20 most underrated football players of all time

Buckner plays within the defense, often allowing others to make plays, but remains a nightmare trying to block one on one. An ever-growing backlog of outstanding safeties is queuing up outside Canton, as Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed will soon joinJohn Lynch and Brian Dawkins. In an era when 50 percent completion rates and 20-interception seasons were common for Pro Bowl quarterbacks, Anderson's 64.9 percent completion rate and quarterback ratings above 90 look like temporal anomalies. The system helped make Hall of Famers of Kelly, Reed and Thomas. As good as Ellard was at the time, he almost was never mentioned in debates about the best at his position. Where did Davis score the game-winner late in Super Bowl XXXII? The Hall of Fame has turned up its nose on all of them. To make our list, a player must contribute to a winning effort while putting up bad stats, misunderstood stats or no stats. Jeff Saturday had to translate Peyton Manning's spur-of-the-moment audibles into protection schemes a split second before the snap. "It was tough, but I was happy for those guys," Dunn told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Ron McDole falls into that final category. And no Hall of Famers allowed. Mason also caught 49 postseason passes and was one of the game's best return men for a few years. Henry Ellard spent the first five seasons of his NFL career returning punts and putting up humdrum receiving stats. Eric Allen's job in Buddy Ryan's 46 defense was simple. Randy Gradishar. He led his team to an NFL championship. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. Fifteen years ago, similar receivers were gimmicky undersized role players. If Mel Blount, Mike Haynes and teammate Lemar Parrish hadnt been in the same conference, Riley would have made more a few more Pro Bowl trips. Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images. Also, the field was often a block of ice. Turned out he was skilled and driven enough to be a champion. Six All-Pro selections. He once sacked Dan Marino twice on the first two plays of a gamea remarkable achievement, as Marino was one of the least sacked quarterbacks in NFL history. You know the type. Young was a devastating interior pass-rusher who recorded 30 sacks in the three-year span from 1998 through 2000. "That was my territory," Edwards recalled in The Palm Beach Post. In two Super Bowl trips, Bahr didnt miss a kick three field goals, six PATs. Tom Jackson. Oh, and Norton scored the final touchdown of the game on a 9-yard fumble return. Even pesky third-down backs and gritty fullbacks may seem underrated until you realize how many of them become local heroes. The Colts accused Ryan of running up the score in the 27-0 championship rout of 1964. But McCree did fumble. That "something" was throwing for more than 29,000 yards and going to four AFL All-Star Games and a Pro Bowl with the Chargers and then leading the Rams to a 12-2 record in 1973. Actually, theres a simple explanation. 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. 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. And because versatility is his calling card, he'll never produce gaudy sack totals or climb any all-time leaderboards. But c'mon: 289 regular-season and postseason starts, 127 sacks and four Super Bowl appearances, yet the Hall of Fame turns up its nose at Marshall as just a pretty good defender with a long career? Teams: New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Pro Bowl appearances: Four (1979, 1980, 1986, 1987). The problem with Dierdorf is he played for a lot of bad Cardinals teams. And consider this: The one-time college triple-jumper played with a Pro Bowl quarterback (Jim Everett) in only one season. Raphael Guerreiro of Borussia Dortmund Looks Hence, the Campbell video. He ran a Sonny Jurgensen pass back 59 yards in the fourth quarter to seal a Rams playoff win over the Redskins in 1974. Some of the 19 Pro Football Reference rates him at near a Pro Bowl level well into his 30s. Were talking about the most unsung, underappreciated players in NFL history here. Bowman makes this list because he has the makings of a player who will be underappreciated historically. 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. Ogbah has always been a steady presence rushing the quarterback but broke out in 2020 during his first season with the Dolphins. Sideways. Ryan was Jim Brown's quarterback and then Leroy Kelly's quarterback. 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: All Ken Norton could do was take down ballcarriers and collect Super Bowl rings. 