20 most underrated football players of all time

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. Many of those catches occurred down the field, with Anderson serving as a de facto possession receiver. Fletcher followed Gregg Williams from coaching stop to coaching stop, serving as the sometimes controversial, always effective defensive mastermind's field marshal. Hes on the short list of running back leaders in yards per rush (4.6, 17th), touches (2,824, 25th) and yards from scrimmage (14,079, 35th) in NFL history. "Because when the ball was thrown, I knew I had better ball skills and would go up and get it.". Mike Kenn began his career playing left tackle for a lumbering 1970s power-running offense. He didnt just take up space, either. But a double whammyplaying center and playing for the Broncoshas kept him miles from Hall of Fame consideration. Oakland Raiders. Addiction soon began consuming Smith's career, and then his life. They didnt do anything that Tobin Rote hadnt done a long time ago. There are a ton of names in the conversation for best offensive linemen of all time, but Dierdorf never seems to have his name mentioned. It doesn't matter: If you are a Broncos defender, you might as well forget about a bust in Canton. Since 2013, Jones has registered six double-digit sack seasons including a 17 sack season in 2017 that led the NFL, and a career-high of 19 in 2019. Karl Mecklenburg. While Stafford's game is Hall of Fame worthy, an 0-3 career record in the playoffs on some flawed Lions teams has done little to elevate his name into the conversation of top QBs. 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. Bottom line: Derrick Mason was among the shrewdest, most precise route runners of his time. He played 256 career regular-season games, never missing a start due to injury. Wide receiver Chase Claypool stole headlines as a rookie in 2020, while teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster always seems to attract headlines one way or another. Kolb set the Super Bowl standard for left tackles in Super Bowl IV, when he smoked undersized Minnesota Vikings end Jim Marshall like a bad cigar. He finished his career by doing something almost impossible: signing with the Patriots as a veteran role player during one of the few years they didn't reach the Super Bowl. Teams: Los Angeles Rams, Washington Redskins. 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. WebOnce called the toughest cornerback in the NFL by Jerry Rice, Lewis would have received much more acclaim in his career if hed played a position that wasnt just following other Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. most underrated player Still, Allen rarely gets respect as a true number one wideout. He is also proficient with his right foot and is a versatile player who can play multiple positions in the attacking third of the pitch. McDole's Bills defenses held opponents to fewer than 3.1 yards per carry across three consecutive seasons. But no highlight clip of that play can be found on the internet. The most underrated player on all Most Underrated By the time the 49ers are great again, Bowman may be in his early 30s or on another team. Ron McDole falls into that final category. It was a motivating factor for a number of years in my career. That's where the politics of Hall voting come in. He was an iron man for a powerhouse franchise that reached four Super Bowls while playing many of their home games in arctic conditions. Hence, the Campbell video. And you're never going to guess who's No. 1 overall pick, NFL coverage map 2021: TV schedule Week 16, Seattle Seahawks: 3 players who wont be back in 2022. If the soft-spoken scatback had been in the right place at the right time, he would have filled his one nagging void a Super Bowl title and the exposure that accompanied it. Put him on the Tom Brady-led Patriots, and Mason might have invented a new branch of mathematics. Bottom line: All Ken Norton could do was take down ballcarriers and collect Super Bowl rings. Dont let the numbers fool you Morgan wasnt a one-trick racehorse. THE MOST UNDERRATED PLAYERS OF ALL TIME - YouTube Most Underrated With that in mind, NFL 2023 Fantasy Baseball Draft Prep Guide: Rankings, tiers, sleepers If you guessed both or neither one, youre wrong. Make no mistake about it, Eric Bieniemys exodus from Kansas City to Washington is only one move on the chess board Overshadowed on a bad team for much of his early career, Bates also came from a draft that featured top safeties Minkah Fitzpatrick and Derwin James. He led the Bengals to a pair of playoff appearances in 1973 and 1975, Joe Montana's high school senior and Notre Dame sophomore seasons. Allen has much in common with many others on this underrated list. Peppers will have to play three more seasons to catch Marshall, and Peppers' starts are non-consecutive. Slot specialists such as Julian Edelman and Victor Cruz are now considered valuable components to the modern passing game. A beast in coverage, Jones continues to round out his game as one of the top overall linebackers in football. 