Lions rookie Kerby Joseph finishes first in fan Pro Bowl voting among NFC free safeties

Detroit Lions fans made a mad dash to the polls late last week, and when Pro Bowl voting ended on Friday, a surprise name finished atop the list in fan voting. As revealed by the NFL on Monday afternoon, rookie Kerby Joseph finished with the most fan votes among NFC free safeties. Going into the week, Joseph was sixth in fan voting, so the late surge really made a big difference.

Joseph is having a pretty fantastic rookie season. After being thrust into the lineup due to a season-ending injury to Tracy Walker, Joseph has made 11 starts. In that time he has been involved in six turnovers: three interceptions, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. In addition to that, he’s added 65 tackles, five passes defended, and a quarterback hit.

Now just because Joseph finished first in fan voting does not mean he will be a Pro Bowler. Fan vote only accounts for one-third of the final determination of the Pro Bowl roster. Player votes account for another third and votes from coaches make up the final third. That voting is completely confidential.

However, Pro Bowl rosters will be revealed this Wednesday, December 21 at 8 p.m. ET on NFL Network. It’s worth reminding everyone that there will no longer be a standard Pro Bowl game, but rather “Pro Bowl Games,” which will consist of skills competitions and a flag football game, and it will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada.

No other Lions players finished top at their position in fan voting, but Justin Rogers of The Detroit News provided an update on other players, several of which finished in the top three: