Matt Verderame's Midseason All-Pro Picks and Predictions
Matthew Stafford is having an out-of-body experience. So is Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Both NFC West stars are a few of the league’s best stories through 12 weeks, with Stafford flirting with the notion of 50 touchdown passes while Smith-Njigba is on pace for 2,029 receiving yards, aiming to become the first player in NFL history to crack the 2,000-yard barrier.
Then there’s Myles Garrett, who has 18 sacks for the Browns, including an unfathomable 13 over the past four games. If Garrett can get five more sacks over the upcoming six games, he’ll break the single-season sack record of 22.5 held by T.J. Watt and Hall of Famer Michael Strahan.
Finally, let’s not overlook the play of Jonathan Taylor, who has led the Colts to an 8–3 record and the league’s top-scoring offense. Taylor, who has a strong case alongside Smith-Njigba for Offensive Player of the Year, is on pace to rush for 1,849 yards.
But we start the third installment of our 2025 NFL All-Pro team with Stafford, who is playing at the highest of levels.
Quarterback
First team (1): Matthew Stafford, Rams
Second team (1): Drake Maye, Patriots
Through 12 weeks, Stafford is the league MVP. The Rams’ quarterback has thrown for 30 touchdowns against two interceptions while ranking fifth with 2,830 passing yards. Los Angeles is an NFC-best 9–2, and the main reason is Stafford, who is playing the best football of his 17-year career.
In New England, Maye is proving a worthy heir to Tom Brady. In his second year, he is flourishing under coordinator Josh McDaniels, leading the NFL with 3,130 yards while completing 71.0% of his attempts. He also has 21 touchdown passes.
Running back
First team (1): Jonathan Taylor, Colts
Second team (1): James Cook III, Bills
Taylor is a frontrunner for Offensive Player of the Year, and for good reason. The 26-year-old leads the league with 1,197 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground, helping the Colts to the top-ranked offense.
In Buffalo, the Bills have struggled to generate a passing attack at times, relying heavily on Cook instead. The good news? Cook has been spectacular, ranking only behind Taylor with 1,084 yards on 5.4 yards per carry, along with eight touchdowns.
Fullback
First team (1): Kyle Juszczyk, 49ers
Second team (1): Reggie Gilliam, Bills
Juszczyk has been a top-end fullback for years, whether in Baltimore or San Francisco. This season, he has caught 18 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown. As for Gilliam, he has only touched the ball one time but remains a critical component of Buffalo’s offense, leading the way for Cook while playing 24% of the snaps.
Wide receivers
First team (3): Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seahawks; Puka Nacua, Rams; George Pickens, Cowboys
Second team (3): Justin Jefferson, Vikings; Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions; Ja’Marr Chase, Bengals
Smith-Njigba is on pace to set an NFL record for receiving yards, while Nacua is tied for the league lead with Smith-Njigba with 80 receptions, along with 947 yards and four touchdowns. Then there’s Pickens, who might be the hottest free agent in 2026, as he’s posted 1,054 yards and eight scores in his first season with the Cowboys.
As for the second team, Jefferson is eighth in the NFL with 795 receiving yards despite playing with J.J. McCarthy and Carson Wentz. In Detroit, St. Brown has nine touchdown receptions, second only to Davante Adams’s 12. Finally, Chase won’t win the triple crown this year, but still has 79 receptions for 861 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games.
Tight end
First team (1): Trey McBride, Cardinals
Second team (1): Travis Kelce, Chiefs
McBride has taken the mantle as the best tight end in the league. With Brock Bowers and George Kittle missing time, the Cardinals’ star has stepped into the void with 80 catches and 797 yards, both tops among tight ends.
Incredibly, Kelce is second in yardage (674) and third in receptions (54) despite being 36 years old. The future first-ballot Hall of Famer has a good shot at his eighth 1,000-yard season after failing to hit that threshold the past two years.
