20 most underrated football players of all time

But Wright never posted massive interception totals, and his teams ended up on the receiving end of a pair of Super Bowl beatings. Hes the only quarterback with AFL and NFL titles on his resume and he darn near pulled it off in the Canadian Football League as well. In Jahri Evans' four All-Pro seasons (2009-12), the Saints ranked first, sixth, first and second in the NFL in total yards. Slot specialists such as Julian Edelman and Victor Cruz are now considered valuable components to the modern passing game. He played 256 career regular-season games, never missing a start due to injury. Anderson's 1,000-yard seasons came in a primitive offense with a rudimentary passing game. Mike Kenn began his career playing left tackle for a lumbering 1970s power-running offense. Dont let the numbers fool you Morgan wasnt a one-trick racehorse. Robertson is so poorly remembered that it was hard to find a decent photo of him in our archives. The Hall of Fame eluded Ellard for several reasons: comparisons to Rice, the Rams' move to St. Louis (it takes hometown writers and buzz to mount a campaign) and those five early seasons in a ground-and-pound offense. Mills and Reggie White were the USFL's two greatest defenders ever. "I dont get it. Johnny Robinson's credentials make you want to drive to Canton, kick down the Hall of Fame's door and clear a spot for his bust yourself. Nothing screams underappreciated like rumors you're about to be traded to make room for a late first-round pick. If the quarterback got rid of the ball before getting crushed, it was up to Allen to make a play. "That was my territory," Edwards recalled in The Palm Beach Post. He played for teams that were more interesting than outstanding, from the Ryan and Rich Kotite-era Eagles to the Jim Mora and Mike Ditka Saints to Jon Gruden's Raiders. Both players were Pro Bowlers the previous year. We could just trudge onward to the next player right now. But what peak years they were: 14- and 13-win seasons, annual playoff appearances, routine 4,000-yard, 30-touchdown seasons. Fewer yet realize that he made a crucial play in each victory. Those who like to shout "first-ballot Hall of Famer" about Rivers do not know how the Hall of Fame works. If you guessed both or neither one, youre wrong. He was one of the first true slot receivers of 21st-century NFL offenses. Super Bowl victories? Marshall cant get his name even on the preliminary Hall of Fame ballot. Six All-Pro selections. Anderson became a footnote to the Ditka era, but fans who saw him play know he was far more than that. The USFL may not have been the NFL in terms of quality, but being the Luke Kuechly of a league that featured Herschel Walker, Jim Kelly and Steve Young should count for something. The 49ers drafted linebacker Reuben Foster at the bottom of the first round. Steve Atwater. Defensive Player of the Year awards? By the time the 49ers are great again, Bowman may be in his early 30s or on another team. No, what youll see are lots of gaping holes the size of Boulder. Rote was the first quarterback who regularly beat defenses with his legs as well as his arm. He headed to Washington and moved from the weak to strong side. Let's hope the fame doesn't go to his head. Bates finished tied for 6th in 2020 with 15 passes defended. Krieg was a career overachiever who survived 19 seasons on modest talent with defense-driven teams. The guy should demand a recount, I tell ya. Allen made a lot of plays. Waller upped his game in 2020 and hauled in 107 passes and nine touchdowns to earn his first Pro Bowl nod. That makes sense: Both started their careers late, played with workhorse running backs, won a championship and had their careers curtailed by vicious hits. The system helped make Hall of Famers of Kelly, Reed and Thomas. When Da Bears bean counters refused to pay up two years later, Marshall was the odd man out again. Maybe Wright wasn't a Blount-level legend, but he deserves better than to be the forgotten man among the Broncos' forgotten men. Some might say it's a stretch to put Allen on this list after four straight Pro Bowl seasons and 95+ catch seasons. It takes years of playing the wrong position for the wrong team in the wrong league at the wrong time. He lacked the straight-line speed to be a game-breaker. Off to a fast start in 2021, Sutton is quickly reminding opposing defenses of his talent. In 10 of the 12 seasons in which he started at least half their games, the Seahawks prevailed more times than not. Brown did one thing terribly wrong in 18 NFL seasons, but for his teams to win as often as they did, he must have done an awful lot more right. Neal Anderson replaced Walter Payton. chants for the best players who didnt get their just dues over the years. ", Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Oilers, Buffalo Bills, Washington Redskins, Pro Bowl appearances (AFL All-Star Game): Two (1965, 1967). "When I was there, the thing we were missing was that explosive type of offense, and the new coach brought that in.". He is also infamous for admitting on ESPN Radio that he once purposely let Packers defender Sean Jones sack Scott Mitchell so the struggling quarterback would get knocked out of a game. In Dierdorfs second to last season, the Cardinals were embarrassed by the Packers 41-16 in their playoff opener. Sam Mills rises above