Two 10-interception seasons, with 57 career interceptions. Know who created those wide-open spaces? 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. Top 10 most underrated NFL players: Justin Tucker, Keenan Matthew Stafford is approaching 50,000 career passing yards, a number only topped by 11 quarterbacks in history. 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. Jerry Hughes has been a consistent pass rusher and important piece to the Buffalo Bills defense. Still, Allen rarely gets respect as a true number one wideout. There, he led a relentless Redskins pass rush in their Super Bowl XXVI ambush. Marshall cant get his name even on the preliminary Hall of Fame ballot. Only a dozen players have more career interception return yards (961), and seven of them are in the Hall of Fame. 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. A great story off the field and rare talent on it, Waller appears to still be getting better at age 29. Measurables. 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. Mason also caught 49 postseason passes and was one of the game's best return men for a few years. He was one of the first true slot receivers of 21st-century NFL offenses. Regardless of the Cardinals struggles, Dierdorf was a star. No matter. Tom Jackson. One look at the logjam forming outside the entrance to Canton tells you Wisniewski isn't moving up the ladder anytime soon. Then again, the fourth-round draft pick had no choice. His franchises just kept ending up on the wrong side of history. Bottom line: Derrick Mason was among the shrewdest, most precise route runners of his time. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. The Hall of Fame has turned up its nose on all of them. 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. Here is every NFL teams most underrated player of all time. If you guessed both or neither one, youre wrong. Edouard Mendy of Chelsea celebrates after his sides victory in the Premier League match 2. Buckner plays within the defense, often allowing others to make plays, but remains a nightmare trying to block one on one. 'Nuff said, right? 10 Most Underrated Promising Football Players In The World The Niners' willingness to spend big money on a long-term deal at fullback demonstrates the value and unique skill set Juszczyk provides. Every NFL teams most underrated player of all time - FanSided Ron McDole falls into that final category. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. Ground rules: A max of three Pro Bowl invitations. Now that's underrated. Actually, make that four careers. 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. But there is no player; fans themselves get to "leap" into the statue for photo ops. Greenlaw is equally effective against the run and pass, a sure tackler, and brings plenty of energy to theNiners' defense. 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. 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. Dunn left Tampa Bay as a free agent after the 2001 season and headed to Atlanta, largely because of his relationship with Arthur Blank, the Falcons owner. He also scored 35 touchdowns on the ground in that span. Teams: Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1993, 1995, 1997), Super Bowl championships: Three (1992, 1993, 1994). You will find some familiar Hall of Fame snubs on this list (like Jim Marshall, pictured above), but also plenty of players who were even snubbed from the Hall of Fame snubs, plus some current players who aren't getting their due. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. Other than Steve Largent and Kurt Warner, Pro Bowlers were harder to find in the Seahawks offense than a haystack in the Space Needle. Hull never lived to see himself make a Hall of Fame semifinalist list, as he died of liver failure at age 50 in 2011. New England Patriots wide receiver Stanley Morgan, right, battles for After making the Pro Bowl twice early in his career, David has failed to make it since 2015 while still playing at a high level. Defensive Player of the Year awards? He played the run with authority (721 career solo tackles). Bottom line: Never mind guys such as Michael Vick and Lamar Jackson. 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. Ogbah improved against the run while putting up a career-high in both sacks (9) and QB hits (21). In Super Bowl IX, Edwards killed a drive and darn near Vikings intended receiver John Gilliam on a hellacious hit near the goal line. Williams' career-high in receptions is only 49, but with increased targets, he has already recorded 31 catches over the first five games in 2021. There's a statue outside of Lambeau Field commemorating the Lambeau Leap, perhaps the most recognizable and beloved (except to Packers opponents) end-zone celebration in the NFL. David has amassed 12 interceptions, 16 fumble recoveries, 24 forced fumbles, and 53 pass deflections during his career. Butler's defensive accomplishments might have brought him to the cusp of immortality, but don't underestimate the power of that Lambeau Leap. 