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. Also, the field was often a block of ice. He headed to Washington and moved from the weak to strong side. 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. 100-91). He announced his retirement from pro football in 2010, not long after signing with the Arizona Cardinals. Bowman makes this list because he has the makings of a player who will be underappreciated historically. He picked off a dozen passes in his career two of them at 38 years of age an absurd number for a 6-foot-4, 265-pound lineman. Brown earned seven Pro Bowl berths and an All-Pro selection. And you're never going to guess who's No. 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. "It was tough, but I was happy for those guys," Dunn told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 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. 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. Sanders was an extremely 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. Nothing screams underappreciated like rumors you're about to be traded to make room for a late first-round pick. But Anderson was an extraordinary talent. 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. What Mason did have was a keen attention to detail and fanatical drive to succeed. Jeff Saturday had to translate Peyton Manning's spur-of-the-moment audibles into protection schemes a split second before the snap. But there is no player; fans themselves get to "leap" into the statue for photo ops. But three of his best seasons are not listed in the encyclopedias. A lifelong Tampa Bay Buccaneer, Davids 10-year career has been about consistency and productivity. Jerry Hughes has been a consistent pass rusher and important piece to the Buffalo Bills defense. 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. Other than Steve Largent and Kurt Warner, Pro Bowlers were harder to find in the Seahawks offense than a haystack in the Space Needle. He accounted for all his teams points in a 15-13 white-knuckler that wrecked the 49ers three-peat bid and sent the Giants to Super Bowl XXV. 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. 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 linebacker ranks 17th in career solo tackles (1,130) and is the only player to be part of three consecutive Super Bowl champions. Yes, Marshall amassed that sack total by playing foreverhe started270 games (plus 19 playoff starts) from 1961 through 1979. He has started every game he has played in since 2014 (with four different franchises). As for being so underrated he's overrated, wellthat's extremely underrated, which justifies Anderson's ranking here. For years, the team couldn't even harken back to its glory days properly, as Smith's Pride of the Jaguars induction was delayed until he was sober and no longer under house arrest. 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. Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images. 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. Fewer yet realize that he made a crucial play in each victory. Teammates Alan Page and Carl Ellar were held in higher regard. He played 256 career regular-season games, never missing a start due to injury. Neal Anderson replaced Walter Payton. Perhaps Hull would be in the Hall of Fame if the Bills had won even one Super Bowl. He became an All-Pro playing blindside protector in an early 1990s run-'n'-shoot offense. Brett Favre may be the player most responsible for bringing spectacle and success back to Titletown, but Butler brought back celebration. Bottom line: The Greatest Show On Turf boasted so much star power you couldnt tell the other Rams without a program. He was an All-Pro for the Orange Crush defenses of the 1970s, and then he stuck around to play for the 1986 Broncos Super Bowl team. Bowman doesn't get the recognition he's due, and he may have to get used to it. Brandon Graham is an incredibly underrated defensive lineman and lifelong Philadelphia Eagle. A dominant presence as a run blocker, Moton uses his athleticism to get to the next level of the defense in a hurry. One of the most well-traveled quarterbacks in NFL history, Vinny Testaverde hung around long enough to register the seventh-most passing yards ever in his 20-year career. The least glamorous position on the field, a so-so team, a franchise moveWisniewski pulled three lemons on the recognition slot machine. 'Nuff said, right? 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. There are a ton of names in the conversation for best offensive linemen of all time, but Dierdorf Theyre the core players who are overshadowed by more well-paid, high-profile teammates and just plain pathetic, shameless self-promoters. Make no mistake about it, Eric Bieniemys exodus from Kansas City to Washington is only one move on the chess board This list begins with a quarterback who is preparing to play in the 2015 NFL regular season. While most Giants fans remember Meggett, he is still one of the most underrated players of all time. 