20 most underrated football players of all time

Not bad for a guy who might as well have played in a straight jacket for 14 seasons. Hall of Fame receiver Paul Warfield was on the receiving end of many of Ryan's touchdowns. Dave Meggett -- RB, 1989-1994. Pro Football Reference rates him at near a Pro Bowl level well into his 30s. 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. Overall, the total still ranks ninth at the position. 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. It's better to be remembered for one of the most painful moments in your career than to not be remembered at all. But his Rams had a running back named Eric Dickerson and quarterbacks named Dieter Brock and Jeff Kemp. Jeff Saturday had to translate Peyton Manning's spur-of-the-moment audibles into protection schemes a split second before the snap. At 5-foot-10, 190 pounds, he didnt wow anyone physically. ), Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers, Super Bowl championships: Two (1974, 1975). 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. And almost nobody remembers that, when Edwards caught the ball, he knew what to do it. In the nine seasons that Aaron Smith had double-digit starts, their D ranked among the top nine in yards allowed every time, but his consistent play went over the heads of many. Evans is still playing at a high level; the Packers hope that he can do for Aaron Rodgers what he did for Brees. He started for an offensive line that helped Barry Sanders win two of his four rushing titles. If John Hadl is remembered for anything these days, it's for one of the most disastrous trades in NFL history. Interior defensive linemen: The average height and weight for defensive tackles entering the league is 6-foot-3, 306 pounds. Hes also among a select few to be a four-time Super Bowl champion. Hull was not just a great lineman but a groundbreaking one. Is Jalen Hurts the Future of the Philadelphia Eagles? McDole's Bills defenses held opponents to fewer than 3.1 yards per carry across three consecutive seasons. During his time at Fiorentina, he was the best player, 2. Teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1997, 2000, 2005). A dominant presence as a run blocker, Moton uses his athleticism to get to the next level of the defense in a hurry. Oh, and sub-packages were pretty rare in the 1960s and 1970s, so Marshall didn't leave the field much. He should be remembered as more than a throwback to the era when Lawrence Welk references were topical. As good as Ellard was at the time, he almost was never mentioned in debates about the best at his position. 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. Anderson's 1,000-yard seasons came in a primitive offense with a rudimentary passing game. He also had some of the clutch gene. They were the Yale football of the NFL, their glory years moldering in history books. Anchoring defenses with catchy names like the "Orange Crush?" But a double whammyplaying center and playing for the Broncoshas kept him miles from Hall of Fame consideration. He had to blanket a wide receiver in man coverage with no safety help on every play. Saleh has compared Franklin-Myers to Arik Armstead, whom he coached in SF while registering 10 sacks in 2019. In his prime, Wright was often mentioned in the same breath as Hall of Famers Mel Blount and Mike Haynes. Ogbah improved against the run while putting up a career-high in both sacks (9) and QB hits (21). If the quarterback got rid of the ball before getting crushed, it was up to Allen to make a play. Young was a devastating interior pass-rusher who recorded 30 sacks in the three-year span from 1998 through 2000. 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. Off to a fast start in 2021, Sutton is quickly reminding opposing defenses of his talent. 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. Players like McDole are what all-time underrated lists exist for. Not one of the Jim Harbaugh-era guys. The Hall of Fame eluded Ellard for several reasons: comparisons to Rice, the Rams' move to St. Louis (it takes hometown writers and buzz to mount a campaign) and those five early seasons in a ground-and-pound offense. The NFL is a star-driven league. "That was my territory," Edwards recalled in The Palm Beach Post. Ronald Koeman is a bonafide legend of Dutch football. 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. "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. Through the 2018 season, Vinatieri checked in at 81 (56 of 69) and 99 (70 of 71), respectively. 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. An undrafted quarterback out of the late Milton College (Wisconsin), Krieg got them to the postseason four times and the AFC championship game once. Sad to say, Morgan was woefully miscast in a run-first offense in a less pass-friendly time. While Graham's sack numbers have never hit double digits, he remains a complete player and Super Bowl champion. The problem with Dierdorf is he played for a lot of bad Cardinals teams. It doesn't matter: If you are a Broncos defender, you might as well forget about a bust in Canton. Other than Steve Largent and Kurt Warner, Pro Bowlers were harder to find in the Seahawks offense than a haystack in the Space Needle. Web113 Likes, TikTok video from FootWorld (@lovingfootbal): "The most underrated player of all time #dimaria #football". In Super Bowl IX, Edwards killed a drive and darn near Vikings intended receiver John Gilliam on a hellacious hit near the goal line. Arizona Cardinals: Dan Dierdorf. Quick: Name the 49ers' all-time sack leader. The admission probably slams the door of the Hall of Fame on Brown forever. 