20 most underrated football players of all time
But the former NFL Man of the Year award winner and two-time All-Pro should not have had to wait so long. Those accomplishments may soon finally land Kenn in the Hall of Fame. He then led three fourth-quarter comebacks to bring them back to the playoffs in 1965. And no Hall of Famers allowed. 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. Time has been hard on both of them. White: 12 underrated players; White: 12 overrated players; Towers: Generic vs. Name Brand; Prospect hunting . FEDERICO CHIESA. He reached the playoffs as a rookie backup in 2004 and a 32-year-old backup in 2015, but zero times in the decade in between. 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. But outside of Wisconsin, his accomplishments were mostly forgotten shortly after his career ended in 2001. WebLet's face it: An entire All-Underrated Team can be assembled using only Broncos defenders. Arizona Cardinals: Dan Dierdorf. Anderson went on to duel with Walsh and Montana's 49ers in Super Bowl XVI. And because versatility is his calling card, he'll never produce gaudy sack totals or climb any all-time leaderboards. Guards don't make the Hall of Fame unless they win multiple Super Bowls or play forever. 10. 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. ", Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Oilers, Buffalo Bills, Washington Redskins, Pro Bowl appearances (AFL All-Star Game): Two (1965, 1967). "No one was going to catch no ball.". 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. Regardless of the Cardinals struggles, Dierdorf was a star. Year after year, Chandler Jones is one of the best pure pass rushers in football. And he played in one stinking Pro Bowl game. The NFL is a star-driven league. Fletcher intercepted 23 passes and recorded 39 sacks as a do-it-all middle linebacker. He's not the kind of player a wise organization sheds to cut expenses. Not bad for a guy who might as well have played in a straight jacket for 14 seasons. Not Fred Dean. 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. Then again, the fourth-round draft pick had no choice. He blitzed (20.5 sacks). Hadl signed with the Chargers instead, and Sid Gilman built him into the trigger man for an offense from which all modern offenses descended. Make no mistake about it, Eric Bieniemys exodus from Kansas City to Washington is only one move on the chess board The Rams acquired him from the Chargers in 1973 in exchange for defensive end Coy Bacon. And you're never going to guess who's No. Oh, and Norton scored the final touchdown of the game on a 9-yard fumble return. Hes also among a select few to be a four-time Super Bowl champion. "Even now I still get pissed off. Still, Allen rarely gets respect as a true number one wideout. NaVorro Bowman trade rumors surfaced in early spring, only to be quickly squelched by new 49ers general manager John Lynch. Let's face it: An entire All-Underrated Team can be assembled using only Broncos defenders. Hmmm. Web20 most underrated football players of all time 1. But his Rams had a running back named Eric Dickerson and quarterbacks named Dieter Brock and Jeff Kemp. The Niners' willingness to spend big money on a long-term deal at fullback demonstrates the value and unique skill set Juszczyk provides. Butler's defensive accomplishments might have brought him to the cusp of immortality, but don't underestimate the power of that Lambeau Leap. Nope, not Charles Haley. 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. 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. But there is no player; fans themselves get to "leap" into the statue for photo ops. The Pro Football Reference Similar Players tool compares Ryan's five-year peak to that of Joe Theismann. A Colts defender delivered some payback in the all-star game. In their two Super Bowl seasons that followed, Young was a virtual nonfactor in the matchup. Bowman doesn't get the recognition he's due, and he may have to get used to it. In Dierdorfs second to last season, the Cardinals were embarrassed by the Packers 41-16 in their playoff opener. They didnt do anything that Tobin Rote hadnt done a long time ago. The 6'2" Wright was renowned as a run-stuffing cornerbackthat's him tackling Walter Payton in the photobut he also intercepted 26 career passes, even though opposing quarterbacks spent much of his career avoiding him. 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 Gheorghe Hagi, Romania. Mike Williams is an elite deep threat at wide receiver and has maintained an average YPC of over 15 every year since 2018. 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. Overall, the total still ranks ninth at the position. Kenn was one of the leaders of the NFL Players Association during the era of replacement players and court battles over free agency. Entering 2021, Moton had allowed only 10 sacks in over 2,000 pass-blocking snaps. 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. Steven Jackson arrived in St. Louis just as the Greatest Show on Turf was deteriorating into the Most Miserable Slog in the Midwest. Randy Gradishar. 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 Maybe Wright wasn't a Blount-level legend, but he deserves better than to be the forgotten man among the Broncos' forgotten men. Randy Gradishar. The guy should demand a recount, I tell ya. Franklin-Myers went from fourth-round draft choice of the Rams in 2018, to a final roster cut in 2019. No one else is even close. 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. 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. Bottom line: Derrick Mason was among the shrewdest, most precise route runners of his time. Perhaps Hull would be in the Hall of Fame if the Bills had won even one Super Bowl. Running backs suffer none of the "didn't win the big game" biases that color our perception of quarterbacks. The Rams eventually acquired Jim Everett and opened up their offense, transforming Ellard into one of the NFL's most dangerous deep threats. "I dont get it. He announced his retirement from pro football in 2010, not long after signing with the Arizona Cardinals. An ever-growing backlog of outstanding safeties is queuing up outside Canton, as Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed will soon joinJohn Lynch and Brian Dawkins. "Because when the ball was thrown, I knew I had better ball skills and would go up and get it.". He must either play for teams so good that they overshadow his accomplishments, or teams so bad that he had to do it all by himself. 