20 most underrated football players of all time 20 most underrated football players of all time

In Jahri Evans' four All-Pro seasons (2009-12), the Saints ranked first, sixth, first and second in the NFL in total yards. McDole played 251 professional games as a defensive lineman, a remarkable feat in any era that should not be forgotten. Year after year, Chandler Jones is one of the best pure pass rushers in football. 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. There would not be another exchange of current Pro Bowlers in the NFL until the Broncos and Redskins exchanged Champ Bailey and Clinton Portis in 2004. Feyenoord v VVV Venlo - Eredivisie. Moton started all 16 games each of the last four years, gradually improving and joining the conversation of best right tackles in football. Two names that are familiar to even casual football fans sit atop the mountaintop of underrated NFL players for the 2015 regular season. Buckner is rarely discussed with the likes of Cameron Heyward, Fletcher Cox, or Grady Jarrett among the top interior defensive linemen (next tier behind Aaron Donald), but he is every bit as talented. The converted all-purpose athlete became one of the fathers of modern quarterbacking. 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. Maybe Wright wasn't a Blount-level legend, but he deserves better than to be the forgotten man among the Broncos' forgotten men. WebBUY OUR MERCH: https://www.thegivengo.com/merchTIK TOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@thegivengoSPOTIFY: And to think, the guy never played in a Pro Bowl game. 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. It was the era of great defensive lines with catchy namesthe Rams had the Fearsome Foursome, the Cowboys the Doomsday Defense, the Steelers later added the Steel Curtain, and so forthand Marshall was the Ringo Starr of the Purple People Eaters, the guy who once ran the wrong way for a touchdown and was happy just to be in the band. In Super Bowl IX, Edwards killed a drive and darn near Vikings intended receiver John Gilliam on a hellacious hit near the goal line. "It was tough, but I was happy for those guys," Dunn told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He reached the playoffs as a rookie backup in 2004 and a 32-year-old backup in 2015, but zero times in the decade in between. He played 256 career regular-season games, never missing a start due to injury. Success came early for Fletcher, recognition late. The Over-the-Hill Gang fielded one of the most ferocious pass rushes of its era, notching 53 sacks in 1973. 1 overall pick, NFL coverage map 2021: TV schedule Week 16, Seattle Seahawks: 3 players who wont be back in 2022. Jacksonville's all-time leading receiver is now beginning what he calls the "second chapter in his life." New England Patriots wide receiver Stanley Morgan, right, battles for 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. A great story off the field and rare talent on it, Waller appears to still be getting better at age 29. Even pesky third-down backs and gritty fullbacks may seem underrated until you realize how many of them become local heroes. Quarterback ratings for Washington skyrocket when targeting McLaurin, who has become a nightmare to defend with the ball in his hands after the catch. Fleming was a reliable backup tight end/wide receiver who played with four Super Bowl-winners (and one NFL champion) in a dozen seasons. Henry Ellard spent the first five seasons of his NFL career returning punts and putting up humdrum receiving stats. The Pro Football Reference Similar Players tool compares Ryan's five-year peak to that of Joe Theismann. He had 44 career sacks and as many as eight in a season on two occasions. "I wasnt the fastest guy, but I didnt mind having the defender at my hip," Ellard said per Yahoo Sports. Krieg was a career overachiever who survived 19 seasons on modest talent with defense-driven teams. Naturally, it also guarantees that some of the best players in the country get overshadowed and forgotten in the sport's warp-speed news cycle. He should be remembered as more than a throwback to the era when Lawrence Welk references were topical. 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? And let's not place the full burden of history on his shoulders, as Marty Schottenheimer, Norv Turner, the Chargers front office and Rivers himself had a hand in making the team a playoff also-ran during those peak years. In Dierdorfs second to last season, the Cardinals were embarrassed by the Packers 41-16 in their playoff opener. But here's the thing: Gradishar, Mecklenberg and Atwater are famous for being snubbed. Quick: Name the 49ers' all-time sack leader. Matthew Stafford is approaching 50,000 career passing yards, a number only topped by 11 quarterbacks in history. Mike Williams is an elite deep threat at wide receiver and has maintained an average YPC of over 15 every year since 2018. And because versatility is his calling card, he'll never produce gaudy sack totals or climb any all-time leaderboards. 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. He played in the run-'n'-shoot offense, which means he was on an island against the NFL's best pass-rushers on every snap for a half-decadeno tight end flanking him, no blocking back behind him. He's not the kind of player a wise organization sheds to cut expenses. He became an All-Pro playing blindside protector in an early 1990s run-'n'-shoot offense. Young started his career as the NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year and ended it as a four-time winner of the Len Eshmont Award, the 49ers' team award for character and leadership. Developing a rapport with new QB Trevor Lawrence should only help Shenault quickly reach his true potential. These men did so much but received so little credit in return. 