The New England Patriots received the top Pro Bowl votes in multiple positions. This does not mean that these players will go to the Pro Bowl as the fan vote is just one-third of the selection process. The remaining two-thirds will be determined by the coaches and the players.
Quarterback
Leader: Patriots Tom Brady (701,554)
Patriots: Brady received more votes than any other player in the process, a true sign of the universal appreciation for what he brings to the table.
Running back
Leader: Falcons Devonta Freeman (484,016)
Patriots: None inside the top ten.
Wide receiver
Leader: Giants Odell Beckham Jr. (502,241)
Patriots: 9th place Julian Edelman (195,654), which isn't bad for a player that's been injured for the past five weeks.
Tight end
Leader: Patriots Rob Gronkowski (509,251)
Patriots: Gronkowski led all non-quarterbacks in the polls, which is exactly where he should be.
Fullback
Leader: Panthers Mike Tolbert (347,512)
Patriots: None inside the top ten.
Offensive tackle
Leader: Bengals Andrew Whitworth (175,639)
Patriots: 3rd place Sebastian Vollmer (124,898) and 10th place Marcus Cannon (84,522). Vollmer absolutely deserves the billing, but Cannon? That's a stretch.
Guard
Leader: Panthers Trai Turner (177,471)
Patriots: None inside the top ten.
Center
Leader: Panthers Ryan Kalil (230,833)
Patriots: 2nd place David Andrews (145,812) is wild because he's been benched.
Defensive end
Leader: Texans J.J. Watt (370,966)
Patriots: 2nd place Chandler Jones (258,486) has been slowed with his abdominal injury, but he's been one of the top players in the league at his position.
Defensive tackle
Leader: Bengals Geno Atkins (289,684)
Patriots: None inside the top ten.
Inside linebacker
Leader: Panthers Luke Kuechly (282,162)
Patriots: None inside the top ten.
Outside linebacker
Leader: Panthers Thomas Davis (241,719)
Patriots: 3rd place Jamie Collins (150,314) is a fair ranking, although I'm surprised that Dont'a Hightower doesn't show up in the top ten of either linebacker position.
Cornerback
Leader: Panthers Josh Norman (320,597)
Patriots: 7th place Logan Ryan (123,443) and 8th place Malcolm Butler (122,691) puts both corners on pretty equal footing.
Strong safety
Leader: Raiders Charles Woodson (217,348)
Patriots: 9th place Patrick Chung (51,612) is actually far lower than what I would have expected, but I think Chung still carries some of the stigma from his time with the Eagles.
Free safety
Leader: Panthers Kurt Coleman (195,397)
Patriots: 6th place Devin McCourty (66,524) is also far lower than what I would have expected. But the bottom line is that the Patriots entire secondary finished in the top ten of Pro Bowl fan voting, which is a pretty cool sign for the future.
Kicker
Leader: Patriots Stephen Gostkowsi (220,920)
Patriots: It's not even close, with Gostkowski collecting more than double the next highest kicker (Seahawks Steven Hauschka with 97,762). In fact, Gostkowski holds the greatest percentage lead over 2nd place of any position in the entire Pro Bowl (126% more than 2nd place).
Punter
Leader: Colts Pat McAfee (84,660)
Patriots: 2nd place Ryan Allen (83,676) is fine by me. Have to give the Colts something right?
Return Specialist
Leader: Seahawks Tyler Lockett (156,490)
Patriots: 2nd place Danny Amendola (87,168) is also not a bad place for the Patriots only rely returnman (so long as Edelman is sidelined).
Special Teamer
Leader: Panthers Joe Webb (126,068)
Patriots: 2nd place Matthew Slater (104,213) is about right for the perennial All Pro. Let's hope he can get his stingers figured out so he can remain healthy for the rest of the season.