Bobby Wagner named 1st team All-Pro for third time

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner was named on the first team All-Pro list on Friday, his third such distinction in the last four years. The second team included Earl Thomas at free safety and Tyler Lockett at kick returner.

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Wagner is the 18th linebacker to get at least three first team All-Pro nods, joining Hall of Famers Junior Seau, Mike Singletary, Lawrence Taylor, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, Ted Hendricks, Chris Hanburger, Derrick Brooks, and soon-to-be-there Raw Lewis, among others. Recent additions to the three-plus All-Pro club also include Luke Kuechly (who was also named as an All-Pro on Friday, for the fourth time), Von Miller, and NaVorro Bowman.

Of the linebackers to do it 3+ time before they turned 28 (Wagner is 27) are Bowman, Patrick Willis, Kuechly, Lewis, Taylor, Seau, Miller, Brian Urlacher, and DeMarcus Ware.

Thomas was a first team All-Pro for three years in a row from 2012-2014 but he hasn’t been named by AP or PFWA since. This is his second second team honor, the first being in 2011.

Lockett was a first team All-Pro returner as a rookie in 2015, then a second teamer in 2016. He’s been an All-Pro returner, first or second team, in every season so far.

Wagner has a very strong case for Defensive Player of the Year, but an injury late in the season and Seattle missing the playoffs has certainly put a damper on his case and elevated some others, such as Aaron Donald, Chandler Jones, Cam Jordan, and Darius Slay, all of whom were of course named first team on Friday as well. Wagner finished with 97 solo tackles, 133 total tackles, two interceptions, six passes defensed, two fumble recoveries, 1.5 sacks, and a touchdown.

Since entering the league in 2012, Wagner is fourth in solo tackles, second in total tackles (four behind Kuechly), with 15.5 sacks and eight interceptions.