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

Jerry Hughes has been a consistent pass rusher and important piece to the Buffalo Bills defense. But his Rams had a running back named Eric Dickerson and quarterbacks named Dieter Brock and Jeff Kemp. The fullback has become a non-factor in many of todays NFL offenses, but Juszczyk remains an integral part of how the San Francisco 49ers run their offense. Entering 2021, Moton had allowed only 10 sacks in over 2,000 pass-blocking snaps. The most underrated player on all Butler is all but guaranteed to get lost in the shuffle. But this list is all about giving overlooked players their due respect. The difference between the great and the all-time great is often a matter of timing and luck. Ten of the most underrated footballers of all time Hadl played quarterback, halfback, defensive back and punter for the University of Kansas. 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. Brett Favre may be the player most responsible for bringing spectacle and success back to Titletown, but Butler brought back celebration. 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. Ryan threw five touchdown passes and ran for a sixth to beat the Giants and lead the Browns to the NFL championship in 1964. Franklin-Myers went from fourth-round draft choice of the Rams in 2018, to a final roster cut in 2019. His 2,690 all-purpose yards with the Titans in the 2000 season are second in league history. Were talking about the most unsung, underappreciated players in NFL history here. To make our list, a player must contribute to a winning effort while putting up bad stats, misunderstood stats or no stats. 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. 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 Brown was a unique and underappreciated player for over a decade on a team that nearly revolutionized the way football is played. WebTop 20 Most Underrated NFL Players of All Time 20 Drew Brees. 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. Yet somehow, some way, Kolb never received a Pro Bowl invitation. Now that's underrated. Greenlaw is equally effective against the run and pass, a sure tackler, and brings plenty of energy to theNiners' defense. Maybe he wasn't the best defender on the field for any one play, but he stayed on that field for an entire generation. A Super Bowl ring and two AFL championships. Ryan made three Pro Bowls, but All-Pro status was blocked by a couple of guys named Johnny Unitas and Bart Starr. The AFL was an eight- to 10-team league, so All-Pro selections were easier to come by. He helped the Packers win a Super Bowl. And few were better at making opposing quarterbacks pay for mistakes. The Most Underrated Spanish Player Of All Time? - YouTube Ken Griffey Jr.? As good as Ellard was at the time, he almost was never mentioned in debates about the best at his position. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images). At age 25, Franklin-Myers seems to be just scratching the surface of his potential and should benefit from some additional pieces being added to a young rebuilding Jets defense. At 67 Buckner also has a wide arsenal of pass rush moves to pressure the quarterback. All betting content is intended for an audience ages 21+. 1 overall pick, NFL coverage map 2021: TV schedule Week 16, Seattle Seahawks: 3 players who wont be back in 2022. Teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1997, 2000, 2005). Regardless of the Cardinals struggles, Dierdorf was a star. So Anderson cranked out a few 1,000-yard seasons and played in some Pro Bowls, and that was that. #5. In two Super Bowl trips, Bahr didnt miss a kick three field goals, six PATs. 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. The former top ten draft pick looks to be on the verge of breaking out. Two names that are familiar to even casual football fans sit atop the mountaintop of underrated NFL players for the 2015 regular season. 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. The Top 20 Most Underrated NFL Players - ONE37pm 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. Yet he still led his team to the playoffs three more times. 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. 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. The Rams acquired him from the Chargers in 1973 in exchange for defensive end Coy Bacon. Perhaps it's time we look back on how much of an impact he and his Jaguars had on the NFL two decades ago. He returned eight interceptions for touchdowns, including four in 1993 and three during his age-35 season with the Raiders in 2000. 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 also doesn't play in the shadow of a legend. 10 Most Underrated Promising Football Players In The World Shenault is dynamic after the catch and plays like a running back with the ball in his hands. There's underrated, underappreciated and overlooked. Defensive Player of the Year awards? Put him on the Tom Brady-led Patriots, and Mason might have invented a new branch of mathematics. He was a participant in four Super Bowls and a member of two All-Pro teams. Super Bowl championships: Two (2005, 2008). Only a dozen players have more career interception return yards (961), and seven of them are in the Hall of Fame. The Bucs hired head coach Jon Gruden and won Super Bowl XXXVII the next season. Super Bowl championships: Two (1996, 1999). NaVorro Bowman trade rumors surfaced in early spring, only to be quickly squelched by new 49ers general manager John Lynch. Raphael Guerreiro - Borussia Dortmund. It doesn't matter: If you are a Broncos defender, you might as well forget about a bust in Canton. Ryan was Jim Brown's quarterback and then Leroy Kelly's quarterback. While most Giants fans remember Meggett, he is still one of the most underrated players of all time. WebWho are the most underrated players of all time? All picks and predictions are suggestions only. 