Left tackle
First team (1): Garett Bolles, Broncos
Second team (1): Trent Williams, 49ers
Bolles has developed from a mediocre left tackle into perhaps the game’s best. Denver’s offense gets second billing on the marquee, but the offensive line is excellent, and it’s led by Bolles, who hasn’t given up a sack in 2025. Now in his ninth season, it’s time Bolles earns first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors for the first time.
Left guard
First team (1): Joe Thuney, Bears
Second team (1): Quenton Nelson, Colts
Thuney is on his third team, but nothing about his performance has changed. Now blocking for Caleb Williams, the 33-year-old in his 10th season hasn’t missed a game (he’s only missed two in his career) and ranks tops among Pro Football Focus in pass protection (86.0) among all guards.
Center
First team (1): Creed Humphrey, Chiefs
Second team (1): Drew Dalman, Bears
Humphrey is in a class of his own with the retirements of Jason Kelce and Frank Ragnow over the past two years. In his fifth season with the Chiefs, Humphrey has a PFF grade of 90.3. No other center has a grade higher than 83.1. The two-time champ is seeking his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl selection and third All-Pro team.
Right guard
First team (1): Quinn Meinerz, Broncos
Second team (1): Trey Smith, Chiefs
Meinerz isn’t a household name for the casual fan, but he’s become a top-10 offensive lineman in the league regardless of position. A menace inside for Denver, Meinerz is seeking his second consecutive first-team All-Pro honor and should get it after allowing only two sacks and three quarterback hits all year.
Right tackle
First team (1): Penei Sewell, Lions
Second team (1): Lane Johnson, Eagles
Sewell is the best blocker in the sport. Athletic and nimble while also displaying elite power at 335 pounds, the Lions’ right tackle is the measuring stick for all offensive linemen. He has permitted just eight pressures and zero sacks all year while protecting the statuesque Jared Goff, while driving blocking would-be tacklers out of Jahmyr Gibbs’s path every weekend.
Edge rushers
First team (2): Myles Garrett, Browns; Brian Burns, Giants
Second team (2): Will Anderson Jr., Texans; Micah Parsons, Packers
Garrett is the runaway favorite for Defensive Player of the Year. As for Burns, he’s the bright spot during another terrible Giants campaign with 13 sacks, second only to Garrett.
In Houston, Anderson has become an elite edge rusher with 10.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss and 17 quarterback hits, helping Houston’s NFL-best defense terrorize opposing quarterbacks. In Green Bay, Parsons has been as advertised with 10 sacks and 20 quarterback hits.
Defensive tackles
First team (2): Jeffery Simmons, Titans; Maliek Collins, Browns
Second team (2): Chris Jones, Chiefs; Calais Campbell, Cardinals
Simmons and Collins are basically playing in the shadows, fighting for two teams that have a combined four wins. Still, Simmons has 5.5 sacks in nine games, while Collins is maybe the NFL’s most underrated player with 6.5 sacks in his age-30 season.
In Kansas City, Jones has only three sacks, but he consistently blows up the pocket. He has 12 quarterback hits despite facing regular double-teams. Campbell is a wonder at age 39, with 5.5 sacks, 14 quarterback hits and eight tackles for loss.
Linebackers
First team (3): Jack Campbell, Lions; Bobby Wagner, Commanders; Tremaine Edmunds, Bears
Second team (3): Demario Davis, Saints; Jordyn Brooks, Dolphins; Carson Schwesinger, Browns
Campbell has turned into arguably the league’s finest all-around linebacker, along with Fred Warner. Detroit’s 2023 first-round pick has 108 tackles and four sacks. As for Wagner, the 11-time All-Pro is still rolling at age 35 with 107 tackles, six tackles for loss and an interception.
In Chicago, Edmunds has been a force in the middle of the Bears’ defense under new coordinator Dennis Allen. While Edmunds is dealing with a groin injury that landed him on IR, the veteran has four interceptions and nine passes defensed for the NFC North leaders.
