Ogbah improved against the run while putting up a career-high in both sacks (9) and QB hits (21). Evans is still playing at a high level; the Packers hope that he can do for Aaron Rodgers what he did for Brees. NFL In Dierdorfs second to last season, the Cardinals were embarrassed by the Packers 41-16 in their playoff opener. He enjoyed one of the greatest receiving games in NFL history: 15 catches, 291 yards and three touchdowns against the historic 2000 Ravens defense. According to Pro Football Reference, he was flagged for 14 accepted holding penalties in 187 career games, little more than one per season. At age 25, Franklin-Myers seems to be just scratching the surface of his potential and should benefit from some additional pieces being added to a young rebuilding Jets defense. 1. His franchises just kept ending up on the wrong side of history. That feeling never really went away.". Top 20 Most Underrated NFL Players Anderson's 1,000-yard seasons came in a primitive offense with a rudimentary passing game. WebTop 20 Most Underrated NFL Players of All Time 20 Drew Brees. He routinely beat defenders with quickness out of his breaks and clever change-of-pace moves, qualities that also served him well as a punt returner. Not enough credit is given to Waller who lacks the Shanahan offense or elite QB to help take his game to the next level. 25 Feb/23. Peppers will have to play three more seasons to catch Marshall, and Peppers' starts are non-consecutive. 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. Hall of Fame receiver Paul Warfield was on the receiving end of many of Ryan's touchdowns. 10 Most Underrated Football Players - Sports Al Dente 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. Graham has only missed one game since 2012 prior to 2021, and similar to Hughes is a winning culture type of player. But none accomplished more than Ryan while receiving less acclaim. 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. Karl Mecklenburg. 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. It's Bryant Young, whorecorded 89.5 sacks for the 49ers, 23 more than Haley. 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. Anderson became a footnote to the Ditka era, but fans who saw him play know he was far more than that. But outside of Wisconsin, his accomplishments were mostly forgotten shortly after his career ended in 2001. The correct answer is Player A (Ken Stabler), and if youre Player B (Brodie), you have to wonder if one Super Bowl should make that much difference. 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. A mauler of a right guard, Timmerman also was agile enough to escort Marshall Faulk on screens and sweeps. Gheorghe Hagi, Romania. Other than Steve Largent and Kurt Warner, Pro Bowlers were harder to find in the Seahawks offense than a haystack in the Space Needle. 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. I still don't know that people gave me my due respect for my production. 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. Bottom line: All Ken Norton could do was take down ballcarriers and collect Super Bowl rings. That made Hull one of the first centers to make line adjustments on the fly. If the soft-spoken scatback had been in the right place at the right time, he would have filled his one nagging void a Super Bowl title and the exposure that accompanied it. Tom Jackson. NaVorro Bowman trade rumors surfaced in early spring, only to be quickly squelched by new 49ers general manager John Lynch. Even pesky third-down backs and gritty fullbacks may seem underrated until you realize how many of them become local heroes. And Jackson spent a generation as a pre- and postgame show staple, which puts him in a whole different category. 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. 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. It takes more than mere greatness to be considered one of the most underrated players in pro football history. 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. 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. No modern coach suppressed passing offenses quite like Fisher, and no team produces offensive stats that look like they come from the early 1930s quite like the Ravens. Kenn was one of the leaders of the NFL Players Association during the era of replacement players and court battles over free agency. Player A passed for 27,928 yards and 194 touchdowns and ran for four touchdowns with mostly very good teams and one great one. Rote was the first quarterback who regularly beat defenses with his legs as well as his arm. Buckner plays within the defense, often allowing others to make plays, but remains a nightmare trying to block one on one. Mason was frequently his team's most valuable offensive player, but he and Steve McNair made their short pitch-and-catch passes look a little too easy. Every NFL teams most underrated player of all time - FanSided He was arrested four times after his abrupt retirement. 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. NFL Nostalgia: Ranking the Most Underrated Players in NFL History And no Hall of Famers allowed. 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. Mike Kenn began his career playing left tackle for a lumbering 1970s power-running offense. 