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 The NFL is a star-driven league. If Anderson had failed, the 49ers may never have lured Walsh away from the Bengals staff. He was an iron man for a powerhouse franchise that reached four Super Bowls while playing many of their home games in arctic conditions. 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. Yes, Marshall amassed that sack total by playing foreverhe started270 games (plus 19 playoff starts) from 1961 through 1979. 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. 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. A great story off the field and rare talent on it, Waller appears to still be getting better at age 29. 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. 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. #5. Mills followed Mora to New Orleans and led the Dome Patrol linebacking corps, which brought the Saints franchise its first playoff appearances. 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. Seven times, he surpassed 1,000 yards on pass receptions, most of them on slants and corner routes. White: 12 underrated players; White: 12 overrated players; Towers: Generic vs. Name Brand; Prospect hunting . He intercepted 25 career regular-season passes and two more in the postseason. 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. Mike Kenn began his career playing left tackle for a lumbering 1970s power-running offense. Mills and Reggie White were the USFL's two greatest defenders ever. In Dierdorfs second to last season, the Cardinals were embarrassed by the Packers 41-16 in their playoff opener. He took over as the Bears' featured offensive weapon after the Super Bowl Shuffle years. Here is every NFL teams most underrated player of all time. Let's face it: An entire All-Underrated Team can be assembled using only Broncos defenders. And no Hall of Famers allowed. Membership on various All-1960s teams. These men did so much but received so little credit in return. The Jaguars upset John Elway's Broncos and reached the AFC Championship Game as a second-year expansion team and then went on to three more playoff berths, culminating in a 14-2 season. 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. It was rival 49ers tackle Bryant Young who the Rams were most concerned about before the 1999 season, when they signed Timmerman as a free agent. That's a higher sack total than Dwight Freeney or Robert Mathis. Dunn finished his career with 15,655 all-purpose yards, 25th in league history, one of the best players never to be a champion. Norton made the key play of the game in the second period, when he stood up Buffalo Bills back Kenneth Davis mere inches from the goal line. No matter what the two-time All-Pro accomplished, he could never be Jerry Rice, who cast a long, tall shadow in the same conference. WebMost Underrated NFL Players of All Time These men did so much but received so little credit in return. Maybe Wright wasn't a Blount-level legend, but he deserves better than to be the forgotten man among the Broncos' forgotten men. 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. You know the type. 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. The former top ten draft pick looks to be on the verge of breaking out. A Hall of Fame voter once warned me that "every town has its linebacker.". Steve Atwater. 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. 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. Both of those seasons came, ironically enough, after Allen and Buddy were separated. C'mon, who doesn't love Darren Sproles and Mike Tolbert? 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. Bottom line: All Ken Norton could do was take down ballcarriers and collect Super Bowl rings. Bottom line: In his 15th and final season, the 36-year-old Ken Riley had eight interceptions and returned two of them for touchdowns, one of the most incredible performances by an old man ever. He didnt just take up space, either. The Rams eventually acquired Jim Everett and opened up their offense, transforming Ellard into one of the NFL's most dangerous deep threats. McDole was known as "The Dancing Bear" because of his nimble feet, one of the coolest nicknames ever. "It was tough, but I was happy for those guys," Dunn told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 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. But McCree did fumble. David entered the league as a terrific coverage linebacker and has continued to grow into an all-around complete linebacker and playmaker. Ronald Koeman. He played center, as well, before his career was over. Smith produced nine 1,000-yard seasons in 10 years, including two 100-plus-catch seasons in an era when they were still relatively uncommon. McLaurins route running continues to improve while routinely making contested catches look easy. And none of them produce the numbers he generated in less hospitable systems. 