the rest of the gritty linebacker pack, at least when it comes to being underrated, because three of his greatest seasons have been erased from history. He was a six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro. A beast in coverage, Jones continues to round out his game as one of the top overall linebackers in football. The linebacker ranks 17th in career solo tackles (1,130) and is the only player to be part of three consecutive Super Bowl champions. WebTop 20 Most Underrated Footballers in 2022 1. Franklin-Myers has the ability to play anywhere on the defensive line and is off to a strong start in the Jets' new 4-3 defense under head coach Robert Saleh. There may be such a thing as too much blitzing, after all. Actually, theres a simple explanation. If John Hadl is remembered for anything these days, it's for one of the most disastrous trades in NFL history. The best teams in the AFL proved to be NFL-caliber, but the bottom of the league was populated with a nearly bankrupt franchise or two, so the best players clumped on the best teams and stood out from the crowd. Rivers had neither, but he possessed just about everything else. After making the Pro Bowl twice early in his career, David has failed to make it since 2015 while still playing at a high level. Teams kept doing something special to get their hands on Hadl. He also scored 35 touchdowns on the ground in that span. A mauler of a right guard, Timmerman also was agile enough to escort Marshall Faulk on screens and sweeps. He routinely beat defenders with quickness out of his breaks and clever change-of-pace moves, qualities that also served him well as a punt returner. To make our list, a player must contribute to a winning effort while putting up bad stats, misunderstood stats or no stats. Jackson finished his career with 11,438 rushing yards (18th all-time) and 15,121 total scrimmage yards (21st all-time). That's not something to hold against a player. Tom Jackson. Ryan made three Pro Bowls, but All-Pro status was blocked by a couple of guys named Johnny Unitas and Bart Starr. And because versatility is his calling card, he'll never produce gaudy sack totals or climb any all-time leaderboards. Bottom line: Few remember Glen Edwards as the fearless strong safety with the Steelers first two Super Bowl teams. Membership on various All-1960s teams. Two 10-interception seasons, with 57 career interceptions. Mason had seven seasons of at least 70 pass receptions, 1,000 yards and five touchdowns. "Because when the ball was thrown, I knew I had better ball skills and would go up and get it.". 1 overall pick, NFL coverage map 2021: TV schedule Week 16, Seattle Seahawks: 3 players who wont be back in 2022. Here is every NFL teams most underrated player of all time. The Bucs hired head coach Jon Gruden and won Super Bowl XXXVII the next season. Evans, the best pass-protecting guard of his era, was charged with making sure pass-rushers didn't get close enough to Brees to bat his passes down, let alone sack him. Overall, the total still ranks ninth at the position. He isn't the dynamic threat thatTyreek Hill orDavante Adams are, but Allen is an elite route runner that consistently puts up elite production. And to think, the guy never played in a Pro Bowl game. Roberston is the guy getting head-butted in the sternum and knocked backward by Campbell before the running back's jersey gets torn off. It's better to be remembered for one of the most painful moments in your career than to not be remembered at all. It's Bryant Young, whorecorded 89.5 sacks for the 49ers, 23 more than Haley. While most Giants fans remember Meggett, he is still one of the most underrated players of all time. Not one of the Jim Harbaugh-era guys. Jackson probably helped you win a fantasy title or two, but he would be remembered for so much more if he wasn't always on the wrong team at the wrong time. Success came early for Fletcher, recognition late. WebDeion Sanders: Deion Sanders is one of the most underrated players of all time. On the field, it is Diontae Johnson that has emerged as a favorite target of Big Ben. A Hall of Fame voter once warned me that "every town has its linebacker.". According to Next Gen Stats, Johnson averaged 3.6 yards of separation for each target during his rookie season, the most of any receiver in football. The statue portrays jubilant Packers fans in tundra-weather gear appearing to cradle a player who just pounced into the stands. MVP-caliber seasons (1,528 yards, 90 receptions, 16 total touchdowns in 2006) early in his career gave way to annual 1,100-1,200 yard, low-touchdown grinds as the Greatest Show Rams retired one by one and the team fell to 2-14 and 1-15. During his first four seasons, three with the Ravens and one in Oakland, Waller caught just 18 passes on 29 targets while also being suspended all of 2017. But Brown was a unique and underappreciated player for over a decade on a team that nearly revolutionized the way football is played. Web12. Both of those seasons came, ironically enough, after Allen and Buddy were separated. His 4.53 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine was far from elite level speed either, but none of that has not stopped Johnson from playing fast and producing at a high level for the Steelers. Bowman doesn't get the recognition he's due, and he may have to get used to it. Antoine Griezmann