20 most underrated football players of all time

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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. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Mills was a USFL All-Star in all three seasons of the league's existence, and he led the Philadelphia and Baltimore Stars' Doghouse Defense (coached by Jim Mora) to a pair of league titles. Raphael Guerreiro of Borussia Dortmund Looks But Anderson was an extraordinary talent. While Kreig didnt possess fleet feet or a bazooka arm, he could read defenses and throw an accurate ball. Meet every NFL team's all-time most underrated player. 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. The guy should demand a recount, I tell ya. The least glamorous position on the field, a so-so team, a franchise moveWisniewski pulled three lemons on the recognition slot machine. The 49ers drafted linebacker Reuben Foster at the bottom of the first round. Many of those catches occurred down the field, with Anderson serving as a de facto possession receiver. Steve Wisniewski played guard on a Raiders team that moved in the middle of his career and was just good enough to remind you it was not in the same class as the great Raiders teams that preceded it. They didnt allow a sack in 84 pass attempts. Six All-Pro selections. His teams averaged 392.0 yards and 34.0 points in those games. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. McLaurins route running continues to improve while routinely making contested catches look easy. Franklin-Myers has the ability to play anywhere on the defensive line and is off to a strong start in the Jets' new 4-3 defense under head coach Robert Saleh. Bates finished tied for 6th in 2020 with 15 passes defended. And because versatility is his calling card, he'll never produce gaudy sack totals or climb any all-time leaderboards. Chiesa is a winger who plays for Juventus. Teams: Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, San Diego Chargers, Experience: 13 years (1950-59, 1963-64, 1966), AFL All-Star Game appearances: One (1963). Once an arbitrary number of players from a historic team get enshrined, the committee moves on in search of underappreciated players from other franchises. Bottom line: Few remember Glen Edwards as the fearless strong safety with the Steelers first two Super Bowl teams. 1 overall pick, NFL coverage map 2021: TV schedule Week 16, Seattle Seahawks: 3 players who wont be back in 2022. Some might say it's a stretch to put Allen on this list after four straight Pro Bowl seasons and 95+ catch seasons. 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. 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. Steve Atwater. Williams' career-high in receptions is only 49, but with increased targets, he has already recorded 31 catches over the first five games in 2021. 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. TGT Tips! That makes sense: Both started their careers late, played with workhorse running backs, won a championship and had their careers curtailed by vicious hits. As for being so underrated he's overrated, wellthat's extremely underrated, which justifies Anderson's ranking here. 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. Then again, the fourth-round draft pick had no choice. Player A was a one-time Most Valuable Player who took part in four Pro Bowl games. Bowman is coming off an Achilles tear in 2016. While most Giants fans remember Meggett, he is still one of the most underrated players of all time. 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. The Rams eventually acquired Jim Everett and opened up their offense, transforming Ellard into one of the NFL's most dangerous deep threats. He played left tackle in 1972 and moved to right tackle in 1974. There's underrated, underappreciated and overlooked. 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. The Niners' willingness to spend big money on a long-term deal at fullback demonstrates the value and unique skill set Juszczyk provides. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. He began his career at the tail end of Jim Harbaugh's great defensive teams, but he has since battled both injuries and the incompetence of the Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly experiments. Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images. Following a strong start to 2021, McLaurin is slowly beginning to earn the respect his game deserves. Bottom line: All Ken Norton could do was take down ballcarriers and collect Super Bowl rings. 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. 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. He was a participant in four Super Bowls and a member of two All-Pro teams. Twenty years ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars were one of the marquee organizations in professional sports, and Jimmy Smith was one of their brightest stars. He became an All-Pro playing blindside protector in an early 1990s run-'n'-shoot offense. More than one scout considered Turner to be too light to play linebacker, too slow to play defensive back. Hull was not just a great lineman but a groundbreaking one. 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. Marshall cant get his name even on the preliminary Hall of Fame ballot. Fleming was a reliable backup tight end/wide receiver who played with four Super Bowl-winners (and one NFL champion) in a dozen seasons. Get this: Ten of those seasons were spent with either the Vince Lombardi Packers or Don Shula Dolphins. They would rank first in the NFL in yardage four other times while Evans was a starter. Mason had seven seasons of at least 70 pass receptions, 1,000 yards and five touchdowns. Overall, the total still ranks ninth at the position. Membership on various All-1960s teams. 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. Maybe that victory gives them the psychological edge they need to beat the undefeated Patriots in their 2008 playoff rematch. He was a Pro Bowl regular, two-time All-Pro and Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1971. 