20 most underrated football players of all time

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. The Lions drafted him as a running back. A lifelong Tampa Bay Buccaneer, Davids 10-year career has been about consistency and productivity. The Steelers rushed for a then-record 249 yards and did not allow a sack. Bottom line: Wilber Marshall was the most athletic and versatile linebacker with the legendary 1985 Bears defense he often replaced the celebrated Mike Singletary in pass situations. 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. They say you know an offensive lineman is doing a great job when his name is rarely brought up, but its time Moton is talked about more for his success. The easiest way to be overlooked by history is to replace a legend just after a franchise has peaked. Super Bowl championships: 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979. With Warfield hurt nearly all of that season, Ryan helped make a Pro Bowler out of receiver/punter Gary Collins. Mills and Reggie White were the USFL's two greatest defenders ever. His teams averaged 392.0 yards and 34.0 points in those games. During his nine seasons in Buffalo, Hughes has emerged as a leader while registering double-digits in QB hits every season but one. Also, the field was often a block of ice. But what peak years they were: 14- and 13-win seasons, annual playoff appearances, routine 4,000-yard, 30-touchdown seasons. 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. He is now stuck in a rebuilding cycle that may take a few years. Teams kept doing something special to get their hands on Hadl. Fletcher followed Gregg Williams from coaching stop to coaching stop, serving as the sometimes controversial, always effective defensive mastermind's field marshal. His 42-yarder in the 1990 NFC championship game rates as one of the greatest clutch kicks in league history. 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. 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. TGT Tips! Player B passed for 31,548 yards and 214 touchdowns and ran for 22 touchdowns with below average-to-good teams. Oakland Raiders. They would rank first in the NFL in yardage four other times while Evans was a starter. Brett Favre may be the player most responsible for bringing spectacle and success back to Titletown, but Butler brought back celebration. Bates is a ball-hawking safety in coverage with excellent range, intelligence, and athleticism. Mason also caught 49 postseason passes and was one of the game's best return men for a few years. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. Hull started his professional career with the USFL's New Jersey Generals, where he helped Herschel Walker rush for 2,411 yards in one 18-game season. Gheorghe Hagi, Romania. Yet somehow, some way, Kolb never received a Pro Bowl invitation. As the Chargers faded, Rivers kept them in the wild-card picture and became the franchise's only recognizable public figure. The Hall of Entering 2021, Moton had allowed only 10 sacks in over 2,000 pass-blocking snaps. After spending a season on the practice squad and injured-reserve with the Jets, Franklin-Myers made the most of his opportunities as a rotational player throughout most of 2020, leading to a starting role in 2021 and a massive $55M extension. The NFL is a star-driven league. 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. 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. No one else is even close. But three of his best seasons are not listed in the encyclopedias. Neal Anderson replaced Walter Payton. 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. The converted all-purpose athlete became one of the fathers of modern quarterbacking. In Dierdorfs second to last season, the Cardinals were embarrassed by the Packers 41-16 in their playoff opener. Taylor Moton has quietly emerged as a dominant presence at right tackle for the Panthers. 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. 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. Maybe that victory gives them the psychological edge they need to beat the undefeated Patriots in their 2008 playoff rematch. But Anderson was an extraordinary talent. St. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996. Where did Davis score the game-winner late in Super Bowl XXXII? Thats what Krieg did best win football games. Today we look back at the most underrated Quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, and a few of these should be in Canton. Jones played for the Cowboys from 1974-78 and 1980-89. Angel Di Maria. He rose to Pro Bowl status playing left tackle for a single-back, Joe Gibbs-style 1980s offense. Overall, the total still ranks ninth at the position. Unless you live in Cleveland or are over 50, you probably have never heard of him. Both of those seasons came, ironically enough, after Allen and Buddy were separated. 