Pro Bowl voting is underway and NFL fans have until Thursday, Dec. 16 to vote their favorite players into the NFL's All-Star game. The 2022 Pro Bowl is scheduled for Sunday, February 6 at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada. As members of the 49ers make their final push in the fan voting category, here's a list of ten players who are deserving of your Pro Bowl vote:
1. WR Brandon Aiyuk – @THE2ERA
Having played at least 90 percent of the offensive snaps in each of the last six games, Aiyuk has proven to be a true playmaker this season. With 453 yards on 32 receptions and three touchdowns since Week 8, including his game-winning touchdown in overtime against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, Aiyuk seems to out-perform himself each week.
"His attention to detail and the littler things, that's been very impressive. He's a very smart guy," head coach Kyle Shanahan said. "It's been fun to watch him have some success doing it and me and the whole team are appreciating it."
Aiyuk also managed to force four missed tackles during Sunday's game, and is tied with George Kittle for forcing eight missed tackles since Week 9 – together they stand second among all offensive skill players.
2. DE Nick Bosa – @nbsmallerbear
Bosa has been a major help in making the 49ers defensive front one to fear amongst the league. No opposing offense finds facing Bosa an easy task, as he's posted a career-high 14 sacks so far this season. Being used on both sides of the defensive line, Bosa's total sack count is tied for first in the NFC with Robert Quinn of the Chicago Bears. Following his 2019 Defensive Rookie of the Year campaign, Bosa suffered an ACL tear that made him miss all but two games in 2020. However, his comeback in 2021 has been monumental as he states he feels slimmer and more effective than he was two seasons ago.
"Nick has been outstanding," veteran left tackle Trent Williams said. "I don't know how he could have gotten stronger, but he did. Very few people come back from a major injury and are better than they were when they left. I played Nick before he left and played him when he got back, and he is better."
3. FB Kyle Juszczyk – @JuiceCheck44
Recording 252 total yards on 31 touches and one touchdown, Juszczyk leads the NFL in Pro Bowl votes at his respective position. The fullback could be considered a Pro Bowl veteran as he's been given the honor in each of the past five seasons, including his final season with the Baltimore Ravens in 2016. The honors are deserved as there are not many fullbacks in the NFL who are utilized regularly, and are as effective in the passing, rushing and blocking game as Juszczyk is.
"I think the way our offense operates with (Juszczyk), Deebo, you never know where they're going to align," defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans said.
4. TE George Kittle – @gkittle46
Kittle's dominant performance in recent games has made him the highest graded Pro Football Focus player in the entire NFL over the last two weeks (93.7). The two-time Pro Bowler and 2019 First-team All-Pro has proven to transcend in 2021, making his way into NFL history books. Logging 181 yards against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13 and 151 last Sunday against the Bengals, Kittle became the only tight end in the modern era with back-to-back games of at least 150 receiving yards. The tight end is just 243 yards shy of recording his third-career 1,000-yard season with four games left on the 49ers 2021 slate.
5. C Alex Mack – @alexmack51
Recording a 71.2 Pro Football Focus grade at center, Mack prides himself on is his ability to finish plays in San Francisco's offense.
"I think there's one way to play and I try to do that every day," Mack said on KNBR. "You have to be used to doing that and rushing downfield and finishing and covering and that's something I've done since high school." The 13-year center has amassed six Pro Bowl nods and earned a spot on the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-Decade team for 2010.
"He's one of the smartest people I've ever been around," Shanahan said. "Not just football players. He's extremely smart, works at it, the guy practices at a certain level that sets an example for everybody. He goes hard all the time, runs to the ball every single play and he enjoys playing football. He enjoys practicing, you can see why he's lasted so long."
Mack has been efficient in pass protection, only allowing two sacks on the season.
6. WR Deebo Samuel Sr. – @19problemz
Every game passing begs the question: "What can't Samuel do?" In Sunday's game against the Bengals, Samuel received the highest average of rushing yards on the night for San Francisco and one rushing touchdown to help the 49ers secure a victory in Cincinnati, making it his sixth rushing touchdown of the year and 11th overall. In fact, his 11 total touchdowns so far this season are the most by a member of the 49ers since Vernon Davis had 13 in 2013.