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 No one else is even close. WebTop ten under-capped England players is a list Foden and Maddison want to avoid Matt Le Tissier won 10 fewer England caps than Carlton Palmer. He blitzed (20.5 sacks). It didnt help that he had ordinary quarterbacks named Tony Eason and Steve Grogan to throw him the ball. Truth is, Norton should have been Super Bowl XXVII Most Valuable Player, not Troy Aikman, who was the obligatory quarterback pick. Full name: Jordi Alba Ramos Date of birth: March 21, 1989 Age: 33 years old (as of 2023) Place of birth: L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain Height: 1.70 m Current team: Young played for the teams that slowly slid from George Seifert to Steve Mariucci to oblivion. A great story off the field and rare talent on it, Waller appears to still be getting better at age 29. 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. That's a higher sack total than Dwight Freeney or Robert Mathis. Mills and Reggie White were the USFL's two greatest defenders ever. Bottom line: Derrick Mason was among the shrewdest, most precise route runners of his time. Robertson is so poorly remembered that it was hard to find a decent photo of him in our archives. C'mon, who doesn't love Darren Sproles and Mike Tolbert? 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. But Brown was a unique and underappreciated player for over a decade on a team that nearly revolutionized the way football is played. 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. Bates is a ball-hawking safety in coverage with excellent range, intelligence, and athleticism. The start to his career is Hall of Fame worthy and includes a Super Bowl championship while with the New England Patriots. Its a frigging joke that Taylor isnt in the Hall of Fame discussion. Not one of the Jim Harbaugh-era guys. Even unspectacular ones manage to rack up a few 1,000-yard seasons and get drafted early in fantasy leagues. 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. He ran a Sonny Jurgensen pass back 59 yards in the fourth quarter to seal a Rams playoff win over the Redskins in 1974. A Colts defender delivered some payback in the all-star game. in the mid-1960s to early '70s, chances are "Whichever one has Marv Fleming" would have been a correct answer. Its easy to forget the Seahawks had some pretty good teams way back when, even a few playoff ones. Also, the field was often a block of ice. Jerry Hughes has been a consistent pass rusher and important piece to the Buffalo Bills defense. He covered receivers (38 career interceptions). Steven Jackson arrived in St. Louis just as the Greatest Show on Turf was deteriorating into the Most Miserable Slog in the Midwest. Deion Jones is one interception away from tying the all-time record for pick 6's by a linebacker, and he's done it in a fraction of the games. 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. Edouard Mendy of Chelsea celebrates after his sides victory in the Premier League match 2. Time has been hard on both of them. Yet he still led his team to the playoffs three more times. He announced his retirement from pro football in 2010, not long after signing with the Arizona Cardinals. Robertson was one of the NFL's fastest linebackers in the 1970s. 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. Player B was a one-time MVP who played in two Pro Bowl games. "Because when the ball was thrown, I knew I had better ball skills and would go up and get it.". Let's hope the fame doesn't go to his head. Oh, and Norton scored the final touchdown of the game on a 9-yard fumble return. Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, Super Bowl championships: Two (1979, 1990). NaVorro Bowman trade rumors surfaced in early spring, only to be quickly squelched by new 49ers general manager John Lynch. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images). 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. Taylor rushed for 1,000-plus yards in seven seasons. That made Hull one of the first centers to make line adjustments on the fly. But few cornerbacks spent more of their careers in the crosshairs than Allen. 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. Efficient? Unless you live in Cleveland or are over 50, you probably have never heard of him. Bottom line: Warrick Dunn overcame the murder of his mother, bouts with depression and 5-foot-9 size to have a successful 12-year NFL career. 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. McLaurin registered 87 catches in 2020 after 58 during his rookie season in 2019. 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. WebThe NFL is increasingly becoming a passing league. In addition to the most underrated and overrated Raiders of all time, Adam Rank goes on a mini-tirade about a criminally underrated coach. The Cardinals were 0-3 in the playoffs in Dierdorfs time with the team, and none of the games were particularly close. In Dierdorfs second to last season, the Cardinals were embarrassed by the Packers 41-16 in their playoff opener. Other than Steve Largent and Kurt Warner, Pro Bowlers were harder to find in the Seahawks offense than a haystack in the Space Needle. 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. 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. The linebacker ranks 17th in career solo tackles (1,130) and is the only player to be part of three consecutive Super Bowl champions. His 42-yarder in the 1990 NFC championship game rates as one of the greatest clutch kicks in league history. There have been many better quarterbacks than Ryan in NFL history. Its hard to think of a player more dominant and less talked about over a long period of time than Chandler Jones. An undrafted quarterback out of the late Milton College (Wisconsin), Krieg got them to the postseason four times and the AFC championship game once. 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. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. 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. He took over as the Bears' featured offensive weapon after the Super Bowl Shuffle years. 1. As good as Ellard was at the time, he almost was never mentioned in debates about the best at his position. WebThe 10 most underrated football players of all time are: Gheorghe Hagi, Michael Laudrup, Gaetano Scirea, Hristo Stoichkov, Matthias Sammer, Davor Suker, Gunter Netzer, 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. He's also among the top 100 in games started (83rd), interception return yardage (89th) and interception return touchdowns (31st). 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.

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