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. "It was tough, but I was happy for those guys," Dunn told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 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. All-time underrated and overrated players for Teams: Los Angeles Rams, Washington Redskins. Wouldnt you know it? The start to his career is Hall of Fame worthy and includes a Super Bowl championship while with the New England Patriots. But here's the thing: Gradishar, Mecklenberg and Atwater are famous for being snubbed. He's rarely mentioned as an all-time great. Bowman is coming off an Achilles tear in 2016. In their two Super Bowl seasons that followed, Young was a virtual nonfactor in the matchup. 25 Feb/23. Pittsburgh Steelers: All-time underrated, overrated players - NFL.com The converted all-purpose athlete became one of the fathers of modern quarterbacking. How he slipped through the cracks for 13 years remains one of the unsolved mysteries in pro football. Gheorghe Hagi, Romania. The only lineman to start all four of those games was a workout warrior and routinely bench-pressed 550 pounds in his prime. 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. Evans is still playing at a high level; the Packers hope that he can do for Aaron Rodgers what he did for Brees. One of the greatest defenders of his era reduced to stuntman status in Campbell's action movieall it takes is a moment to make a player underrated forever. But no one remembers the Greatest Show on Turf for its defense, and Fletcher spent the prime of his career playing for mediocre Bills teams. A beast in coverage, Jones continues to round out his game as one of the top overall linebackers in football. #5. With that in mind, NFL Here are ten of the most underrated college football players of all time. Make no mistake about it, Eric Bieniemys exodus from Kansas City to Washington is only one move on the chess board Players like McDole are what all-time underrated lists exist for. 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". Truth is, Norton should have been Super Bowl XXVII Most Valuable Player, not Troy Aikman, who was the obligatory quarterback pick. He started for the Rams in their Super Bowl seasons at the beginning of his career and then earned Pro Bowl berths for Washington from 2009 through 2012 when he was in his mid-30s. Robertson's Rams made a habit of reaching the playoffs every year and losing to the Vikings or Cowboys. That feeling never really went away.". But this list is all about giving overlooked players their due respect. Butler was the NFL's most dangerous all-purpose safety for much of the 1990s. 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. But he didn't play for the legendary 49ers teams. As the Chargers faded, Rivers kept them in the wild-card picture and became the franchise's only recognizable public figure. During his time at Fiorentina, he was the best player, 2. He is now stuck in a rebuilding cycle that may take a few years. Teams: Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, Bottom line: Fred Taylor once tweeted, "I earned respect on the field. But the former NFL Man of the Year award winner and two-time All-Pro should not have had to wait so long. David was a crucial component of the Bucs defense during their playoff run in 2020 that culminated in a Super Bowl victory. "It pissed me off," Fletcher replied. 10. Kenn was one of the leaders of the NFL Players Association during the era of replacement players and court battles over free agency. WebMost Underrated NFL Players of All Time These men did so much but received so little credit in return. By the time Rivers is retired for five years, the "San Diego Chargers" will be as relevant as the Dayton Triangles, and Hall voters will be too busy rubber-stamping Tom Brady and Drew Brees to get to a guy from a lost city who couldn't win the big one. Bottom line: The Greatest Show On Turf boasted so much star power you couldnt tell the other Rams without a program. Is Jalen Hurts the Future of the Philadelphia Eagles? Ryan would blitz between five and eight defenders, plus some water boys and maybe a few boo birds from the 700 level of Veterans Stadium. The 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. But don't write him off as some 1960s product of the system. Lets hear some "un-der-ra-ted!" McLaurin registered 87 catches in 2020 after 58 during his rookie season in 2019. The Over-the-Hill Gang fielded one of the most ferocious pass rushes of its era, notching 53 sacks in 1973. "Stanley Steamer" could run every route and was hell on wheels with the ball in his hands. Robertson is so poorly remembered that it was hard to find a decent photo of him in our archives. On the field, it is Diontae Johnson that has emerged as a favorite target of Big Ben. And then there is Kent Hull, the