Finally, at last, the cornerback was selected to play in his first Pro Bowl game as some kind of lifetime achievement award. Today we look back at the most underrated Quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, and a few of these should be in Canton. And he played in one stinking Pro Bowl game. 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. Mills followed Mora to New Orleans and led the Dome Patrol linebacking corps, which brought the Saints franchise its first playoff appearances. Even pesky third-down backs and gritty fullbacks may seem underrated until you realize how many of them become local heroes. Jones played for the Cowboys from 1974-78 and 1980-89. WebFive players made their "Top 100" debuts -- David Montgomery, Jimmie Ward, CeeDee Lamb, Justin Tucker and Kyle Pitts -- in Episode 1 (Nos. There are no official sack statistics before 1982, but the Minnesota Vikings credit Jim Marshall with 127 career sacks. Buckner earned his first All-Pro honors in 2020 and still has plenty of untapped potential to take his game to another level at just 27 years old. 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. No matter. 'Nuff said, right? FEDERICO CHIESA. Coughlin gave Smith a tryout, then kickoff return duties, and then teamed him with Mark Brunell and Keenan McCardell to create one of the most dangerous passing attacks of the late '90s and early 2000s. The Rams acquired him from the Chargers in 1973 in exchange for defensive end Coy Bacon. It takes more than mere greatness to be considered one of the most underrated players in pro football history. Edouard Mendy - Chelsea. "Hate to say it, but I do believe I should be there (in Canton)," Marshall once said. 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. And almost nobody remembers that, when Edwards caught the ball, he knew what to do it. He was arrested four times after his abrupt retirement. 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. Overall, the total still ranks ninth at the position. Moton has also committed just 10 penalties in over 50 career starts, an average of less than one penalty every five games. Steven Jackson arrived in St. Louis just as the Greatest Show on Turf was deteriorating into the Most Miserable Slog in the Midwest. But no highlight clip of that play can be found on the internet. 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. Fletcher followed Gregg Williams from coaching stop to coaching stop, serving as the sometimes controversial, always effective defensive mastermind's field marshal. Anderson became a footnote to the Ditka era, but fans who saw him play know he was far more than that. Then again, the fourth-round draft pick had no choice. The Pro Football Reference Similar Players tool compares Ryan's five-year peak to that of Joe Theismann. 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. 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. The trade went how you might expect a lopsided midseason deal for an aging quarterback to go. That voter meant every fanbase has a beloved old defender, renowned for his toughness and leadership, that they swear belongs in the Hall of Fame. But Hadl had to do something to make the Packers think he was worth two armfuls of draft picks. 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. Entering 2021, Moton had allowed only 10 sacks in over 2,000 pass-blocking snaps. On this All-Underrated list, he is in very good company. That may be unfair to players like Robinson, Jerry Kramer and L.C. In both New England and Arizona, Jones has wreaked havoc on quarterbacks, demonstrating versatility as a 3-4 OLB and 4-3 DE. 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. Lomas Brown played left tackle for four Lions playoff teams. His 65 interceptions are fifth most in NFL history. But there is no player; fans themselves get to "leap" into the statue for photo ops. In Super Bowl IX, Edwards killed a drive and darn near Vikings intended receiver John Gilliam on a hellacious hit near the goal line. We look at the 10 most underrated players in football at the moment. McDole's Bills defenses held opponents to fewer than 3.1 yards per carry across three consecutive seasons. Butler is all but guaranteed to get lost in the shuffle. FanDuel NFL 2021: Best lineup for Week 16, Jets HC Robert Saleh tests positive for COVID, could miss Jaguars game, LeVeon Bell fires back on Twitter at fans trolling him for signing with Buccaneers. McLaurin registered 87 catches in 2020 after 58 during his rookie season in 2019. He isn't the dynamic threat thatTyreek Hill orDavante Adams are, but Allen is an elite route runner that consistently puts up elite production. Bowman doesn't get the recognition he's due, and he may have to get used to it. 100-91). McDole was known as "The Dancing Bear" because of his nimble feet, one of the coolest nicknames ever. 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. Jeff Saturday had to translate Peyton Manning's spur-of-the-moment audibles into protection schemes a split second before the snap. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. Guards don't make the Hall of Fame unless they win multiple Super Bowls or play forever. Waller upped his game in 2020 and hauled in 107 passes and nine touchdowns to earn his first Pro Bowl nod. Butler has never even been a Hall of Fame semifinalist, and it's not going to happen for him soon. He announced his retirement from pro football in 2010, not long after signing with the Arizona Cardinals. He intercepted 25 career regular-season passes and two more in the postseason. It takes bad timing and bad luck. Robertson is so poorly remembered that it was hard to find a decent photo of him in our archives. He didnt just take up space, either. Numbers better than majority of RBs in history. 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. Young played for the teams that slowly slid from George Seifert to Steve Mariucci to oblivion. That's its own kind of recognition. Juszczyk knows his role and is a winning player that will always fight to win those tough yards. Super Bowl victories? 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. The fullback has become a non-factor in many of todays NFL offenses, but Juszczyk remains an integral part of how the San Francisco 49ers run their offense. He's not the kind of player a wise organization sheds to cut expenses. 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. Fifteen years ago, similar receivers were gimmicky undersized role players. 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. And Jackson spent a generation as a pre- and postgame show staple, which puts him in a whole different category. A Hall of Fame voter once warned me that "every town has its linebacker.". In Jahri Evans' four All-Pro seasons (2009-12), the Saints ranked first, sixth, first and second in the NFL in total yards. 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. Bates finished tied for 6th in 2020 with 15 passes defended. Feyenoord v VVV Venlo - Eredivisie. Meet every NFL team's all-time most underrated player. 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. He was a six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro. 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. And no Hall of Famers allowed. 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. Buckner is rarely discussed with the likes of Cameron Heyward, Fletcher Cox, or Grady Jarrett among the top interior defensive linemen (next tier behind Aaron Donald), but he is every bit as talented. While coverage is Bates' strength, he can still lay the big hit and be a factor in run support. Where did Davis score the game-winner late in Super Bowl XXXII? It is absurd that Jones isnt talked about more with his ability to impact games. 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. Frank Ryan led the NFL in passing touchdowns twice. More than anything, though, Rote was a leader and winner. Hadl played quarterback, halfback, defensive back and punter for the University of Kansas. But none accomplished more than Ryan while receiving less acclaim. "It pissed me off," Fletcher replied. Incredibly, McDole started 97 of the next 98 games. Mike Kenn began his career playing left tackle for a lumbering 1970s power-running offense. Quick: Name the 49ers' all-time sack leader. Rivers lacks several quarterback prerequisites for enshrinement: playoff glory, all-time records and, most importantly, momentum from a regional fanbase and media. There would not be another exchange of current Pro Bowlers in the NFL until the Broncos and Redskins exchanged Champ Bailey and Clinton Portis in 2004. That's not something to hold against a player. Teams: Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Tennessee Oilers, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1984, 1988, 1989). His stardom was spread among three teams, robbing him of local hero status (or Hall of Fame momentum) in any one city. 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. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. Teams: Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Houston Texans. Edouard Mendy of Chelsea celebrates after his sides victory in the Premier League match 2. In Dierdorfs second to last season, the Cardinals were embarrassed by the Packers 41-16 in their playoff opener. Angel Di Maria. Defensive Player of the Year awards? Efficient? 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. The guy should demand a recount, I tell ya. Teams: Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos, Super Bowl championships: Three (1991, 1997, 1998). (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images). There, he led a relentless Redskins pass rush in their Super Bowl XXVI ambush. 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. You know the type. After making the Pro Bowl twice early in his career, David has failed to make it since 2015 while still playing at a high level. As some players continue to grow their stardom and gain league-wide recognition, others are less talked about, often flying under the radar for several seasons or even entire careers without proper acknowledgment. 