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. Maybe not, seeing as Nalen has not had much success. Hadl signed with the Chargers instead, and Sid Gilman built him into the trigger man for an offense from which all modern offenses descended. Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, Super Bowl championships: Two (1979, 1990). 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. original sound - ftbl vids 221. The Pro Football Reference Similar Players tool compares Ryan's five-year peak to that of Joe Theismann. Here on the All-Time Underrated List, it counts for a lot. Sanders was an extremely Super Bowl championships: Four (1981, 1984, 1988, 1989). When the team inducted Smith into the Pride of the Jaguars ring of honor last year, it was the strange case of a moribund franchise honoring a former receiver still on parole for succumbing to the demons of addiction. "Because when the ball was thrown, I knew I had better ball skills and would go up and get it.". Mostly Schlereth and sidekick Tom Nalen, who were masters of zone-blocking schemes, a major reason why Davis is in the Hall of Fame today. While coverage is Bates' strength, he can still lay the big hit and be a factor in run support. C'mon, who doesn't love Darren Sproles and Mike Tolbert? 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. That's where the politics of Hall voting come in. WebThe 10 most underrated football players of all time are: Gheorghe Hagi, Michael Laudrup, Gaetano Scirea, Hristo Stoichkov, Matthias Sammer, Davor Suker, Gunter Netzer, #5. Young played for the teams that slowly slid from George Seifert to Steve Mariucci to oblivion. 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. His 4.53 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine was far from elite level speed either, but none of that has not stopped Johnson from playing fast and producing at a high level for the Steelers. Robinson was one of those players. It's Bryant Young, whorecorded 89.5 sacks for the 49ers, 23 more than Haley. 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. There will never be another player like Marshall. So Anderson cranked out a few 1,000-yard seasons and played in some Pro Bowls, and that was that. Mills was a USFL All-Star in all three seasons of the league's existence, and he led the Philadelphia and Baltimore Stars' Doghouse Defense (coached by Jim Mora) to a pair of league titles. But don't write him off as some 1960s product of the system. Teams: Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Houston Texans. Related:Most Overrated NFL Players of All Time. Bottom line: Adam Vinatieri was money in the postseason, but Matt Bahr was even better. At only 510, Johnson lacks the ideal size. 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 system helped make Hall of Famers of Kelly, Reed and Thomas. In his most prolific early season, he caught 54 passes for 811 yards and five touchdowns. There's underrated, underappreciated and overlooked. The Bucs hired head coach Jon Gruden and won Super Bowl XXXVII the next season. But the former NFL Man of the Year award winner and two-time All-Pro should not have had to wait so long. Bottom line: Derrick Mason was among the shrewdest, most precise route runners of his time. He isn't the dynamic threat thatTyreek Hill orDavante Adams are, but Allen is an elite route runner that consistently puts up elite production. They're the working stiffs who bust their butts at so-called lesser positions, on teams that are seldom seen on highlights shows, let alone national television. Ken Griffey Jr.? He ran a Sonny Jurgensen pass back 59 yards in the fourth quarter to seal a Rams playoff win over the Redskins in 1974. A beast in coverage, Jones continues to round out his game as one of the top overall linebackers in football. Were talking about the most unsung, underappreciated players in NFL history here. Its hard to think of a player more dominant and less talked about over a long period of time than Chandler Jones. 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. And Jackson spent a generation as a pre- and postgame show staple, which puts him in a whole different category. Actually, theres a simple explanation. Lets hear some "un-der-ra-ted!" On the field, it is Diontae Johnson that has emerged as a favorite target of Big Ben. Guys who played in Jacksonville repeatedly have been crapped on in Pro Bowl and Hall of Fame votes, none more so than Taylor during and after his 11 seasons there. Arizona Cardinals: Kelvin Beachum, OT. 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. After the Bills failed to score, he knocked quarterback Jim Kelly out of the game in the next series. 