The 2024 'Allmost All-Joe' Team

By John Turney 

Vinny DiTrani (l), Larry Weisman (r)

In 1970, Bergen (N.J.) Record columnist Vinny DiTrani began a unique tradition that would last over 40 years: He initiated the "Allmost All-Pro Team" (yes, with two Ls). His goal? To "give a little recognition to men who, for one reason or another, missed out on the real honors."

By "real honors," DiTrani referred to Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections, accolades that eluded deserving players.

Fast-forward 22 years, and former USA Today writer Larry Weisman started a similar tradition with the "All-Joe Team." His focus was on "players who got lost in the shuffle this season." They were the unsung heroes, players who excelled without fanfare, laboring in the shadows of more celebrated teammates. 

Weisman maintained the tradition for 22 years.

Both concepts are what we might now call teams of Pro Bowl and All-Pro "snubs." So, why does this matter? Because today’s column pays homage to DiTrani and Weisman. Borrowing their ideas, I’ve created a team of 2024’s standout non-Pro Bowlers and non-All-Pros -- what I’m calling the "Allmost All-Joe Team."

Like DiTrani and Weisman, I’m skipping AP first-or-second-team All-Pros and Pro Bowlers. And, just like them, I’m not rigid about roster size. If more players than a starting 11 deserve recognition, they’re in.

Here, then, is my 2024 "Allmost All-Joe" Team —

OFFENSE

WIDE RECEIVERS—Malik Nabers, Giants; Ladd McConkey, Chargers; Tee Higgins, Bengals; Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seahawks.

All four of these receivers do special things, with a few playing numerous snaps in the slot. This year three wide receivers were "chalk" picks for All-Pro (Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and Amon-Ra St. Brown),  but these four had years that should be recognized.

Even though Nabers missed a couple of games, he still recorded 109 receptions for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns, while McConkey, meanwhile, caught 82 passes for 1,149 yards. Both are rookies and remarkable rookies at that.

Tee Higgins missed five games, but when he didn't he made things happen. While people were double-covering Ja'Mar Chase, the 6-foot-4, 219-pound Higgins was getting open and catching 10 touchdown passes. 

Smith-Njigba reached triple digits in receptions with an even 100 for 1,130 yards, and most seemed to come at key times in games. 

TIGHT END—Tucker Kraft, Packers, and Jonnu Smith, Dolphins.

Kraft is an ascending player. It would be no surprise to see him at a Pro Bowl soon. Good hands. Good after the catch. Good overall.

It may surprise some people that Smith caught more passes for more touchdowns than Tyreek Hill. Plus, he trailed Hill by just 75 receiving yards. After Tua Tagovailoa's return from IR, Smith was his go-to guy.

Tua missed six games in which Smith was an afterthought, averaging 2.3 catches a game and scoring only once. But when the star quarterback played, Smith was a highlight reel, scoring seven of his eight touchdowns and averaging 6.7 receptions per game. 

TACKLES—Taylor Decker, Lions; Zach Tom, Packers; Spencer Brown, Bills.

Decker has always been good. Maybe never great, but always good. Nevertheless, he's never gotten postseason mentions in any season except for 2016 when he was All-Rookie. But since then? Crickets. Yet unsung guys like Decker are always part of great teams. Decker may just be the player who ends his career never being an All-Pro or Pro Bowler but who will be fondly remembered by fans, teammates and coaches.

Right tackles Tom and Brown are both young pros with bright futures. Tom is a nimble-type tackle, listed at 6-feet-4, 304 pounds, and Brown, a rangy guy (6-feet-8) who's powerful.

Decker and Brown have teammates who are All-Pro or Pro Bowlers, so they're relegated to the shadows. But they shine on the Allmost All-Joe. Tom may get his due sometime soon, as will Brown. Both are young. 

GUARDS—Peter Skoronski, Titans; Robert Hunt, Panthers; Kevin Dotson, Rams.

In his second season, Skoronski played 100 percent of the Titans' offensive snaps and was one of the few bright spots on a woeful Titans' team. Hunt and Dotson did yeoman's work for their teams.

CENTER—Tyler Biadasz, Commanders.

Biadasz got one AP All-Pro vote, and he may have been the second-best center in the NFL. He's the leader of a veteran offensive line that protects the next Offensive Rookie of the Year, Jayden Daniels.

QUARTERBACK—Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers.

The former number-one overall draft pick threw for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns. Not so long ago, that would be an MVP season. Now? It will have to be an Allmost All-Joe year. He led the Buccaneers to the playoffs and is becoming the player the Browns thought they had when they took him at the top of the 2018 draft.

FULLBACK—Scott Matlock, Chargers.

