Five NFL Players with Breakout, Pro-Bowl Potential in 2016

The Pro Bowl, above all else, is a popularity contest. In a way, that's what makes it so hard to crack.

NFL fans, coaches, and players all have an equal say in who makes the league's much-maligned All-Star game. Though this sometimes means undeserving veteran stalwarts get a free pass in, every year brings at least a few new names and faces to the Pro Bowl. From perennially great players who always got snubbed to youngsters whose impacts on the field simply couldn't be denied, the 2017 Pro Bowl will have plenty of first-timers.

We pored over the latest NFL depth charts and dusty old records to pick out five players who will ride a wave of good play and goodwill into their very first Pro Bowl this season.

Lamar Miller, Houston Texans RB

In one of the strangest decisions of the offseason, the Miami Dolphins let Miller walk in free agency—and then spent the rest of the offseason trying to replace him.

Miller, who has averaged 4.6 yards per carry over his four years in the NFL, has earned the reps he's going to get in Houston this year. With the Texans' newly vertical passing game and returning stout defense, he'll likely be asked to control the game far more often.

Four of the top five rushers last season were on NFC squads, and something similar could happen this year if Ezekiel Elliott produces at least as well as Darren McFadden did in 2015. If Miller can run hard enough, long enough to crack the top ten, or even if he just approaches it, he'll be a shoo-in to make his first Pro Bowl this year.

Olivier Vernon, New York Giants DE

Despite 25.5 sacks in three seasons as a starter, Vernon had been overshadowed by better-known teammates like Cam Wake and Ndamukong Suh—overshadowed, that is, until Vernon signed a five-year, $85 million contract with the New York Giants.

Here's the other dirty little secret of the Pro Bowl: a popularity contest is driven in part by which, uh, clique a player belongs to. Fans tend to campaign for any player on their team who might have a shot. For the league doormats, that's usually The One Player. For a star-laden team in a huge market, though, fans tend to vote a straight ticket—and the Giants have one of the biggest fan bases in football.

With a talented player like Vernon—a high-profile free-agent who'll likely rack up double-digit sacks in a host of marquee games—he may not even need the Big Blue boost. The only way Vernon doesn't make it into his first Pro Bowl is if he plays the worst football of his life.

Terron Armstead, New Orleans Saints LT

Offensive linemen make the Pro Bowl on a one-year delay. They don't rack up gaudy numbers, and the vast majority of football fans don't try to evaluate the offensive line while watching the live TV broadcast (and most couldn't do it well if they wanted to). Instead, word has to spread from beat writers and film junkies to talking heads and armchair quarterbacks.

Armstead, a 2013 third-round pick, was one of the best left tackles in the NFL last year (and just signed a five-year, $65 million extension that reflects it). Now that we've had an offseason to digest that, expect Armstead's reputation to grow as pregame hosts eagerly hype his matchups against top pass rushers and people generally pretend they were paying attention all along.

As long as Armstead doesn't have a major injury or a complete collapse, he's as good as in.

Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars QB

It's a reality of the Pro Bowl: voters put all the old quarterbacks in, because name recognition, but none of the old quarterbacks ever feel like playing. With the re-institution of the AFC/NFC format, the bottom of each conference's barrel is in for a thorough scraping.

Of course, Bortles is hardly an also-ran.

With his frame, athleticism, and a Flacco-esque knack for hitting big sideline throws when it counts, Bortles could easily pile up some big wins and cool highlights. With an improved running game and a defense that still has question marks, the Jags could get caught in a lot of shootouts—and Pro Bowl-voting fans love those big statistical totals.

Darius Slay, Detroit Lions CB

Remember that thing about middling teams brigading for Their One Guy? Something like that may happen with Slay. The 36th pick in the 2013 draft, Slay has progressed from an intriguing set of measurables, to a boom-or-bust big-play gambler, to a complete cover corner. National media types have even begun debating whether Slay is "elite," the surest possible sign that he already is.

Slay was recently rewarded for his burgeoning eliteness with a four-year, $48.2 million contract extension. Though the Lions have a few others players who could challenge for Pro Bowl nods, the push to get Slay his first formal certification of eliteness will be strong.

Assuming, of course, he really does play like an elite cornerback in 2016.

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