LB? DE? Khalil Mack makes All Pro team at two different positions

Khalil Mack had more first-team All-Pro selections than 25 NFL teams.

Wait, what?!

OK, so the 2015 Associated Press All-Pro Team was announced, and Mack found himself on it — twice. He appeared on defense at two positions: defensive end and linebacker. Naturally, that's first time a player has appeared on the first team twice at two spots.

Mack was a completely deserving member of the team, no question. He was second in the NFL in sacks with 15 and made 77 tackles, second on the Oakland Raiders. Five of those sacks came in a huge win over the Denver Broncos, tying Hall of Famer Howie Long’s club sack record for a single game.

But he should be on there once, despite his incredible versatility.

Perhaps some (many?) of the 50 voters were confused what position Mack plays? He's an "edge" player, and perhaps the confusion stems from the fact that he's listed on the team's official depth chart as a linebacker but on its roster as a defensive end.

So there you have it! Mack drops in coverage sometimes, but he has his hand on the ground and will rush the passer often, too. He's most certainly a hybrid of sorts.

You can understand the confusion to a degree. After all, fellow All Pro member Tyrann Mathieu made the team as a safety but often lined up as a slot corner before getting hurt. Really, both he and Mack are part of a new wave of defenders who are chess pieces. Think of guys like Jimmy Graham (not an All Pro) — is he a tight end or a receiver? The answer is, well, yes.

Here's the complete All Pro team:

 

OFFENSE

QB: Cam Newton, Panthers
RB: Adrian Peterson, Vikings; Doug Martin, Buccaneers
FB: Mike Tolbert, Panthers
WR: Antonio Brown, Steelers; Julio Jones, Falcons
TE: Rob Gronkowski, Patriots
T: Andrew Whitworth, Bengals; Joe Thomas, Browns
G: David DeCastro, Steelers; Marshal Yanda, Ravens
C: Ryan Kalil, Panthers

 

DEFENSE

DE: J.J. Watt, Texans; Khalil Mack, Raiders
DT: Aaron Donald, Rams; Geno Atkins, Bengals
LB: Thomas Davis, Panthers; Luke Kuechly, Panthers; Khalil Mack, Raiders; Von Miller, Broncos; Navorro Bowman, 49ers
CB: Josh Norman, Panthers; Patrick Peterson, Cardinals
S: Tyrann Mathieu, Cardinals; Eric Berry, Chiefs

 

SPECIAL TEAMS

K: Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots
P: Johnny Hekker, Rams
KR: Tyler Lockett, Seahawks

 

Playoff previews: KC-HOU (1:00), PIT-CIN (11:00), SEA-MIN (24:00), GB-WAS (35:00)