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. Some might say it's a stretch to put Allen on this list after four straight Pro Bowl seasons and 95+ catch seasons. Lambeau Field was an icy outpost; the Packers still played a handful of home games in Milwaukee back then. Even so, Smith was pretty much a well-kept secret outside Pittsburgh despite meeting or approaching Pro Bowl standards for almost a decade. Butler's defensive accomplishments might have brought him to the cusp of immortality, but don't underestimate the power of that Lambeau Leap. 100-91). Hes also among a select few to be a four-time Super Bowl champion. Juszczyk knows his role and is a winning player that will always fight to win those tough yards. Super Bowl championships: Four (1966, 1967, 1972, 1973). He then went on to start at left tackle for the playoff-bound Cardinals and 2000 NFC champion Giants. A mauler of a right guard, Timmerman also was agile enough to escort Marshall Faulk on screens and sweeps. As a pass blocker, Moton has developed into a steady presence capable of holding his own, and at times even dominating top pass rushers that include Joey Bosa and Cameron Jordan. How he slipped through the cracks for 13 years remains one of the unsolved mysteries in pro football. 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. Mason's 95-catch, 1,200-yard seasons translate to 115-catch monsters in more pass-oriented schemes. Raphael Guerreiro of Borussia Dortmund Looks 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. Dierdorf started his career with the Cardinals in 1971 as a guard. But no highlight clip of that play can be found on the internet. So Anderson cranked out a few 1,000-yard seasons and played in some Pro Bowls, and that was that. Oh, and Norton scored the final touchdown of the game on a 9-yard fumble return. During his time at Fiorentina, he was the best player, 2. Bottom line: In the Steelers' 3-4 scheme, defensive ends were akin to smaller, more agile tackles run-stoppers first, pass-rushers second. Rivers had neither, but he possessed just about everything else. He recorded four consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons from 1988 through 1991, a rare feat at the time. WebWho are the most underrated players of all time? 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. Nope, not Charles Haley. While under the radar, Bates has emerged as one of the better all-around safeties in football. Teams: Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Tennessee Oilers, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1984, 1988, 1989). Whether they were disrespected by the media, or scrappy fan-favorites, every NFL team has had a selection of players that didnt get the attention they deserved. But Brown was a unique and underappreciated player for over a decade on a team that nearly revolutionized the way football is played. Anderson went on to duel with Walsh and Montana's 49ers in Super Bowl XVI. As good as Ellard was at the time, he almost was never mentioned in debates about the best at his position. 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. Waller upped his game in 2020 and hauled in 107 passes and nine touchdowns to earn his first Pro Bowl nod. Franklin-Myers went from fourth-round draft choice of the Rams in 2018, to a final roster cut in 2019. Other than Steve Largent and Kurt Warner, Pro Bowlers were harder to find in the Seahawks offense than a haystack in the Space Needle. Jackson finished his career with 11,438 rushing yards (18th all-time) and 15,121 total scrimmage yards (21st all-time). His 65 interceptions are fifth most in NFL history. He was a six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro. His teams averaged 392.0 yards and 34.0 points in those games. McLaurin registered 87 catches in 2020 after 58 during his rookie season in 2019. 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. Ryan needed surgery and was in constant pain for the rest of his career. 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 coverage is Bates' strength, he can still lay the big hit and be a factor in run support. The statue portrays jubilant Packers fans in tundra-weather gear appearing to cradle a player who just pounced into the stands. Six All-Pro selections. If you guessed both or neither one, youre wrong. 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. 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. But outside of Wisconsin, his accomplishments were mostly forgotten shortly after his career ended in 2001. Jones played for the Cowboys from 1974-78 and 1980-89. 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. Rote was the first quarterback who regularly beat defenses with his legs as well as his arm. Quick: Name the 49ers' all-time sack leader. That's not something to hold against a player. 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. So it takes a remarkable streak of hard luck for a running back to make this list. Web20 most underrated football players of all time 1. Oh, and sub-packages were pretty rare in the 1960s and 1970s, so Marshall didn't leave the field much. Jacksonville's all-time leading receiver is now beginning what he calls the "second chapter in his life." David was a crucial component of the Bucs defense during their playoff run in 2020 that culminated in a Super Bowl victory. 