2012 NFL Preseason All-Pro Selections: Defensive Players to Make All-Pro Team: If defense really does win championships, then the players on this list would form a championship-caliber unit to say the least. Not surprisingly, the players I have selected on defense for my preseason All-Pro team are all great playmakers in their own right. In fact, if this roster was an actual defense, I’m not sure many quarterbacks would survive an entire game. Whether you like sacks, interceptions, hard hits or lockdown coverage, this group can do it all. With that in mind, here is a look at my preseason All-Pro defensive selections.
2012 NFL Preseason All-Pro Selections: Defensive Players
Defensive End: Jared Allen, Minnesota Vikings
He is a powerful, relentless edge rusher, and Allen’s production speaks for itself. He has 105.0 sacks in his eight-year career, and last season, he had an NFL-high 22.0 sacks. After nearly breaking the single-season sack record, the follow-up effort should be fun to watch.
Defensive End: Jason Pierre-Paul, New York Giants
How would you like to be an offensive lineman and have the 6-5, 280-pound Pierre-Paul coming at you with his length and speed? In just his second season in the NFL, he recorded 16.5 sacks, 86 tackles and knocked down seven passes. It is scary to think that he still has room to learn and improve.
Defensive Tackle: Haloti Ngata, Baltimore Ravens
Ngata has four straight appearances on the All-Pro team under his belt. He is big, strong and has a great first step for his size. Ngata paves the way for Baltimore’s talented linebackers, and he causes plenty of havoc in his own right. He has had back-to-back seasons of at least 5.0 sacks, and last year, he had a career-high 64 tackles, forced two fumbles and recovered three others.
Defensive Tackle: Vince Wilfork, New England Patriots
He is a bulldozer of a nose tackle, and while his ability to occupy space and absorb double teams is unmatched. More importantly, Wilfork can make big plays himself. Last year, he had 3.5 sacks, deflected five passes and picked off two passes.
Linebacker: DeMarcus Ware, Dallas Cowboys
Ware is an athletic freak and missile off the edge. He has six straight seasons of at least 11.0 sacks, including a 19.5-sack campaign last year. Ware is in his prime, and he will be terrorizing opposing quarterbacks for years to come.
Linebacker: Patrick Willis, San Francisco 49ers
His instincts are unmatched, and Willis has the perfect combination of speed and strength to excel at the middle linebacker spot. He had a ridiculous 174 tackles as a rookie and has been a tackling machine ever since. Willis doesn’t miss tackles, and he is the stable, productive force in the middle of one of the best defenses in football.
Linebacker: Brian Cushing, Houston Texans
Cushing has the size and strength to play inside and the speed to play outside. He is also one of the most versatile playmakers at the position. He has only been in the league three seasons, and in his two healthy years, Cushing has averaged 124 tackles, 4.5 sacks and three interceptions.
Cornerback: Darrelle Revis, New York Jets
He is the top shutdown corner in the game today, and Revis basically takes whoever he is covering out of the game. His physicality at the line of scrimmage is the best in the business, and his pure cover skills allow him to blanket the best receivers in the NFL.
Cornerback: Johnathan Joseph, Houston Texans
Joseph lived up to the lofty contract Houston threw his way, being named to the All-Pro team in his first year as a Texan. With his speed and length, he picked off four passes and broke up 15 more while shutting down No. 1 receivers on a weekly basis. Joseph was one of the biggest reasons Houston’s defense jumped to the ranks of the elite.
Safety: Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh Steelers
One year removed from winning Defensive Player of the Year, Polamalu had 91 tackles for a Pittsburgh defense that allowed the fewest points in the NFL. From stuffing the run to creating big turnovers, he does it all, and no defensive player means more to his team than Polamalu.
Safety: Eric Weddle, San Diego Chargers
Weddle is a hard-nosed, hard-hitting run stuffer at the safety spot, and he is taught himself how to be a ballhawk. In addition to a fourth straight season of more than 80 tackles, he added a career-high seven interceptions last year.
Punter: Shane Lechler, Oakland Raiders
He has had a gross punt average of more than 50 yards in two of the last three seasons, and he has had a net average of more than 40 yards in each of the last eight years. Lechler can pin an opposing offense inside the 20 or dramatically swing field position by unleashing one of his patented bombs. He is a weapon at the punter position.
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