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NFL: 25 best players to never make a Pro Bowl

By Hans Themistode

Wide receiver for the New England Patriots Julian Edelman (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)
Wide receiver for the New England Patriots Julian Edelman (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Olivier Vernon
Olivier Vernon (Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images). /

25 best players to never make a Pro Bowl: 14. Olivier Vernon, DE

Career stats:

  • 349 total tackles
  • 63.5 sacks

Best season 2013:

  • 50 total tackles
  • 11.5 sacks

Olivier Vernon wasn’t a popular name when it came to Pro Bowl selections. But while fans hardly recognized him, opposing quarterbacks knew exactly who he was.

For the vast majority of his career, Vernon appeared in the nightmares of his opponents. The now nine-year vet consistently collapses the pocket and forces quarterbacks to throw while on the move.

Even at this point, Vernon is still a helluva player. This past season he recorded 33 total tackles with nine sacks in just 14 games. Although those are good numbers, his 2013 season was his scariest.

On the year, Vernon recorded 50 tackles and shoved signal-callers to the ground 11.5 times. Nevertheless, he wasn’t chosen as a Pro Bowler.

Like a few other names on this list, Vernon still has a chance to turn things around as he’s continued to play at a high level. But still, that 2013 season was his best shot. At no other point has he recorded double-digit sacks again, although he was very close on numerous occasions.

With Myles Garrett now lined up on the opposite side of him on the Cleveland Browns, it’s doubtful that he’ll ever get a Pro Bowl nod which is a shame when you consider how good he’s been for so long.

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