Selecting the All Pro NFL 2025 team usually involves some minor bickering over a slot receiver or a second-team safety, but this year felt different. It was a total overhaul of the hierarchy. We saw veterans like Matthew Stafford finally getting their flowers at age 37, while absolute rookies and second-year stars basically kicked the door down and made the league their own.
Stafford is the story here. After 17 years in the league, he finally grabbed that first-team nod. He beat out Drake Maye by a decent margin—31 first-place votes to Maye’s 18—thanks to a monster season where he tossed 46 touchdowns.
The Unanimous Kings of the All Pro NFL 2025 List
Honestly, you rarely see the voters agree on anything. This year was the exception for three specific guys. Myles Garrett, Puka Nacua, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba were the only ones to pull off the "unanimous" feat. That means every single one of the 50 voters looked at their tape and said, "Yeah, that’s the guy."
Garrett was a monster. He didn't just play well; he broke the NFL's single-season sack record with 23. You can't really argue with a historic number like that. On the other side of the ball, the youth movement at wide receiver is officially terrifying. Seeing Nacua and Smith-Njigba both go unanimous in the same year tells you everything you need to know about where the league's passing game is headed. Smith-Njigba, specifically, became a nightmare for defensive coordinators, finishing second among all receivers in points above average.
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The sheer volume of new blood is staggering. Eighteen players made the first team for the first time in their careers. That’s nearly half the roster.
Offense: The New Guard Takes Over
If you looked at the All Pro NFL 2025 offensive line, you'd see a lot of Denver and a lot of Detroit. Penei Sewell basically lives on this list now. It’s his third straight year at right tackle, and the guy is only 25. He’s already being talked about in the same breath as Anthony Muñoz and Joe Thomas.
Down in Atlanta, Bijan Robinson finally secured the first-team running back spot. He’s been a Pro Bowler before, but this is the one that matters for the Hall of Fame resume. He led the league in missed tackles forced by a mile.
The tight end spot was almost a consensus too. Trey McBride from Arizona missed being unanimous by just one vote. He hauled in 126 catches, which is a ridiculous number for a tight end. To put that in perspective, he had over 300 more receiving yards than Kyle Pitts, who came in second.
- Quarterback: Matthew Stafford (Rams)
- Running Back: Bijan Robinson (Falcons)
- Wide Receivers: Puka Nacua (Rams), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Seahawks), Ja'Marr Chase (Bengals)
- Tight End: Trey McBride (Cardinals)
- Left Tackle: Garett Bolles (Broncos)
Defensive Dominance and the Snubs We Can't Ignore
While the offense was about new stars, the defense featured some terrifying consistency. Will Anderson Jr. and Micah Parsons joined Garrett on the edge. That trio is basically a "no-fly zone" for quarterbacks.
But let’s talk about the snubs. Brian Burns is probably still staring at his phone in disbelief. The guy had 16.5 sacks for the Giants and got relegated to the second team. Heavy.com called it "inexcusable," and they kind of have a point. Usually, 16 sacks is an automatic first-team ticket. This year, the competition was just too dense.
The secondary saw a major shift as well. Derek Stingley Jr. led the cornerback voting with 41 first-place votes. It’s a huge redemption arc for a guy who dealt with injuries early on. Beside him, Quinyon Mitchell from the Eagles made the jump in just his second season.
The Special Teams Surprise
Special teams usually gets ignored in these breakdowns, but the All Pro NFL 2025 specialists were actually fascinating this year. We had a rookie punt returner, Chimere Dike, making the cut for the Titans. It’s only the fourth time a rookie has done that since 2020.
Will Reichard, the Vikings' kicker, also made his debut. It’s a reminder that the margins in the NFL are getting thinner, and these specialist spots are becoming harder to hold onto for the old guard.
Why These Selections Actually Matter for the 2026 Season
If you're looking for actionable takeaways from these results, keep an eye on the Denver Broncos. They had four players on the first team. That isn't a fluke. When a team dominates the trenches like Garrett Bolles and Quinn Meinerz did this year, they are built for a deep run next season.
Also, watch the quarterback market. Matthew Stafford proving he can be the best in the world at 37 is going to change how teams value "aging" veterans. It might keep some GMs from reaching for a rookie in the draft if they think they can squeeze an All-Pro season out of a vet.
If you want to track how these players perform as we head into the 2026 off-season, start by comparing their "Points Above Average" metrics against their actual salary cap hits. You'll find that guys like Smith-Njigba and McBride are currently the best bargains in professional sports.
To stay ahead of the next wave, you should follow the AP's voting breakdown specifically for the second team. Historically, about 40% of the second-teamers move up to the first team the following year. Names like James Cook and George Pickens are the ones most likely to be the "unanimous" picks when we do this all over again in twelve months.