SANTA CLARA – Running back Carlos Hyde and left tackle Joe Staley are second alternates for the Pro Bowl, CSNBayArea.com has learned.
No 49ers players were chosen on the initial Pro Bowl rosters, which were announced on Tuesday. The 49ers are in danger of having no players at the Pro Bowl for the first time since 2005.
Hyde is the fourth-leading rusher in the NFC with 950 yards and a 4.7-yard average. Two running backs would have to drop out of the all-star game for Hyde to win a trip to the Pro Bowl, which will be played Jan. 29 in Orlando, Florida.
Dallas' Ezekiel Elliott, Arizona's David Johnson and Atlanta's Devonta Freeman were the running backs chosen to represent the NFC in the Pro Bowl.
Staley has been chosen to the past five Pro Bowls. Dallas' Tyron Smith, Washington's Trent Williams and Philadelphia's Jason Peters are the NFC's Pro Bowl tackles.
Among the players on the 49ers who could have been chosen as alternates but did not make the list are kicker Phil Dawson and rookie defensive lineman DeForest Buckner.
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Buckner has put together a solid season with statistics that rank favorable with the NFC interior linemen who were chosen. Buckner, who has played more snaps than any defensive lineman in the NFL, has 69 tackles and five sacks.
The three NFC interior linemen selected are Los Angeles' Aaron Donald (42 tackles, seven sacks), Tampa Bay's Gerald McCoy (27 tackles, seven sacks) and Philadelphia's Fletcher Cox (37 tackles, 6.5 sacks).