first center to achieve greatness in a no-huddle offense. The Hall of And to think, the guy never played in a Pro Bowl game. Mills followed Mora to New Orleans and led the Dome Patrol linebacking corps, which brought the Saints franchise its first playoff appearances. He was a Pro Bowler in 1974 and 75, and he was an All-Pro selection from 1976-78. Dont know about you, but I want Mason on my retro fantasy league team. Membership on various All-1960s teams. Randy Gradishar. Allen made a lot of plays. McDole is not known for much of anything anymore, as his AFL stardom came before the Super Bowl era and his Redskins heroics predated the era of Joe Gibbs and the Hogs. He played 256 career regular-season games, never missing a start due to injury. He arrived in Buffalo at the same time Marv Levy was revolutionizing NFL offense with the help of Jim Kelly, Andre Reed and Thurman Thomas. With Warfield hurt nearly all of that season, Ryan helped make a Pro Bowler out of receiver/punter Gary Collins. Steve Wisniewski played guard on a Raiders team that moved in the middle of his career and was just good enough to remind you it was not in the same class as the great Raiders teams that preceded it. Jones is a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro selection. Hall of Fame receiver Paul Warfield was on the receiving end of many of Ryan's touchdowns. 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. Saleh has compared Franklin-Myers to Arik Armstead, whom he coached in SF while registering 10 sacks in 2019. most underrated nfl players During his nine seasons in Buffalo, Hughes has emerged as a leader while registering double-digits in QB hits every season but one. 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. 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. He was a eight-time Pro Bowler and one-time Super Bowl champion. It didnt help that he had ordinary quarterbacks named Tony Eason and Steve Grogan to throw him the ball. He covered receivers (38 career interceptions). Karl Mecklenburg. 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. So Anderson cranked out a few 1,000-yard seasons and played in some Pro Bowls, and that was that. Most Underrated NFL Players of All Time by Team | Stadium Talk The Rams eventually acquired Jim Everett and opened up their offense, transforming Ellard into one of the NFL's most dangerous deep threats. Perhaps Hull would be in the Hall of Fame if the Bills had won even one Super Bowl. Ten of the most underrated footballers of all time Arizona Cardinals: Dan Dierdorf. He didnt just take up space, either. The Lions drafted him as a running back. 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. WebFive players made their "Top 100" debuts -- David Montgomery, Jimmie Ward, CeeDee Lamb, Justin Tucker and Kyle Pitts -- in Episode 1 (Nos. Derrick Mason recorded four 1,000-yard seasons for Jeff Fisher teams and four more for the Baltimore Ravens. But his Rams had a running back named Eric Dickerson and quarterbacks named Dieter Brock and Jeff Kemp. Were talking about the most unsung, underappreciated players in NFL history here. Bottom line: The 49ers of the 1980s are remembered most for Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, coach Bill Walsh and the West Coast offense. Jacksonville's all-time leading receiver is now beginning what he calls the "second chapter in his life." Brandon Graham is an incredibly underrated defensive lineman and lifelong Philadelphia Eagle. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. 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. That's a higher sack total than Dwight Freeney or Robert Mathis. The Pro Football Reference Similar Players tool compares Ryan's five-year peak to that of Joe Theismann. He played center, as well, before his career was over. That made Hull one of the first centers to make line adjustments on the fly. He announced his retirement from pro football in 2010, not long after signing with the Arizona Cardinals. And consider this: The one-time college triple-jumper played with a Pro Bowl quarterback (Jim Everett) in only one season. A lifelong Tampa Bay Buccaneer, Davids 10-year career has been about consistency and productivity. Start with Adam Timmerman, who won Super Bowl rings with the Packers and Rams three years apart. "Even now I still get pissed off. His .588 win percentage ranks second to Wilson in team history. Ken Griffey Jr.? And then there is plain old forgotten. What Mason did have was a keen attention to detail and fanatical drive to succeed. Build your customFanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis onAll NFL and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. 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. top 20 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. 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. Bottom line: All Ken Norton could do was take down ballcarriers and collect Super Bowl rings. He helped the Packers win a Super Bowl. Hence, the Campbell video. 