The Las Vegas Raiders got the news this week that defensive end Maxx Crosby and tight end Brock Bowers have been selected to the 2025 Pro Bowl Games representing the AFC. Obviously, Crosby is recovering from surgery so he's unlikely to particiapte but Bowers should be invovled.
Bowers was the most obvious choice. He's been the best tight end in the NFL this season and one of the best overall pass catchers. It's a bit surprising that Crosby still got a nod considering he's missed several games this season. Despite that, he is currently tied for third in the NFL with 17 tackles for loss and did get 7.5 sacks.
Those are very good numbers for most defensive ends but it was a down year for Crosby. It's a testament to how much respect he has from fans and players that he still got a Pro Bowl nod. It's been a rough year for the Raiders but they've gotten some good performances from other players who should arguably be in the Pro Bowl. We're going to go through some of those players.
A.J. Cole
A.J. Cole has been one of the best punters in the NFL for years. He was named First-Team All-Pro last season and had previously been named to three straight Pro Bowls. This year, the AFC Pro Bowl spot went to Logan Cooke of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Cole has a higher average but hasn't pinned as many punts inside the 20-yard line. Regardless, Cole continues to be elite and could still be named to an All-Pro team.
Robert Spillane
Linebacker Robert Spillane is quickly becoming one of the most underrated players in the NFL. He's tied for No. 6 in the NFL with 142 total tackles. He also has 10 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and two interceptions. He's a Pro Bowl-level player but the problem for him is that Zaire Franklin is statistically better and Roquan Smith is a bigger name. Spillane has better numbers than Smith this year so there's definitely an argument to be made that he should've gotten a nod before him.
Kolton Miller
One of these days, the Pro Bowl needs to recognize that Kolton Miller is among the top tackles in the NFL. He had a nightmare start to the season because he rushed back too soon after offseason surgery. However, he still has a higher Pro Football Focus grade than Laremy Tunsil and Dion Dawkins, who both got named to the Pro Bowl. Miller has allowed an atrocious seven sacks this season but five of those came in the first two games when he wasn't fully healthy. He's allowed just one sack since Week 4. He continues to be one of the top tackles in the NFL and eventually, he deserves to have a Pro Bowl on his resume.