Open the locker room and you’ll find several Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl selections. Through the first seven weeks of the season, a few names have started to look like frontrunners. Other players remain on the fringes of potential selection. Even though it’s only been a few weeks, some Cowboys can’t help but come up with a prediction list for the 2023 Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl selections.
Edge Micah Parsons
It will be a cold day in hell if Micah Parsons doesn’t make the Pro Bowl. Padres continues to dominate opposing quarterbacks, going just two games without a sack so far. San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams kept Parsons in check in Week 5, but let’s not forget that this is Trent Williams. Five sacks in six games puts him on pace to finish the season with nearly 15 sacks.
Parsons’ numbers alone don’t make him a Pro Bowler, it’s his threat factor. Since Week 1, opponents have been confused when they see Agent 11 lined up against them. Parsons remains one of the most feared quarterbacks in the NFL and should be considered a lock for the Pro Bowl.
Edge DeMarcus Lawrence
Today’s NFL leaves the average fan thinking it’s more about numbers than impact. DeMarcus Lawrence doesn’t currently have double-digit sacks and quarterback hits, but the impact has been significant. Lawrence is currently the second-rated edge rusher in the NFL with a 91.9 PFF grade. The only player above him is world class running back Nick Bosa. Number three is Myles Garrett.
Lawrence is no stranger to the Pro Bowl, having made the cut in 2017, 2018 and 2022. If the trend continues, 2023 will be another Pro Bowl caliber year for Lawrence. He proved his worth as both a run stopper and a pass rusher, living up to his contract. Finishing second between Bosa and Garrett is an incredibly impressive feat for the 31-year-old edge skier. The stats are there, the production is there, and Lawrence should be one of the Cowboys in the 2023 Pro Bowl.
CB Daron Bland
Sometimes you have to close the door to open the window. While the door is closed for Trevon Diggs just for this season due to an ACL injury, Bland has proven his worth beyond that. Through five weeks, Bland remains tied for the league lead in interceptions. Three picks in six weeks and it could have been five had it not been for badly tipped balls. Daron Bland’s first Pro Bowl selection lit a fire under the Cowboys’ defensive bench.
A PFF grade of 77.9 puts him above cornerbacks like Darius Slay, Pat Surtain II and Marcus Peters. Impressive considering these names were once First Team All-Pro cornerbacks. His explosion to stardom and stellar play in Diggs’ absence proves that Bland is the next generation of sticky CBs. The Cowboys Pro Bowl selections in 2023 will likely be incredible if Bland is not selected. The Cowboys’ best Pro Bowl roster
K Brandon Aubrey
If you forget your glasses, you might think K Brandon Aubrey is playing Dan Bailey. Dallas hasn’t always been lucky with kickers, and very few have ever found their way to the Pro Bowl. Aubrey could break that trend as his performance has been excellent since being kicked out of MLS. Aubrey’s transition from football to football is reminiscent of Josh Lambo, one of the NFL’s most underrated kickers. Aubrey’s stats aren’t full of big numbers, but they are consistent. 16/16 on field goals, 12/13 on extra points, 2/2 on 50+ yard field goals. Not too shabby for a former goalkeeper.
Aubrey remains on top simply because of the lack of props usually chosen. The great Morten Anderson earned only seven Pro Bowl selections in 25 years. That’s an average of one Pro Bowl every three and a half years. In addition to making plays, Brandon Aubrey needs to tear up the NFL to make his first Cowboys Pro Bowl.
LT Tyler Smith
During the 2021 NFL Draft, Tyler Smith received some brutal and relentless criticism. Cowboys fans called the pick terrible and a waste of a first-round pick. They’ll kiss Smith’s braces when they know how well he’s playing. Smith is currently graded by PFF at 84.2, just two points behind current NFL leader Kevin Dotson. Smith’s biggest problem is his run blocking. He currently ranks 10th in the NFL in run blocking. Smith must move up to at least fifth to be a clear pro baller. Given his consistency, that’s entirely believable. Until that happens, Cowboys fans shouldn’t consider Smith a lock for the Pro Bowl.
