Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame was tasked with picking the best player at each position in terms of the highest-odds to make an All-Pro team for the first time this season. At first, I wondered why Puka Nacua wasn’t on the list, but as a second-team All-Pro in his rookie campaign, Puka was ineligible. But a Rams player did make the list:
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Center Steve Avila.
Center: Steve Avila, Los Angeles Rams
Avila was fantastic as a rookie left guard last season. However, he’s now kicking inside after the offseason signing of Jonah Jackson. While the competition at center is fierce with Ragnow and Creed Humphrey, Avila has a chance to earn the nod provided he continues to ascend.
This will be Avila’s first NFL season at center, but he played more snaps at center in college at TCU than he did at guard, so he is not inexperienced.
As Verderame mentions, center is a highly competitive position with only two All-Pros each year. Lions center Frank Ragnow was second-team All-Pro in 2020 and 2023. Kansas City’s Creed Humphrey was second-team in 2022.
The reason that Verderame didn’t mention last year’s All-Pro is because that was Jason Kelce, who is now retired. So it does open the door for other centers to make All-Pro, including Avila. Kelce was first-team All-Pro in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023.
Corey Linsley was first-team All-Pro with the Packers in 2020, then second-team when he went to the Chargers in 2021. Linsley retired this year after missing 14 games last year.
Colts center Ryan Kelly was second-team All-Pro in 2020.
Other than Humphrey, Ragnow, and Kelly, there isn’t much active competition in the league at center that has been close to All-Pro. It means that picking Steve Avila is a pretty good choice ahead of the season.
I don’t know if any Rams were “snubbed” from this list since Puka was ineligible, but Matthew Stafford has never made All-Pro in his career. I would also add Kyren Williams, Kevin Dotson, Jonah Jackson, Ernest Jones, Kobie Turner, Byron Young (long shot as an edge rusher), and how about this one: Punter Ethan Evans.