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. Johnson can line up all over the field and consistently find space in the opposing defense. They didnt allow a sack in 84 pass attempts. FEDERICO CHIESA. Bottom line: Adam Vinatieri was money in the postseason, but Matt Bahr was even better. 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 his Rams had a running back named Eric Dickerson and quarterbacks named Dieter Brock and Jeff Kemp. Buckner plays within the defense, often allowing others to make plays, but remains a nightmare trying to block one on one. Thats what Krieg did best win football games. What Mason did have was a keen attention to detail and fanatical drive to succeed. Rote was the first quarterback who regularly beat defenses with his legs as well as his arm. The statue portrays jubilant Packers fans in tundra-weather gear appearing to cradle a player who just pounced into the stands. McLaurins route running continues to improve while routinely making contested catches look easy. He played left tackle in 1972 and moved to right tackle in 1974. Teams: Chicago Bears, Washington Redskins, Houston Oilers, Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1986, 1987, 1992), Super Bowl championships: Two (1985, 1991). Jones topped the 100 career sack total in week one of 2021, a five-sack day that tied a Cardinals franchise record and set a personal career-best. During his time at Fiorentina, he was the best player, 2. Most underrated NFL players on all So Kenn basically had three careers. Rivers had neither, but he possessed just about everything else. He's the Rams' all-time leading rusher with almost 3,000 more yards for the franchise than Marshall Faulk or Eric Dickerson. But McCree did fumble. On the final play a year later, he picked off a Roger Staubach pass in the end zone that put the Cowboys to rest. Juszczyk has made five Pro Bowl appearances, including each season since joining San Francisco in 2017. 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. Butler has never even been a Hall of Fame semifinalist, and it's not going to happen for him soon. In both New England and Arizona, Jones has wreaked havoc on quarterbacks, demonstrating versatility as a 3-4 OLB and 4-3 DE. You know the type. He blitzed (20.5 sacks). Schlereth started in three Super Bowls with the Redskins and Broncos, all of them victories. When Da Bears bean counters refused to pay up two years later, Marshall was the odd man out again. Ryan made three Pro Bowls, but All-Pro status was blocked by a couple of guys named Johnny Unitas and Bart Starr. Passing wasn't really their thing. If the quarterback got rid of the ball before getting crushed, it was up to Allen to make a play. Ronald Koeman. 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. Lets hear some "un-der-ra-ted!" Try Dave Krieg. A new generation of superstar left tackles entered the league as Brown was peaking, and he spent the latter half of his career bouncing from team to team as Tony Boselli, Willie Roaf, Orlando Pace, Jonathan Ogden and Walter Jones turned the blindside protector into an almost glamorous position. His .588 win percentage ranks second to Wilson in team history. And almost nobody remembers that, when Edwards caught the ball, he knew what to do it. David has amassed 12 interceptions, 16 fumble recoveries, 24 forced fumbles, and 53 pass deflections during his career. That may tick him off. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996. Tom Nalen protected John Elway in a pair of Super Bowl victories and helped trigger a zone-blocking revolution as part of Alex Gibbs' influential offensive lines. Its easy to forget the Seahawks had some pretty good teams way back when, even a few playoff ones. So Anderson cranked out a few 1,000-yard seasons and played in some Pro Bowls, and that was that. Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, Super Bowl championships: Two (1979, 1990). Bahr converted 84 percent of his field-goal attempts (21 of 25), and 98 percent of his extra-point tries (40 of 41) when it counted most. Other than Steve Largent and Kurt Warner, Pro Bowlers were harder to find in the Seahawks offense than a haystack in the Space Needle. His 23 fourth-quarter comebacks (20th overall) are more than Dan Fouts, Jim Kelly, Sonny Jurgensen and Bart Starr, to name a few Hall of Famers at the position. But what peak years they were: 14- and 13-win seasons, annual playoff appearances, routine 4,000-yard, 30-touchdown seasons. Maybe Wright wasn't a Blount-level legend, but he deserves better than to be the forgotten man among the Broncos' forgotten men. Not one of the Jim Harbaugh-era guys. Web#shortsucl#bayernmunich #bayern #barcelona#football#footballedit#footballedits#footballshirts#soccer#socceredit#socceredits#soccershorts You mean future Hall of Fame tackle Orlando Pace didnt block four guys all by himself? WebWhile 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. Far from it. Not bad for a guy who might as well have played in a straight jacket for 14 seasons. The NFL is a star-driven league. Feyenoord v VVV Venlo - Eredivisie. 