Offense, defense, Matlock does it all. He's new to the fullback position but played it well this year. Because there's only one slot per conference for a Pro Bowl fullback and because the position is highly competitive, some players are automatically left out. Matlock is one of those players.

RUNNING BACKS—Bijan Robinson, Falcons, Kyren Williams, Rams; David Montgomery, Lions

Robinson ran for 1,456 yards, scored 14 touchdowns and caught 61 passes for 431 more yards. Yet he didn't get a Pro Bowl invite. He also didn't get a single All-Pro vote. Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry's historic years sucked the oxygen out of that room. Never fear, Allmost All-Joe is here.

Williams is a grinder. He ran for 1,299 yards and 14 TDs. Plus, he had two more scores on passes from Matthew Stafford. But he didn't get much notice, either.

I'm also picking David Montgomery. No, he didn't get 1,000 yards (he ran for 775), but he split time with the dynamic Jahmyr Gibbs. So his role was different. Gibbs was the breakaway guy; Montgomery was the pounder who protected late-game leads, and he served that role well.

DEFENSE

EDGE—George Karlaftis, Chiefs, and Gregory Rousseau, Bills.

Karlaftis benefits from playing next to Chris Jones, but he creates opportunities for Jones, too. He's a technically proficient pass rusher who seems to make plays when they count. He finished the season with eight sacks and tied for third in the league with 28 quarterback hits.

Solid is what you'd call Rousseau. This year he made 53 tackles and had eight sacks. He also had nine lead-tackles for losses on running backs. He tied for seventh in the NFL in quarterback hits, forced three fumbles, deflected three passes and fell on a loose fumble. In other words, he filled the stat boxes.

INTERIOR—Grover Stewart, Colts; Kobie Turner, Rams; Zach Sieler, Dolphins.

Stewart is a run-plugging nose tackle who had nine lead-tackles for losses on run plays and 74 total stops. Among all defensive tackles, Turner was among the best at generating pressure while being double-teamed. Yet, despite the extra attention, he had eight sacks.

Seiler just made plays. He played defensive end in Miami's 3-4 base defense and tackle in its nickel. But he was in the middle of most plays, getting one of his 10 sacks or batting down a pass. The Dolphins had a down year, but Sieler didn't.

LINEBACKERS—Robert Spillane, Raiders; Daiyan Henley, Chargers; Kyle Van Noy, Ravens.

Spillane was third in the NFL in tackles, had a pair of sacks and two interceptions. After Maxx Crosby, he was a man alone in the middle of the Raiders' defense.'

The Chargers appreciated the emergence of Henley, who became a starter in his second season, and so did their fans. He was noticeable in all of his games.

The edge linebacker on the Allmost All-Joe is Van Noy. In his career, he often played both inside and outside linebacker. These days, he's mostly getting after quarterbacks as an edge 'backer for the Ravens, and the results speak for themselves: He had a career-high 12-1/2 sacks

CORNERBACKS—Darius Slay, Eagles, Deommodore Lenoir, 49ers; Mike Hilton, Bengals.

Slay may not be as young as he once was, but he can still play. As a slot corner, Hilton made 12 tackles for losses, nine on run plays and three on pass plays. The Bengals' defense really struggled but Hilton didn't. He had a good year.

SAFETIES—Josh Metellus, Minnesota; C.J. Gardner-Johnson;  Jaylen McCollough, Rams.

Metellus is a game-wrecker. A key cog in Brian Flores' defense, he plays safety, slot and linebacker. So he covers and blitzes. In short, he does it all.

What you want in a ball-hawking safety is a guy like C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who tied his career high with six interceptions. After playing in Detroit last year (an injury-shortened season), he returned to Philadelphia and led Vic Fangio's elite defense.

McCollough's name here might raise a few eyebrows, but he plays a vital role in the Rams' dime defense -- a package that was successful this year. In limited snaps, he made 43 tackles and picked off four passes -- taking one to the house -- and served as a safety when he was called on. The guy was a menace to offenses.

SPECIAL TEAMS

KICKER—Cameron Dicker, Chargers.

He could've been All-Pro in another year, but with the seasons that Pro Bowlers Chris Boswell (Steelers) and Brandon Aubrey (Cowboys) had, it was easy to get lost in the shuffle.

PUNTER—Tress Way, Commanders.

As steady as the monuments in Washington. He's been a Pro Bowler twice before, but it's been a couple of years. When you look at his net punting numbers year after year, he's always among the leaders. One problem: There always seems to be one or two guys ahead of him. So they got the glory. He did not.

RETURNER—DeAndre Carter, Chicago.

He's always been good, but he went largely unnoticed this season when postseason honors were handed out.

SPECIAL TEAMS—Feleipe Franks, Carolina.

What could be better than to mention a quarterback who covers kicks and punts? That's what Franks now does for a living. A perfect guy for Allmost All-Joe.