Only one Patriot makes Pro Football Focus’ 2020 All-Pro team

With the regular season over, Pro Football Focus has now released its 2020 All-Pro squad. To find a member of the New England Patriots, however, you will have to look closely and scroll all the way down to the bottom of the post: only one member of the team made the cut, as a second-team addition in the special teams category.

The obvious candidates, however, were not named. Instead of Matthew Slater and Justin Bethel — arguably the best coverage duo in all of football — Pro Football Focus writer Sam Monson decided to go with Cody Davis as its second-team special teamer.

Davis finished the season as PFF’s top-rated special teamer with a grade of 91.2 and has played some quality football in his first season with the Patriots. He registered nine special teams tackles and also blocked a field goal attempt against the Los Angeles Chargers that was returned for a touchdown by Devin McCourty. Still, being named to the All-Pro squad as the lone Patriot does come as a bit of a surprise.

The aforementioned Slater and Bethel, for example, have a similarly strong claim. The same has to be said for punter Jake Bailey — who, like Slater, was voted to the Pro Bowl this year — or the NFL’s leader in punt return average, Gunner Olszewski. None of them are mentioned, though, with Davis instead making the team as a backup option to the Indianapolis Colts’ George Odum.