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. With his career spread evenly across three teams and zero All-Pro selections (a consequence of playing in the same era as Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher), Fletcher is a Hall of Fame long shot. There is one football player who could score from literally anywhere, and his name is 2. He then went on to start at left tackle for the playoff-bound Cardinals and 2000 NFC champion Giants. Both Courtland Sutton and teammate Tim Patrick could easily make this list together as neither player is discussed nearly enough. WebTop ten under-capped England players is a list Foden and Maddison want to avoid Matt Le Tissier won 10 fewer England caps than Carlton Palmer. Most Underrated The AFL was an eight- to 10-team league, so All-Pro selections were easier to come by. Every NFL teams most underrated player of all time - FanSided Honourable Mentions Hajime Hosogai, Hertha Berlin DM, Age: 27 Graham has only missed one game since 2012 prior to 2021, and similar to Hughes is a winning culture type of player. Guys who played in Jacksonville repeatedly have been crapped on in Pro Bowl and Hall of Fame votes, none more so than Taylor during and after his 11 seasons there. Buckner is a smart player and one of the better-run defenders in football. Evans is still playing at a high level; the Packers hope that he can do for Aaron Rodgers what he did for Brees. WebTop 20 Most Underrated NFL Players of All Time 20 Drew Brees. Teams: Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1993, 1995, 1997), Super Bowl championships: Three (1992, 1993, 1994). 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. And to think, the guy never played in a Pro Bowl game. Hull never lived to see himself make a Hall of Fame semifinalist list, as he died of liver failure at age 50 in 2011. Numbers better than majority of RBs in history. Edouard Mendy - Chelsea. Bottom line: The 1970s Steelers won four Super Bowls two with a power run game, two with a potent pass attack and who better than Jon Kolb to do the heavy lifting? Not Fred Dean. Start with Adam Timmerman, who won Super Bowl rings with the Packers and Rams three years apart. Most Underrated NFL Players of All Time | Stadium Talk The Rams acquired him from the Chargers in 1973 in exchange for defensive end Coy Bacon. Matthew Stafford is approaching 50,000 career passing yards, a number only topped by 11 quarterbacks in history. On this All-Underrated list, he is in very good company. Randy Gradishar. The Niners' willingness to spend big money on a long-term deal at fullback demonstrates the value and unique skill set Juszczyk provides. (Bonus point: Schlereth doesnt suck as a broadcaster on ESPN. Two names that are familiar to even casual football fans sit atop the mountaintop of underrated NFL players for the 2015 regular season. Brown is now best known as a television personality. It would rank 16th all-time, except that if we allow Marshall's sacks into the record, we would have to make room for Deacon Jones, Mean Joe Greene and others. He covered receivers (38 career interceptions). His 2,690 all-purpose yards with the Titans in the 2000 season are second in league history. Kenn is one of the NFL's all-time great players and leaders, and his impact ranges far beyond his playing career. Both of those seasons came, ironically enough, after Allen and Buddy were separated. McDole was a starting defensive end for two of history's legendary defenses: the AFL champion Buffalo Bills of 1964 and '65 and Washington's "Over-the-Hill Gang" of the early 1970s. That's a higher sack total than Dwight Freeney or Robert Mathis. He should be remembered as more than a throwback to the era when Lawrence Welk references were topical. Full name: Jordi Alba Ramos Date of birth: March 21, 1989 Age: 33 years old (as of 2023) Place of birth: L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain Height: 1.70 m Current team: He played center, as well, before his career was over. Moton has also committed just 10 penalties in over 50 career starts, an average of less than one penalty every five games. In Dierdorfs second to last season, the Cardinals were embarrassed by the Packers 41-16 in their playoff opener. He also had some of the clutch gene. Along with the legendary Johnny Unitas, Rote probably did more to change the quarterback position than anyone in the pre-merger era even if so few know it. His 65 interceptions are fifth most in NFL history. The Most Underrated