The All-Ekeler Team: USA TODAY Sports recognizes unsung NFL stars like Chargers stud RB

Even if you’re just a casual fan of the NFL, you’ve probably heard of Austin Ekeler.

He’s about to enter his seventh season with the Chargers. Over the past two years, he’s scored 38 touchdowns, which are 12 more than any other player during that stretch. His 3,195 yards from scrimmage since 2021 rank fourth in the league. He’s one of five running backs in NFL history to catch 100 balls in a season, his 107 grabs in 2022 tied for second most ever by a back. He was just voted the league’s 21st overall player in NFL Network’s annual Top 100 survey and is ESPN’s No. 1 fantasy back going into the 2023 campaign.

And yet the guy’s never been picked for the Pro Bowl.

What. An. Injustice.

And if you think players don’t care about that kind of acknowledgement – even aside from the contract incentives Pro Bowl berths can trigger – you’d be wrong.

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“Any type of recognition I think is definitely something that is meaningful to players,” Ekeler told USA TODAY Sports. “It’s still a spotlight, and that holds weight.

“As an individual, you have that title forever.”

Ekeler, in particular, seems to have fallen through the cracks and even deemed himself a bit of an "outlier." Maybe it’s because he’s never rushed for 1,000 yards – though neither has five-time Pro Bowler Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints. And Ekeler has topped 1,500 yards from scrimmage three times, matching Kamara. Ekeler also has Kamara and most of his peers – aside from Tennessee Titans weight room phenom Derrick Henry perhaps – beat when it comes to the epic workout videos posted to the 5-10, 200-pounder's Instagram account.

His relative invisibility also comes at a time when players at his position are not only battling for their livelihoods but for precious dollars at a time when they seem to be drying up for tailbacks. Ekeler himself had to fight to get $1.75 million in incentives added to the final year of his deal, and he’d still only make a relatively modest $8 million overall if he reaches them all.

“Running backs are being taken for granted for sure,” said Ekeler, now a vice president on the NFL Players Association’s executive committee, a position that allows him to spotlight his position’s fiscal plight and perhaps rectify it in the future.

But, in the present, don’t mistake Ekeler as bitter or ungrateful.

“For me, it’s about impact,” said Ekeler, whose Pro Bowl pathway has been blocked by more traditional runners like AFC stars and perennial honorees Henry and Nick Chubb, contemporaries he admires.

“Looks like I’ve got to do a little bit more to get over the hump,” Ekeler laughs, suggesting he might have to join Roger Craig, Marshall Faulk and Christian McCaffrey in the elite fraternity of runners to rush and receive for 1,000 yards in the same season.

“There’s a lot that rides on this year for me."

In that spirit, we’d like to kick Ekeler’s 2023 season off on the right foot given he’s graciously loaned us his name for USA TODAY Sports’ first “All-Ekeler Team,” one that’s not beholden to an obfuscated Pro Bowl voting process that involves players, fans and coaches. In fact, the only qualifications for the All-Ekeler roster are quality performance in the NFL, albeit ones that have yet to garner Pro Bowl or first-team All-Pro recognition. (Players drafted in 2023, therefore, are not eligible.)

And we’d like to think the inaugural All-Ekeler lineup has a nice mix of youngsters and steady veterans, all deserving of an elevated profile with our sincerest hopes most of them won’t be eligible for further consideration in 2024 and beyond.

A final note on methodology with this basic reminder: Our team, our rules. We selected 13 players on both defense and offense, including two running backs – USA TODAY most definitely doesn’t want to further devalue Mr. Ekeler’s position – at a time when only one RB is now recognized as an All-Pro annually while three wide receivers are so honored.

Now, without further ado, USA TODAY Sports’ 2023 All-Ekeler squad:

QUARTERBACKS (2)

On the one hand, the All-Ekeler pickings were a touch slim given the Pro Bowl’s quarterbacking absenteeism gets the likes of Tyler Huntley (and his pair of TD passes in 2022) recognized. But the New York Giants’ Daniel Jones is a worthy QB1. Being two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning’s successor was never going to be easy, and Jones’ penchant for turnovers early in his career only made it harder. But, like Manning, he was unfailingly accountable and resilient – and everything seemed to come together in a breakout 2022 under new head coach Brian Daboll. Now armed with a four-year, $160 million contract not typical of an All-Ekeler choice, Jones must live up to heightened expectations … but seems plenty grounded enough to attain loftier levels.

And, while it was tempting to choose up-and-comers like Justin Fields and Tua Tagovailoa, we’re also issuing an All-Ekeler honorific on Jimmy Garoppolo. The Las Vegas Raiders’ new signal-caller could be in for a rough year, but an unflappable dude who always earns the respect of teammates deserves a tip of the cap going into his 10th season … and, in our opinion, a little more appreciation for winning 44 of his 63 career starts, including playoffs.