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. The Packers were a team with more history than identity when Butler arrived. He headed to Washington and moved from the weak to strong side. Still don't understand why the writers don't respect it.". Juszczyk has made five Pro Bowl appearances, including each season since joining San Francisco in 2017. Frank Ryan led the NFL in passing touchdowns twice. Anderson was not Payton, and the later-era Mike Ditka Bears could never approach the heights reached by the 1985 Bears. Oh, and Norton scored the final touchdown of the game on a 9-yard fumble return. Brandon Graham is an incredibly underrated defensive lineman and lifelong Philadelphia Eagle. Teams: Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Tennessee Oilers, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1984, 1988, 1989). Because he is one of the NFL's best defensive players, for one thing. While most Giants fans remember Meggett, he is still one of the most underrated 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. 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. 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. Drew Brees endured an average of just 24 sacks per season in Evans' All-Pro seasons, despite typically dropping back to pass over 650 times per year. Bottom line: For 16 seasons, Henry Ellard wreaked havoc as a pass receiver and punt returner. 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. McDole played 251 professional games as a defensive lineman, a remarkable feat in any era that should not be forgotten. It made the Bills of the early 1990s the greatest team to never win a Super Bowl. chants for the best players who didnt get their just dues over the years. 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. That's its own kind of recognition. WebLet's face it: An entire All-Underrated Team can be assembled using only Broncos defenders. Even unspectacular ones manage to rack up a few 1,000-yard seasons and get drafted early in fantasy leagues. And no Hall of Famers allowed. He finally won a Super Bowl ring as a backup for the Buccaneers. Butler has never even been a Hall of Fame semifinalist, and it's not going to happen for him soon. 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. Hull never lived to see himself make a Hall of Fame semifinalist list, as he died of liver failure at age 50 in 2011. Dunn finished his career with 15,655 all-purpose yards, 25th in league history, one of the best players never to be a champion. He rose to Pro Bowl status playing left tackle for a single-back, Joe Gibbs-style 1980s offense. Super Bowl victories? Get this: Ten of those seasons were spent with either the Vince Lombardi Packers or Don Shula Dolphins. The 49ers drafted linebacker Reuben Foster at the bottom of the first round. 1. A lifelong Tampa Bay Buccaneer, Davids 10-year career has been about consistency and productivity. Perhaps Hull would be in the Hall of Fame if the Bills had won even one Super Bowl. He was a participant in four Super Bowls and a member of two All-Pro teams. Slot specialists such as Julian Edelman and Victor Cruz are now considered valuable components to the modern passing game. Rivers had neither, but he possessed just about everything else. His franchises just kept ending up on the wrong side of history. 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. Randy Gradishar. TGT Tips! Dierdorf started his career with the Cardinals in 1971 as a guard. 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 Hall of Ogbah has always been a steady presence rushing the quarterback but broke out in 2020 during his first season with the Dolphins. 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. He helped the Packers win a Super Bowl. It is absurd that Jones isnt talked about more with his ability to impact games. If Morgan had played in a pass-happy offense with a Pro Bowl quarterback and hands-off rules, you would find him in Canton right now. Norton made the key play of the game in the second period, when he stood up Buffalo Bills back Kenneth Davis mere inches from the goal line. WebBUY OUR MERCH: https://www.thegivengo.com/merchTIK TOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@thegivengoSPOTIFY: WebThe Top 10 Most Underrated Football Players of All Time 1. The least glamorous position on the field, a so-so team, a franchise moveWisniewski pulled three lemons on the recognition slot machine. Let's hope the fame doesn't go to his head. Many of those catches occurred down the field, with Anderson serving as a de facto possession receiver. Anderson became a footnote to the Ditka era, but fans who saw him play know he was far more than that. Overshadowed on a bad team for much of his early career, Bates also came from a draft that featured top safeties Minkah Fitzpatrick and Derwin James. Even so, Smith was pretty much a well-kept secret outside Pittsburgh despite meeting or approaching Pro Bowl standards for almost a decade. Butler is all but guaranteed to get lost in the shuffle. Johnson can line up all over the field and consistently find space in the opposing defense. According to Pro Football Reference, he was flagged for 14 accepted holding penalties in 187 career games, little more than one per season.

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