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. Teams: Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Houston Texans. Marshall cant get his name even on the preliminary Hall of Fame ballot. 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. "Because when the ball was thrown, I knew I had better ball skills and would go up and get it.". Teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1997, 2000, 2005). Super Bowl championships: Two (2005, 2008). Raphael Guerreiro - Borussia Dortmund. Ron McDole falls into that final category. 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. Sutton hauled in 72 catches for 1,112 yards during his second season in the league before a knee injury cut short his 2020campaign after 1 game. Sideways. It doesn't matter: If you are a Broncos defender, you might as well forget about a bust in Canton. Oh, and sub-packages were pretty rare in the 1960s and 1970s, so Marshall didn't leave the field much. 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. Sad to say, Morgan was woefully miscast in a run-first offense in a less pass-friendly time. Passing wasn't really their thing. White: 12 underrated players; White: 12 overrated players; Towers: Generic vs. Name Brand; Prospect hunting . 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. Bates is a ball-hawking safety in coverage with excellent range, intelligence, and athleticism. For years, the team couldn't even harken back to its glory days properly, as Smith's Pride of the Jaguars induction was delayed until he was sober and no longer under house arrest. Those accomplishments may soon finally land Kenn in the Hall of Fame. Related:Most Overrated NFL Players of All Time. Rote was the first quarterback who regularly beat defenses with his legs as well as his arm. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images). Jones played for the Cowboys from 1974-78 and 1980-89. Smith wasnt a no-show on third-and-long, either. Bottom line: In the Steelers' 3-4 scheme, defensive ends were akin to smaller, more agile tackles run-stoppers first, pass-rushers second. What Mason did have was a keen attention to detail and fanatical drive to succeed. 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. If Morgan had played in a pass-happy offense with a Pro Bowl quarterback and hands-off rules, you would find him in Canton right now. 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. 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. Roberston is the guy getting head-butted in the sternum and knocked backward by Campbell before the running back's jersey gets torn off. And then there is Kent Hull, the first center to achieve greatness in a no-huddle offense. Tom Jackson. A Super Bowl ring and two AFL championships. Hes also among a select few to be a four-time Super Bowl champion. Bates finished tied for 6th in 2020 with 15 passes defended. Many of those catches occurred down the field, with Anderson serving as a de facto possession receiver. His career was cut short by injuries suffered in the first of those three Pro Bowls. Greenlaw is equally effective against the run and pass, a sure tackler, and brings plenty of energy to theNiners' defense. Bottom line: One of the premier long-ball threats of any era, Stanley Morgan ranks 10th in yards per reception (19.2) and 39th in touchdown catches (72) on the all-time list. 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. Hull started his professional career with the USFL's New Jersey Generals, where he helped Herschel Walker rush for 2,411 yards in one 18-game season. Actually, make that four careers. But no highlight clip of that play can be found on the internet. So it takes a remarkable streak of hard luck for a running back to make this list. Some might say it's a stretch to put Allen on this list after four straight Pro Bowl seasons and 95+ catch seasons. His 65 interceptions are fifth most in NFL history. Player B passed for 31,548 yards and 214 touchdowns and ran for 22 touchdowns with below average-to-good teams. Jordi Alba. But McCree did fumble. It was a motivating factor for a number of years in my career. Seven times, he surpassed 1,000 yards on pass receptions, most of them on slants and corner routes. Far from it. Wouldnt you know it? Evans is a long shot to do either, which is a shame. He announced his retirement from pro football in 2010, not long after signing with the Arizona Cardinals. Ogbah has always been a steady presence rushing the quarterback but broke out in 2020 during his first season with the Dolphins. Not one of the Jim Harbaugh-era guys. Efficient? During his nine seasons in Buffalo, Hughes has emerged as a leader while registering double-digits in QB hits every season but one. McLaurin registered 87 catches in 2020 after 58 during his rookie season in 2019. 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. 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. Dunn finished his career with 15,655 all-purpose yards, 25th in league history, one of the best players never to be a champion. There, he led a relentless Redskins pass rush in their Super Bowl XXVI ambush. It made the Bills of the early 1990s the greatest team to never win a Super Bowl. 