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. Brandon Graham is an incredibly underrated defensive lineman and lifelong Philadelphia Eagle. Quarterback ratings for Washington skyrocket when targeting McLaurin, who has become a nightmare to defend with the ball in his hands after the catch. But his Rams had a running back named Eric Dickerson and quarterbacks named Dieter Brock and Jeff Kemp. Poor Louis Wright has a hard time even making the Broncos' overcrowded All-Snub Team. So Kenn basically had three careers. Even so, Smith was pretty much a well-kept secret outside Pittsburgh despite meeting or approaching Pro Bowl standards for almost a decade. Brown is now best known as a television personality. All betting content is intended for an audience ages 21+. 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. On this All-Underrated list, he is in very good company. Now that's underrated. In Super Bowl IX, Edwards killed a drive and darn near Vikings intended receiver John Gilliam on a hellacious hit near the goal line. Bottom line: Never mind guys such as Michael Vick and Lamar Jackson. Edouard Mendy of Chelsea celebrates after his sides victory in the Premier League match 2. McDole was known as "The Dancing Bear" because of his nimble feet, one of the coolest nicknames ever. WebThe 10 most underrated football players of all time are: Gheorghe Hagi, Michael Laudrup, Gaetano Scirea, Hristo Stoichkov, Matthias Sammer, Davor Suker, Gunter Netzer, 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. If John Hadl is remembered for anything these days, it's for one of the most disastrous trades in NFL 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 there is no player; fans themselves get to "leap" into the statue for photo ops. Perhaps it's time we look back on how much of an impact he and his Jaguars had on the NFL two decades ago. If Isiah Robertson is famous at all, it's for being "posterized" by Earl Campbell in one of the most famous NFL Films highlights of all time. 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. A beast in coverage, Jones continues to round out his game as one of the top overall linebackers in football. 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. Lambeau Field was an icy outpost; the Packers still played a handful of home games in Milwaukee back then. Or as astute NBC broadcaster Dick Enberg scored it, "KO for Ken Norton.". Then again, the fourth-round draft pick had no choice. Steven Jackson arrived in St. Louis just as the Greatest Show on Turf was deteriorating into the Most Miserable Slog in the Midwest. But he didn't play for the legendary 49ers teams. Wright earned a second-team All-1970s nod from the Pro Football Hall of Fame, even though several of his signature years were in the 1980s. At 5-foot-10, 190 pounds, he didnt wow anyone physically. 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. 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 Teams: Los Angeles Rams, Washington Redskins. Even unspectacular ones manage to rack up a few 1,000-yard seasons and get drafted early in fantasy leagues. 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. During his time at Fiorentina, he was the best player, 2. His .588 win percentage ranks second to Wilson in team history. The problem with Dierdorf is he played for a lot of bad Cardinals teams. WebThe Top 10 Most Underrated Football Players of All Time 1. No matter. At only 510, Johnson lacks the ideal size. Taylor rushed for 1,000-plus yards in seven seasons. Quick: Name the 49ers' all-time sack leader. Young played for some great 49ers teams, including a Super Bowl-winning squad as a rookie in 1994. 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. 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. The Rams acquired him from the Chargers in 1973 in exchange for defensive end Coy Bacon. Hmmm. He had 44 career sacks and as many as eight in a season on two occasions. 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. Here on the All-Time Underrated List, it counts for a lot. There, he led a relentless Redskins pass rush in their Super Bowl XXVI ambush. Schlereth started in three Super Bowls with the Redskins and Broncos, all of them victories. Maybe not, seeing as Nalen has not had much success. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. Rivers had neither, but he possessed just about everything else. Jackson finished his career with 11,438 rushing yards (18th all-time) and 15,121 total scrimmage yards (21st all-time). And Jackson spent a generation as a pre- and postgame show staple, which puts him in a whole different category. Many of those catches occurred down the field, with Anderson serving as a de facto possession receiver. 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. He's also among the top 100 in games started (83rd), interception return yardage (89th) and interception return touchdowns (31st). Actually, theres a simple explanation. 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. Two names that are familiar to even casual football fans sit atop the mountaintop of underrated NFL players for the 2015 regular season. But Wright never posted massive interception totals, and his teams ended up on the receiving end of a pair of Super Bowl beatings. Graham has only missed one game since 2012 prior to 2021, and similar to Hughes is a winning culture type of player.

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