Clayton's midseason All-Pro team: Ryan-to-Jones connection sizzles
— -- The biggest surprise at the midseason mark of the 2016 season is the play of the rookies.?
This draft class might not be as good as that of 2011, but it sure is encouraging. Two rookies are in my midseason All-Pro team -- and they aren't quarterbacks? Dak Prescott and Carson Wentz, who are winning games in the NFC East.
Here's my team at the halfway point:?
Quarterback: Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons have ridden the Ryan Express to a 6-3 start and the top of the NFC South. Ryan has thrown for 2,980 yards and?23 touchdowns -- with just four interceptions.
Running back: Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys
David Johnson has been unstoppable in Arizona, but Elliott -- along with Prescott -- has powered the Cowboys to the best record in the NFC. He's the Offensive Rookie of the Year.?
Fullback: Patrick DiMarco, Atlanta Falcons
Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan has found unique ways to get DiMarco involved in passing plays and innovative run-blocking schemes that have opened up the Falcons' offense.
Wide receiver: Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons
Jones leads the league in receiving yards (970) and he's averaging an incredible 19.0 yards per catch. He gets his 100 yards per game, and the Falcons' offense continues to roll.?
Wide receiver: A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals
Andy Dalton targets Green 10 times per game, and the wide receiver responds with six catches. No matter what defense is used against the Bengals, Green gets his catches. He leads the league with 59.?
Tight end: Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots
A hamstring injury and no Tom Brady had Gronkowski slow out of the gate, but now the Patriots' two-tight-end offense is off to a great start. He has touchdowns in his past three games.?
Left tackle: Joe Thomas, Cleveland Browns
The talent is down around him, but Thomas remains an amazing force. He has given up only one sack this season, and he has not missed a snap during his career. He remains loyal to the Browns, despite their problems.
Left guard: Kelechi Osemele, Oakland Raiders
Paying Osemele?more than $11 million a year might have sounded like an overpayment at the time, but it wasn't. His signing locked up the Raiders as the second-best offensive line in football, right behind Dallas.
Center: Travis Frederick, Dallas Cowboys
It was difficult to pick Frederick over Alex Mack of the Falcons, as Mack's addition was one of the best of the offseason -- but Frederick continues to anchor himself on the league's best offensive line.
Guard: Zack Martin, Dallas Cowboys
It's always a tight battle between Martin and Marshal Yanda of the Ravens. Yanda has missed a couple of games for the Ravens with injuries, while Martin has been creating big holes for the Cowboys' running attack.
Right tackle: Jack Conklin, Tennessee Titans
By not allowing a sack in his first eight games, the rookie Conklin edges out Bryan Bulaga of the Packers and Ryan Schraeder of the Falcons. The Titans struck gold in adding this first-round pick?to a running offense.
Defensive end: Calais Campbell, Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals rank first on defense, and Campbell is one of the reasons. He remains one of the best 5-technique defensive ends in football.
Defensive tackle: Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams
With J.J. Watt on the injured reserve list, Donald officially became the NFL's best defensive player. He might be the best player in the league.
Defensive tackle: Fletcher Cox, Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia rewarded Cox with a six-year, $103 million contract extension, and Cox has been a stellar anchor to one of the league's most improved defenses. Cox was great as an end in the 3-4 but is better as a 4-3 tackle.
Defensive end: Cliff Avril, Seattle Seahawks
Avril is having his best season. He's among the league leaders with 7.5 sacks and just finished the best month of his career.
Outside linebacker: Von Miller, Denver Broncos
The league's highest-paid defender is earning every dollar. He has 9.5 sacks and is a dominating force.
Inside linebacker: Luke Kuechly, Carolina Panthers
Nothing has changed here. Kuechly's range and ability to diagnose plays before they happen put him atop NFL tackle charts. He's a treasure.
Inside linebacker: Bobby Wagner, Seattle Seahawks
Wagner's range and speed is among the best in the league at middle linebacker. The difference this year is that he has been allowed to blitz and is constantly harassing quarterbacks on passing downs.
Outside linebacker: Chandler Jones, Arizona Cardinals
Jones edged out Brandon Graham of the Eagles. His relentless pass rush justified general manager Steve Keim's move in picking him up in a trade.?Another player to watch: Chargers rookie Joey Bosa, who has four sacks in five games.
Cornerback: Marcus Peters, Kansas City Chiefs
Peters continues to improve on his Defensive Rookie of the Year season in which he had a league-high eight interceptions. He leads the NFL again with five INTs this season to establish himself as a shutdown cornerback on the Chiefs' defense.
Cornerback: Aqib Talib, Denver Broncos
The competition among Richard Sherman, Patrick Peterson, Darius Slay, Josh Norman and others is tough -- but Talib came out of the first half of the season with a slight edge. Let's see how the second half plays out.
Safety: Harrison Smith, Minnesota Vikings
It's probably a slight to Minnesota that Smith is the only Viking on my list -- sorry,? Everson Griffen, Anthony Barr and others. We'll be watching closely in the second half of the season.
Safety: Malcolm Jenkins, Philadelphia Eagles
Jenkins and Rodney McLeod form one of the best safety tandems in football, but Jenkins' ability to jump into coverage and limit pass-catchers in the middle of the field earns him this honor.
Kicker: Adam Vinatieri, Indianapolis Colts
Vinatieri is 43 years old, and he hasn't missed a field goal or an extra point this season. Enough said.
Punter: Johnny Hekker, Los Angeles Rams
He has more than a 43-yard net and has the most punts that have landed inside the 20-yard line.
Returner: Andre Roberts, Detroit Lions
Roberts is among the leaders on kickoff and punt returns in a position that isn't getting as much work because the NFL is trying to minimize returns due to injuries.
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