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The NFL has officially closed fan voting for the 2022 Pro Bowl, and the league revealed the first five participants Monday morning on billboards in the host city of Las Vegas, NV. For the Los Angeles Rams, stars Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp were among the first names revealed. The full rosters will be revealed in prime time on Wednesday, December 22nd at 5:00 p.m. PST.
.@AaronDonald97
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 20, 2021
8th career Pro Bowl selection
1st amongst DTs in fan voting@CooperKupp
1st career Pro Bowl selection
3rd amongst WRs in fan voting
Donald has once again been a game wrecker on defense for Los Angeles, and he should be considered one of the front runners for the Defensive Player of the Year award. Through 13 games Donald has recorded 10 sacks and 2 forced fumbles, but his impact on the field for the Rams extends well beyond the stat sheet. Teams must account for the defensive tackle on every play, and Donald faces the greatest amount of double teams in the NFL among interior linemen - this has not slowed him down by any means.
Aaron Donald not only ranks No. 1 in PRWR at defensive tackle, but the gaps between him and No. 2 and him and average are larger than they were last season, when he won DPOY.
— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) December 16, 2021
Double team rate (x) by pass rush win rate (y), all while playing DT.
(ESPN / NFL Next Gen Stats) pic.twitter.com/8tVdxienP7
Cooper Kupp is on pace for what could possibly be the best season by a receiver in Rams history, and through 13 outings he has recorded 113 receptions for 1,489 yards and 12 touchdowns. Kupp needs only 7 more catches to break the single-season receptions mark for Los Angeles.
Kupp has always been a reliable contributor for LA when healthy, but the veteran has taken his game to a new level playing with quarterback Matthew Stafford. The receiver has been successful in virtually all aspects of the passing game, whether it comes in the short, intermediate or deep parts of the field. Kupp is also regarded as a willing blocker, which epitomizes his selfless style of play.
While his name was not included in the first five released, cornerback Jalen Ramsey should also be expected to also make the 2022 Pro Bowl roster. The star defender has continued his strong play from a season ago and has evolved into a key leader for the Rams. Ramsey was recently activated from the COVID-19 reserve list, which made him available for Tuesday night’s game against the Seattle Seahawks.
What other Rams players do you expect to be named to the Pro Bowl? Let us know in the comments below.
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