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NFL Offensive Player Rankings, Week 15: Building the AFC Pro Bowl roster on offense

The 2022 Pro Bowl rosters will be announced Monday, Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. ET on NFL Network. You'll be able to check out the proceedings live by tuning into "NFL Total Access: Pro Bowl Players Revealed." In the meantime, I've decided to once again make my own list of offensive players worthy of making this year's team.

Below, I have selected 21 players from the AFC who deserve to make this year's Pro Bowl, which will be played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sunday, Feb. 6 at 3:00 p.m. ET. Don't worry, I will get back to my usual offensive player rankings next week. Until then, here is my list of AFC offensive Pro Bowlers. (Click here for NFC offensive Pro Bowlers.)

NOTE: There is still time to fill out your own ballot, as fan voting concludes at midnight E.T. (9 p.m. PT) on Thursday.

QUARTERBACK

Josh Allen
Buffalo Bills · QB1
Justin Herbert
Los Angeles Chargers · QB2
Derek Carr
Las Vegas Raiders · QB3

Despite the Bills' recent skid, Allen's having himself a nice campaign -- and he's doing it without a run game. No, seriously -- he has no run game. In Sunday's gut-wrenching loss to the Bucs, the Bills ran the ball four times in the first half, all via Allen. He's being asked to do it all and he's doing a heck of a job. A year after being named Offensive Rookie of the Year, Herbert has turned more heads with his exceptional arm and play-making ability. He's been on fire of late, recording three-plus TD passes and a 100-plus passer rating in three of his last four games to give the Chargers a chance at the division title. The Raiders have undergone a lot of adversity this season, and Derek and Co. have navigated the storm fairly well. Despite a carousel of offensive playmakers making their way in and out of the lineup, Derek's still found a way and sits at second in the NFL in passing yards (3,926), behind only Tom Brady.

RUNNING BACK

Jonathan Taylor
Indianapolis Colts · RB1
Joe Mixon
Cincinnati Bengals · RB2
Derrick Henry
Tennessee Titans · RB3

Taylor is making a case to be the league MVP after putting the Colts on his back following a slow start. He leads the league in rush yards (1,348) and rush TDs (16), and he has a chance to eclipse 2,000 scrimmage yards with four meaningful games left on the slate. Mixon's enjoying a career campaign, sitting alongside Taylor as the only players with 1,000 rushing yards at this juncture. The 2017 second-rounder is finally looking like the consistent player we all expected him to be coming out of Oklahoma. I know Henry hasn't played since Week 8, but he still ranks fourth in the league in rush yards and is one of four RBs with double-digit rush TDs. What he did through the first half of the season was unbelievable.

FULLBACK

Patrick Ricard
Baltimore Ravens · FB

The two-time Pro Bowler has once again been an instrumental part of the Ravens' third-ranked rushing attack. He has played the most offensive snaps (526) of any fullback this season, boasts the highest PFF grade (74.6) among fullbacks and is the only FB with a run-blocking grade of 80 or higher (88.1). 

WIDE RECEIVER

Tyreek Hill
Kansas City Chiefs · WR1
Ja'Marr Chase
Cincinnati Bengals · WR2
Hunter Renfrow
Las Vegas Raiders · WR3
Mike Williams
Los Angeles Chargers · WR4

Hill, who just surpassed 1,000 receiving yards for the fourth time in his career, is one of the best players on the field with the ball in his hands. Even with some offensive struggles in K.C., Hill's dynamic skill set remains extraordinary. Chase is putting together the best wideout campaign of the 2021 draft class with 1,035 receiving yards (fifth in the league) and has a shot at Offensive Rookie of the Year with a strong finish. With Darren Waller in and out of the Vegas lineup due to injury and Henry Ruggs III getting released, Renfrow has emerged as Derek's biggest asset in the passing game. With 100-yard games in each of the past three weeks, Renfrow is the weapon defenses are keying on when facing the Raiders. Williams, who's balling out for the Bolts in a contract year, gets the final spot. He's on pace to record his second season with 1,000 receiving yards and is tied for 10th in the league with seven receiving TDs.

TIGHT END

Travis Kelce
Kansas City Chiefs · TE1
Mark Andrews
Baltimore Ravens · TE2

Kelce has been at (or near) the top of the tight end ranks for the last half-decade, and while he's had a relative down year along with the rest of the Chiefs' offense, there isn't another AFC player at the position threatening his reign. (Darren Waller would typically be in the mix, but injuries have forced him to miss three games.) Andrews, who's in the midst of a career year, claims the second AFC spot. He's had three games with 100-plus receiving yards after having two in his first three NFL seasons combined, and he currently leads the Ravens in receiving yards with 926.

TACKLE

Braden Smith
Indianapolis Colts · OT1
Mike Onwenu
New England Patriots · OT2
Rashawn Slater
Los Angeles Chargers · OT3

Smith leads the pack as an outstanding tackle in the Colts run game, earning a PFF grade of 91.1 (second-highest among tackles) as he paves the way for MVP candidate Jonathan Taylor. Like Smith, Onwenu plays a huge part in New England's emerging rushing attack with a 90.3 PFF grade. The second-year pro could use some work in pass protection -- though he's only given up one sack on 300-plus pass-blocking snaps. Lastly, Slater has burst on the scene as one of the most impactful rookies this season. Still learning the position, he's experienced a few growing pains, but the Chargers wouldn't be in a position to win the division without him. All three are deserving of a first Pro Bowl honor for their efforts.

GUARD

Joel Bitonio
Cleveland Browns · OG1
Shaq Mason
New England Patriots · OG2
Wyatt Teller
Cleveland Browns · OG3

The Browns' offensive line is one of the best in the league, with Bitonio and Teller setting the standard when it comes to guard play. They thrive in the run game, routinely clearing pathways for Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, and they have given up a combined four sacks on the season (one for Bitonio, three for Teller). Mason has played a key role in rookie quarterback Mac Jones' success this season, allowing one sack in nearly 400 pass-blocking snaps. But his biggest impact is in the run game, an area in which the Patriots are beginning to flex their muscles.

CENTER

Creed Humphrey
Kansas City Chiefs · C1
Corey Linsley
Los Angeles Chargers · C2

Drafting Humphrey late in the second round this past April was a huge part in the Chiefs' offensive line rebuild. The rookie has been exceptional in 2021 with the highest PFF grade (90.4) among centers this season, allowing one sack in 625 pass-blocking snaps and earning a a 92.1 grade as a run-blocker. Linsley makes this list as the top pass-blocking center in the game, per PFF. Having signed with the Chargers as a free agent in March, he's had a huge impact on Justin Herbert's growth in Year 2.

Follow David Carr on Twitter.

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