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. Ryan threw five touchdown passes and ran for a sixth to beat the Giants and lead the Browns to the NFL championship in 1964. He was arrested four times after his abrupt retirement. There's underrated, underappreciated and overlooked. Mike Kenn began his career playing left tackle for a lumbering 1970s power-running offense. He was one of the first true slot receivers of 21st-century NFL offenses. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. Bottom line: For 16 seasons, Henry Ellard wreaked havoc as a pass receiver and punt returner. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. Anderson went on to duel with Walsh and Montana's 49ers in Super Bowl XVI. 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. Its easy to forget the Seahawks had some pretty good teams way back when, even a few playoff ones. Hull never lived to see himself make a Hall of Fame semifinalist list, as he died of liver failure at age 50 in 2011. 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. Still don't understand why the writers don't respect it.". 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. 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. We look at the 10 most underrated players in football at the moment. 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. That feeling never really went away.". And then there is plain old forgotten. Wouldnt you know it? WebMost Underrated NFL Players of All Time These men did so much but received so little credit in return. The rumors themselves were not surprising. 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. "Because when the ball was thrown, I knew I had better ball skills and would go up and get it.". Bottom line: Warrick Dunn overcame the murder of his mother, bouts with depression and 5-foot-9 size to have a successful 12-year NFL career. Beachum has lined up at both left and right tackle but displayed 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. It takes years of playing the wrong position for the wrong team in the wrong league at the wrong time. Off to a fast start in 2021, Sutton is quickly reminding opposing defenses of his talent. Bates finished tied for 6th in 2020 with 15 passes defended. Seven times, he surpassed 1,000 yards on pass receptions, most of them on slants and corner routes. Matthew Stafford is approaching 50,000 career passing yards, a number only topped by 11 quarterbacks in history. WebThe NFL is increasingly becoming a passing league. Yet he still led his team to the playoffs three more times. 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. The converted all-purpose athlete became one of the fathers of modern quarterbacking. 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". He helped the Packers win a Super Bowl. Unless you live in Cleveland or are over 50, you probably have never heard of him. Start with Adam Timmerman, who won Super Bowl rings with the Packers and Rams three years apart. It was a motivating factor for a number of years in my career. We could just trudge onward to the next player right now. Rivers lacks several quarterback prerequisites for enshrinement: playoff glory, all-time records and, most importantly, momentum from a regional fanbase and media. Hadl signed with the Chargers instead, and Sid Gilman built him into the trigger man for an offense from which all modern offenses descended. The admission probably slams the door of the Hall of Fame on Brown forever. 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. Bottom line: Never mind guys such as Michael Vick and Lamar Jackson. David has amassed 12 interceptions, 16 fumble recoveries, 24 forced fumbles, and 53 pass deflections during his career. Dierdorf started his career with the Cardinals in 1971 as a guard. The 49ers drafted linebacker Reuben Foster at the bottom of the first round. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. Evans is a long shot to do either, which is a shame. Young played for some great 49ers teams, including a Super Bowl-winning squad as a rookie in 1994. His franchises just kept ending up on the wrong side of history. McDole's Bills defenses held opponents to fewer than 3.1 yards per carry across three consecutive seasons. Those who like to shout "first-ballot Hall of Famer" about Rivers do not know how the Hall of Fame works. Meet every NFL team's all-time most underrated player. More than one scout considered Turner to be too light to play linebacker, too slow to play defensive back. Dont let the numbers fool you Morgan wasnt a one-trick racehorse. 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. These men did so much but received so little credit in return. Ground rules: A max of three Pro Bowl invitations. If Anderson had failed, the 49ers may never have lured Walsh away from the Bengals staff. Not enough credit is given to Waller who lacks the Shanahan offense or elite QB to help take his game to the next level. He then became a staple of trivia questions and All-Time Worst Trades listicles, as the Lawrence Welk trade overshadowed an even more impressive moment in Hadl's transaction history. 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. There are no official sack statistics before 1982, but the Minnesota Vikings credit Jim Marshall with 127 career sacks. Steve Atwater. 