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. He helped the Packers win a Super Bowl. Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images. 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. Related:Most Overrated NFL Players of All Time. Super Bowl victories? Also, the field was often a block of ice. Both players were Pro Bowlers the previous year. Young was a devastating interior pass-rusher who recorded 30 sacks in the three-year span from 1998 through 2000. Wouldnt you know it? He announced his retirement from pro football in 2010, not long after signing with the Arizona Cardinals. Bottom line: Few remember Glen Edwards as the fearless strong safety with the Steelers first two Super Bowl teams. 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. Robinson was one of those players. Raphael Guerreiro - Borussia Dortmund. Two 10-interception seasons, with 57 career interceptions. TGT Tips! Bowman makes this list because he has the makings of a player who will be underappreciated historically. He returned eight interceptions for touchdowns, including four in 1993 and three during his age-35 season with the Raiders in 2000. 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. Lomas Brown played left tackle for four Lions playoff teams. 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. Ellard moved on to Washington in 1994 and enjoyed a late-career renaissance, averaging 61 catches and 18.8 yards per reception over a three-year span in his mid-30s. 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. He was a participant in four Super Bowls and a member of two All-Pro teams. Quarterback ratings for Washington skyrocket when targeting McLaurin, who has become a nightmare to defend with the ball in his hands after the catch. He's rarely mentioned as an all-time great. The Hall of Fame has turned up its nose on all of them. It takes bad timing and bad luck. Start with Adam Timmerman, who won Super Bowl rings with the Packers and Rams three years apart. 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. ), Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers, Super Bowl championships: Two (1974, 1975). Super Bowl championships: Four (1966, 1967, 1972, 1973). Sutton hauled in 72 catches for 1,112 yards during his second season in the league before a knee injury cut short his 2020campaign after 1 game. But what peak years they were: 14- and 13-win seasons, annual playoff appearances, routine 4,000-yard, 30-touchdown seasons. Six All-Pro selections. He started for the Rams in their Super Bowl seasons at the beginning of his career and then earned Pro Bowl berths for Washington from 2009 through 2012 when he was in his mid-30s. 20 Most Underrated Footballers on the Planet - Bleacher Report Jacksonville's all-time leading receiver is now beginning what he calls the "second chapter in his life." Jordi Alba. 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. 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. 2023 Fantasy Baseball Draft Prep Guide: Rankings, tiers, sleepers And he played in one stinking Pro Bowl game. 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. 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. Maybe Rivers takes his place among the all-time greats. While Graham's sack numbers have never hit double digits, he remains a complete player and Super Bowl champion. But this list is all about giving overlooked players their due respect. The Colts accused Ryan of running up the score in the 27-0 championship rout of 1964. 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. Only a dozen players have more career interception return yards (961), and seven of them are in the Hall of Fame. Hull never lived to see himself make a Hall of Fame semifinalist list, as he died of liver failure at age 50 in 2011. Allen made a lot of plays. Still don't understand why the writers don't respect it.". 1 overall pick, NFL coverage map 2021: TV schedule Week 16, Seattle Seahawks: 3 players who wont be back in 2022. in the mid-1960s to early '70s, chances are "Whichever one has Marv Fleming" would have been a correct answer. Chiesa is a winger who plays for Juventus. ", Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Oilers, Buffalo Bills, Washington Redskins, Pro Bowl appearances (AFL All-Star Game): Two (1965, 1967). But here's the thing: Gradishar, Mecklenberg and Atwater are famous for being snubbed. "Because when the ball was thrown, I knew I had better ball skills and would go up and get it.". 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. Many of those catches occurred down the field, with Anderson serving as a de facto possession receiver. 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. There's underrated, underappreciated and overlooked. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images). He was a Pro Bowl regular, two-time All-Pro and Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1971. Steve Atwater. 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. most underrated player 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. Tom Jackson. The Packers were a team with more history than identity when Butler arrived. The Over-the-Hill Gang fielded one of the most ferocious pass rushes of its era, notching 53 sacks in 1973.
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