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. Young was a devastating interior pass-rusher who recorded 30 sacks in the three-year span from 1998 through 2000. During his nine seasons in Buffalo, Hughes has emerged as a leader while registering double-digits in QB hits every season but one. Following a strong start to 2021, McLaurin is slowly beginning to earn the respect his game deserves. Ken Griffey Jr.? 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. An undrafted quarterback out of the late Milton College (Wisconsin), Krieg got them to the postseason four times and the AFC championship game once. WebWhile positional drills may be more indicative of a player's success in the NFL, other events like the 40-yard dash, three-cone drill and bench press are less obvious. 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 finally won a Super Bowl ring as a backup for the Buccaneers. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. A Super Bowl ring and two AFL championships. Its hard to think of a player more dominant and less talked about over a long period of time than Chandler Jones. He had the speed to get to the edge and beat defenders down the sideline, the power to plow through tackles, the elusiveness to make things happen in the open field and receiving chops to rival contemporaries Roger Craig or Thurman Thomas. He's also among the top 100 in games started (83rd), interception return yardage (89th) and interception return touchdowns (31st). And consider this: The one-time college triple-jumper played with a Pro Bowl quarterback (Jim Everett) in only one season. Bottom line: Few remember Glen Edwards as the fearless strong safety with the Steelers first two Super Bowl teams. And few were better at making opposing quarterbacks pay for mistakes. Lambeau Field was an icy outpost; the Packers still played a handful of home games in Milwaukee back then. The problem with Dierdorf is he played for a lot of bad Cardinals teams. 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. Buckner plays within the defense, often allowing others to make plays, but remains a nightmare trying to block one on one. Robertson's Rams made a habit of reaching the playoffs every year and losing to the Vikings or Cowboys. But what peak years they were: 14- and 13-win seasons, annual playoff appearances, routine 4,000-yard, 30-touchdown seasons. And then there is plain old forgotten. Derrick Mason recorded four 1,000-yard seasons for Jeff Fisher teams and four more for the Baltimore Ravens. "Because when the ball was thrown, I knew I had better ball skills and would go up and get it.". Also, the field was often a block of ice. Jordi Alba. The Hall of Fame has turned up its nose on all of them. chants for the best players who didnt get their just dues over the years. Starting in at least 13 games every year since entering the league in 2012, David has finished just one season with less than 100 tackles. Web#shortsucl#bayernmunich #bayern #barcelona#football#footballedit#footballedits#footballshirts#soccer#socceredit#socceredits#soccershorts There's underrated, underappreciated and overlooked. Only a dozen players have more career interception return yards (961), and seven of them are in the Hall of Fame. 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. 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. Some might say it's a stretch to put Allen on this list after four straight Pro Bowl seasons and 95+ catch seasons. It takes years of playing the wrong position for the wrong team in the wrong league at the wrong time. 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. His teams averaged 392.0 yards and 34.0 points in those games. Taylor Moton has quietly emerged as a dominant presence at right tackle for the Panthers. 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. Year after year, Chandler Jones is one of the best pure pass rushers in football. But so were teammates like Len Dawson, Willie Lanier, Buck Buchanan, Bobby Bell, Curley Culp and Jan Stenerud, all of whom are in the Hall of Fame. But outside of Wisconsin, his accomplishments were mostly forgotten shortly after his career ended in 2001. 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. His 23 fourth-quarter comebacks (20th overall) are more than Dan Fouts, Jim Kelly, Sonny Jurgensen and Bart Starr, to name a few Hall of Famers at the position. 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. Butler was the NFL's most dangerous all-purpose safety for much of the 1990s. He blitzed (20.5 sacks). Time has been hard on both of them. WebMost Underrated NFL Players of All Time These men did so much but received so little credit in return. Two 10-interception seasons, with 57 career interceptions. As the Chargers faded, Rivers kept them in the wild-card picture and became the franchise's only recognizable public figure. 