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. 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. No, what youll see are lots of gaping holes the size of Boulder. 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. Bottom line: The Greatest Show On Turf boasted so much star power you couldnt tell the other Rams without a program. Frank Ryan led the NFL in passing touchdowns twice. He then became a staple of trivia questions and All-Time Worst Trades listicles, as the Lawrence Welk trade overshadowed an even more impressive moment in Hadl's transaction history. Perhaps Hull would be in the Hall of Fame if the Bills had won even one Super Bowl. Jackson then moved on to Atlanta just after the collapse of the Mike Smith playoff teams but before the rise of the current Dan Quinn contenders. Were talking about the most unsung, underappreciated players in NFL history here. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Bottom line: After eight seasons in Buffalo, where he had been a mainstay with the best defense in AFL history, Ron McDole took his two-bar helmet to Washington. Today we look back at the most underrated Quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, and a few of these should be in Canton. Pro Bowl? That may be unfair to players like Robinson, Jerry Kramer and L.C. Numbers better than majority of RBs in history. So LeRoy Butler, innovator of the Lambeau Leap, is excluded from his own statue. Evans is still playing at a high level; the Packers hope that he can do for Aaron Rodgers what he did for Brees. Still don't understand why the writers don't respect it.". Bottom line: For 16 seasons, Henry Ellard wreaked havoc as a pass receiver and punt returner. Mills and Reggie White were the USFL's two greatest defenders ever. Shenault is dynamic after the catch and plays like a running back with the ball in his hands. So Anderson cranked out a few 1,000-yard seasons and played in some Pro Bowls, and that was that. But this list is all about giving overlooked players their due respect. "No one was going to catch no ball.". With Warfield hurt nearly all of that season, Ryan helped make a Pro Bowler out of receiver/punter Gary Collins. When London Fletcher retired after the 2014 season, Robert Klemko of The MMQBasked him if he was motivated by feeling underappreciated for most of his career. Bottom line: All Ken Norton could do was take down ballcarriers and collect Super Bowl rings. Neal Anderson replaced Walter Payton. Fletcher intercepted 23 passes and recorded 39 sacks as a do-it-all middle linebacker. Young was a devastating interior pass-rusher who recorded 30 sacks in the three-year span from 1998 through 2000. In his most prolific early season, he caught 54 passes for 811 yards and five touchdowns. 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. 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. 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. 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. He was arrested four times after his abrupt retirement. There will never be another player like Marshall. And then there is plain old forgotten. It's Bryant Young, whorecorded 89.5 sacks for the 49ers, 23 more than Haley. WebTop 20 Most Underrated NFL Players of All Time 20 Drew Brees. 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. He played left tackle in 1972 and moved to right tackle in 1974. Jerry Hughes has been a consistent pass rusher and important piece to the Buffalo Bills defense. A dominant presence as a run blocker, Moton uses his athleticism to get to the next level of the defense in a hurry. He was one of the first true slot receivers of 21st-century NFL offenses. He took over as the Bears' featured offensive weapon after the Super Bowl Shuffle years. And none of them produce the numbers he generated in less hospitable systems. While Kreig didnt possess fleet feet or a bazooka arm, he could read defenses and throw an accurate ball. 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. 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. (Bonus point: Schlereth doesnt suck as a broadcaster on ESPN. In the 1950s and the days of 12-game regular seasons, he rushed for 3,078 yards, nearly 1,000 more than the runner-up. In addition to the most underrated and overrated Raiders of all time, Adam Rank goes on a mini-tirade about a criminally underrated coach. Raphael Guerreiro of Borussia Dortmund Looks Unless you live in Cleveland or are over 50, you probably have never heard of him. One look at the logjam forming outside the entrance to Canton tells you Wisniewski isn't moving up the ladder anytime soon. He was overshadowed by more famous teammates throughout his career. The rumors themselves were not surprising. 