RUNNING BACKS (2)

It should probably go without saying, but Ekeler will be this club’s RB1 as long as he’s eligible – which hopefully isn’t ever again.

But we do live in a world of tailback committees – and this is also our team, so we get to set the parameters – so we’re adding another ball carrier to lighten the load on Austin. New New Orleans Saints ball carrier Jamaal Williams is more than deserving in light of a six-year career that seems to be peaking coming off his first 1,000-yard campaign in 2022, when he also led the NFL with 17 rushing touchdowns. But any newcomer with the moxie to challenge the Big Easy’s love of beignets – Williams said he was “not impressed” while unknowingly butchering the pronunciation as “BEN-yacht-ees” and “BEN-yet-ees” – will be welcomed into this locker room.

WIDE RECEIVERS (3)

DJ Moore has exceeded 1,100 receiving yards in three of the past four seasons yet somehow has never earned commensurate individual recognition. During his five years with the Carolina Panthers, he amassed 5,201 yards through the air – more than anyone in the history of his new team, the Chicago Bears. But if the preseason is any indication, Moore and Fields are going to make sweet music together – perhaps all the way to the 2024 Pro Bowl.

To some degree, we want Ekeler to be comfortable, so why not add his longtime teammate Mike Williams. If that feels like a flimsy rationale, then maybe Williams’ home-run capability – 30 total TD grabs and 16 yards per reception over the past five seasons – willingness to make catches in a crowd and/or over the middle and play hurt better justify his spot.

If you’re thinking it’s premature to include Garrett Wilson after one season – understood. But let’s consider that the 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year caught 83 balls for 1,103 yards and four TDs, all figures that led the New York Jets, while serving as WR1 for a team that had the league’s least-efficient passing offense (75.0 collective passer rating) – a figure that doesn’t begin to illustrate how hard it was for this team to simply complete a pass. As good as some of Wilson’s peers are – and we strongly considered the likes of Tee Higgins, DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle – they’re all WR2s who also benefit from playing with far more-established passers. So let’s anoint Wilson in what may be his only year of All-Ekeler eligibility.

TIGHT END (1)

Dallas Goedert has been a productive player ever since the Philadelphia Eagles drafted him in the second round in 2018. But he’s really taken off since Zach Ertz’s midseason trade in 2021. He may never approach Travis Kelce’s numbers, George Kittle’s blocking prowess or Mark Andrews’ target share, but Goedert’s at least as good as every other guy in the league at his position – even if he doesn’t have the individual hardware to show for it … until now!

TACKLES (2)

The Eagles’ Jordan Mailata has become one of the league’s best on the blind side even though the Aussie and former professional rugby player is still learning the nuances of American football. But the 6-8, 365-pound eclipse of a man has certainly picked up enough, while becoming a cornerstone of one of the league’s best offenses, that he’s unlikely to play for the All-Ekelers much longer. Mailata’s delightful personality and singing exploits also make him a valuable component of team chemistry.At 6-6 and 320 pounds, Morgan Moses is a lightweight … next to Mailata anyway. But he’s been a big-time, if unheralded, right tackle in the NFL for nearly a decade. Moses, who hasn’t missed a game since his rookie season in 2014, should provide instant stability to a Baltimore Ravens offense that’s undergoing a serious schematic transformation in 2023.

GUARDS (2)

As good as Moses is, it nearly defies the imagination that the man who lines up to his immediate left, Kevin Zeitler, hasn’t been a Pro Bowler in 11 distinguished professional seasons. Guards tend to wear their anonymity as a badge of honor, so we apologize to Kevin in advance. As a man playing in front of MVP Patrick Mahomes as one-third of what’s arguably the best interior blocking trio in the league, the Kansas City Chiefs’ Trey Smith likely won’t be anonymous for much longer.

CENTER (1)

The New England Patriots’ David Andrews is a two-time Super Bowl champ who spent his first four seasons safeguarding and snapping to Tom Brady. Andrews missed TB12’s final season in Foxborough due to blood clots in his lungs before returning to action in 2020 and reclaiming his place as one of the NFL’s best pivots. Certainly glad to have him on the All-Ekeler team as long as circumstances allow.

PASS RUSHERS (4)

We like guys that can violate the pocket, especially when they come in all shapes, sizes and pedigrees. We also hate the term “EDGE” but wanted to get a nice cross section of quarterback hunters, so here goes.

The Detroit Lions will almost surely be forever grateful that DE Aidan Hutchinson “fell” to them with the No. 2 pick of the 2022 draft. He produced 9½ sacks in his first season and finished second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. Like Wilson, good bet Hutchinson will be an All-Ekeler one-timer. But, for now, we’re thrilled to have his prodigious talent and non-stop Motor City motor.

