20 most underrated football players of all time

Actually, make that four careers. The 6'2" Wright was renowned as a run-stuffing cornerbackthat's him tackling Walter Payton in the photobut he also intercepted 26 career passes, even though opposing quarterbacks spent much of his career avoiding him. Anderson's 1,000-yard seasons came in a primitive offense with a rudimentary passing game. The most similar current player to Anderson is Pittsburgh's Le'Veon Bell, but Bell plays in a modern offense that amplifies his production instead of suppressing it. He had to blanket a wide receiver in man coverage with no safety help on every play. 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. Overall, the total still ranks ninth at the position. The NFL is a star-driven league. They didnt do anything that Tobin Rote hadnt done a long time ago. In Dierdorfs second to last season, the Cardinals were embarrassed by the Packers 41-16 in their playoff opener. Put him on the Tom Brady-led Patriots, and Mason might have invented a new branch of mathematics. His 65 interceptions are fifth most in NFL history. 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. Along with Devin White, David was all over the field making plays around the ball and was one of the more valuable players in shutting down the Chiefs offense in the Super Bowl. He announced his retirement from pro football in 2010, not long after signing with the Arizona Cardinals. "That was my territory," Edwards recalled in The Palm Beach Post. He played left tackle in 1972 and moved to right tackle in 1974. Nope, not Charles Haley. Where did Davis score the game-winner late in Super Bowl XXXII? Jackson finished his career with 11,438 rushing yards (18th all-time) and 15,121 total scrimmage yards (21st all-time). We could just trudge onward to the next player right now. The Jaguars, meanwhile, slowly descended to their current status as the NFL's punching bag. There may be such a thing as too much blitzing, after all. Put Ellard in another era or even the AFC with an accomplished quarterback, and his legacy as The Best Wideout Not Named Jerry Rice would be that much greater. He must either play for teams so good that they overshadow his accomplishments, or teams so bad that he had to do it all by himself. The Rams acquired him from the Chargers in 1973 in exchange for defensive end Coy Bacon. 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. He also had some of the clutch gene. He isn't the dynamic threat thatTyreek Hill orDavante Adams are, but Allen is an elite route runner that consistently puts up elite production. Robinson is a staple of Hall of Fame Snubs lists, and he certainly has his case. 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. He was an iron man for a powerhouse franchise that reached four Super Bowls while playing many of their home games in arctic conditions. 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 where the politics of Hall voting come in. Travis Kelce and George Kittle dominate the conversation at tight end but Darren Waller is quickly emerging as a name that should be discussed as well. Bottom line: Never mind guys such as Michael Vick and Lamar Jackson. The AFL was an eight- to 10-team league, so All-Pro selections were easier to come by. 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. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. 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. Here on the All-Time Underrated List, it counts for a lot. Seven times, he surpassed 1,000 yards on pass receptions, most of them on slants and corner routes. In addition to the most underrated and overrated Raiders of all time, Adam Rank goes on a mini-tirade about a criminally underrated coach. WebFive players made their "Top 100" debuts -- David Montgomery, Jimmie Ward, CeeDee Lamb, Justin Tucker and Kyle Pitts -- in Episode 1 (Nos. 1. McDole's Bills defenses held opponents to fewer than 3.1 yards per carry across three consecutive seasons. Hadl signed with the Chargers instead, and Sid Gilman built him into the trigger man for an offense from which all modern offenses descended. But Anderson was an extraordinary talent. Schlereth started in three Super Bowls with the Redskins and Broncos, all of them victories. On the final play a year later, he picked off a Roger Staubach pass in the end zone that put the Cowboys to rest. Pro Football Reference rates him at near a Pro Bowl level well into his 30s. Oakland Raiders. Jordi Alba. While most Giants fans remember Meggett, he is still one of the most underrated players of all time. He helped the Packers win a Super Bowl. Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, Super Bowl championships: Two (1979, 1990). Super Bowl championships: Two (1996, 1999). And because versatility is his calling card, he'll never produce gaudy sack totals or climb any all-time leaderboards. He intercepted 25 career regular-season passes and two more in the postseason. Teams: Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos, Super Bowl championships: Three (1991, 1997, 1998). The statue portrays jubilant Packers fans in tundra-weather gear appearing to cradle a player who just pounced into the stands. 