Ranking the Commanders’ most deserving of making the Pro Bowl

3. Tress Way, P

Way is second among all NFL punters in voting, which suggests he has an excellent chance of making his second career Pro Bowl. His spot is fully deserved, and fans would be the first to attest to that, as the veteran is tied for second in punts inside the 20-yard line, fourth in net yards and second in downed punts.

Way doesn’t rank among the NFL’s best in yards per punt, but his 47.3 average is a remarkable feat given how often his number was called early in the season. The field position battle is an unheralded factor in today’s NFL, but Washington always has an edge in that regard thanks to the lifetime Commander.

2. Daron Payne, DT

Not only is Payne up against some world-beating interior defenders like Aaron Donald, Dexter Lawrence, Derrick Brown, and Javon Hargrave, but he also has to compete with teammate Jonathan Allen. The odds of Payne making the Pro Bowl are slim, but his performance is undoubtedly deserving of a nod.

Playing in a contract year, Payne has already set personal bests in sacks (8.5) tackles for loss (15) — by six with four games left to play — and passes defended (5). The former first-round pick needs just two quarterback hits to set a new career-high in that category, and he has a combined 71 run stops and pressures, per PFF.

Simply put, Payne is playing like one of the NFL’s best defensive linemen — not just interior defenders — and would make his first career Pro Bowl in a meritocracy. After the first wave of fan voting, Payne ranked fifth (Allen fourth) among NFC defensive tackles. That has him on the outside looking in.