What players have stood out most at their respective positions halfway through the 2026 NFL season? Who are the most expected superstars and the most fun emerging surprises? Sporting News had some hard choices to make when naming a midseason All-Pro team through Week 8, but we made them anyway.
Only 26 players could make the cut: 12 on offense, 11 on defense and 3 on special teams. Given what year it is, that also seems like an appropriate exclusive number, doesn’t it? Here’s the best of the best so far, led by the ho-hum MVP favorite at QB.
MORE: Midseason Awards at the NFL’s midway point
Sporting News’ 2026 midseason NFL All-Pro team
Quarterback
Josh Allen, Bills
Allen leads the NFL with a career-high 8.7 yards per attempt and 13.3 yards per completion. He’s on pace for 4,354 passing yards with 27 passing TDs. He also leads the league with his 9 rushing TDs, on pace to shatter his career-high with 22. Barring injury, it would be shocking if Allen didn’t finish with his second MVP.
Running backs (2)
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Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions
Gibbs leads the NFL with 50 rushing first downs, 110.4 rushing yards per game average, 191 touches, 1,058 scrimmage yards and 10 total TDs. He’s delivered after Detroit elevated his status to a full-time workhorse.
Kenneth Walker III, Chiefs
Walker has cooled off a little of late, but he still is averaging 110 rushing yards per game at 5.5 yards per attempt, making him the ideal backfield mate to Gibbs.
Wide receivers (3)
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seahawks
Smith-Njigba has found a higher gear than last year when he had 119 catches for 1,793 yards and 10 TDs. With his production over the first eight games, he is on pace for 136 catches for 2,093 yards and 19 TDs, which would be the greatest wideout season ever.
CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys
Lamb is leaping to another elite season, catching everything for Dallas and employing smooth route-running all over the field. He’s on pace for 128 catches, 1,506 yards and 13 TDs and leads the league with 93 targets.
Tee Higgins, Bengals
Ja’Marr Chase has been great, too, but Higgins gets the nod for taking advantage and putting up the bigger numbers. Averaging 16.9 yards per catch, he has had 90 or more receiving yards in five of seven games.
Tight end
Brock Bowers, Raiders
In only six games, Bowers has posted 41 catches for 547 yards and 5 TDs. He’s also averaging more than 91 receiving yards per game as the clear go-to guy for Kirk Cousins.
Offensive tackles (2)
Trent Williams, 49ers
Williams (6-5, 320 pounds) has been his typical athletic self and remains the most indispensable piece of the 49ers‘ balanced and explosive offense.
Penei Sewell, Lions
Sewell (6-5, 335 pounds) is also destroying with his amazing agility for his size to open up big running holes and also keeping Jared Goff clean.
Guards (2)
Chris Lindstrom, Falcons
Lindstrom (6-4, 210 pounds) is the key run-blocking foundation for Bijan Robinson and he also uses his frame well vs. inside pass rushers.
Quenton Nelson, Seahawks
Nelson (6-3, 330 pounds) was ripping it for Indianapolis ahead of Jonathan Taylor and will prove to be a huge factor to re-boost Seattle’s between-the-tackles rushing attack.
MORE: What Quenton Nelson’s trade means for Colts’ Jonathan Taylor
Center
Zach Frazier, Steelers
Frazier is the massive reason (6-3, 310 pounds) Pittsburgh has developed such a dominant rushing attack with Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle pounding out chunk runs.
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Defensive tackles (2)
Dexter Lawrence, Bengals
Lawrence has been better than anyone could have imagined coming over from the Giants. He’s brought much-needed energy to the defense and killed it in the inside pass rush.
Jeffery Simmons, Bears
Leonard Williams of the Seahawks and others are enjoying strong seasons up front as well, but the nod goes to the former Titans force who will have the same huge impact disrupting plays in the backfield for Chicago.
MORE: Jeffery Simmons has dominant start in first game with Bears
Edge rushers (2)
Aidan Hutchinson, Lions
Hutchinson is pushing Detroit’s defense to much better play. He has dominated, both in playing the run and wrecking passing games with pressure, despite getting consistent major blocking attention. He is a worthy favorite to take Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Will Anderson Jr., Texans
Unfortunately, Anderson’s 7.5 sacks and active, rangy playmaking haven’t been well-supported by the back end of Houston’s defense. Anderson individually has been everywhere all at once.
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Linebackers (3)
Fred Warner, 49ers
A healthy Warner makes a huge difference roaming the middle in San Francisco. He keeps making a lot of big tackles and is also a coverage force as a future Hall of Famer.
Blake Cashman, Vikings
Cashman is the big reason why Brian Flores’ aggressive, blitzing defense is so successful. He has 4.5 sacks and defended 10 passes, showing his pressure-to-coverage versatility. Seven of his 64 tackles have been for loss, too.
Ernest Jones IV, Seahawks
Jones is an unsung hero on a loaded defense, but he’s also doing everything at a high level in Mike Macdonald’s scheme. The 26-year-old is building on his breakout second-team All-Pro year by getting everywhere to stamp the league’s best defense.
Cornerbacks (2)
Jamel Dean, Steelers
Dean has been a terrific free-agent pickup from the Buccaneers with his shutdown coverage and big plays on the ball.
MORE: Why Steelers are positioned to run away in AFC North race
Trent McDuffie, Rams
McDuffie has gotten up to full speed on his new team’s defense with two interceptions and eight passes defended. He’s mirroring his best season in Kansas City in 2023.
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Safeties (2)
Jevon Holland, Giants
Holland has made a ton of big plays with three interceptions and two forced fumbles to his credit. He’s thrived in the new active scheme under Dennard Wilson.
Jessie Bates III, Falcons
Bates has a nose for the ball all over the field and is enjoying his fourth superb season in Atlanta. He has been rewarded with his first fumble return TD of his career.
Kicker
Ka’imi Fairbairn, Texans
Fairbairn has nailed 15-of-16 field-goal attempts while going 6-for-7 from 50 yards or more. He also has smacked home all 16 extra points. doing what he can to help a struggling team.
Punter
Jordan Stout, Giants
John Harbaugh, a former special teams coordinator, was smart to bring Stout with him from Baltimore. Stout is living up to his last name with his big leg averaging 51.6 yards per punt. He’s put 12 of his 27 boots inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.
Return specialist
Chimere Dike, Titans
Dike set a rookie record for all time with 2,427 last season and the dynamo is picking up where he left off this season with 32 kickoff returns for 829 yards and has averaged 12.5 yards on his 11 punt returns.