Cornerbacks
First team (2): Patrick Surtain II, Broncos; Derek Stingley Jr., Texans
Second team (2): Jamel Dean, Buccaneers; Quinyon Mitchell, Eagles
Surtain has been out for the past month with a pectoral injury, but the best corner in football remains on the first-team line. The Broncos’ top player and reigning Defensive Player of the Year doesn’t have an interception, but has been targeted only 34 times, allowing 19 receptions.
Stingley is also playing elite football and is on pace for his second consecutive first-team All-Pro team. Houston’s superstar has three interceptions and eight pass breakups, helping the Texans rank first in both yards and points against.
Slot cornerback
First team (1): Trent McDuffie, Chiefs
Second team (1): Kenny Moore II, Colts
McDuffie has been awesome since coming into the league as a first-round pick in 2022. Already a two-time All-Pro, he plays both inside and out and is fourth on PFF with a 77.4 grade. He’s also playing 97% of the snaps, easily Kansas City’s best defensive player alongside Chris Jones.
For the Colts, Moore has been a stalwart over the past nine years. Under new coordinator Lou Anarumo, Moore is playing a ton of man coverage and holding up, notching an interception, two forced fumbles and five passes defensed.
Safeties
First team (2): Kyle Hamilton, Ravens; Talanoa Hufanga, Broncos
Second team (2): Jalen Pitre, Texans; Tykee Smith, Buccaneers
Hamilton is the gold standard at the position. He’s played 10 games and has six passes defensed, five tackles for loss, four quarterback hits, two forced fumbles and a sack. Nobody is more versatile while also capable of man coverage, evidenced by his 86.6 coverage grade by PFF, first in the league.
Hufanga is having a renaissance for the Broncos. A 2022 All-Pro for the 49ers, Hufanga was hurt during the ’23 and ’24 seasons, playing only 17 total games. Hufanga is healthy now and playing the role of enforcer on the back end while racking up 76 tackles and three tackles for loss.
As for the second team, Pitre is a fourth-year stud with three interceptions in only eight games, while Smith is becoming a star in his second season with 85 tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks and 12 passes defensed.
Kicker
First team (1): Brandon Aubrey, Cowboys
Second team (1): Will Reichard, Vikings
Aubrey doesn’t have the best stats of all kickers, but he’s clearly the biggest weapon in the sport from his position. The Cowboys’ star has made 19-of-21 field goal attempts while knocking down 11-of-13 kicks from 40-plus yards.
Reichard has quietly become one of the league’s most reliable kickers. The Alabama alum also has a fantastic leg, evidenced by hitting a league-best eight field goals of 50-plus yards.
Punter
First team (1): Jordan Stout, Ravens
Second team (1): Jake Bailey, Dolphins
Stout has been the NFL’s best all season. The Ravens are rolling with five consecutive wins, and Stout is doing his part, averaging a league-high 46.2 net yards per punt. Bailey has also been excellent in Miami, sitting behind Stout with 45.7 net yards per boot.
Kick returner
First team (1): Luke McCaffrey, Commanders
Second team (1): Chimere Dike, Titans
McCaffrey has played nine games and still ranks seventh with 769 yards on kick returns. The second-year receiver and brother of Christian is also averaging 29.6 yards per kick return, checking in first among all returners with at least 20 attempts.
Punt returner
First team (1): Chimere Dike, Titans
Second team (1): Parker Washington, Jaguars
Dike is the best returner in the league and has been a force returning punts in recent weeks. The Titans’ rookie ranks third with 286 punt-return yards and is tied with Washington with two touchdowns, the scores coming against the Chargers and Seahawks this month.
Special teamer
First team (1): Devon Key, Broncos
Second team (1): Luke Gifford, 49ers
Key leads all special teams players with 18 tackles. He also plays 82% of special teams snaps, the same as Gifford, who is second among special teamers with 16 tackles.
Long snapper
First team (1): Andrew DePaola, Vikings
Second team (1): Morgan Cox, Titans
DePaola has been an All-Pro in three of the past four seasons, consistently delivering elite special teams play. Cox is also one of the best long-snappers in the game, having racked up five Pro Bowl berths over his career.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2025 NFL All-Pro Picks and Predictions Through Week 12 .