We’re also expecting big things from the Washington Commanders’ Montez Sweat as he heads into a contract year. Yet he’s already produced big things, whether in even or odd fronts, in his first four seasons, averaging better than seven sacks and 18 QB hits. Sweat’s 62 pressures in 2022 were a career high. Don’t be surprised if Washington prioritizes his retention over Chase Young’s at season’s end.

You might not have heard of Alex Highsmith. Heck, he was a third-round pick during the 2020 COVID-19 draft … played collegiately at Charlotte … and now (sort of) toils in T.J. Watt’s shadow with the Pittsburgh Steelers. And you might have missed Highsmith’s 14½ sacks and NFL-best five forced fumbles in 2022 – and he did that with Watt missing nearly half the season – and/or the four-year, $68 million extension he’s already earned in the aftermath. But if he didn’t break out yet, expect his Q Score to continue accelerating – especially with a full season of Watt commanding double teams on the opposite edge.

And let’s salute a graybeard here. Jerry Hughes, 35, is entering his 14th year in the league … and should probably have been a Pro Bowler last year considering he somehow registered nine sacks for a Houston Texans club that was rarely protecting a lead or in position to tee off on quarterbacks. Hughes’ 67 career sacks ranks him 13th among players currently on NFL rosters.

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (2)

The seventh pick of the 2020 draft, Carolina’s Derrick Brown is expected to see more time as a five-technique end this year in new coordinator Ejiro Evero’s 3-4 base alignment. But the 6-5, 320-pounder will disrupt from the inside on passing downs while continuing to establish himself as an interior force in the league. The Miami Dolphins’ Christian Wilkins, a first-rounder in 2019, will find himself in a very similar situation to Brown's with renowned coordinator Vic Fangio taking over in South Florida. A pair of youngsters who were already trending upward could be poised to break through in a big way in 2023. And we’re glad to have Brown’s sense of community service plus Wilkins’ quirky sense of humor as parts of the squad.

OFF-BALL LINEBACKERS (2)

T.J. Edwards was a mainstay of Philadelphia’s defense the past few years but had to sign a three-year, $19.5 million contract with the Bears this offseason given the Eagles don’t tend to invest heavily in the position. But don’t be surprised if they miss a glue guy like Edwards, who almost never came off the field for the NFC champs in 2022 and is equally effective on running and passing downs. He’ll line up alongside the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Foyesade Oluokun, who’s used his 6-2, 230-pound frame to make a league-high 376 tackles over the past two seasons. The All-Ekeler selection committee adores fellas who rejoice while diligently doing dirty work.

DEFENSIVE BACKS (5)

CBs Rasul Douglas and Kendall Fuller share a similar background, third-round picks who entered the league as role players, bounced around a bit and earned Super Bowl rings before settling in as quality starters with their current teams, the Green Bay Packers and Commanders, respectively. DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s background is just a touch different, given he was a fourth-rounder and has yet to win a championship. However he was a key component of Philly’s NFC champion defense in 2022 while tying for the league lead with six picks. We’ll let Douglas and Fuller – each has a pair of pick-sixes over the past two seasons – line up wide while motormouth Gardner-Johnson, now with Detroit, can plug into the secondary anywhere – though we especially value his ability to man the slot.

At safety, we’ll go with Kyle Hamilton and Jessie Bates III. Baltimore’s Hamilton is another first-time, Ekeler-eligible who probably won’t ever qualify again. PFF’s top-ranked safety as a rookie in 2022, Hamilton played all over the field – at corner, in the slot, in the box, center field, not to mention extensive snaps on special teams. The 6-4, 220-pounder might be even better in 2023, when he’s expected to play a more traditional safety role while being deployed less as a nickelback. Bates was PFF’s No. 1 safety in 2020 and was a linchpin during the Cincinnati Bengals’ rise as an AFC powerhouse, picking off a pair of playoff passes during Cincy’s road to Super Bowl 56. The Atlanta Falcons are hoping he’ll have a similar impact for them moving forward after issuing him a four-year, $64 million contract during free agency.

KICKER (1)

Evan "Money Mac" McPherson has typically been on the money for the Bengals in his two NFL seasons, drilling 52 of 62 field-goal tries. But he really shines in the playoffs, where he’s been perfect on 19 FG attempts, including a pair of game-winners on the final play on the way to Super Bowl 56. We also value McPherson’s swagger … and didn’t really mind when he skipped Cincinnati’s halftime in order to watch the epic Super Bowl halftime show in Los Angeles. When you’re playing in Justin Tucker’s perennial Pro Bowl shadow, gotta do whatever you can to snatch some limelight.

PUNTER (1)

If you’re not familiar with the Titans' Ryan Stonehouse, you ought to be. All he did as a rookie in 2022 was average 53.1 yards per punt, shattering Hall of Famer Sammy Baugh’s 82-year-old record (51.4) by nearly 2 yards. Inexplicably, that won’t get you a Pro Bowl trip … but it most certainly garners All-Ekeler applause.

Follow USA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter @ByNateDavis.