is known for his excellent left foot and can score and create goals with it; hence, he is one of the best left-footed midfielders. Bowman makes this list because he has the makings of a player who will be underappreciated historically. Super Bowl championships: Two (2005, 2008). Franklin-Myers went from fourth-round draft choice of the Rams in 2018, to a final roster cut in 2019. We look at the 10 most underrated players in football at the moment. Once an arbitrary number of players from a historic team get enshrined, the committee moves on in search of underappreciated players from other franchises. shaka wear graphic tees is candy digital publicly traded ellen lawson wife of ted lawson most underrated nfl players 2000s. It's not that Ellard, an Olympic-caliber triple-jumper with 4.4 speed, didn't know what he was doing. One of the most well-traveled quarterbacks in NFL history, Vinny Testaverde hung around long enough to register the seventh-most passing yards ever in his 20-year career. To understand why he is not in the Hall of Fame, you must familiarize yourself with both the era he played in and the vagaries of Hall voting. Bates is a ball-hawking safety in coverage with excellent range, intelligence, and athleticism. How he slipped through the cracks for 13 years remains one of the unsolved mysteries in pro football. Raphael Guerreiro - Borussia Dortmund. NaVorro Bowman trade rumors surfaced in early spring, only to be quickly squelched by new 49ers general manager John Lynch. Player B passed for 31,548 yards and 214 touchdowns and ran for 22 touchdowns with below average-to-good teams. "Underrated" is in the eye of the beholder, so let's establish some ground rules for these rankings: After that, players are ranked based how underappreciated they are, not how great they are. In two Super Bowl trips, Bahr didnt miss a kick three field goals, six PATs. He rose to Pro Bowl status playing left tackle for a single-back, Joe Gibbs-style 1980s offense. Anderson went on to duel with Walsh and Montana's 49ers in Super Bowl XVI. Mason was frequently his team's most valuable offensive player, but he and Steve McNair made their short pitch-and-catch passes look a little too easy. Rivers' excellence, longevity and ability to barely dodge immortality make him the John Hadl of his era. Super Bowl championships: Two (1996, 1999). But here's the thing: Gradishar, Mecklenberg and Atwater are famous for being snubbed. Theyre the core players who are overshadowed by more well-paid, high-profile teammates and just plain pathetic, shameless self-promoters. Quarterback ratings for Washington skyrocket when targeting McLaurin, who has become a nightmare to defend with the ball in his hands after the catch. While the 2021 season is still early, Johnson looks to have cleaned up some issues with drops that hindered his 2020 performance and is perhaps the only thing stopping him from gaining more notoriety. But the diminutive Brees would not have been able to lead the Saints to a Super Bowl and several seasons as top contenders without a clean pocket, particularly right in front of him. Its easy to forget the Seahawks had some pretty good teams way back when, even a few playoff ones. They were the Yale football of the NFL, their glory years moldering in history books. Not enough credit is given to Waller who lacks the Shanahan offense or elite QB to help take his game to the next level. And none of them produce the numbers he generated in less hospitable systems. Other than Steve Largent and Kurt Warner, Pro Bowlers were harder to find in the Seahawks offense than a haystack in the Space Needle. In both New England and Arizona, Jones has wreaked havoc on quarterbacks, demonstrating versatility as a 3-4 OLB and 4-3 DE. Web20 most underrated football players of all time 1. The Packers were a team with more history than identity when Butler arrived. Shenault is dynamic after the catch and plays like a running back with the ball in his hands. But things were different in the long-ago 1990s, when the sports universe belonged to teal-emblazoned expansion franchises and a youngish Tom Coughlin received a binder full of press clippings from the mother of a wide receiver ready to call it quits after injuries derailed his Cowboys career. While Graham's sack numbers have never hit double digits, he remains a complete player and Super Bowl champion. WebWhile positional drills may be more indicative of a player's success in the NFL, other events like the 40-yard dash, three-cone drill and bench press are less obvious. If not for Schlereth's many health problems that included 29 surgeries, 15 on his left knee alone, he would have been a perennial Pro Bowl selection. The start to his career is Hall of Fame worthy and includes a Super Bowl championship while with the New England Patriots. Cooke is the most underrated player in the sport, performing mostly in the wonderful but considerable shadows of Boston, Staleys grand personality and all the noise at Colonial Life Arena. After the Bills failed to score, he knocked quarterback Jim Kelly out of the game in the next series. McDole played 251 professional games as a defensive lineman, a remarkable feat in any era that should not be forgotten. Maybe there is still an NFL team in San Diego. (Bonus point: Schlereth doesnt suck as a broadcaster on ESPN. McLaurins numbers through two-plus seasons