The best NFL players who never made a Pro Bowl

The NFL Pro Bowl is an often-maligned spectacle that takes some of the most competitive and physically-imposing athletes in the world and asks them to play in a way that leaves everyone no worse for wear at its conclusion. It's a noble task, but one that ultimately leaves viewers unsatisfied.

Although the game itself may be a pale imitation of the real thing, it's still a tremendous honor to be selected to the Pro Bowl. Players dream about it from the time they first strap on their pads, and being named to the Pro Bowl is often a career highlight for many of the game's participants.

Today, let’s take a look at the five best players in NFL history who never made a Pro Bowl. They may not have gotten the nod for the NFL's premier exhibition game, but they probably should have based upon their tremendous play and talent.

5. Karlos Dansby

Teams: Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals
Years active: 2004-2017

Best known for his eight strong years with the Arizona Cardinals, linebacker Karlos Dansby also made a major impact during three years with the Miami Dolphins. For his career, Dansby had 1,077 tackles, 43 sacks, and 20 forced fumbles. During the prime of his career from 2011 to 2013, he produced 358 tackles over a three-year stretch.

Dansby was an elite physical talent that clearly had a nose for the football. In addition to his tackling prowess, Dansby added six pick-sixes over the course of his career.

4. Julian Edelman

Teams: New England Patriots
Years active: 2009-2020

Julian Edelman wasn’t even close to the most talented, fastest, or strongest wide receiver that Tom Brady has thrown the football to, but he might have been his most reliable.

Whenever the Patriots needed a big reception in the last decade, it seemed as though Edelman was there to make the catch. A three-time Super Bowl Champion with 36 career touchdowns, Edelman blossomed later in his career by exploiting opposing defenses with a superb understanding of his place on the field.

A former collegiate quarterback, he clicked with Brady in a way that few have done over the course of the quarterback’s career.

3. Joey Galloway

Teams: Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Football Team, New England Patriots
Years active: 1995-2010

Before his days picking games for ESPN’s college football broadcast team, Galloway was catching deep balls throughout the NFL for a number of different teams.

Galloway accumulated 701 receptions, 10,950 yards, and 77 touchdowns. He also recorded 15.6 yards per reception, an impressively high number in an era where passing wasn’t as prevalent as it is in today’s game.

2. Amani Toomer

Teams: Giants
Years active: 1996-2008

One of the most revered New York Giants ever, Toomer spent his entire career playing in the Big Apple. His best season came in 2002, when he caught 82 passes for 1,343 yards and eight touchdowns.

One of the tougher receivers in the league, at 6’3" and 200 lbs, he was a dual-threat with speed and strength. Toomer also likely underproduced relative to his ability as his primary quarterback during his prime was Kerry Collins. In 2003 he had 152 targets, and for his career he tallied 668 receptions, 9,497 yards, and 52 touchdowns. While he doesn’t have a Pro Bowl invite on his resume, he does have a Super Bowl ring.

1. Marques Colston

Teams: New Orleans Saints
Years active: 2006-2015

Drew Brees is second on the NFL’s all-time passing yards list with just over 80,000 yards. Nearly 10,000 of them went to one of his favorite receivers for years, Marques Colston, who recorded 711 receptions, 9,759 yards, and 72 touchdowns during a career that spanned 10 years.

At 6’4" and 225 lbs, he was a mismatch for basically every opposing cornerback in the league, and was targeted often by Brees in the red zone. In 2012, Colston had 83 receptions, 1,154 receiving yards, and 10 touchdowns, but apparently it wasn’t good enough to beat out the Carolina Panthers’ Steve Smith, who earned a Pro Bowl spot with just 73 receptions and four touchdowns.