Spanish Player Of All Time? - YouTube That "something" was throwing for more than 29,000 yards and going to four AFL All-Star Games and a Pro Bowl with the Chargers and then leading the Rams to a 12-2 record in 1973. Ryan would blitz between five and eight defenders, plus some water boys and maybe a few boo birds from the 700 level of Veterans Stadium. The Over-the-Hill Gang fielded one of the most ferocious pass rushes of its era, notching 53 sacks in 1973. McDole, nicknamed "The Dancing Bear" because of his boogie on the dance floor rather than his on-field footwork, was known as more of a run defender than a pass-rusher. On a walk-through between center and left guard, naturally. Jackson finished his career with 11,438 rushing yards (18th all-time) and 15,121 total scrimmage yards (21st all-time). Fewer yet realize that he made a crucial play in each victory. Juszczyk knows his role and is a winning player that will always fight to win those tough yards. The Bills were among the first teams to frequently operate without a huddle. All-time underrated and overrated players for FanDuel NFL 2021: Best lineup for Week 16, Jets HC Robert Saleh tests positive for COVID, could miss Jaguars game, LeVeon Bell fires back on Twitter at fans trolling him for signing with Buccaneers. The difference between the great and the all-time great is often a matter of timing and luck. But none accomplished more than Ryan while receiving less acclaim. Henry Ellard spent the first five seasons of his NFL career returning punts and putting up humdrum receiving stats. Bates finished tied for 6th in 2020 with 15 passes defended. NaVorro Bowman trade rumors surfaced in early spring, only to be quickly squelched by new 49ers general manager John Lynch. Success came early for Fletcher, recognition late. WebThe NFL is increasingly becoming a passing league. The Packers were a team with more history than identity when Butler arrived. Actually, theres a simple explanation. Saleh has compared Franklin-Myers to Arik Armstead, whom he coached in SF while registering 10 sacks in 2019. The guy should demand a recount, I tell ya. So LeRoy Butler, innovator of the Lambeau Leap, is excluded from his own statue. 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. Teammates Alan Page and Carl Ellar were held in higher regard. Jones played for the Cowboys from 1974-78 and 1980-89. Wright earned a second-team All-1970s nod from the Pro Football Hall of Fame, even though several of his signature years were in the 1980s. There are over 120 teams that compete in the FBS, which means that storylines and hidden superstars abound. He's also among the top 100 in games started (83rd), interception return yardage (89th) and interception return touchdowns (31st). Waller overcame addiction and his suspension to emerge in 2019, catching 90 passes for 1,145 yards and three touchdowns while starting all 16 games for the Raiders. Kenny Anderson may be the most "so underrated that he's overrated" player in NFL historya darling of the stat-head community and common first-guy-mentioned when Hall of Fame snubs come up. He recorded four consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons from 1988 through 1991, a rare feat at the time. 2023 NFL Scouting Combine: Day 2 Recap (Fantasy Football) "I dont get it. Jerry Rice and John Taylor may have been the greatest receiving tandem of that era, but Ellard and Flipper Anderson were the most explosive pair of deep threats. WebA key ingredient of arguably the best back four to grace the game Mauro Tassoti, him, Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini the Milan central defender made more than 450 Some of the 19 In 10 of the 12 seasons in which he started at least half their games, the Seahawks prevailed more times than not. Its a frigging joke that Taylor isnt in the Hall of Fame discussion. Sanders was an extremely But Anderson was an extraordinary talent. 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. Marshall reached just two Pro Bowls. Playing in Detroit can stifle any career. In Super Bowl IX, Edwards killed a drive and darn near Vikings intended receiver John Gilliam on a hellacious hit near the goal line. Player B passed for 31,548 yards and 214 touchdowns and ran for 22 touchdowns with below average-to-good teams. At 67 Buckner also has a wide arsenal of pass rush moves to pressure the quarterback. A mauler of a right guard, Timmerman also was agile enough to escort Marshall Faulk on screens and sweeps. "It pissed me off," Fletcher replied. These men did so much but received so little credit in return. That may be unfair to players like Robinson, Jerry Kramer and L.C. Why retain an expensive vestige of the last regime, or really the last three regimes? Jacksonville's all-time leading receiver is now beginning what he calls the "second chapter in his life." Through the 2018 season, Vinatieri checked in at 81 (56 of 69) and 99 (70 of 71), respectively. He also doesn't play in the shadow of a legend. To make our list, a player must contribute to a winning effort while putting up bad stats, misunderstood stats or no stats. Anderson went on to duel with Walsh and Montana's 49ers in Super Bowl XVI. Modern centers don't get the credit they deserve. After the Bills failed to score, he knocked quarterback Jim Kelly out of the game in the next series. Randy Gradishar. Beachum has lined up at both left and right tackle but displayed A dominant presence as a run blocker, Moton uses his athleticism to get to the next level of the defense in a hurry. 