Clayton's Midseason All-Pro team
ESPN.com NFL senior writer John Clayton picks his midseason All-Pro team:
OFFENSE
| Pos. | Player | Team | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| WR | Roddy White |  | White was the most targeted receiver in the league and keeps getting better with Matt Ryan. |
| WR | Hakeem Nicks |  | His nine touchdown receptions puts him ahead of a great group of No. 1 wide receivers. |
| LT | Jake Long |  | By only giving up one sack in the first half of the season, Long nosed out Joe Thomas for left tackle honors. |
| LG | Carl Nicks |  | Last year, Jahri Evans became a star at right guard. Now, Nicks gets his recognition at left. |
| C | Nick Mangold |  | The Jets rewarded him with a new contract as the game's top center. |
| RG | Ryan Lilja |  | His move back to Kansas City has helped make the Chiefs one of the league's top run teams. |
| RT | David Stewart |  | Top right tackles are hard to find in this league, but Stewart clears out the right side for Chris Johnson. |
| TE | Antonio Gates |  | Gates has become one of the top tight ends in league history. |
| QB | Peyton Manning |  | It doesn't matter who is left in the backfield or as pass-catchers, Manning keeps his offense moving. |
| RB | Adrian Peterson |  | Peterson nosed out Arian Foster because he resolved his fumbling problem and improved as a pass-catcher. |
| FB | Ahmard Hall | | He has been one of the best blocking fullbacks for the past couple of years. |
DEFENSE
| Pos. | Player | Team | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE | Osi Umenyiora | | He has mastered the strip sack and has become a turnover machine. |
| DT | Haloti Ngata |  | Ngata is unblockable and is having his best season. |
| DT | Ndamukong Suh |  | Suh's 6.5 sacks puts him on pace to have one of the best rookie defensive tackle seasons ever. |
| DE | Trent Cole |  | He's had an incredible year for sacks, quarterbacks hits and pressures, one of the tops in the league. |
| OLB | Clay Matthews |  | Leading candidate for defensive player of the year. |
| ILB | Patrick Willis |  | This might not be his best season but he's still one of the most dominating inside linebackers in football. |
| ILB | Ray Lewis | | Lewis may be getting older but he hasn't lost anything in his game. |
| OLB | Cameron Wake | | Wake's relentless style is driving opposing quarterbacks crazy. |
| CB | Nnamdi Asomugha |  | He's the most difficult cornerback to challenge. No one throws on him. |
| S | LaRon Landry |  | Landry has become a tackling machine in the Redskins' new 3-4 defense. He's everywhere. |
| S | Troy Polamalu |  | Now that he's healthy, the Steelers have returned the top of the defensive stats. |
| CB | Champ Bailey |  | With Darrelle Revis injured, Bailey gets first-half recognition. |
SPECIALISTS
| Pos. | Player | Team | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| K | Dan Carpenter | | The Dolphins' inability to complete touchdown drives may have Carpenter filing for overtime on field goals. |
| P | Shane Lechler | | Next to Ray Guy, Lechler may go down as one of the greatest punters ever. |
| KR | Leon Washington |  | He has had an amazing comeback from his broken leg and should go to the Pro Bowl. |
John Clayton
NFL senior writer- Senior NFL writer and commentator
- Joined ESPN in 1995
- Member of the writers' wing of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio
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