are very similar to Stefon Diggs, who went through a similar quarterback situation early during his career in Minnesota. Edouard Mendy of Chelsea celebrates after his sides victory in the Premier League match 2. Despite his incredibly high waist seriously, check out his build Kelvin Beachum has been one of the most underrated tackles in the NFL. Angel Di Maria. He helped the Packers win a Super Bowl. When the team inducted Smith into the Pride of the Jaguars ring of honor last year, it was the strange case of a moribund franchise honoring a former receiver still on parole for succumbing to the demons of addiction. He also doesn't play in the shadow of a legend. While every fan base is sure to have two or three names they feel are undervalued and worthy of this list, here are my current top ten underrated players in the NFL. No matter. Far from it. Bottom line: The Greatest Show On Turf boasted so much star power you couldnt tell the other Rams without a program. Hall of Fame receiver Paul Warfield was on the receiving end of many of Ryan's touchdowns. McDole's Bills defenses held opponents to fewer than 3.1 yards per carry across three consecutive seasons. Hull was not just a great lineman but a groundbreaking one. So LeRoy Butler, innovator of the Lambeau Leap, is excluded from his own statue. Wisniewski reached eight Pro Bowls and was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-Decade team for the 1990s, so he's not exactly obscure. It is absurd that Jones isnt talked about more with his ability to impact games. Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, acquired the 34-year-old Rams quarterback by, Ronald C. Modra/Sports Imagery/Getty Images, Pro Football Reference Similar Players tool, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. An all-underrated team like this one can get flooded with Zach Thomas, Hardy Nickerson, Tommy Nobis and Tedy Bruschi types if we don't get a little choosy. Dave Meggett -- RB, 1989-1994. He's the Rams' all-time leading rusher with almost 3,000 more yards for the franchise than Marshall Faulk or Eric Dickerson. Ground rules: A max of three Pro Bowl invitations. He didnt just take up space, either. If Isiah Robertson is famous at all, it's for being "posterized" by Earl Campbell in one of the most famous NFL Films highlights of all time. Shanahan uses Juszczyk as a traditional lead blocking back, but he provides plenty of versatility out of the backfield and with the ball in his hands. His stardom was spread among three teams, robbing him of local hero status (or Hall of Fame momentum) in any one city. Try Dave Krieg. Ronald Koeman is a bonafide legend of Dutch football. He led his team to an NFL championship. But there is no player; fans themselves get to "leap" into the statue for photo ops. The Pro Football Reference Similar Players tool compares Ryan's five-year peak to that of Joe Theismann. Poor Louis Wright has a hard time even making the Broncos' overcrowded All-Snub Team. As a 31-year-old, no less. Buckner earned his first All-Pro honors in 2020 and still has plenty of untapped potential to take his game to another level at just 27 years old. That's a higher sack total than Dwight Freeney or Robert Mathis. But none accomplished more than Ryan while receiving less acclaim. That made Hull one of the first centers to make line adjustments on the fly. No one plays guard expecting fame and accolades, least of all Wisniewski, who is worthy of all the gritty cliches you can sling at him. It didnt help that he had ordinary quarterbacks named Tony Eason and Steve Grogan to throw him the ball. McLaurins route running continues to improve while routinely making contested catches look easy. WebMost Underrated NFL Players of All Time These men did so much but received so little credit in return. Fletcher intercepted 23 passes and recorded 39 sacks as a do-it-all middle linebacker. A longtime semifinalist, his case is about to be handed over to the Veterans Committee, which has done a fine job recently of correcting oversights from Kenn's era. Bottom line: The 49ers of the 1980s are remembered most for Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, coach Bill Walsh and the West Coast offense. His 2,690 all-purpose yards with the Titans in the 2000 season are second in league history. Waller was a sixth-round draft pick at wide receiver by the Ravens in 2015 and struggled to find targets early in his career in spite of his 66 frame. Quarterback is the most important position in organized football and maybe in all of sports, so it should be no surprise that men who play QB dominate the top spots of this list. Regardless of the Cardinals struggles, Dierdorf was a star. 25 Feb/23. The Cardinals were 0-3 in the playoffs in Dierdorfs time with the team, and none of the games were particularly close. Juszczyk has made five Pro Bowl appearances, including each season since joining San Francisco in 2017. Buckner is a smart player and one of the better-run defenders in football. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996. On a walk-through between center and left guard, naturally. The Rams eventually acquired Jim Everett and opened up their offense, transforming Ellard into one of the NFL's most dangerous deep threats. New England Patriots wide receiver Stanley Morgan, right, battles for

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