The results of the voting for the 2022 NFL Pro Bowl came out on Wednesday night, and the San Francisco 49ers had to be pleased that six of their players ended up getting selected for the Pro Bowl. While not every player participates in the festivities, earning a spot on the initial vote is a big accomplishment for many players throughout the league.
The 49ers have dealt with a lot of attrition this season, and that can be seen clearly when you consider they are down to their third-string quarterback in Brock Purdy for what likely will be the remainder of the season. A big reason they have continued to win is because of the talented players they have helping him out on both sides of the ball, and it led San Fran to clinch the top spot in the NFC West in Week 15.
Despite having six players from their roster earn Pro Bowl honors, there are always going to be some snubs across the league, and that is true for the 49ers. San Francisco has so many talented players that it feels like they could have had even more players earn Pro Bowl honors. So let's pick out the 49ers three biggest snubs and see who could have ended up joining their teammates on the NFC's initial Pro Bowl roster.
3. Charvarius Ward
It's tough to fully justify potentially adding Charvarius Ward to the roster over the guys who made it, because there are some really strong corners in the NFC. But Ward has been so good for the 49ers this season, and he has quietly emerged as one of the top number one corners throughout the league.
San Fran signed Ward in free agency last offseason, but they surely couldn't have expected he would be as good as he has been this season. Ward's racked up 76 tackles and 11 passes defended while having an interception, a fumble forced, and a fumble recovered to his name in his first season with the 49ers, showing that he's managing to make an impact in the run game as well as the passing attack.
Ward has also held up quite well in coverage, as opposing quarterbacks have a fairly low passer rating of 79.1 on passes in Ward's direction. His physical style of play has worked out quite well for him this season, as he's spent a lot of time locking up the opposing team's top wide receivers. Ward's strong play has been a big part of the 49ers defensive success, and it's clear he has a case as a Pro Bowl snub.
2. Dre Greenlaw
Inside linebackers aren't the hardest thing to find nowadays, but Dre Greenlaw has asserted himself as one of the best in the NFL this season. The combination of him and Fred Warner leading the linebacker corps is just deadly, but it's clear that Warner gets a lot more attention than Greenlaw, and that translated over to the Pro Bowl voting unfortunately.
Greenlaw is putting together the best season of his career, and it was tough to see him get overlooked here. Greenlaw has already racked up 111 tackles on the season, playing as a three-down linebacker against both the run and pass. Greenlaw also has six passes defended, one interception, two fumbles forced and recovered, and a touchdown to go with it.
Greenlaw has been unreal this season, and you can make a case that both of the inside linebacker positions should have gone to the 49ers duo of Warner and Greenlaw. Warner once again found his way to the Pro Bowl, but it looks like Greenlaw will have to wait after finding himself as one of the top snubs in the league.
1. Christian McCaffrey
It's strange to say a team with six Pro Bowlers had two of the biggest snubs in the league, but that's exactly what happened with the 49ers. Greenlaw is certainly a big one, but it feels like Christian McCaffrey may be the biggest snub in the league. McCaffrey has had quite the bounce back campaign with San Francisco, and he's been playing out of his mind since being traded to the 49ers.
As has always been the case with McCaffrey, his dual-threat ability is what makes him so dangerous. He's remained one of the top runners in the league (200 CAR, 927 YDS, 6 TD) but he's also made his mark as a receiver out of the backfield too (74 REC, 623 YDS, 4 TD). It's not out of the picture to suggest that McCaffrey could eclipse 2000 total yards for the second time in his career.
For that reason, it's a bit confusing to see that both Miles Sanders and Tony Pollard were selected over McCaffrey. Sanders does have 1,110 yards and 11 touchdowns on the season, but he doesn't make the impact in the passing game that McCaffrey makes. And while Pollard has been great for the Dallas Cowboys, he isn't even their starting running back. All in all, it's very confusing to see McCaffrey get left off the initial Pro Bowl selection for the NFC.
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