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. Why retain an expensive vestige of the last regime, or really the last three regimes? The former top ten draft pick looks to be on the verge of breaking out. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996. He was usually the Bears' best rusher and receiver in his prime years, catching 40-50 passes per season from Mike Tomczak or the young Jim Harbaugh. C'mon, who doesn't love Darren Sproles and Mike Tolbert? Teams kept doing something special to get their hands on Hadl. The Colts accused Ryan of running up the score in the 27-0 championship rout of 1964. Jacksonville's all-time leading receiver is now beginning what he calls the "second chapter in his life." Bottom line: For 16 seasons, Henry Ellard wreaked havoc as a pass receiver and punt returner. 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. 100-91). He covered receivers (38 career interceptions). in the mid-1960s to early '70s, chances are "Whichever one has Marv Fleming" would have been a correct answer. 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. 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 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. Other than Steve Largent and Kurt Warner, Pro Bowlers were harder to find in the Seahawks offense than a haystack in the Space Needle. Henry Ellard spent the first five seasons of his NFL career returning punts and putting up humdrum receiving stats. Playing in Detroit can stifle any career. Peppers will have to play three more seasons to catch Marshall, and Peppers' starts are non-consecutive. Lomas Brown played left tackle for four Lions playoff teams. Two 10-interception seasons, with 57 career interceptions. David has amassed 12 interceptions, 16 fumble recoveries, 24 forced fumbles, and 53 pass deflections during his career. Mason also caught 49 postseason passes and was one of the game's best return men for a few years. There are a ton of names in the conversation for best offensive linemen of all time, but Dierdorf TGT Tips! An undrafted quarterback out of the late Milton College (Wisconsin), Krieg got them to the postseason four times and the AFC championship game once. So LeRoy Butler, innovator of the Lambeau Leap, is excluded from his own statue. Far from it. Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images. Some of the 19 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. Web#shortsucl#bayernmunich #bayern #barcelona#football#footballedit#footballedits#footballshirts#soccer#socceredit#socceredits#soccershorts 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. 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. "I wasnt the fastest guy, but I didnt mind having the defender at my hip," Ellard said per Yahoo Sports. Johnson can line up all over the field and consistently find space in the opposing defense. Super Bowl victories? Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, acquired the 34-year-old Rams quarterback by, Ronald C. Modra/Sports Imagery/Getty Images, Pro Football Reference Similar Players tool, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. And then there is Kent Hull, the first center to achieve greatness in a no-huddle offense. Let's take a look at the the five most underrated footballers of all time. "Hate to say it, but I do believe I should be there (in Canton)," Marshall once said. Eric Allen's job in Buddy Ryan's 46 defense was simple. Bottom line: One of the premier long-ball threats of any era, Stanley Morgan ranks 10th in yards per reception (19.2) and 39th in touchdown catches (72) on the all-time list. Start with Adam Timmerman, who won Super Bowl rings with the Packers and Rams three years apart. 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. Yet somehow, some way, Kolb never received a Pro Bowl invitation. Graham has only missed one game since 2012 prior to 2021, and similar to Hughes is a winning culture type of player. Coaches rave about his work off the field and his dedication to improving his craft. Bates has still developed into a leader in the Bengals secondary and arguably their best player on defense. It was rival 49ers tackle Bryant Young who the Rams were most concerned about before the 1999 season, when they signed Timmerman as a free agent. 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. But Anderson was an extraordinary talent. Bates finished tied for 6th in 2020 with 15 passes defended. He has started every game he has played in since 2014 (with four different franchises). The best teams in the AFL proved to be NFL-caliber, but the bottom of the league was populated with a nearly bankrupt franchise or two, so the best players clumped on the best teams and stood out from the crowd. Here on the All-Time Underrated List, it counts for a lot. It takes years of playing the wrong position for the wrong team in the wrong league at the wrong time. Theyre the core players who are overshadowed by more well-paid, high-profile teammates and just plain pathetic, shameless self-promoters. "When I was there, the thing we were missing was that explosive type of offense, and the new coach brought that in.". Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. 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 One look at the logjam forming outside the entrance to Canton tells you Wisniewski isn't moving up the ladder anytime soon. 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. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images). It didnt help that he had ordinary quarterbacks named Tony Eason and Steve Grogan to throw him the ball. He is also infamous for admitting on ESPN Radio that he once purposely let Packers defender Sean Jones sack Scott Mitchell so the struggling quarterback would get knocked out of a game. Juszczyk has made five Pro Bowl appearances, including each season since joining San Francisco in 2017. Both of those seasons came, ironically enough, after Allen and Buddy were separated. 