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. While Kreig didnt possess fleet feet or a bazooka arm, he could read defenses and throw an accurate ball. There may be such a thing as too much blitzing, after all. Rivers' excellence, longevity and ability to barely dodge immortality make him the John Hadl of his era. Not one of the Jim Harbaugh-era guys. Hes on the short list of running back leaders in yards per rush (4.6, 17th), touches (2,824, 25th) and yards from scrimmage (14,079, 35th) in NFL history. On the final play a year later, he picked off a Roger Staubach pass in the end zone that put the Cowboys to rest. He intercepted 34 passes for the Eagles and 54 in his career. WebOnce called the toughest cornerback in the NFL by Jerry Rice, Lewis would have received much more acclaim in his career if hed played a position that wasnt just following other Ronald Koeman. Only a dozen players have more career interception return yards (961), and seven of them are in the Hall of Fame. WebLet's face it: An entire All-Underrated Team can be assembled using only Broncos defenders. 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. Know who created those wide-open spaces? The guy should demand a recount, I tell ya. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. During his time at Fiorentina, he was the best player, 2. Build your customFanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis onAll NFL and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. Get this: Ten of those seasons were spent with either the Vince Lombardi Packers or Don Shula Dolphins. His 2,690 all-purpose yards with the Titans in the 2000 season are second in league history. But there is no player; fans themselves get to "leap" into the statue for photo ops. Its a frigging joke that Taylor isnt in the Hall of Fame discussion. 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. He is now stuck in a rebuilding cycle that may take a few years. That's a higher sack total than Dwight Freeney or Robert Mathis. With Warfield hurt nearly all of that season, Ryan helped make a Pro Bowler out of receiver/punter Gary Collins. Super Bowl championships: Four (1981, 1984, 1988, 1989). Brett Favre may be the player most responsible for bringing spectacle and success back to Titletown, but Butler brought back celebration. Yes, Marshall amassed that sack total by playing foreverhe started270 games (plus 19 playoff starts) from 1961 through 1979. Ronald Koeman is a bonafide legend of Dutch football. Robertson's Rams made a habit of reaching the playoffs every year and losing to the Vikings or Cowboys. 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. Yet he still led his team to the playoffs three more times. 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. If ever a geezer was meant to play with George Allens Over The Hill Gang, he was the one. Through the 2018 season, Vinatieri checked in at 81 (56 of 69) and 99 (70 of 71), respectively. 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. 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. WebThe NFL is increasingly becoming a passing league. 10. A lifelong Tampa Bay Buccaneer, Davids 10-year career has been about consistency and productivity. But his Hall of Fame candidacy has been stuck in semifinalist limbo. McLaurins route running continues to improve while routinely making contested catches look easy. C'mon, who doesn't love Darren Sproles and Mike Tolbert? He was arrested four times after his abrupt retirement. 1 overall pick, NFL coverage map 2021: TV schedule Week 16, Seattle Seahawks: 3 players who wont be back in 2022. shaka wear graphic tees is candy digital publicly traded ellen lawson wife of ted lawson most underrated nfl players 2000s. And then there is plain old forgotten. Bottom line: In the Steelers' 3-4 scheme, defensive ends were akin to smaller, more agile tackles run-stoppers first, pass-rushers second. Yet somehow, some way, Kolb never received a Pro Bowl invitation. WebFive players made their "Top 100" debuts -- David Montgomery, Jimmie Ward, CeeDee Lamb, Justin Tucker and Kyle Pitts -- in Episode 1 (Nos. But few cornerbacks spent more of their careers in the crosshairs than Allen. There are over 120 teams that compete in the FBS, which means that storylines and hidden superstars abound. A Super Bowl ring and two AFL championships. 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. 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. FEDERICO CHIESA. The Lions drafted him as a running back. 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. On the field, it is Diontae Johnson that has emerged as a favorite target of Big Ben. Guards don't make the Hall of Fame unless they win multiple Super Bowls or play forever. After the Bills failed to score, he knocked quarterback Jim Kelly out of the game in the next series. 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. He once threw three touchdowns in a shutout victory in a title game. Johnny Robinson's credentials make you want to drive to Canton, kick down the Hall of Fame's door and clear a spot for his bust yourself. Jones played for the Cowboys from 1974-78 and 1980-89. He blitzed (20.5 sacks). He became an All-Pro playing blindside protector in an early 1990s run-'n'-shoot offense. Off to a fast start in 2021, Sutton is quickly reminding opposing defenses of his talent. Then again, the fourth-round draft pick had no choice. WebBUY OUR MERCH: https://www.thegivengo.com/merchTIK TOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@thegivengoSPOTIFY: 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. 