20 most underrated football players of all time

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. Allen has much in common with many others on this underrated list. And few were better at making opposing quarterbacks pay for mistakes. 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. Dont know about you, but I want Mason on my retro fantasy league team. 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. The most underrated player on all He also doesn't play in the shadow of a legend. 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 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. There have been many better quarterbacks than Ryan in NFL history. Unless you live in Cleveland or are over 50, you probably have never heard of him. I still don't know that people gave me my due respect for my production. As for being so underrated he's overrated, wellthat's extremely underrated, which justifies Anderson's ranking here. Teammates Alan Page and Carl Ellar were held in higher regard. Theyre the core players who are overshadowed by more well-paid, high-profile teammates and just plain pathetic, shameless self-promoters. Running backs suffer none of the "didn't win the big game" biases that color our perception of quarterbacks. Then again, the fourth-round draft pick had no choice. 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. 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. Efficient? Build your customFanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis onAll NFL and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. Many of those catches occurred down the field, with Anderson serving as a de facto possession receiver. 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. Edouard Mendy - Chelsea. 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. 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. He headed to Washington and moved from the weak to strong side. Mike Kenn began his career playing left tackle for a lumbering 1970s power-running offense. Bottom line: Quick, name the winningest Seahawks quarterback before the Russell Wilson era. 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. The Most Underrated Spanish Player Of All Time? - YouTube Oh, and sub-packages were pretty rare in the 1960s and 1970s, so Marshall didn't leave the field much. What Mason did have was a keen attention to detail and fanatical drive to succeed. The AFL was an eight- to 10-team league, so All-Pro selections were easier to come by. McDole played 251 professional games as a defensive lineman, a remarkable feat in any era that should not be forgotten. Yet he still led his team to the playoffs three more times. WebWho are the most underrated players of all time? 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. 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. There is one football player who could score from literally anywhere, and his name is 2. His 42-yarder in the 1990 NFC championship game rates as one of the greatest clutch kicks in league history. Rivers had neither, but he possessed just about everything else. 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. Wouldnt you know it? Other than Steve Largent and Kurt Warner, Pro Bowlers were harder to find in the Seahawks offense than a haystack in the Space Needle. 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. 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. 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. Greenlaw is equally effective against the run and pass, a sure tackler, and brings plenty of energy to theNiners' defense. Year after year, Chandler Jones is one of the best pure pass rushers in football. 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. Web20 most underrated football players of all time 1. That may tick him off. Super Bowl championships: 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979. When the Rams finally earned a Super Bowl berth, Robertson was in Buffalo, playing for another playoff also-ran. In Jahri Evans' four All-Pro seasons (2009-12), the Saints ranked first, sixth, first and second in the NFL in total yards. Sanders was an extremely His .588 win percentage ranks second to Wilson in team history. One of the most underrated players in AM Football, Brodie Croyle was drafted into the NFL by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2006 after being a college football standout with the University of Alabama. He helped the Packers win a Super Bowl. 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. They were the Yale football of the NFL, their glory years moldering in history books. Arizona Cardinals: Kelvin Beachum, OT. Guards don't make the Hall of Fame unless they win multiple Super Bowls or play forever. 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. 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. In his prime, Wright was often mentioned in the same breath as Hall of Famers Mel Blount and Mike Haynes. 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. Lomas Brown played left tackle for four Lions playoff teams. 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. A Super Bowl ring and two AFL championships. 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. WebTop 20 Most Underrated NFL Players of All Time 20 Drew Brees. Ryan threw five touchdown passes and ran for a sixth to beat the Giants and lead the Browns to the NFL championship in 1964. 1. Bottom line: The Greatest Show On Turf boasted so much star power you couldnt tell the other Rams without a program. Man Utd's double winning Anderson's 1,000-yard seasons came in a primitive offense with a rudimentary passing game. Yet somehow, some way, Kolb never received a Pro Bowl invitation. As good as Ellard was at the time, he almost was never mentioned in debates about the best at his position. Actually, theres a simple explanation. He intercepted 34 passes for the Eagles and 54 in his career. Is Jalen Hurts the Future of the Philadelphia Eagles? But none accomplished more than Ryan while receiving less acclaim. Eric Allen's job in Buddy Ryan's 46 defense was simple. If not for Schlereth's many health problems that included 29 surgeries, 15 on his left knee alone, he would have been a perennial Pro Bowl selection. He took over as the Bears' featured offensive weapon after the Super Bowl Shuffle years. Tom Jackson. 