NFL All-Pro: Defensive look back

The Associated Press has named its prestigious 2015 NFL All-Pro Team, and many of the players are former Rivals.com standouts while some fell way under the radar. Mark Pszonak and National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell take a look back at the defense.

RELATED: NFL All-Pro: Offensive look back

J.J. Watt, Houston Texans | Pewaukee, Wisc., 2007, two-star

The skinny: Watt originally committed and signed with Central Michigan as a tight end before transferring to Wisconsin after his freshman season where he quickly flourished at defensive end. In the NFL, Watt has dominated. After totaling 20.5 sacks last season, Watt finished with a league leading 17.5 this season, along with 76 tackles and three forced fumbles.

Farrell’s take: OK, OK, keep taking your shots. But I will tell you this: Watt was not the player you see today in high school. He was a tall tight end prospect without a lot of burst who didn't impact much at the MAC level and then transferred to Wisconsin and became a monster. This is a great example of a guy whose work ethic and desire were ahead of his physical abilities and when everything got on track, he turned into a freak. Again Butch Jones, now with the Vols, saw something most didn't when he recruited him to CMU.

Khalil Mack, Oakland Raiders | Fort Pierce (Fla.) Westwood, 2009, two-star

The Skinny: Mack was not ranked nationally, at his position or in Florida. His recruiting story is well known at this point, as he originally focused on basketball and then saw an injury slow his on-field production until his senior season. This led him to the Buffalo Bulls and a future that no one could have predicted. This year he actually became the first player in NFL history to be named First Team All-Pro in two positions, defensive end and outside linebacker, as he finished with 77 tackles and 15 sacks.

Farrell’s take: Mack's emergence coincided with the acceleration of the recruiting process that had senior years almost irrelevant for an under-the-radar recruit (which is how it is today). Mack was a hoops guy who was new to football, and Buffalo saw something no one else did and extended his only offer. Mack proved everyone wrong and is an absolute beast.

Aaron Donald, St. Louis Rams | Pittsburgh (Pa.) Penn Hills, 2010, three-star

The skinny: Donald was the No. 37 defensive tackle and the No. 14 recruit from Pennsylvania. He slid under the recruiting radar, mainly because of his height, but has made it a point to prove everyone wrong ever since. He dominated at Pittsburgh and is currently doing the same with St. Louis, where he finished the season with 69 tackles and 11 sacks.

Farrell’s take: Listed at 6-foot-2 in high school, Donald was closer to 6-foot and overcame a lack of size to become a college star and first-rounder. We had him ranked as a high three-star, but didn't see this coming at all. I don't think many did, but that motor was the key and is a bigger part of evals every year.

Geno Atkins, Cincinnati Bengals | Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas, 2006, four-star

The skinny: Atkins was the No. 24 strongside defensive end and the No. 36 recruit from Florida. He took all five of his official visits before committing to Georgia a few weeks before National Signing Day. After a Georgia career that was successful, yet not dominant, his performance in the NFL has been somewhat of a surprise. Atkins has now made four Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams after finishing his regular season with 42 tackles and 11 sacks.

Farrell’s take: Atkins played at one of the best high school programs in the country and was a big-time four star recruit but he wasn’t in our Rivals100 mainly because he didn’t have a great deal of length. He’s proven to be a strong player on the inside after being an end for the most part in high school and has used that stout frame to his advantage.

Von Miller, Denver Broncos | DeSoto, Tex., 2007, four-star

The Skinny: Miller was the No. 15 weakside defensive end and the No. 29 recruit from Texas. At Texas A&M, Miller quickly proved himself to be one of the top playmaking pass rushers in the country. He continues to play at that level in the NFL, where he has made the Pro Bowl in each of his five seasons. Headlining an impressive Denver defense this year, Miller finished with 35 tackles, 11 sacks and three fumble recoveries.

Farrell’s take: Miller was an excellent prospect in high school and earned that four-star status as a pass rusher, but he took his game to the next level in college and beyond. He didn't make our Rivals250, but was in that top 300 range overall. But he clearly should have been higher had we had that fortune-teller's take on his future. He was a bit undersized as an end in high school, one of our bigger concerns back then. Tall and thin, he was a 'tweener for sure, but a talented one.

Thomas Davis, Carolina Panthers | Shellman (Ga.) Randolph-Clay, 2001, pre-Rivals

The skinny: Being in the Class of 2001, Davis is a pre-Rivals player. Georgia identified his talents early and he committed soon after receiving an offer from the Bulldogs. After being named an All-American in his final season in Athens, Davis was drafted in the first round by Carolina, which is where he has played his entire 10-year career. The veteran of the Panthers defense, Davis totaled 105 tackles, 5.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and four interceptions this season.