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. Young played for the teams that slowly slid from George Seifert to Steve Mariucci to oblivion. WebDespite being just 20-years-old, Pedri has become a key player for Barcelona The midfielder names his former teammate Lionel Messi as the 'best' ever He hopes to During his first four seasons, three with the Ravens and one in Oakland, Waller caught just 18 passes on 29 targets while also being suspended all of 2017. Marshall reached just two Pro Bowls. 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? "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. No, what youll see are lots of gaping holes the size of Boulder. Hull never lived to see himself make a Hall of Fame semifinalist list, as he died of liver failure at age 50 in 2011. But a double whammyplaying center and playing for the Broncoshas kept him miles from Hall of Fame consideration. Ogbah has always been a steady presence rushing the quarterback but broke out in 2020 during his first season with the Dolphins. Hadl signed with the Chargers instead, and Sid Gilman built him into the trigger man for an offense from which all modern offenses descended. Eric Allen's job in Buddy Ryan's 46 defense was simple. He was a Pro Bowler in 1974 and 75, and he was an All-Pro selection from 1976-78. original sound - ftbl vids 221. 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. 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. Teams: Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1993, 1995, 1997), Super Bowl championships: Three (1992, 1993, 1994). Teammates Alan Page and Carl Ellar were held in higher regard. 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. Most Underrated Lambeau Field was an icy outpost; the Packers still played a handful of home games in Milwaukee back then. We look at the 10 most underrated players in football at the moment. He ran a Sonny Jurgensen pass back 59 yards in the fourth quarter to seal a Rams playoff win over the Redskins in 1974. The Pro Football Reference Similar Players tool compares Ryan's five-year peak to that of Joe Theismann. So whaddya say, fans? Still don't understand why the writers don't respect it.". WebFive players made their "Top 100" debuts -- David Montgomery, Jimmie Ward, CeeDee Lamb, Justin Tucker and Kyle Pitts -- in Episode 1 (Nos. Maybe there is still an NFL team in San Diego. in the mid-1960s to early '70s, chances are "Whichever one has Marv Fleming" would have been a correct answer. 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. Fletcher followed Gregg Williams from coaching stop to coaching stop, serving as the sometimes controversial, always effective defensive mastermind's field marshal. Butler's defensive accomplishments might have brought him to the cusp of immortality, but don't underestimate the power of that Lambeau Leap. Super Bowl championships: 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979. He then went on to start at left tackle for the playoff-bound Cardinals and 2000 NFC champion Giants. 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. Truth is, Norton should have been Super Bowl XXVII Most Valuable Player, not Troy Aikman, who was the obligatory quarterback pick. 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. "Stanley Steamer" could run every route and was hell on wheels with the ball in his hands. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. He's the Rams' all-time leading rusher with almost 3,000 more yards for the franchise than Marshall Faulk or Eric Dickerson. Steve Atwater. 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. So LeRoy Butler, innovator of the Lambeau Leap, is excluded from his own statue. All-time underrated and overrated players for Two 10-interception seasons, with 57 career interceptions. Dont know about you, but I want Mason on my retro fantasy league team. Bates finished tied for 6th in 2020 with 15 passes defended. 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. 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. If the quarterback got rid of the ball before getting crushed, it was up to Allen to make a play. Not bad for a guy who might as well have played in a straight jacket for 14 seasons. Evans is still playing at a high level; the Packers hope that he can do for Aaron Rodgers what he did for Brees. Taylor Moton has quietly emerged as a dominant presence at right tackle for the Panthers. Tom Jackson. He lacked the straight-line speed to be a game-breaker. He's rarely mentioned as an all-time great. Most Underrated Let's face it: An entire All-Underrated Team can be assembled using only Broncos defenders. New England Patriots wide receiver Stanley Morgan, right, battles for But what peak years they were: 14- and 13-win seasons, annual playoff appearances, routine 4,000-yard, 30-touchdown seasons. 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. Mills followed Mora to New Orleans and led the Dome Patrol linebacking corps, which brought the Saints franchise its first playoff appearances. Jones is a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro selection. 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. Fewer yet realize that he made a crucial play in each victory. The Packers were a team with more history than identity when Butler arrived. When the Rams finally earned a Super Bowl berth, Robertson was in Buffalo, playing for another playoff also-ran. WebThe NFL is increasingly becoming a passing league. 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. Then again, the fourth-round draft pick had no choice. Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images. The career active leader in games started by a defensive lineman is Julius Peppers with 227. Bottom line: Few remember Glen Edwards as the fearless strong safety with the Steelers first two Super Bowl teams. Those who like to shout "first-ballot Hall of Famer" about Rivers do not know how the Hall of Fame works. ), Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers, Super Bowl championships: Two (1974, 1975). More than one scout considered Turner to be too light to play linebacker, too slow to play defensive back. And then there is Kent Hull, the first center to achieve greatness in a no-huddle offense. WebBUY OUR MERCH: https://www.thegivengo.com/merchTIK TOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@thegivengoSPOTIFY: Web12. Incredibly, McDole started 97 of the next 98 games. He blitzed (20.5 sacks). There is one football player who could score from literally anywhere, and his name is 2. Its easy to forget the Seahawks had some pretty good teams way back when, even a few playoff ones. In 10 of the 12 seasons in which he started at least half their games, the Seahawks prevailed more times than not. Web20 most underrated football players of all time 1. Beachum has lined up at both left and right tackle but displayed Jordi Alba. Henry Ellard spent the first five seasons of his NFL career returning punts and putting up humdrum receiving stats. 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. 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. Pro Football Reference rates him at near a Pro Bowl level well into his 30s. While Graham's sack numbers have never hit double digits, he remains a complete player and Super Bowl champion. Mason had seven seasons of at least 70 pass receptions, 1,000 yards and five touchdowns. Mills looks like just another local hero linebacker in the encyclopedias, albeit a good one. 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. Anderson was not Payton, and the later-era Mike Ditka Bears could never approach the heights reached by the 1985 Bears. Finally, at last, the cornerback was selected to play in his first Pro Bowl game as some kind of lifetime achievement award. Many of those catches occurred down the field, with Anderson serving as a de facto possession receiver. Not enough credit is given to Waller who lacks the Shanahan offense or elite QB to help take his game to the next level. Oh, and sub-packages were pretty rare in the 1960s and 1970s, so Marshall didn't leave the field much. 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. Modern centers don't get the credit they deserve. In addition to the most underrated and overrated Raiders of all time, Adam Rank goes on a mini-tirade about a criminally underrated coach. 100-91). Those accomplishments may soon finally land Kenn in the Hall of Fame. Bates started every game during his first three seasons since entering the league in 2018, recording three interceptions in each season and averaging over 100 tackles. The problem with Dierdorf is he played for a lot of bad Cardinals teams. Most Underrated NFL Players of All Time by Team | Stadium Talk Honourable Mentions Hajime Hosogai, Hertha Berlin DM, Age: 27 But so were teammates like Len Dawson, Willie Lanier, Buck Buchanan, Bobby Bell, Curley Culp and Jan Stenerud, all of whom are in the Hall of Fame. top 20 At 5-foot-10, 190 pounds, he didnt wow anyone physically. Lomas Brown played left tackle for four Lions playoff teams. FEDERICO CHIESA. The system helped make Hall of Famers of Kelly, Reed and Thomas. 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. Anderson's 1,000-yard seasons came in a primitive offense with a rudimentary passing game. Craters so big that you could drive a semi through them. Get this: Ten of those seasons were spent with either the Vince Lombardi Packers or Don Shula Dolphins. Top 20 most underrated footballers of all time: who are they? Top 20 Most Underrated NFL Players WebThe Top 10 Most Underrated Football Players of All Time 1. Brandon Graham is an incredibly underrated defensive lineman and lifelong Philadelphia Eagle. Ronald Koeman is a bonafide legend of Dutch football. But Wright never posted massive interception totals, and his teams ended up on the receiving end of a pair of Super Bowl beatings. MOST UNDERRATED PLAYERS OF ALL TIME 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. 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. Players like McDole are what all-time underrated lists exist for. He isn't the dynamic threat thatTyreek Hill orDavante Adams are, but Allen is an elite route runner that consistently puts up elite production. Player B passed for 31,548 yards and 214 touchdowns and ran for 22 touchdowns with below average-to-good teams. 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. Here are ten of the most underrated college football players of all time. Giants: All-time underrated, overrated players Maybe not, seeing as Nalen has not had much success. 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. Who are the top 20 best left-footed football players as of 2023? Evans is a long shot to do either, which is a shame. They say you know an offensive lineman is doing a great job when his name is rarely brought up, but its time Moton is talked about more for his success. most underrated footballers of all time Pittsburgh Steelers: All-time underrated, overrated players - NFL.com C'mon, who doesn't love Darren Sproles and Mike Tolbert? It's better to be remembered for one of the most painful moments in your career than to not be remembered at all. 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. And almost nobody remembers that, when Edwards caught the ball, he knew what to do it. Bottom line: The 49ers of the 1980s are remembered most for Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, coach Bill Walsh and the West Coast offense. Matthew Stafford is approaching 50,000 career passing yards, a number only topped by 11 quarterbacks in history. But there is no player; fans themselves get to "leap" into the statue for photo ops. Nope, not Charles Haley. The Over-the-Hill Gang fielded one of the most ferocious pass rushes of its era, notching 53 sacks in 1973. Jeff Saturday had to translate Peyton Manning's spur-of-the-moment audibles into protection schemes a split second before the snap. They didnt allow a sack in 84 pass attempts. Overall, the total still ranks ninth at the position. Both players were Pro Bowlers the previous year.