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. Taylor Moton has quietly emerged as a dominant presence at right tackle for the Panthers. Were talking about the most unsung, underappreciated players in NFL history here. Full name: Jordi Alba Ramos Date of birth: March 21, 1989 Age: 33 years old (as of 2023) Place of birth: L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain Height: 1.70 m Current team: Rivers' excellence, longevity and ability to barely dodge immortality make him the John Hadl of his era. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. More than one scout considered Turner to be too light to play linebacker, too slow to play defensive back. One look at the logjam forming outside the entrance to Canton tells you Wisniewski isn't moving up the ladder anytime soon. Waller overcame addiction and his suspension to emerge in 2019, catching 90 passes for 1,145 yards and three touchdowns while starting all 16 games for the Raiders. Although it is tough to put a second-year player on this list as underrated when he is still relatively unproven, Laviska Shenault has such a unique skill set at wide receiver that will quickly start to garner more attention. Brown earned seven Pro Bowl berths and an All-Pro selection. 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. 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. Slot specialists such as Julian Edelman and Victor Cruz are now considered valuable components to the modern passing game. He's rarely mentioned as an all-time great. Numbers better than majority of RBs in history. 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. Super Bowl championships: Four (1966, 1967, 1972, 1973). Related:Most Overrated NFL Players of All Time. There may be such a thing as too much blitzing, after all. 10. The Top 20 Most Underrated NFL Players - ONE37pm Teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1997, 2000, 2005). Fewer yet realize that he made a crucial play in each victory. Bates is a ball-hawking safety in coverage with excellent range, intelligence, and athleticism. Maybe there is still an NFL team in San Diego. We look at the 10 most underrated players in football at the moment. The Steelers rushed for a then-record 249 yards and did not allow a sack. 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. Hmmm. 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. most underrated player Maybe Wright wasn't a Blount-level legend, but he deserves better than to be the forgotten man among the Broncos' forgotten men. A lifelong Tampa Bay Buccaneer, Davids 10-year career has been about consistency and productivity. 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. On the field, it is Diontae Johnson that has emerged as a favorite target of Big Ben. 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. Actually, make that four careers. Teams: Chicago Bears, Washington Redskins, Houston Oilers, Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1986, 1987, 1992), Super Bowl championships: Two (1985, 1991). #5. Butler was the NFL's most dangerous all-purpose safety for much of the 1990s. The Rams eventually acquired Jim Everett and opened up their offense, transforming Ellard into one of the NFL's most dangerous deep threats. Its easy to forget the Seahawks had some pretty good teams way back when, even a few playoff ones. Most Underrated American Football Players of All Time 20 Most Underrated Footballers on the Planet - Bleacher Report Kenn is one of the NFL's all-time great players and leaders, and his impact ranges far beyond his playing career. 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? Six All-Pro selections. In his most prolific early season, he caught 54 passes for 811 yards and five touchdowns. 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. Ten of the most underrated footballers of all time Gheorghe Hagi, Romania. That makes sense: Both started their careers late, played with workhorse running backs, won a championship and had their careers curtailed by vicious hits. Kenn was one of the leaders of the NFL Players Association during the era of replacement players and court battles over free agency. WebDon't hesitate to comment below with underrated players who you believe should have been on this list. Thats what Krieg did best win football games. Dunn finished his career with 15,655 all-purpose yards, 25th in league history, one of the best players never to be a champion. In their two Super Bowl seasons that followed, Young was a virtual nonfactor in the matchup. Teams: Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos, Super Bowl championships: Three (1991, 1997, 1998). Two 10-interception seasons, with 57 career interceptions. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. And to think, the guy never played in a Pro Bowl game. Ronald Koeman is a bonafide legend of Dutch football. 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. The Bucs hired head coach Jon Gruden and won Super Bowl XXXVII the next season. But this list is all about giving overlooked players their due respect. To make our list, a player must contribute to a winning effort while putting up bad stats, misunderstood stats or no stats. 