NFL All-Pro: Offensive Look Back

The Associated Press named its 2015 NFL All-Pro Team earlier this week and many of the players included are former Rivals.com standouts. Here is a look back, starting with the offense. There's a wide range, with three five-stars and two unranked players among the 11-man unit.

Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers

The skinny: Newton was both a five-star coming out of high school and then junior college. When he finally made his way to Auburn, his only season with the Tigers ended with a National Championship and a Heisman Trophy. While his time in Carolina has been mostly positive, not many people envisioned the success he displayed this season. Finishing the regular season with 3,837 yards and 35 touchdowns passing, plus 636 yards and 10 touchdowns rushing, Newton led the Panthers to a 15-1 finish.

Farrell’s take: There was never much doubt that Newton would impact with his size and athleticism and he has become a dominant run-pass guy at the next level. I'm proud we were the only site to have him as a 5-star out of high school and he helped set that big quarterback standard that has led to a different way of evaluating the tall, athletic yet huge quarterbacks out of high school.

Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings

The skinny: Peterson was No. 1 overall, the No. 1 running back and the No. 1 recruit from Texas in the Class of 2004. He arrived at Oklahoma with enormous expectations and met all of them. He has done the same in the NFL, where he has dominated the position for over a decade. With his current age and after missing a majority of the 2014 season due to a suspension, there were many people questioning Peterson this fall. He quickly re-established himself and led the NFL in rushing yards and touchdowns with 1,485 and 11 touchdowns.

Farrell’s take: What is there really to say here? He's our best No. 1 ever in my opinion or at least tied with Jadeveon Clowney for that honor, he’s one of the top five most dominant players I have seen in high school and the standard for every running back we've ranked since. His upright style was a rarity back then, but now there are many top backs in high school, college and the NFL that have emulated it. That's the biggest compliment you can give.

Mike Tolbert, Carolina Panthers

The skinny: Tolbert was not ranked in the class of 2004. He was actually classified as an inside linebacker, but never saw his recruiting process take off. Despite having a successful four-year career at Coastal Carolina, Tolbert went undrafted in 2007 and signed with San Diego as a free agent. In four seasons with the Chargers and now three with Carolina, Tolbert has become one of the more reliable fullbacks and short yardage backs in the league.

Farrell’s take: Tolbert was not on anyone’s radar back in the day as a short linebacker with average speed despite putting up good defensive numbers. Perhaps today, with more exposure, he would have been recruited a bit more, but back in 2004 it was all about junior tape and buzz and less about opportunities to show your ability at camps. No one could have seen this stumpy linebacker turn into a monster NFL fullback.

Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots

The skinny: Gronkowski was a four-star, the No. 4 tight end and the No. 8 recruit from Pennsylvania in the class of 2007. When healthy, Gronkowski continues to be one of the most dominant offensive weapons in the NFL. He continued that trend in 2015, as he teamed up with Tom Brady to finish the regular season with 72 receptions for 1,176 yards and 11 touchdowns .

Farrell’s take: Gronk was one of the biggest tight ends I've covered in my career -- he was so big that I thought if he chose the wrong school he would be made into an offensive tackle. He wasn't utilized enough in high school and had to miss part of his senior season after transferring to Pennsylvania, but his potential was always there. He was in our Rivals250 and was a free spirit even back then. His choice of Arizona was in large part because of how current Cal head coach Sonny Dykes was going to utilize him in the offense. The choice clearly paid off.

Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers

The skinny: Brown was not ranked in the class of 2006. After attending a prep school in North Carolina, Brown played his college ball at Central Michigan, but had to walk-on there. With the Chippewas, he became an explosive receiver and kick return specialist, but even with this, his success in the NFL has been a major surprise. His last three seasons in Pittsburgh have been off the charts, which continued this fall when he reached career highs in receptions and yards with 136 and 1,834.

Farrell’s take: Brown was homeless at 16 and had zero grades, but Butch Jones, now the Vols head coach, and his CMU staff saw something no one else saw in the tiny quarterback out of South Florida who was trying to make it as a wide receiver. Heck, Brown couldn't even get into a JUCO academically but walked-on at CMU and worked endlessly to become a great player. He has had to prove himself every step of the way and is now one of the best wideouts in the NFL after being overlooked by nearly everyone. No one saw NFL stardom coming except for Brown, who always believed.

Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons

The skinny: Jones was a five-star, No. 4 overall, the No. 1 wide receiver and the No. 1 recruit from Alabama in the Class of 2008. With the Crimson Tide, Jones was quickly able to showcase his five-star abilities which led him to being selected sixth overall in the 2011 draft by the Atlanta Falcons. Coming off of his best statistical season in 2014, Jones’ play hit an even higher level in 2015 when he finished with 136 receptions for 1,871 yards and eight touchdowns.

