New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara and guards Andrus Peat and Larry Warford have been named to the NFC Pro Bowl squad, it was announced by the Saints and the National Football League Tuesday, Jan. 22. It is Peat's first Pro Bowl, with the Saints now having a franchise-record eight players named to the league's all-star game, surpassing the seven named from the 2009 and 2017 squads. The Pro Bowl will be played on Sunday, Jan. 27 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla.
Kamara, 5 feet 10, 215 pounds, was selected by New Orleans in the third round (67th overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft by out of Tennessee. He joins George Rogers (1981-82) and Rueben Mayes (1986-87) as the third Saints running back to be named to the Pro Bowl in their first two seasons. Kamara, Rogers, Mayes and Deuce McAllister (2002-03) are the club's four running backs that have been selected multiple times, all twice. In his first two seasons, Kamara has played in 31 games with 16 starts and has carried 314 times for 1,611 yards (5.1 avg.) with 22 touchdowns and recorded 163 receptions for 1,518 yards and nine touchdowns. In 2018, he played in the first 15 games of the season with 13 starts and led the Saints in rushing with 194 carries for 883 yards (4.6 avg.) with 14 touchdowns and finished second on the team in receiving with 82 grabs for 692 yards and four touchdowns. Kamara's career-high 18 total touchdowns tied a team record and ranked second in the NFL. His 14 rushing touchdowns were a club-best all-time and also finished second in the league. His 1,592 total yards from scrimmage ranked seventh in the NFL. Adding 126 kickoff return yards and 82 punt return yards, the Atlanta native finished sixth in the league with 1,800 all-purpose yards. In the postseason Kamara added 24 carries for 86 yards and 15 receptions for 131 yards. Also returning six kickoffs for 164 yards (27.3 avg.), Kamara's 381 all-purpose yards was the highest NFL postseason total.
Peat, 6-7, 316, is a four-year NFL veteran who was selected in the first round (13th overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Saints out of Stanford. In his four seasons, he has opened 55 regular season games and three postseason contests at both left guard and left tackle and has played every offensive line position except for center. In 2018, Peat opened 13 regular season contests and both postseason games, all but the regular season finale (left tackle) at left guard.
Warford, 6-3, 317, is a six-year NFL veteran who was originally selected in the third round (65th overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions out of Kentucky. After starting all 57 games he appeared in and one postseason contest with the Lions from 2013-16, Warford was signed by New Orleans as an unrestricted free agent in the 2017 offseason and has started all 29 regular season games and four postseason contests he has appeared in for the Black and Gold at right guard. In 2018, he started the first 15 regular season contests and both playoff games and has now been named to his second consecutive Pro Bowl.
Peat and Warford blocked for the NFL's sixth-ranked rushing offense, which led the league with 26 rushing touchdowns as part of a line that surrendered only 20 sacks for the second consecutive season, also for the second straight campaign the lowest total in the NFC and second-lowest in the NFL. The two guards blocked for quarterback Drew Brees who surpassed his own NFL record for completion percentage (74.4), Kamara, who ranked second in the NFL with a franchise-record tying 18 touchdowns, including a club-record 14 on the ground to go with a career-high 1,592 total yards from scrimmage, and wide receiver Michael Thomas, who shattered the franchise's single-season receptions and receiving yardage records with a league-best 125 receptions for 1,405 yards and nine touchdowns, the receptions total being fifth-highest in league record books.
The 2018 Saints, with tackle Terron Armstead and center Max Unger initially selected to the Pro Bowl, have had four offensive linemen named to the league's all-star game for the first time.
Kamara replaces Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley. Peat will replace Philadelphia Eagles guard Brandon Brooks and Warford replaces Dallas Cowboys guard Zack Martin, both of whom are unable to participate due to injury.
