Javon Hargrave makes Pro Bowl as injury replacement

For the first time in his NFL career, Javon Hargrave is Pro Bowl-bound.

The Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle was bumped up from his alternate status with Kenny Clark opting out of the game due to injury.

It’s not difficult to argue that Hargrave should’ve been in over Clark from the jump. Just look at the numbers:

Hargrave — 16 games played (727 snaps), 63 total tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 18 QB hits, 1 forced fumble, 1 pass deflection

Clark — 16 games played (781 snaps), 48 total tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 14 QB hits, 0 forced fumbles, 0 pass deflections

A devil’s advocate could point out that Clark is graded higher than Hargrave by Pro Football Focus; the former ranks 10th among interior defenders while the latter is 26th. Interestingly enough, Hargrave ranks second best in pass rush grade but second worst in run defense. But PFF grades should hardly be the determining factor here.

In any case, it’s good to see Hargrave eventually received some well-deserved recognition. He had a real strong start to the 2021 campaign with six sacks in his first five games. He was on an All-Pro pace before cooling off with just 1.5 sacks the rest of the regular season.

Hargrave is set to join fellow Eagles Pro Bowl selections Jason Kelce and Darius Slay in Las Vegas for this year’s Pro Bowl. The game will take place on Sunday, February 6 if you’re a true sicko who’s interested in watching.