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. He was a Pro Bowl regular, two-time All-Pro and Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1971. He blitzed (20.5 sacks). Why retain an expensive vestige of the last regime, or really the last three regimes? He recorded four consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons from 1988 through 1991, a rare feat at the time. As good as Ellard was at the time, he almost was never mentioned in debates about the best at his position. 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. A Hall of Fame voter once warned me that "every town has its linebacker.". Numbers better than majority of RBs in history. 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. But McCree did fumble. He was a six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro. The Top 10 Most Underrated Football Players of All Time Bottom line: Few remember Glen Edwards as the fearless strong safety with the Steelers first two Super Bowl teams. But Hadl had to do something to make the Packers think he was worth two armfuls of draft picks. If Anderson had failed, the 49ers may never have lured Walsh away from the Bengals staff. Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, acquired the 34-year-old Rams quarterback by, Ronald C. Modra/Sports Imagery/Getty Images, Pro Football Reference Similar Players tool, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 1 overall pick, NFL coverage map 2021: TV schedule Week 16, Seattle Seahawks: 3 players who wont be back in 2022. Passing wasn't really their thing. We look at the 10 most underrated players in football at the moment. Poor Louis Wright has a hard time even making the Broncos' overcrowded All-Snub Team. Thats what Krieg did best win football games. He then went on to start at left tackle for the playoff-bound Cardinals and 2000 NFC champion Giants. They lost to the Vikings 30-14 in the 1974 Wildcard Round, and they were defeated by the Rams 35-23 in the opening round of the playoffs in 1975. Most Underrated NFL Players Of All Time - The Onion There are over 120 teams that compete in the FBS, which means that storylines and hidden superstars abound. Sanders was an extremely On a walk-through between center and left guard, naturally. I still don't know that people gave me my due respect for my production. Both of those seasons came, ironically enough, after Allen and Buddy were separated. No, what youll see are lots of gaping holes the size of Boulder. Mills looks like just another local hero linebacker in the encyclopedias, albeit a good one. Mason's 95-catch, 1,200-yard seasons translate to 115-catch monsters in more pass-oriented schemes. He headed to Washington and moved from the weak to strong side. The most underrated player on all It's hard for a running back to be underrated. 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. Top 20 Most Underrated NFL Players of All Time | TheRichest There may be such a thing as too much blitzing, after all. Top 20 Most Underrated Footballers in 2022 - Top Soccer Blog This commitment to team defense is perhaps one of the main reasons Buckner is not more recognized as one of the top interior defensive linemen in football. White: 12 underrated players; White: 12 overrated players; Towers: Generic vs. Name Brand; Prospect hunting . Man Utd's double winning (Bonus point: Schlereth doesnt suck as a broadcaster on ESPN. The Colts accused Ryan of running up the score in the 27-0 championship rout of 1964. And none of them produce the numbers he generated in less hospitable systems. He's not the kind of player a wise organization sheds to cut expenses. 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. 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. 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. 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. No modern coach suppressed passing offenses quite like Fisher, and no team produces offensive stats that look like they come from the early 1930s quite like the Ravens. 20 Most Underrated Footballers on the Planet - Bleacher Report Six All-Pro selections. Chiesa is a winger who plays for Juventus. Ryan needed surgery and was in constant pain for the rest of his career. He had 44 career sacks and as many as eight in a season on two occasions. After the Bills failed to score, he knocked quarterback Jim Kelly out of the game in the next series. Or as astute NBC broadcaster Dick Enberg scored it, "KO for Ken Norton.". 1. Karl Mecklenburg. Two names that are familiar to even casual football fans sit atop the mountaintop of underrated NFL players for the 2015 regular season. THE MOST UNDERRATED PLAYERS OF ALL TIME - YouTube Dave Meggett -- RB, 1989-1994. That may be unfair to players like Robinson, Jerry Kramer and L.C. 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.
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