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. That may be unfair to players like Robinson, Jerry Kramer and L.C. He was a eight-time Pro Bowler and one-time Super Bowl champion. 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. Passing wasn't really their thing. They were the Yale football of the NFL, their glory years moldering in history books. Thats what Krieg did best win football games. 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. No matter. 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. Young played for the teams that slowly slid from George Seifert to Steve Mariucci to oblivion. There, he led a relentless Redskins pass rush in their Super Bowl XXVI ambush. Allen made a lot of plays. He intercepted 25 career regular-season passes and two more in the postseason. It's Bryant Young, whorecorded 89.5 sacks for the 49ers, 23 more than Haley. And then there is plain old forgotten. He was a Pro Bowler in 1974 and 75, and he was an All-Pro selection from 1976-78. Modern centers don't get the credit they deserve. He took over as the Bears' featured offensive weapon after the Super Bowl Shuffle years. 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. Neal Anderson replaced Walter Payton. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. A mauler of a right guard, Timmerman also was agile enough to escort Marshall Faulk on screens and sweeps. Robinson is a staple of Hall of Fame Snubs lists, and he certainly has his case. Still don't understand why the writers don't respect it.". 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. Dierdorf started his career with the Cardinals in 1971 as a guard. Upon entering the league in 2019, Johnson recorded 59 catches as a rookie and then topped that mark in 2020 with 88 catches. Maybe there is still an NFL team in San Diego. On this All-Underrated list, he is in very good company. 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. Even pesky third-down backs and gritty fullbacks may seem underrated until you realize how many of them become local heroes. 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. 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. Antoine Griezmann is known for his excellent left foot and can score and create goals with it; hence, he is one of the best left-footed midfielders. The Hall of He didnt just take up space, either. TGT Play! Odds Deals Podcasts US USA Arizona California Colorado Connecticut Florida Georgia Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Louisiana Maryland Michigan New Jersey New York North Carolina Ohio Bottom line: Adam Vinatieri was money in the postseason, but Matt Bahr was even better. Those who like to shout "first-ballot Hall of Famer" about Rivers do not know how the Hall of Fame works. Efficient? At only 510, Johnson lacks the ideal size. Super Bowl championships: Four (1966, 1967, 1972, 1973). So whaddya say, fans? "It was tough, but I was happy for those guys," Dunn told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Marshall reached just two Pro Bowls. He finally won a Super Bowl ring as a backup for the Buccaneers. Evans, the best pass-protecting guard of his era, was charged with making sure pass-rushers didn't get close enough to Brees to bat his passes down, let alone sack him. St. WebThe 10 most underrated football players of all time are: Gheorghe Hagi, Michael Laudrup, Gaetano Scirea, Hristo Stoichkov, Matthias Sammer, Davor Suker, Gunter Netzer, His 42-yarder in the 1990 NFC championship game rates as one of the greatest clutch kicks in league history. A Hall of Fame voter once warned me that "every town has its linebacker.". Teams: Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1993, 1995, 1997), Super Bowl championships: Three (1992, 1993, 1994). That feeling never really went away.". 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. Also, the field was often a block of ice. 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. Teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1997, 2000, 2005). To make our list, a player must contribute to a winning effort while putting up bad stats, misunderstood stats or no stats. Super Bowl championships: 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979. He enjoyed one of the greatest receiving games in NFL history: 15 catches, 291 yards and three touchdowns against the historic 2000 Ravens defense. Butler has never even been a Hall of Fame semifinalist, and it's not going to happen for him soon. 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. 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. Fifteen years ago, similar receivers were gimmicky undersized role players. 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. 'Nuff said, right? And almost nobody remembers that, when Edwards caught the ball, he knew what to do it. Greenwood, but there are dozens of other great old players clamoring for their chance who didn't enjoy the glory of playing for a "team of the decade.". 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. Steve Atwater. Developing a rapport with new QB Trevor Lawrence should only help Shenault quickly reach his true potential. 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. 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. Rivers had neither, but he possessed just about everything else. Only a dozen players have more career interception return yards (961), and seven of them are in the Hall of Fame. Roberston is the guy getting head-butted in the sternum and knocked backward by Campbell before the running back's jersey gets torn off. McLaurins route running continues to improve while routinely making contested catches look easy. He played 256 career regular-season games, never missing a start due to injury. Mills looks like just another local hero linebacker in the encyclopedias, albeit a good one. His stardom was spread among three teams, robbing him of local hero status (or Hall of Fame momentum) in any one city. Get this: Ten of those seasons were spent with either the Vince Lombardi Packers or Don Shula Dolphins.
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