/ Succop and Pinion (when Pinion is not dealing w/ injuries like he has been lately and not playing well for his standards), but what the F is up w/ Kickers and Punters in recent history doing so well once they leave here?! Anger here on this list, Matt Gay destroying it in LA….
Can’t be from fear or pressure in a small smarter like Tampa, they are doing on literally some of the biggest stages and markets there are in Dallas and LA. There’s something to this!
January 14th, 2022 at 5:23 am
feel bad for devin white. something happened to him. he should be on that list
January 14th, 2022 at 7:28 am
Was there a podcast this week? It’s not uploaded to Google play
January 14th, 2022 at 2:45 pm
What no playoff podcast??? Slacking
January 14th, 2022 at 2:45 pm
What no playoff podcast??? Slacking ira