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. Moton has also committed just 10 penalties in over 50 career starts, an average of less than one penalty every five games. The career active leader in games started by a defensive lineman is Julius Peppers with 227. Oh, and sub-packages were pretty rare in the 1960s and 1970s, so Marshall didn't leave the field much. Teams: Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, Bottom line: Fred Taylor once tweeted, "I earned respect on the field. Jacksonville's all-time leading receiver is now beginning what he calls the "second chapter in his life." 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. St. 10. David entered the league as a terrific coverage linebacker and has continued to grow into an all-around complete linebacker and playmaker. Now that's underrated. He ran a Sonny Jurgensen pass back 59 yards in the fourth quarter to seal a Rams playoff win over the Redskins in 1974. Oakland Raiders. WebTop 20 Most Underrated Footballers in 2022 1. Chiesa is a winger who plays for Juventus. Johnson can line up all over the field and consistently find space in the opposing defense. He played center, as well, before his career was over. "When I was there, the thing we were missing was that explosive type of offense, and the new coach brought that in.". Even so, Smith was pretty much a well-kept secret outside Pittsburgh despite meeting or approaching Pro Bowl standards for almost a decade. WebThe Top 10 Most Underrated Football Players of All Time 1. "I wasnt the fastest guy, but I didnt mind having the defender at my hip," Ellard said per Yahoo Sports. 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. Cooke is the most underrated player in the sport, performing mostly in the wonderful but considerable shadows of Boston, Staleys grand personality and all the noise at Colonial Life Arena. Pro Bowl? While Kreig didnt possess fleet feet or a bazooka arm, he could read defenses and throw an accurate ball. Following a strong start to 2021, McLaurin is slowly beginning to earn the respect his game deserves. In Jahri Evans' four All-Pro seasons (2009-12), the Saints ranked first, sixth, first and second in the NFL in total yards. As the Chargers faded, Rivers kept them in the wild-card picture and became the franchise's only recognizable public figure. Super Bowl championships: Two (1996, 1999). If the quarterback got rid of the ball before getting crushed, it was up to Allen to make a play. 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. 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. Numbers better than majority of RBs in history. Evans is still playing at a high level; the Packers hope that he can do for Aaron Rodgers what he did for Brees. 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. But his Rams had a running back named Eric Dickerson and quarterbacks named Dieter Brock and Jeff Kemp. No matter. That may be unfair to players like Robinson, Jerry Kramer and L.C. He's the Rams' all-time leading rusher with almost 3,000 more yards for the franchise than Marshall Faulk or Eric Dickerson. Young was a devastating interior pass-rusher who recorded 30 sacks in the three-year span from 1998 through 2000. Eric Allen's job in Buddy Ryan's 46 defense was simple. 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. 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 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. The former top ten draft pick looks to be on the verge of breaking out. Actually, theres a simple explanation. 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. There will never be another player like Marshall. Lets hear some "un-der-ra-ted!" Bottom line: In the Steelers' 3-4 scheme, defensive ends were akin to smaller, more agile tackles run-stoppers first, pass-rushers second. Bottom line: Few remember Glen Edwards as the fearless strong safety with the Steelers first two Super Bowl teams. Jordi Alba. Hes the only quarterback with AFL and NFL titles on his resume and he darn near pulled it off in the Canadian Football League as well. The Cardinals were 0-3 in the playoffs in Dierdorfs time with the team, and none of the games were particularly close. Web20 most underrated football players of all time 1. "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. Player A passed for 27,928 yards and 194 touchdowns and ran for four touchdowns with mostly very good teams and one great one. On the field, it is Diontae Johnson that has emerged as a favorite target of Big Ben. Then it was off to Carolina, where he earned an All-Pro selection for leading the Panthers to the NFC Championship Game as a second-year expansion team during his age-37 season. When Da Bears bean counters refused to pay up two years later, Marshall was the odd man out again. 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. 2022 NFL Mock Draft: Jacksonville Jaguars overtake Detroit for No. And almost nobody remembers that, when Edwards caught the ball, he knew what to do it. Greenlaw is equally effective against the run and pass, a sure tackler, and brings plenty of energy to theNiners' defense.