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. He intercepted 34 passes for the Eagles and 54 in his career. They didnt allow a sack in 84 pass attempts. They didnt do anything that Tobin Rote hadnt done a long time ago. 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 system helped make Hall of Famers of Kelly, Reed and Thomas. Teams kept doing something special to get their hands on Hadl. It was the era of great defensive lines with catchy namesthe Rams had the Fearsome Foursome, the Cowboys the Doomsday Defense, the Steelers later added the Steel Curtain, and so forthand Marshall was the Ringo Starr of the Purple People Eaters, the guy who once ran the wrong way for a touchdown and was happy just to be in the band. He then went on to start at left tackle for the playoff-bound Cardinals and 2000 NFC champion Giants. Poor Louis Wright has a hard time even making the Broncos' overcrowded All-Snub Team. Those accomplishments may soon finally land Kenn in the Hall of Fame. 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. Roberston is the guy getting head-butted in the sternum and knocked backward by Campbell before the running back's jersey gets torn off. Jackson probably helped you win a fantasy title or two, but he would be remembered for so much more if he wasn't always on the wrong team at the wrong time. Fred Warner gets a lot of attention at linebacker for the 49ers, but Dre Greenlaw flies under theradar as a young playmaker quickly on the rise. TGT Tips! Maybe that victory gives them the psychological edge they need to beat the undefeated Patriots in their 2008 playoff rematch. Allen made a lot of plays. McLaurins route running continues to improve while routinely making contested catches look easy. But here's the thing: Gradishar, Mecklenberg and Atwater are famous for being snubbed. Teams: Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, San Diego Chargers, Experience: 13 years (1950-59, 1963-64, 1966), AFL All-Star Game appearances: One (1963). Anderson's 1,000-yard seasons came in a primitive offense with a rudimentary passing game. As a 31-year-old, no less. Bahr converted 84 percent of his field-goal attempts (21 of 25), and 98 percent of his extra-point tries (40 of 41) when it counted most. Actually, theres a simple explanation. 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. 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. Web20 most underrated football players of all time 1. He lacked the straight-line speed to be a game-breaker. There have been many better quarterbacks than Ryan in NFL history. Hadl signed with the Chargers instead, and Sid Gilman built him into the trigger man for an offense from which all modern offenses descended. 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. After the Bills failed to score, he knocked quarterback Jim Kelly out of the game in the next series. 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. WebDon't hesitate to comment below with underrated players who you believe should have been on this list. At 67 Buckner also has a wide arsenal of pass rush moves to pressure the quarterback. White: 12 underrated players; White: 12 overrated players; Towers: Generic vs. Name Brand; Prospect hunting . Karl Mecklenburg. All betting content is intended for an audience ages 21+. 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. WebDespite being just 20-years-old, Pedri has become a key player for Barcelona The midfielder names his former teammate Lionel Messi as the 'best' ever He hopes to 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. Victory propelled Montana to superstardom, while defeat left the 32-year old Anderson to play out the string as a high-percentage passer for a rapidly disintegrating franchise. Player A was a one-time Most Valuable Player who took part in four Pro Bowl games. 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. That feeling never really went away.". The best we can offer is a little bit of credit where a lot is due. He once threw three touchdowns in a shutout victory in a title game. Once an arbitrary number of players from a historic team get enshrined, the committee moves on in search of underappreciated players from other franchises. He also doesn't play in the shadow of a legend. The Bills were among the first teams to frequently operate without a huddle. The Rams eventually acquired Jim Everett and opened up their offense, transforming Ellard into one of the NFL's most dangerous deep threats. WebTop 20 Most Underrated Footballers in 2022 1. Modern centers don't get the credit they deserve. Teams: Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1993, 1995, 1997), Super Bowl championships: Three (1992, 1993, 1994). Maybe he wasn't the best defender on the field for any one play, but he stayed on that field for an entire generation. Matthew Stafford is approaching 50,000 career passing yards, a number only topped by 11 quarterbacks in history.