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. "Hate to say it, but I do believe I should be there (in Canton)," Marshall once said. On this All-Underrated list, he is in very good company. Today we look back at the most underrated Quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, and a few of these should be in Canton. Mason's 95-catch, 1,200-yard seasons translate to 115-catch monsters in more pass-oriented schemes. Web#shortsucl#bayernmunich #bayern #barcelona#football#footballedit#footballedits#footballshirts#soccer#socceredit#socceredits#soccershorts 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. He had one sack in four games, all Rams victories. Craters so big that you could drive a semi through them. Brown earned seven Pro Bowl berths and an All-Pro selection. 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. Fifteen years ago, similar receivers were gimmicky undersized role players. Greenlaw is equally effective against the run and pass, a sure tackler, and brings plenty of energy to theNiners' defense. Fletcher intercepted 23 passes and recorded 39 sacks as a do-it-all middle linebacker. Yet somehow, some way, Kolb never received a Pro Bowl invitation. Hence, the Campbell video. WebThe NFL is increasingly becoming a passing league. Old-timers call it the Lawrence Welk trade after a television bandleader of the era who would begin songs by counting off "A one, and a two, and a three". He should be remembered as more than a throwback to the era when Lawrence Welk references were topical. Player B passed for 31,548 yards and 214 touchdowns and ran for 22 touchdowns with below average-to-good teams. Hes also among a select few to be a four-time Super Bowl champion. Super Bowl victories? Bates has still developed into a leader in the Bengals secondary and arguably their best player on defense. Jeff Saturday had to translate Peyton Manning's spur-of-the-moment audibles into protection schemes a split second before the snap. Ohhh-kaaaaay, one of the Hasselbecks then? 1 overall pick, NFL coverage map 2021: TV schedule Week 16, Seattle Seahawks: 3 players who wont be back in 2022. While Graham's sack numbers have never hit double digits, he remains a complete player and Super Bowl champion. And he played in one stinking Pro Bowl game. Rote was the first quarterback who regularly beat defenses with his legs as well as his arm. Chiesa is a winger who plays for Juventus. But his Hall of Fame candidacy has been stuck in semifinalist limbo. Wouldnt you know it? Teams: Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Houston Texans. The best we can offer is a little bit of credit where a lot is due. Ellard was an Antonio Brown-level talent in his prime, but his teams were in no hurry to get him the ball. Actually, theres a simple explanation. TGT Play! Odds Deals Podcasts US USA Arizona California Colorado Connecticut Florida Georgia Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Louisiana Maryland Michigan New Jersey New York North Carolina Ohio 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. Six All-Pro selections. That feeling never really went away.". Bottom line: For 16 seasons, Henry Ellard wreaked havoc as a pass receiver and punt returner. Why retain an expensive vestige of the last regime, or really the last three regimes? 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. Deion Jones is one interception away from tying the all-time record for pick 6's by a linebacker, and he's done it in a fraction of the games. 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. Starting in at least 13 games every year since entering the league in 2012, David has finished just one season with less than 100 tackles. Franklin-Myers went from fourth-round draft choice of the Rams in 2018, to a final roster cut in 2019. The linebacker ranks 17th in career solo tackles (1,130) and is the only player to be part of three consecutive Super Bowl champions. The 49ers are installing a new system and reshaping their roster. WebThis list is for those players the ones who were great football players and did not get the credit they deserve. The admission probably slams the door of the Hall of Fame on Brown forever. Try Dave Krieg. Much of the Saints' offensive success in Evans' prime years is rightfully credited to Brees. There are no official sack statistics before 1982, but the Minnesota Vikings credit Jim Marshall with 127 career sacks. WebDuring the next few weeks, we here at NFL.com will unveil our Most Underrated and Overrated Players of All Time for all 32 teams and allow users to determine their It didnt help that he had ordinary quarterbacks named Tony Eason and Steve Grogan to throw him the ball. The least glamorous position on the field, a so-so team, a franchise moveWisniewski pulled three lemons on the recognition slot machine. So Kenn basically had three careers. Lambeau Field was an icy outpost; the Packers still played a handful of home games in Milwaukee back then. Efficient? TGT Tips! He won 65 percent of his NFL starts. 