It's time for my midseason All-Pro team, which has the same makeup of my preseason All-Pro team in terms of positions.
There is no fullback. Why would there be?
There are three receivers on the team. There's a left guard and a right guard, a left tackle and a right tackle. It's not fair to pick guards and tackles in general, especially since right tackles always get passed over when that happens. This team is position specific.
On defense, I went with a 4-3 look, and added a nickel corner for 12 players. Hey, I copped out there. I also have one pass-rush outside linebacker and one cover/all-round player.
I added special teams players, even if it's not a third of the game. It does matter. A little.
QB -- Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos: This was a tough decision, but Manning gets the nod with his 22 touchdown passes. He also leads the league in passer rating, average per pass and is second in completion percentage.
RB -- DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys: This was the easiest choice of all of them. He leads the NFL in rushing by 288 yards. He's rushed for over 100 in all eight Dallas games.
WR -- Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers: He's the best receiver in the league right now. He has 60 catches and seven touchdown receptions.
WR -- Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers: Even after doing little in Week 8 against the Saints, he still has 50 catches and averages 14.7 per catch. He also has six touchdown catches.
WR -- Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos: He has 47 catches, but the most impressive number is the 16.3 yards per catch. He also has six touchdown catches.
TE -- Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots: He has seven touchdown catches among his 40 receptions. His blocking, which wasn't great early as he battled back from injury, is also getting back to where it used to be.
LT -- Branden Albert, Miami Dolphins: They paid him a lot of money to come over from the Chiefs, and he's done a really nice job. He is strong in pass protection.
LG -- Josh Sitton, Green Bay Packers: He made the move to left guard last season and now seems totally comfortable with it. He is a rock of consistency on their line.
C -- Alex Mack, Cleveland Browns: He's missed the past two games, and it's showed up in a big way. I know he won't be on the year-end All-Pro team because he's out with a leg injury, so I put him on this one.
RG -- Marshal Yanda, Baltimore Ravens: On a line that has bounced-back from a subpar season, Yanda has been outstanding.
RT -- Ricky Wagner, Baltimore Ravens: This second-year player has been a huge surprise for the Ravens. He is nasty in the run game. He's been the best right tackle in the league so far.
K -- Stephen Gostkowski, New England Patriots: He's made all nine of his kicks from 40 or more yards, including one from over 50. He edges Dan Bailey of the Cowboys.
Defense
DT -- Ndamukong Suh, Detroit Lions: He is in a contract year, and he's playing like it. He's been a force in the run game and especially good with his pass rush.
DT -- Gerald McCoy, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: He just got a $100 million contract, and he's played to that level the past two seasons. He's been a bright spot on a bad defense this season.
DE --J.J. Watt, Houston Houston Texans: He has been the best defensive player in the league so far this season. How do you block this guy? He plays outside, inside or anywhere they need him.
OLB -- DeAndre Levy, Detroit Lions: He is a cover linebacker. He can also run and chase down plays. And he is good with his blitzes, getting a lot of pressure. He is a big part of why the Lions lead the league in total defense.
OLB --- Justin Houston, Kansas City Chiefs: He leads the NFL with 10 sacks and has been a force off the edge. Like Suh, he is in a contract year. He edges Denver's Von Miller for this spot.
ILB -- Bobby Wagner, Seattle Seahawks: I know he's missed some time, but he was playing at a Pro Bowl level before he got hurt. He's a big part of what the Seahawks do in the run game and in pass coverage.
CB -- Chris Harris, Denver Broncos: He is a full-time starter now, and he's been one of the best cover players in the league this year. Coming off knee surgery late last season, he's made a nice recovery.
CB -- Vontae Davis, Indianapolis Colts: He has been a steady cover player in the secondary for the Colts. If he's down for a while with the knee injury, it will be crippling to the team. He has excelled in man-press coverage.
Nickel -- Casey Hayward, Green Bay Packers: After a slow start this summer because of hamstring issues, he has emerged as a top cover player. He has two interceptions in the past three weeks.
SS -- Charles Woodson, Oakland Raiders: This 38-year-old is having a heck of a season. He's doing a lot for a bad Oakland team, and few are noticing. He gets the nod at one of the weakest positions in the league.
FS -- Eric Weddle, San Diego Chargers: He is smart. He has range. He's a good tackler. He's a big part of the Chargers' 5-3 start.
KR -- Adam Jones, Bengals: He is averaging 41.7 per kickoff return and nearly 17 yards per punt return. He doesn't have a touchdown yet, though. He also doesn't have a lot of returns.
ST -- Kavell Conner, LB, Chargers: It's hard to pick a special-teams ace since there are a lot of good ones, but I went with Conner. He shows up a lot on tape.
P -- Pat McAfee, Indianapolis Colts: He leads the league in net average and is third in gross average.