Farrell’s take: Jones could be the most physically gifted receiver I've ever seen in high school while Percy Harvin is the probably the most dominant. He and A.J. Green battled for the No. 1 spot all year long and watching their NFL careers unfold is fun and brings back memories. He was big, physical, had huge and reliable hands and he could run routes. He had it all and we knew he'd be a star barring injury.

Joe Thomas, Cleveland Browns

The skinny: Thomas was a four-star, the No. 18 offensive tackle and the No. 3 recruit from Wisconsin in the Class of 2003. Thomas, who committed to Wisconsin over Notre Dame, was named a unanimous All-American during his final season with the Badgers before being selected third overall in the 2007 NFL Draft by the Browns. While the Browns have experienced their fair share of difficulties during his nine seasons in Cleveland, Thomas has earned six first-team All-Pro selections.

Farrell’s Take: We liked Thomas enough to make him a four-star, but every once in a while I kick myself for not making every Wisconsin lineman who plays for the Badgers a five-star. Might as well, because they certainly seem to pan out in college and beyond. Thomas was an athletic kid with great feet who also played defensive end in high school and was long with plenty of room to fill out. No way to see he'd turn into the best offensive lineman in the NFL according to many, but he certainly had a high ceiling.

Andrew Whitworth, Cincinnati Bengals

The Skinny: Being in the class of 2001, Whitworth is a pre-Rivals.com player. As with many top Louisiana recruit before and after him, Whitworth waited for an LSU offer and did not wait long to commit after it arrived. After redshirting in 2001, Whitworth enjoyed four strong seasons in Baton Rouge. He was drafted by Cincinnati in the second round in 2006 and has spent his entire NFL career with the Bengals. This is his first first-team All-Pro selection, while it is also his second Pro Bowl selection.

Farrell’s Take: Whitworth was a recruit in the class of 2001, just before our database history, but I remember him as a prospect and he was heavily recruited and one of the top players in the country. Despite his great frame, he was looked at as a guard and a tackle by schools and he was a nasty, elite road grader who could pass block effectively even for a raw high school kid. He would have been a high four-star or even a five back in the day. He was that good.

Marshal Yanda, Baltimore Ravens

The Skinny: Yanda was a three-star JUCO recruit after playing his high school football at Anamosa in Iowa. He enjoyed two highly success seasons with the Iowa Hawkeyes before being drafted by Baltimore in the third round of the 2007 Draft. While the Ravens dealt with countless major injuries this season, Yanda continued to be an important veteran contributor in Baltimore.

Farrell’s Take: Yanda was a road grader in JUCO but wasn't heavily recruited because he wasn’t super mobile and chose between Iowa and Iowa State. He was a physical and aggressive kid and very nasty but his overall athleticism was a question mark as a huge interior linemen. He fit into the Iowa power-running scheme very well and has turned out to be a steal for the Hawkeyes and for the Ravens. He's one of the most physical players in the NFL.

David DeCastro, Pittsburgh Steelers

The skinny: DeCastro was a three-star, the No. 11 center and the No. 6 recruit from Washington in the class of 2008. DeCastro committed to Stanford early and stuck with the Cardinal despite taking a late official visit to Washington. Selected by the Steelers with the 24th overall pick in 2012, DeCastro has continuously improved during his four seasons in Pittsburgh which has led to his first All-Pro honor.

Farrell’s take: DeCastro was a rarity back in 2008 as a center prospect, a tall, lean guy with great feet but who wasn’t a dominant run blocker. But one thing he proved at Stanford and beyond was that he was a smart guy who could play numerous positions and was top-notch technique-wise.

Ryan Kalil, Carolina Panthers

The skinny: Kalil was a three-star, the No. 6 center and the No. 42 recruit from California in the class of 2003. Kalil was an early commitment to USC and stuck with his commitment to the Trojans throughout. Drafted in the second round by Carolina in 2007, Kalil has spent his entire nine-year career with the Panthers. While anchoring the Carolina offensive line, he has been named All-Pro twice in the last three seasons, plus he has been named to five Pro Bowls.

Farrell’s take: The 'other Kalil' to many, he was an undersized center back in 2003 who was a big part of turning around USC but his brother, Matt Kalil, was the star of the family out of high school as a five-star. Ryan turned out to be a heckuva player in his own right and has been key for the Panthers this year. Centers aren’t ranked as high as their counterparts because the positional value isn’t as high, but Kalil probably should have been higher.