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. But c'mon: 289 regular-season and postseason starts, 127 sacks and four Super Bowl appearances, yet the Hall of Fame turns up its nose at Marshall as just a pretty good defender with a long career? FEDERICO CHIESA. Allen made a lot of plays. A bit more well-known after recently signing a four-year contract extension, John Franklin Myers is an easy player to root for and deserving of the success he has achieved. Kenn was one of the leaders of the NFL Players Association during the era of replacement players and court battles over free agency. The difference between the great and the all-time great is often a matter of timing and luck. These men did so much but received so little credit in return. Bottom line: If an inquiring mind had asked "Which team will win the Super Bowl?" Teams: Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1993, 1995, 1997), Super Bowl championships: Three (1992, 1993, 1994). Edouard Mendy - Chelsea. The Over-the-Hill Gang fielded one of the most ferocious pass rushes of its era, notching 53 sacks in 1973. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996. Bottom line: Warrick Dunn overcame the murder of his mother, bouts with depression and 5-foot-9 size to have a successful 12-year NFL career. Player B was a one-time MVP who played in two Pro Bowl games. Maybe Wright wasn't a Blount-level legend, but he deserves better than to be the forgotten man among the Broncos' forgotten men. Is Jalen Hurts the Future of the Philadelphia Eagles? Beachum has lined up at both left and right tackle but displayed By being overshadowed by Brown, achieving his greatest success just before the dawn of the Super Bowl era and getting stuck behind the Tom Brady and Peyton Manning of your grandfather's generation, Ryan earned the title of the NFL's All-Time Most Underrated Player. Honourable Mentions Hajime Hosogai, Hertha Berlin DM, Age: 27 It was a motivating factor for a number of years in my career. In two Super Bowl trips, Bahr didnt miss a kick three field goals, six PATs. If Marlon McCree hadn't fumbled that interception in the playoffs after the 2006 season, everything might have been different. 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. WebTop 20 Most Underrated Footballers in 2022 1. Super Bowl championships: Four (1981, 1984, 1988, 1989). Teams: New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Pro Bowl appearances: Four (1979, 1980, 1986, 1987). Web20 most underrated football players of all time 1. Young was a devastating interior pass-rusher who recorded 30 sacks in the three-year span from 1998 through 2000. Even without the same speed and athleticism as when he entered the league, David continues to find ways to make impact plays like a seasoned veteran. C'mon, who doesn't love Darren Sproles and Mike Tolbert? If he started his career a decade earlier or a decade later, Young would have anchored the defense for one of history's great teams or helped push the Harbaugh 49ers over the top in the Super Bowl. In 10 of the 12 seasons in which he started at least half their games, the Seahawks prevailed more times than not. Sanders was an extremely If John Hadl is remembered for anything these days, it's for one of the most disastrous trades in NFL history. 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? Frank Ryan led the NFL in passing touchdowns twice. In their two Super Bowl seasons that followed, Young was a virtual nonfactor in the matchup. "Even now I still get pissed off. 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. 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. He was usually the Bears' best rusher and receiver in his prime years, catching 40-50 passes per season from Mike Tomczak or the young Jim Harbaugh. Angel Di Maria. He was a Pro Bowler in 1974 and 75, and he was an All-Pro selection from 1976-78. So whaddya say, fans? Feyenoord v VVV Venlo - Eredivisie. Bowman makes this list because he has the makings of a player who will be underappreciated historically. Guards don't make the Hall of Fame unless they win multiple Super Bowls or play forever. Through the 2018 season, Vinatieri checked in at 81 (56 of 69) and 99 (70 of 71), respectively. There is one football player who could score from literally anywhere, and his name is 2. Coughlin gave Smith a tryout, then kickoff return duties, and then teamed him with Mark Brunell and Keenan McCardell to create one of the most dangerous passing attacks of the late '90s and early 2000s. The 49ers drafted linebacker Reuben Foster at the bottom of the first round. 10. WebMost Underrated NFL Players of All Time These men did so much but received so little credit in return. Its hard to think of a player more dominant and less talked about over a long period of time than Chandler Jones. Jones has also recorded at least 100 tackles every year since entering the league with the exception of 2018 when he played in only 6 games. 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. 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. 