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. Jones is a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro selection. But his Rams had a running back named Eric Dickerson and quarterbacks named Dieter Brock and Jeff Kemp. WebFive players made their "Top 100" debuts -- David Montgomery, Jimmie Ward, CeeDee Lamb, Justin Tucker and Kyle Pitts -- in Episode 1 (Nos. Two 10-interception seasons, with 57 career interceptions. Jacksonville's all-time leading receiver is now beginning what he calls the "second chapter in his life." And none of them produce the numbers he generated in less hospitable systems. The converted all-purpose athlete became one of the fathers of modern quarterbacking. 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. But Hadl had to do something to make the Packers think he was worth two armfuls of draft picks. 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. But there is no player; fans themselves get to "leap" into the statue for photo ops. But things were different in the long-ago 1990s, when the sports universe belonged to teal-emblazoned expansion franchises and a youngish Tom Coughlin received a binder full of press clippings from the mother of a wide receiver ready to call it quits after injuries derailed his Cowboys career. Player B passed for 31,548 yards and 214 touchdowns and ran for 22 touchdowns with below average-to-good teams. Following a strong start to 2021, McLaurin is slowly beginning to earn the respect his game deserves. He also had some of the clutch gene. WebTop 20 Most Underrated NFL Players of All Time 20 Drew Brees. 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. 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. The 49ers are installing a new system and reshaping their roster. Super Bowl championships: Two (2005, 2008). Poor Louis Wright has a hard time even making the Broncos' overcrowded All-Snub Team. After the Bills failed to score, he knocked quarterback Jim Kelly out of the game in the next series. Web113 Likes, TikTok video from FootWorld (@lovingfootbal): "The most underrated player of all time #dimaria #football". 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. If Marlon McCree hadn't fumbled that interception in the playoffs after the 2006 season, everything might have been different. Some might say it's a stretch to put Allen on this list after four straight Pro Bowl seasons and 95+ catch seasons. Without Kenn, there might not be free agency in the NFL, to say nothing of limitations on practice conditions and other initiatives that make pro football less dangerous than it was decades ago. Moton has also committed just 10 penalties in over 50 career starts, an average of less than one penalty every five games. But his Hall of Fame candidacy has been stuck in semifinalist limbo. 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. Maybe not, seeing as Nalen has not had much success. His career was cut short by injuries suffered in the first of those three Pro Bowls. In addition to the most underrated and overrated Raiders of all time, Adam Rank goes on a mini-tirade about a criminally underrated coach. 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 a higher sack total than Dwight Freeney or Robert Mathis. Passing wasn't really their thing. They were the Yale football of the NFL, their glory years moldering in history books. Ronald Koeman is a bonafide legend of Dutch football. 1. Peppers will have to play three more seasons to catch Marshall, and Peppers' starts are non-consecutive. Moton started all 16 games each of the last four years, gradually improving and joining the conversation of best right tackles in football. The start to his career is Hall of Fame worthy and includes a Super Bowl championship while with the New England Patriots. Where did Davis score the game-winner late in Super Bowl XXXII? That made Hull one of the first centers to make line adjustments on the fly. Regardless of the Cardinals struggles, Dierdorf was a star. Fletcher intercepted 23 passes and recorded 39 sacks as a do-it-all middle linebacker. It's better to be remembered for one of the most painful moments in your career than to not be remembered at all. Shenault is dynamic after the catch and plays like a running back with the ball in his hands. Ground rules: A max of three Pro Bowl invitations. 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. WebDon't hesitate to comment below with underrated players who you believe should have been on this list. "That was my territory," Edwards recalled in The Palm Beach Post. 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 Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images. 2022 NFL Mock Draft: Jacksonville Jaguars overtake Detroit for No. McDole was known as "The Dancing Bear" because of his nimble feet, one of the coolest nicknames ever. Beachum has lined up at both left and right tackle but displayed He should be remembered as more than a throwback to the era when Lawrence Welk references were topical. They would rank first in the NFL in yardage four other times while Evans was a starter. Anderson was the first quarterback to successfully orchestrate the beta version of Bill Walsh's West Coast offense for multiple seasons. While every fan base is sure to have two or three names they feel are undervalued and worthy of this list, here are my current top ten underrated players in the NFL. McLaurins numbers through two-plus seasons are very similar to Stefon Diggs, who went through a similar quarterback situation early during his career in Minnesota. Those who like to shout "first-ballot Hall of Famer" about Rivers do not know how the Hall of Fame works. Bates has still developed into a leader in the Bengals secondary and arguably their best player on defense. "It was tough, but I was happy for those guys," Dunn told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 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. It's not that Ellard, an Olympic-caliber triple-jumper with 4.4 speed, didn't know what he was doing. Teams: Chicago Bears, Washington Redskins, Houston Oilers, Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1986, 1987, 1992), Super Bowl championships: Two (1985, 1991). Super Bowl championships: 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979. The Rams acquired him from the Chargers in 1973 in exchange for defensive end Coy Bacon. A dominant presence as a run blocker, Moton uses his athleticism to get to the next level of the defense in a hurry. Year after year, Chandler Jones is one of the best pure pass rushers in football. While Graham's sack numbers have never hit double digits, he remains a complete player and Super Bowl champion. 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. Randy Gradishar. He rose to Pro Bowl status playing left tackle for a single-back, Joe Gibbs-style 1980s offense. But none accomplished more than Ryan while receiving less acclaim. 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. While the 2021 season is still early, Johnson looks to have cleaned up some issues with drops that hindered his 2020 performance and is perhaps the only thing stopping him from gaining more notoriety. Bottom line: For 16 seasons, Henry Ellard wreaked havoc as a pass receiver and punt returner. 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. Teams: Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, San Diego Chargers, Experience: 13 years (1950-59, 1963-64, 1966), AFL All-Star Game appearances: One (1963). WebDeion Sanders: Deion Sanders is one of the most underrated players of all time. Rivers' excellence, longevity and ability to barely dodge immortality make him the John Hadl of his era. With that in mind, NFL 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.". 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. Defensive Player of the Year awards? Chiesa is a winger who plays for Juventus. Taylor rushed for 1,000-plus yards in seven seasons. 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. Bottom line: Few remember Glen Edwards as the fearless strong safety with the Steelers first two Super Bowl teams. 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. 'Nuff said, right? With Warfield hurt nearly all of that season, Ryan helped make a Pro Bowler out of receiver/punter Gary Collins. Web12. If Anderson had failed, the 49ers may never have lured Walsh away from the Bengals staff. And almost nobody remembers that, when Edwards caught the ball, he knew what to do it. These men did so much but received so little credit in return. 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. Player A passed for 27,928 yards and 194 touchdowns and ran for four touchdowns with mostly very good teams and one great one. Oakland Raiders. Kenn is one of the NFL's all-time great players and leaders, and his impact ranges far beyond his playing career. He intercepted 34 passes for the Eagles and 54 in his career. One of the most well-traveled quarterbacks in NFL history, Vinny Testaverde hung around long enough to register the seventh-most passing yards ever in his 20-year career. 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. 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. The only lineman to start all four of those games was a workout warrior and routinely bench-pressed 550 pounds in his prime. 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. 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.