This will probably qualify as not surprising news. The NFL announced the latest round of Pro Bowl voting results, and you will be stunned to learn that the San Francisco 49ers do not have anybody represented. They not only are not showing up at the top of a given position, they are not showing up in the top five for any position. The 49ers join the Lions, Packers, Texans, and Jaguars as the five teams without anybody in the top five of a given position.
The voting is across the entire league, and not split up by conference. That makes it easier for more teams to not show up in the top five of positions. The 49ers stink, so that is pretty explainable, but that might explain why the Packers don’t have a popular player like Aaron Rodgers in the mix.
Speaking of Rodgers, the top five quarterbacks in balloting right now are Dak Prescott, Tom Brady, Derek Carr, Matt Ryan, and Drew Brees. The Cowboys lead all teams with 14 players showing up in the top of balloting. Along with Prescott leading quarterbacks, Dallas leads at center (Travis Frederick), kicker (Dan Bailey), running back (Ezekiel Elliott), and offensive tackle (Tyron Smith, Doug Free). The Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks are next with ten apiece.
Injuries, indifference, and the Super Bowl will result in a variety of players not taking part in the game. That opens the door for some other additions. Looking at the 49ers roster, it’s hard to find anybody that is Pro Bowl-worthy.
Kicker Phil Dawson is probably the most qualified option. He is tied for 25th in field goal attempts (18), but has connected on 17 of them, which ranks him second in percentage (94.4). Joe Staley is usually a popular player, but the team’s struggles might keep him off the radar this year. DeForest Buckner has been a workhorse at defensive tackle, playing the most snaps of any interior lineman. He has shown improvement, but is it enough to secure a rookie year Pro Bowl nod?
That’s about all I’ve got from the 49ers roster. It’s a group that one could argue is both under-performing in many ways, but also just not talented enough in many ways. It’s the 2016 San Francisco 49ers in a nutshell.