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. There's underrated, underappreciated and overlooked. 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. He covered receivers (38 career interceptions). "No one was going to catch no ball.". And almost nobody remembers that, when Edwards caught the ball, he knew what to do it. As some players continue to grow their stardom and gain league-wide recognition, others are less talked about, often flying under the radar for several seasons or even entire careers without proper acknowledgment. Get this: Ten of those seasons were spent with either the Vince Lombardi Packers or Don Shula Dolphins. Craters so big that you could drive a semi through them. They would rank first in the NFL in yardage four other times while Evans was a starter. The Hall of With that in mind, NFL He was a Pro Bowl regular, two-time All-Pro and Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1971. Dont let the numbers fool you Morgan wasnt a one-trick racehorse. 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. St. Super Bowl championships: Four (1981, 1984, 1988, 1989). An undrafted quarterback out of the late Milton College (Wisconsin), Krieg got them to the postseason four times and the AFC championship game once. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports By Sam Monson May 13, Beachum has lined up at both left and right tackle but displayed Teams: Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1993, 1995, 1997), Super Bowl championships: Three (1992, 1993, 1994). 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. According to Pro Football Reference, he was flagged for 14 accepted holding penalties in 187 career games, little more than one per season. Twenty years ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars were one of the marquee organizations in professional sports, and Jimmy Smith was one of their brightest stars. chants for the best players who didnt get their just dues over the years. The Packers believed they were a veteran quarterback away from a playoff run in 1974, so head coach/GM Dan Devine acquired the 34-year-old Rams quarterback by surrendering a ransom of draft picks huge enough to cause even Ryan Pace to do a spit take: two first-rounders, two second-rounders and a third-rounder. Bottom line: OK, kids, lets play Name That Hall of Famer. A beast in coverage, Jones continues to round out his game as one of the top overall linebackers in football. Perhaps Hull would be in the Hall of Fame if the Bills had won even one Super Bowl. For a few years, he was not only the best guard in the NFL, but the most important. He was a participant in four Super Bowls and a member of two All-Pro teams. During his nine seasons in Buffalo, Hughes has emerged as a leader while registering double-digits in QB hits every season but one. The guy should demand a recount, I tell ya. in the mid-1960s to early '70s, chances are "Whichever one has Marv Fleming" would have been a correct answer. Web12. Actually, make that four careers. And then there is Kent Hull, the first center to achieve greatness in a no-huddle offense. McDole played 251 professional games as a defensive lineman, a remarkable feat in any era that should not be forgotten. It's better to be remembered for one of the most painful moments in your career than to not be remembered at all. With 4.35 speed, McLaurin can take the top off any defense but has also rounded out the rest of his game since his time at Ohio State. 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. New England Patriots wide receiver Stanley Morgan, right, battles for 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. Today we look back at the most underrated Quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, and a few of these should be in Canton. 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. 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. Sanders was an extremely Ron McDole falls into that final category. The Jaguars, meanwhile, slowly descended to their current status as the NFL's punching bag. Overall, the total still ranks ninth at the position. It's not that Ellard, an Olympic-caliber triple-jumper with 4.4 speed, didn't know what he was doing. 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. It takes bad timing and bad luck. 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. They were the Yale football of the NFL, their glory years moldering in history books. He led his team to an NFL championship. Brown earned seven Pro Bowl berths and an All-Pro selection. He also scored 35 touchdowns on the ground in that span. Evans is still playing at a high level; the Packers hope that he can do for Aaron Rodgers what he did for Brees. David has amassed 12 interceptions, 16 fumble recoveries, 24 forced fumbles, and 53 pass deflections during his career. WebDeion Sanders: Deion Sanders is one of the most underrated players of all time. 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. Without Kenn, there might not be free agency in the NFL, to say nothing of limitations on practice conditions and other initiatives that make pro football less dangerous than it was decades ago. 