FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is the AFC's leading vote-getter in the most recent Pro Bowl fan balloting released Wednesday (behind only Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers overall), while Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker, guard Logan Mankins and defensive end Andre Carter are also top AFC vote-getters at their positions.
Carter was second in the previous voting, so this is a move up the ranks for him. He leapfrogged the Colts' Dwight Freeney.
A look at the Patriots that are currently ranked in the top 5 among AFC balloting:
Quarterback: Tom Brady (1st, 1,149,721 votes)
Wide receiver: Wes Welker (1st, 896.198)
Tight end: Rob Gronkowski (1st, 747,829), Aaron Hernandez (2nd, 211,972)
Offensive tackle: Matt Light (2nd, 247,498)
Guard: Logan Mankins (1st, 272,702), Brian Waters (4th, 161,463)
Center: Dan Connolly (4th, 151,616)
Defensive end: Andre Carter (1st, 389,491)
Defensive tackle: Vince Wilfork (3rd, 232,411)
Cornerback: Kyle Arrington (2nd, 368,982)
Strong Safety: Patrick Chung (5th, 49,695)
Kicker: Stephen Gostkowski (3rd, 57,144)
Punter: Zoltan Mesko (4th, 46,484)
Special teamer: Matthew Slater (4th, 59,927)
Fan voting (hop HERE to cast your ballot) runs through Monday, Dec. 19. The AFC and NFC All-Star squads are based on the consensus votes of fans, players and coaches. Each group’s vote counts one-third toward determining the 43-man rosters for each conference. NFL players and coaches will cast their votes on Dec. 21-22. The 2012 Pro Bowl will be played on Sunday, Jan. 29 (NBC, 7 p.m.) from Aloha Stadium in Honolulu.