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. 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. He then went on to start at left tackle for the playoff-bound Cardinals and 2000 NFC champion Giants. No matter. As the Chargers faded, Rivers kept them in the wild-card picture and became the franchise's only recognizable public figure. And few were better at making opposing quarterbacks pay for mistakes. 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. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports By Sam Monson May 13, WebTop 20 Most Underrated Footballers in 2022 1. The Bills were among the first teams to frequently operate without a huddle. In his most prolific early season, he caught 54 passes for 811 yards and five touchdowns. That may be unfair to players like Robinson, Jerry Kramer and L.C. Dierdorf started his career with the Cardinals in 1971 as a guard. That's its own kind of recognition. 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. They would rank first in the NFL in yardage four other times while Evans was a starter. He didnt just take up space, either. Waller upped his game in 2020 and hauled in 107 passes and nine touchdowns to earn his first Pro Bowl nod. 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. There have been too many players in NFL history to count, so naturally, many of them werent going to get the attention they deserved for their play. Web20 most underrated football players of all time 1. But outside of Wisconsin, his accomplishments were mostly forgotten shortly after his career ended in 2001. There are a ton of names in the conversation for best offensive linemen of all time, but Dierdorf 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. Neal Anderson replaced Walter Payton. Perhaps Hull would be in the Hall of Fame if the Bills had won even one Super Bowl. Matthew Stafford is approaching 50,000 career passing yards, a number only topped by 11 quarterbacks in history. 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. 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. Or as astute NBC broadcaster Dick Enberg scored it, "KO for Ken Norton.". Membership on various All-1960s teams. The NFL is now full of receivers like Mason, but few of them are as productive as he was for over a decade. The Cardinals were 0-3 in the playoffs in Dierdorfs time with the team, and none of the games were particularly close. Jones has also recorded at least 100 tackles every year since entering the league with the exception of 2018 when he played in only 6 games. They didnt allow a sack in 84 pass attempts. Edouard Mendy of Chelsea celebrates after his sides victory in the Premier League match 2. Steve Atwater. 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. Interior defensive linemen: The average height and weight for defensive tackles entering the league is 6-foot-3, 306 pounds. Developing a rapport with new QB Trevor Lawrence should only help Shenault quickly reach his true potential. TGT Tips! McLaurin registered 87 catches in 2020 after 58 during his rookie season in 2019. The NFL is a star-driven league. Put him on the Tom Brady-led Patriots, and Mason might have invented a new branch of mathematics. Is Jalen Hurts the Future of the Philadelphia Eagles? In 10 of the 12 seasons in which he started at least half their games, the Seahawks prevailed more times than not. This past offseason, Juszczyk signed a five-year $27M contract to return to the 49ers, making him the highest-paid fullback in football by a wide margin. 'Nuff said, right? Robinson was one of those players. They were the Yale football of the NFL, their glory years moldering in history books. The Bucs hired head coach Jon Gruden and won Super Bowl XXXVII the next season. Hall of Fame receiver Paul Warfield was on the receiving end of many of Ryan's touchdowns. McDole's Bills defenses held opponents to fewer than 3.1 yards per carry across three consecutive seasons. A Colts defender delivered some payback in the all-star game. Super Bowl championships: 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979. Teammates Alan Page and Carl Ellar were held in higher regard. Super Bowl championships: Two (2005, 2008). They didnt do anything that Tobin Rote hadnt done a long time ago. Hull never lived to see himself make a Hall of Fame semifinalist list, as he died of liver failure at age 50 in 2011. 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. Moton started all 16 games each of the last four years, gradually improving and joining the conversation of best right tackles in football. It's better to be remembered for one of the most painful moments in your career than to not be remembered at all.

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