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. Anchoring defenses with catchy names like the "Orange Crush?" Both of those seasons came, ironically enough, after Allen and Buddy were separated. chants for the best players who didnt get their just dues over the years. "No one was going to catch no ball.". All-time underrated and overrated players for 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 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. Playing in Detroit can stifle any career. He is now stuck in a rebuilding cycle that may take a few years. He's not the kind of player a wise organization sheds to cut expenses. There are a ton of names in the conversation for best offensive linemen of all time, but Dierdorf Juszczyk knows his role and is a winning player that will always fight to win those tough yards. top 20 He's also among the top 100 in games started (83rd), interception return yardage (89th) and interception return touchdowns (31st). Karl Mecklenburg. Anderson is no Hall of Famerthe middle of his career is a morass of ordinary-at-best seasonsbut he was a pioneer and an innovator. David has amassed 12 interceptions, 16 fumble recoveries, 24 forced fumbles, and 53 pass deflections during his career. Super Bowl championships: Four (1981, 1984, 1988, 1989). Teams: New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Pro Bowl appearances: Four (1979, 1980, 1986, 1987). The linebacker ranks 17th in career solo tackles (1,130) and is the only player to be part of three consecutive Super Bowl champions. The 49ers are installing a new system and reshaping their roster. He was a Pro Bowl regular, two-time All-Pro and Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1971. Bottom line: The 49ers of the 1980s are remembered most for Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, coach Bill Walsh and the West Coast offense. No one else is even close. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports By Sam Monson May 13, In 10 of the 12 seasons in which he started at least half their games, the Seahawks prevailed more times than not. Young played for the teams that slowly slid from George Seifert to Steve Mariucci to oblivion. WebThe NFL is increasingly becoming a passing league. Krieg was a career overachiever who survived 19 seasons on modest talent with defense-driven teams. Time has been hard on both of them. Even so, Smith was pretty much a well-kept secret outside Pittsburgh despite meeting or approaching Pro Bowl standards for almost a decade. 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. Feyenoord v VVV Venlo - Eredivisie. Brett Favre may be the player most responsible for bringing spectacle and success back to Titletown, but Butler brought back celebration. The admission probably slams the door of the Hall of Fame on Brown forever. 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. But Wright never posted massive interception totals, and his teams ended up on the receiving end of a pair of Super Bowl beatings. Top 20 Most Underrated NFL Players Jackson finished his career with 11,438 rushing yards (18th all-time) and 15,121 total scrimmage yards (21st all-time). Butler is all but guaranteed to get lost in the shuffle. 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. On this All-Underrated list, he is in very good company. But his Hall of Fame candidacy has been stuck in semifinalist limbo. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images). shaka wear graphic tees is candy digital publicly traded ellen lawson wife of ted lawson most underrated nfl players 2000s. Most Underrated Bottom line: OK, kids, lets play Name That Hall of Famer. Bates has still developed into a leader in the Bengals secondary and arguably their best player on defense. He was arrested four times after his abrupt retirement. Bottom line: Adam Vinatieri was money in the postseason, but Matt Bahr was even better. Membership on various All-1960s teams. 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. Robinson was one of those players. Modern centers don't get the credit they deserve. Fleming was a reliable backup tight end/wide receiver who played with four Super Bowl-winners (and one NFL champion) in a dozen seasons. At 5-foot-10, 190 pounds, he didnt wow anyone physically. Bowman is coming off an Achilles tear in 2016. 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. Not bad for a guy who might as well have played in a straight jacket for 14 seasons. Top 20 most underrated footballers of all time: who are they? Ken Griffey Jr.? Schlereth started in three Super Bowls with the Redskins and Broncos, all of them victories. 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. The 49ers drafted linebacker Reuben Foster at the bottom of the first round. It takes bad timing and bad luck. 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. 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. While under the radar, Bates has emerged as one of the better all-around safeties in football. The rumors themselves were not surprising. Super Bowl championships: Two (2005, 2008). WebBUY OUR MERCH: https://www.thegivengo.com/merchTIK TOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@thegivengoSPOTIFY: ", Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Oilers, Buffalo Bills, Washington Redskins, Pro Bowl appearances (AFL All-Star Game): Two (1965, 1967). Roberston is the guy getting head-butted in the sternum and knocked backward by Campbell before the running back's jersey gets torn off. 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. 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. Defensive Player of the Year awards? If the quarterback got rid of the ball before getting crushed, it was up to Allen to make a play. The best we can offer is a little bit of credit where a lot is due. His teams averaged 392.0 yards and 34.0 points in those games. Not one of the Jim Harbaugh-era guys. 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. Jones played for the Cowboys from 1974-78 and 1980-89. 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.

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