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 So Kenn basically had three careers. He enjoyed one of the greatest receiving games in NFL history: 15 catches, 291 yards and three touchdowns against the historic 2000 Ravens defense. The best we can offer is a little bit of credit where a lot is due. By the time the 49ers are great again, Bowman may be in his early 30s or on another team. Man Utd's double winning Here are ten of the most underrated college football players of all time. Eric Allen's job in Buddy Ryan's 46 defense was simple. Kenn was one of the leaders of the NFL Players Association during the era of replacement players and court battles over free agency. Why retain an expensive vestige of the last regime, or really the last three regimes? WebFive players made their "Top 100" debuts -- David Montgomery, Jimmie Ward, CeeDee Lamb, Justin Tucker and Kyle Pitts -- in Episode 1 (Nos. Theyre the core players who are overshadowed by more well-paid, high-profile teammates and just plain pathetic, shameless self-promoters. They were the Yale football of the NFL, their glory years moldering in history books. Bates has still developed into a leader in the Bengals secondary and arguably their best player on defense. That's not something to hold against a player. At only 510, Johnson lacks the ideal size. Those who like to shout "first-ballot Hall of Famer" about Rivers do not know how the Hall of Fame works. He helped the Packers win a Super Bowl. But none accomplished more than Ryan while receiving less acclaim. Johnson can line up all over the field and consistently find space in the opposing defense. Web113 Likes, TikTok video from FootWorld (@lovingfootbal): "The most underrated player of all time #dimaria #football". Mostly Schlereth and sidekick Tom Nalen, who were masters of zone-blocking schemes, a major reason why Davis is in the Hall of Fame today. Fifteen years ago, similar receivers were gimmicky undersized role players. Greenwood, but there are dozens of other great old players clamoring for their chance who didn't enjoy the glory of playing for a "team of the decade.". 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. They never had any playoff success, even when they did make it into the postseason. Running backs suffer none of the "didn't win the big game" biases that color our perception of quarterbacks. The Colts accused Ryan of running up the score in the 27-0 championship rout of 1964. 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. Bottom line: Adam Vinatieri was money in the postseason, but Matt Bahr was even better. 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. 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. 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 Players like McDole are what all-time underrated lists exist for. Teams: Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Tennessee Oilers, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1984, 1988, 1989). Butler has never even been a Hall of Fame semifinalist, and it's not going to happen for him soon. McDole's Bills defenses held opponents to fewer than 3.1 yards per carry across three consecutive seasons. Mike Kenn began his career playing left tackle for a lumbering 1970s power-running offense. Finally, at last, the cornerback was selected to play in his first Pro Bowl game as some kind of lifetime achievement award. Sanders was an extremely Then again, the fourth-round draft pick had no choice. His teams averaged 392.0 yards and 34.0 points in those games. Ellard moved on to Washington in 1994 and enjoyed a late-career renaissance, averaging 61 catches and 18.8 yards per reception over a three-year span in his mid-30s. 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. Upon entering the league in 2019, Johnson recorded 59 catches as a rookie and then topped that mark in 2020 with 88 catches. While Graham's sack numbers have never hit double digits, he remains a complete player and Super Bowl champion. More than anything, though, Rote was a leader and winner. 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. 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. He played the run with authority (721 career solo tackles). FEDERICO CHIESA. Fewer yet realize that he made a crucial play in each victory. Buckner is a smart player and one of the better-run defenders in football. Butler was the NFL's most dangerous all-purpose safety for much of the 1990s. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. If McCree doesn't cough up that fourth-quarter pick, the Chargers beat the Patriots, and perhaps Philip Rivers leads a team that went 14-2 in the regular season to the Super Bowl. Bowman doesn't get the recognition he's due, and he may have to get used to it. One of the greatest defenders in the history of a storied franchise, Young is just another victim of bad timing when it comes to getting the reputation he deserves. 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. TGT Tips! Or as astute NBC broadcaster Dick Enberg scored it, "KO for Ken Norton.". If Marlon McCree hadn't fumbled that interception in the playoffs after the 2006 season, everything might have been different. Web#shortsucl#bayernmunich #bayern #barcelona#football#footballedit#footballedits#footballshirts#soccer#socceredit#socceredits#soccershorts Hull never lived to see himself make a Hall of Fame semifinalist list, as he died of liver failure at age 50 in 2011. 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. He was a eight-time Pro Bowler and one-time Super Bowl champion. He ran a Sonny Jurgensen pass back 59 yards in the fourth quarter to seal a Rams playoff win over the Redskins in 1974. 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. Web12. Even so, Smith was pretty much a well-kept secret outside Pittsburgh despite meeting or approaching Pro Bowl standards for almost a decade. Web20 most underrated football players of all time 1. 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. He accounted for all his teams points in a 15-13 white-knuckler that wrecked the 49ers three-peat bid and sent the Giants to Super Bowl XXV. 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. The Hall of Fame has turned up its nose on all of them. 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.