Farrell’s take: Not enough credit is given to Mark Richt for being Davis’ lone offer. This was a kid who played a ton of positions in high school, played multiple sports and was also a standout track guy but played against awful competition at a very small school. As a result, he would likely have been a three-star recruit back in the 2001 days when we got to see less kids in person. He obviously turned out to be one of the few that can overcome the small school criticism back then to become a star.

Luke Kuechly, Carolina Panthers | Cincinnati (Ohio) St. Xavier 2009, three-star

The skinny: Kuechly was the No. 44 outside linebacker and the No. 37 recruit from Ohio. Kuechly dominated during his three seasons at Boston College and has done more of the same with the Carolina Panthers in the NFL. Kuechly, who has already won Defensive Rookie of the Year and NFC Defensive Player of the Year honors during his career, finished the regular season with 118 tackles and four interceptions despite missing three games due to a concussion.

Farrell’s take: Kuechly played safety for the most part in high school, although we projected him as a linebacker, and he showed only a few signs of the talent he would bring to college and the NFL. But we didn't know he'd end up being the most instinctual player at the next level. His coverage skills in high school were good and he had a good feel of running to the play as a safety, but he was simply so amazing at sensing where the play was going in college that his ranking was clearly way too low.

Josh Norman, Carolina Panthers | Greenwood, SC, 2007, not rated

The skinny: Norman received minimal college interest and ended up walking on at Coastal Carolina. By the time he left college he had totaled 11 interceptions, which led him to be selected by Carolina in the fifth round of the 2012 Draft. During his four seasons in the NFL, Norman has quickly become one of the top shutdown corners in the league. He finally received the attention he deserved this season he finished with 56 tackles, four interceptions and three forced fumbles.

Farrell’s take: Norman wasn’t on the radar of Rivals or college coaches back in 2007, mainly because of academics. UGA offered him a walk on spot (there’s that Richt guy again) but he passed and made his way at Coastal Carolina. Norman was an excellent athlete in high school and had size, but his poor grades just left him out of the mix for FBS schools. Now he’s proving that you can excel in the NFL even when everyone passes on you.

Patrick Peterson, Arizona Cardinals | Pompano Beach (Fla.) Blanche Ely, 2008, five-star

The skinny: Peterson was No. 5 overall, the No. 1 cornerback and the No. 1 recruit from Florida. After originally committed to Miami, Peterson flipped to LSU in the weeks leading up to National Signing Day. At LSU, Peterson shined during his sophomore and junior seasons, winning both the Thorpe and Bednarik Awards in 2010. Selected with the fifth overall pick in 2011 by Arizona, Peterson is already a five-time Pro Bowler and a three-time First-Team All-Pro.

Farrell’s take: Known as Patrick Johnson back then, we knew he would be one of the better cornerbacks in the country in college and beyond. One of the highest-ranked corners up until that point in history, Peterson was tall, long, athletic and had amazing instincts. He was an absolute no-brainer and a massive loss for the 'Canes, an example of their recruiting decline.

Tyrann Mathieu, Arizona Cardinals | New Orleans (La.) St. Augustine, 2010, four-star

The skinny: Mathieu was No. 191 overall and the No. 13 cornerback. Mathieu committed to LSU after earning his offer at the summer camp a few months before his senior season. At LSU, he suddenly became a household name because of his playmaking ability. This has translated nicely to the NFL, where he continues to make plays despite his smaller stature. This season he finished with 89 tackles and five interceptions, despite missing the last two games due to a torn ACL.

Farrell’s take: I remember seeing Mathieu for the first time at Tennessee’s summer camp the year Lane Kiffin was in charge and he was beyond impressive. However, I also remember thinking he was too small for FBS football and didn’t think he’d get a big offer. While the Vols and many others passed on him, LSU offered and reaped the rewards for a bit. He’s just a natural born football player with uncanny instincts around the ball. That stuff can’t be taught or coached and I’m happy we likely had him ranked higher than anyone else in the industry.

Eric Berry, Kansas City Chiefs | Fairburn (Ga.) Creekside, 2007, five-star

The skinny: Berry was No. 3 overall, the No. 1 cornerback and the No. 1 recruit from Georgia. After a tough recruiting battle, he committed to Tennessee over Auburn and Georgia. Berry dominated at the college level, which led him to be selected fifth overall by Kansas City in the 2010 Draft. He continued to dominate in the NFL, however a diagnosis of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2014 threw both is life and career into limbo. Despite this major setback, Berry returned for the 2015 season and finished with 61 tackles and two interceptions.

Farrell’s take: Berry was easily one of the most naturally talented prospects I have ever seen in person, as he did everything with fluidity and ease. But he also liked to hit and was big in run support, so projecting him as a future star wasn't that difficult. Jimmy Clausen was the bell-to-bell guy for us that year with Joe McKnight No. 1 on some other sites, but Berry was the sure thing of the class. Everyone was hoping for a great comeback for the talented Vols legacy, who will likely go down as one of the top five corners I have ever seen, and it happened. A great, feel-good story.