10 Most Underrated Football Players - Sports Al Dente Photo by JOHN CAPUTO/AFP via Getty Images, ST. LOUIS, MO CIRCA 1980: Ed Jones #72 of the Dallas Cowboys gets blocked by Dan Dierdorf #72 of the St. Louis Cardinals during an NFL football game circa 1980 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. Quick: Name the 49ers' all-time sack leader. But run defense was king in the era when McDole played, and his 16-year career is littered with big plays: 12 interceptions, 14 fumble recoveries, two touchdowns, three safeties and a pair of sacks in the 1966 AFL Championship Game. 20 Most Underrated Footballers on the Planet - Bleacher Report Tom Jackson. McDole is not known for much of anything anymore, as his AFL stardom came before the Super Bowl era and his Redskins heroics predated the era of Joe Gibbs and the Hogs. Off to a fast start in 2021, Sutton is quickly reminding opposing defenses of his talent. Poor Louis Wright has a hard time even making the Broncos' overcrowded All-Snub Team. Greenlaw is equally effective against the run and pass, a sure tackler, and brings plenty of energy to theNiners' defense. He had the speed to get to the edge and beat defenders down the sideline, the power to plow through tackles, the elusiveness to make things happen in the open field and receiving chops to rival contemporaries Roger Craig or Thurman Thomas. 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. So whaddya say, fans? He started for an offensive line that helped Barry Sanders win two of his four rushing titles. As a 31-year-old, no less. But the run-'n'-shoot took away more than it provided, and the early 1990s Lions kept getting obliterated by better defenses in the playoffs. Top 20 Most Underrated NFL Players of All Time | TheRichest In an era when 50 percent completion rates and 20-interception seasons were common for Pro Bowl quarterbacks, Anderson's 64.9 percent completion rate and quarterback ratings above 90 look like temporal anomalies. 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. There's a statue outside of Lambeau Field commemorating the Lambeau Leap, perhaps the most recognizable and beloved (except to Packers opponents) end-zone celebration in the NFL. Krieg was a career overachiever who survived 19 seasons on modest talent with defense-driven teams. The rumors themselves were not surprising. 1. 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. In Jahri Evans' four All-Pro seasons (2009-12), the Saints ranked first, sixth, first and second in the NFL in total yards. Super Bowl championships: Two (2005, 2008). The Colts accused Ryan of running up the score in the 27-0 championship rout of 1964. Related:Most Overrated NFL Players of All Time. And because versatility is his calling card, he'll never produce gaudy sack totals or climb any all-time leaderboards. In the nine seasons that Aaron Smith had double-digit starts, their D ranked among the top nine in yards allowed every time, but his consistent play went over the heads of many. Anderson is no Hall of Famerthe middle of his career is a morass of ordinary-at-best seasonsbut he was a pioneer and an innovator. As Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase earn praise for helping bring competitive football back to Cincinnati, safety Jessie Bates is a huge reason for the Bengals turnaround on defense. He has started every game he has played in since 2014 (with four different franchises). It takes bad timing and bad luck. He was one of the first true slot receivers of 21st-century NFL offenses. Get this: Ten of those seasons were spent with either the Vince Lombardi Packers or Don Shula Dolphins. Super Bowl championships: 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979. Jeff Saturday had to translate Peyton Manning's spur-of-the-moment audibles into protection schemes a split second before the snap. Maybe that victory gives them the psychological edge they need to beat the undefeated Patriots in their 2008 playoff rematch. After spending a season on the practice squad and injured-reserve with the Jets, Franklin-Myers made the most of his opportunities as a rotational player throughout most of 2020, leading to a starting role in 2021 and a massive $55M extension.

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