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. But a double whammyplaying center and playing for the Broncoshas kept him miles from Hall of Fame consideration. Brown is now best known as a television personality. Finally, at last, the cornerback was selected to play in his first Pro Bowl game as some kind of lifetime achievement award. A lifelong Tampa Bay Buccaneer, Davids 10-year career has been about consistency and productivity. The guy should demand a recount, I tell ya. The Rams eventually acquired Jim Everett and opened up their offense, transforming Ellard into one of the NFL's most dangerous deep threats. Yes, Marshall amassed that sack total by playing foreverhe started270 games (plus 19 playoff starts) from 1961 through 1979. Super Bowl championships: Four (1966, 1967, 1972, 1973). 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. Young played for the teams that slowly slid from George Seifert to Steve Mariucci to oblivion. 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. 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. But there is no player; fans themselves get to "leap" into the statue for photo ops. Bottom line: Terrell Davis rushed for 2,008 yards in his momentous 1998 season, but look at the game films and you wont see him fake out many defenders or break many tackles. The most underrated player on all 32 NFL teams Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard (20) runs with the ball while being tackled by Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters (24) in the second quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. 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. 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. Also, the field was often a block of ice. Eric Allen's job in Buddy Ryan's 46 defense was simple. Mills and Reggie White were the USFL's two greatest defenders ever. Marshall reached just two Pro Bowls. He once threw three touchdowns in a shutout victory in a title game. 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. 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. Theyre the flat-liners whose drop-dead consistency gets lost with average-to-bad teams, in smaller markets, with brain-challenged organizations that have little, if any, history of success. The start to his career is Hall of Fame worthy and includes a Super Bowl championship while with the New England Patriots. While coverage is Bates' strength, he can still lay the big hit and be a factor in run support. He became an All-Pro playing blindside protector in an early 1990s run-'n'-shoot offense. Theyre the core players who are overshadowed by more well-paid, high-profile teammates and just plain pathetic, shameless self-promoters. Taylor Moton has quietly emerged as a dominant presence at right tackle for the Panthers. Dierdorf started his career with the Cardinals in 1971 as a guard. He began his career at the tail end of Jim Harbaugh's great defensive teams, but he has since battled both injuries and the incompetence of the Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly experiments. It's hard for a running back to be underrated. 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. But what peak years they were: 14- and 13-win seasons, annual playoff appearances, routine 4,000-yard, 30-touchdown seasons. It takes more than mere greatness to be considered one of the most underrated players in pro football history. 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. Quarterback ratings for Washington skyrocket when targeting McLaurin, who has become a nightmare to defend with the ball in his hands after the catch. Unlike many of Marshall's teammates, however, he wasnt an obnoxious self-promoter, which partly explained his absence from the NFC Pro Bowl roster that season. Running backs suffer none of the "didn't win the big game" biases that color our perception of quarterbacks. A great story off the field and rare talent on it, Waller appears to still be getting better at age 29. Drew Brees endured an average of just 24 sacks per season in Evans' All-Pro seasons, despite typically dropping back to pass over 650 times per year. As a 31-year-old, no less. A dominant presence as a run blocker, Moton uses his athleticism to get to the next level of the defense in a hurry. Butler is all but guaranteed to get lost in the shuffle. Web#shortsucl#bayernmunich #bayern #barcelona#football#footballedit#footballedits#footballshirts#soccer#socceredit#socceredits#soccershorts Saleh has compared Franklin-Myers to Arik Armstead, whom he coached in SF while registering 10 sacks in 2019. Teammates Alan Page and Carl Ellar were held in higher regard. Lomas Brown played left tackle for four Lions playoff teams. #5. That makes sense: Both started their careers late, played with workhorse running backs, won a championship and had their careers curtailed by vicious hits. Start with Adam Timmerman, who won Super Bowl rings with the Packers and Rams three years apart. Robertson is so poorly remembered that it was hard to find a decent photo of him in our archives. He's not the kind of player a wise organization sheds to cut expenses.

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