"It's just phenomenal – what he can do in the pass game and the run game, what more from an athlete can you ask for?" offensive lineman Laken Tomlinson said on the 49ers Unscripted podcast. "He's been a contributor for us all year. I'm really proud of him, just the leaps he's made throughout his career."
The wide receiver has recorded 1,028 receiving yards on 57 receptions this year, becoming the first 49ers wideout to surpass that feat since Anquan Boldin in 2014 (1,062).
7. OL Laken Tomlinson – @laken77
Tomlinson has been one of the most reliable members of the 49ers since joining the team in 2017. Over his 109 career games, the left guard has only missed one and has not missed a start since joining the 49ers offense. Its not just his durability that have flown under-the-radar, Tomlinson has continued to develop into one of the top guards in the league. Pairing alongside Trent Williams, San Francisco has seen the benefits of the tandem helping propel the 49ers eighth-ranked rushing offense.
"Laken, my counterpart, my partner in crime, he's played extremely consistent this year," said Williams on the 49ers Unscripted podcast. "He's become a leader, he's done the little things to make his play continue to go north. He's made me a lot better, he helped me from Day 1 to now. When you talk about guards there's not a lot of people who you can put over 75. As time goes on, he'll continue to prove that he's one of those top guards. I definitely think he deserves a Pro Bowl."
Per PFF, Tomlinson hasn't allowed a sack this season on 421 total pass blocking attempts, and surrendered a quarterback pressure on just 3.8% of pass-rush snaps, the 16th-best mark among guards with at least 200 snaps on the season.
8. S Jimmie Ward
Ward's value to the 49ers defense is prominent every week. Receiving an overall 80.2 Pro Football Focus grade, Ward did not allow a single catch on his two targets in Week 14 matchup against the Bengals, while also notching a pass breakup. In his most impressive game to date, Ward was instrumental in the 49ers victory over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 10, picking off Matthew Stafford twice in the first quarter, and returning his second interception for a touchdown. Now the longest-tenured 49ers player on the roster and a team captain, Ward's presence has proven invaluable among San Francisco's young secondary.
9. LB Fred Warner – @fred_warner
As the "heartbeat" of San Francisco's defense, the All-Pro linebacker has aided the 49ers in returning to a Top 10 unit. Since being drafted in 2018, Warner has started all but one game for the 49ers, as his reliability and durability have been San Francisco's safety blanket over the past four seasons.
"Fred's one of our best players and one of our leaders," said Ryans. "I know no one's working on it more than him. It's not more important to anyone than him and Fred will play better and that helps the 10 guys around him."
Earning a team high of 99 total tackles, three passes defended and two fumble recoveries so far this season while being versatile in his pass-coverage, run-stopping and blitzing abilities, Warner's skill set is unmatched. Warner made his first Pro Bowl trip last season and is looking to make a second appearance with the help of 49ers Faithful votes.
10. LT Trent Williams – @TrentW71
No other stat can illustrate how well Williams has been performing this season than his near perfect 99.4 run-blocking grade. After the 49ers win in Week 14, his overall Pro Football Focus grade improved to an unprecedented 99.0, the highest grade of any NFL player in the history the analytics site's existence. After eight Pro Bowls in his 11 years in the NFL, Shanahan believes that Williams' 2021 campaign has been his best yet.
"You look at his age, he's still to me the most talented guy," said Shanahan. "I don't see many people more talented than him. So usually when, as you get older in age, the talent goes and you still can execute a level with wisdom and experience. But I see the same talent and I think he's got a lot more wisdom and experience."
Voting is open until December 16 at NFL.com/ProBowl. Fans will also be able to submit votes via Twitter.
For votes on Twitter to count, they must be public and include one of the follow methods used in the sample below:
• #ProBowlVote + Player Name (e.g. #ProBowlVote Fred Warner)
• #ProBowlVote + #PlayerName (e.g. #ProBowlVote #FredWarner)
• #ProBowlVote + @PlayerUsername (e.g. #ProBowlVote @fred_warner)
Retweets and replies must include the player's name in one of the above listed forms. On the final two days of voting, December 15-16, all hashtag votes on Twitter count as double.