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. A Colts defender delivered some payback in the all-star game. 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 lacked the straight-line speed to be a game-breaker. The 49ers drafted linebacker Reuben Foster at the bottom of the first round. Two names that are familiar to even casual football fans sit atop the mountaintop of underrated NFL players for the 2015 regular season. The converted all-purpose athlete became one of the fathers of modern quarterbacking. Guards don't make the Hall of Fame unless they win multiple Super Bowls or play forever. Dave Meggett -- RB, 1989-1994. In his prime, Wright was often mentioned in the same breath as Hall of Famers Mel Blount and Mike Haynes. Nothing screams underappreciated like rumors you're about to be traded to make room for a late first-round pick. To make our list, a player must contribute to a winning effort while putting up bad stats, misunderstood stats or no stats. Not Fred Dean. Upon entering the league in 2019, Johnson recorded 59 catches as a rookie and then topped that mark in 2020 with 88 catches. 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. Playing in Detroit can stifle any career. The start to his career is Hall of Fame worthy and includes a Super Bowl championship while with the New England Patriots. Player A passed for 27,928 yards and 194 touchdowns and ran for four touchdowns with mostly very good teams and one great one. Build your customFanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis onAll NFL and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. 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. The problem with Dierdorf is he played for a lot of bad Cardinals teams. So whaddya say, fans? Developing a rapport with new QB Trevor Lawrence should only help Shenault quickly reach his true potential. Lets not forget they also dominated with cold-blooded efficiency at the other side of the ball, where Keena Turner was rarely out of position at right outside linebacker. Butler was the NFL's most dangerous all-purpose safety for much of the 1990s. Mike Williams is an elite deep threat at wide receiver and has maintained an average YPC of over 15 every year since 2018. "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. Arizona Cardinals: Kelvin Beachum, OT. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. A Super Bowl ring and two AFL championships. Arizona Cardinals: Dan Dierdorf. There will never be another player like Marshall. Coaches rave about his work off the field and his dedication to improving his craft. 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. Is Jalen Hurts the Future of the Philadelphia Eagles? In Jahri Evans' four All-Pro seasons (2009-12), the Saints ranked first, sixth, first and second in the NFL in total yards. Much of the Saints' offensive success in Evans' prime years is rightfully credited to Brees. After the Bills failed to score, he knocked quarterback Jim Kelly out of the game in the next series. Turner was the ultimate plug-and-play guy, one of five 49ers to be part of all eight of their playoff teams in the decade. So Kenn basically had three careers. He has started every game he has played in since 2014 (with four different franchises). When the Rams finally earned a Super Bowl berth, Robertson was in Buffalo, playing for another playoff also-ran. 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. Many of those catches occurred down the field, with Anderson serving as a de facto possession receiver. Marshall reached just two Pro Bowls. Bowman is a four-time All-Pro and tremendous all-purpose linebacker who emerged as a stalwart leader for teams that otherwise might have packed it in before Labor Day. But few cornerbacks spent more of their careers in the crosshairs than Allen. Ogbah improved against the run while putting up a career-high in both sacks (9) and QB hits (21). Ronald Koeman is a bonafide legend of Dutch football. 25 Feb/23. Edouard Mendy of Chelsea celebrates after his sides victory in the Premier League match 2. WebBUY OUR MERCH: https://www.thegivengo.com/merchTIK TOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@thegivengoSPOTIFY: Fred Warner gets a lot of attention at linebacker for the 49ers, but Dre Greenlaw flies under theradar as a young playmaker quickly on the rise. Its hard to think of a player more dominant and less talked about over a long period of time than Chandler Jones. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. Juszczyk has made five Pro Bowl appearances, including each season since joining San Francisco in 2017. But none accomplished more than Ryan while receiving less acclaim. Tom Jackson. shaka wear graphic tees is candy digital publicly traded ellen lawson wife of ted lawson most underrated nfl players 2000s. Theyre the core players who are overshadowed by more well-paid, high-profile teammates and just plain pathetic, shameless self-promoters. Rivers' excellence, longevity and ability to barely dodge immortality make him the John Hadl of his era. Web113 Likes, TikTok video from FootWorld (@lovingfootbal): "The most underrated player of all time #dimaria #football".
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