Taylor rushed for 1,000-plus yards in seven seasons. Teams: Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Tennessee Oilers, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1984, 1988, 1989). Wright earned a second-team All-1970s nod from the Pro Football Hall of Fame, even though several of his signature years were in the 1980s. But c'mon: 289 regular-season and postseason starts, 127 sacks and four Super Bowl appearances, yet the Hall of Fame turns up its nose at Marshall as just a pretty good defender with a long career? Jeff Saturday had to translate Peyton Manning's spur-of-the-moment audibles into protection schemes a split second before the snap. His 2,690 all-purpose yards with the Titans in the 2000 season are second in league history. Playing in Detroit can stifle any career. McDole was known as "The Dancing Bear" because of his nimble feet, one of the coolest nicknames ever. Mason's 95-catch, 1,200-yard seasons translate to 115-catch monsters in more pass-oriented schemes. Many of those catches occurred down the field, with Anderson serving as a de facto possession receiver. "Because when the ball was thrown, I knew I had better ball skills and would go up and get it.". Web20 most underrated football players of all time 1. 25 Feb/23. They would rank first in the NFL in yardage four other times while Evans was a starter. Today we look back at the most underrated Quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, and a few of these should be in Canton. Much of the Saints' offensive success in Evans' prime years is rightfully credited to Brees. 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. 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. 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. McDole played 251 professional games as a defensive lineman, a remarkable feat in any era that should not be forgotten. "Underrated" is in the eye of the beholder, so let's establish some ground rules for these rankings: After that, players are ranked based how underappreciated they are, not how great they are. Robinson is a staple of Hall of Fame Snubs lists, and he certainly has his case. Even so, Smith was pretty much a well-kept secret outside Pittsburgh despite meeting or approaching Pro Bowl standards for almost a decade. 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. Karl Mecklenburg. He enjoyed one of the greatest receiving games in NFL history: 15 catches, 291 yards and three touchdowns against the historic 2000 Ravens defense. Moton has also committed just 10 penalties in over 50 career starts, an average of less than one penalty every five games. 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. Brown is now best known as a television personality. Despite his incredibly high waist seriously, check out his build Kelvin Beachum has been one of the most underrated tackles in the NFL. While Kreig didnt possess fleet feet or a bazooka arm, he could read defenses and throw an accurate ball. Butler has never even been a Hall of Fame semifinalist, and it's not going to happen for him soon. WebDeion Sanders: Deion Sanders is one of the most underrated players of all time. Incredibly, McDole started 97 of the next 98 games. That made Hull one of the first centers to make line adjustments on the fly. Fletcher followed Gregg Williams from coaching stop to coaching stop, serving as the sometimes controversial, always effective defensive mastermind's field marshal. Travis Kelce and George Kittle dominate the conversation at tight end but Darren Waller is quickly emerging as a name that should be discussed as well. 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. On the final play a year later, he picked off a Roger Staubach pass in the end zone that put the Cowboys to rest. 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 In Super Bowl IX, Edwards killed a drive and darn near Vikings intended receiver John Gilliam on a hellacious hit near the goal line. 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. Try Dave Krieg. Nothing screams underappreciated like rumors you're about to be traded to make room for a late first-round pick. Guards don't make the Hall of Fame unless they win multiple Super Bowls or play forever. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. 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. He announced his retirement from pro football in 2010, not long after signing with the Arizona Cardinals. The Jaguars, meanwhile, slowly descended to their current status as the NFL's punching bag. Only a dozen players have more career interception return yards (961), and seven of them are in the Hall of Fame. Player B passed for 31,548 yards and 214 touchdowns and ran for 22 touchdowns with below average-to-good teams. 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. But here's the thing: Gradishar, Mecklenberg and Atwater are famous for being snubbed. 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. It's Bryant Young, whorecorded 89.5 sacks for the 49ers, 23 more than Haley. 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. Anderson's 1,000-yard seasons came in a primitive offense with a rudimentary passing game. 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. Super Bowl championships: Two (2005, 2008). The Cardinals were 0-3 in the playoffs in Dierdorfs time with the team, and none of the games were particularly close. WebTop 20 Most Underrated NFL Players of All Time 20 Drew Brees. Maybe that victory gives them the psychological edge they need to beat the undefeated Patriots in their 2008 playoff rematch. The Packers were a team with more history than identity when Butler arrived. 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. Anderson went on to duel with Walsh and Montana's 49ers in Super Bowl XVI. Evans is still playing at a high level; the Packers hope that he can do for Aaron Rodgers what he did for Brees. Its easy to forget the Seahawks had some pretty good teams way back when, even a few playoff ones. It didnt help that he had ordinary quarterbacks named Tony Eason and Steve Grogan to throw him the ball. 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. There is one football player who could score from literally anywhere, and his name is 2. Beachum has lined up at both left and right tackle but displayed 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. Regardless of the Cardinals struggles, Dierdorf was a star. Let's face it: An entire All-Underrated Team can be assembled using only Broncos defenders. Wouldnt you know it? He covered receivers (38 career interceptions). 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. But McCree did fumble. Maybe not, seeing as Nalen has not had much success. The admission probably slams the door of the Hall of Fame on Brown forever. Ronald Koeman. The problem with Dierdorf is he played for a lot of bad Cardinals teams. McDole is not known for much of anything anymore, as his AFL stardom came before the Super Bowl era and his Redskins heroics predated the era of Joe Gibbs and the Hogs. Poor Louis Wright has a hard time even making the Broncos' overcrowded All-Snub Team. He's not the kind of player a wise organization sheds to cut expenses. McDole, nicknamed "The Dancing Bear" because of his boogie on the dance floor rather than his on-field footwork, was known as more of a run defender than a pass-rusher. Following a strong start to 2021, McLaurin is slowly beginning to earn the respect his game deserves. If he started his career a decade earlier or a decade later, Young would have anchored the defense for one of history's great teams or helped push the Harbaugh 49ers over the top in the Super Bowl. While under the radar, Bates has emerged as one of the better all-around safeties in football. 2022 NFL Mock Draft: Jacksonville Jaguars overtake Detroit for No. Butler was the NFL's most dangerous all-purpose safety for much of the 1990s. Ryan was Jim Brown's quarterback and then Leroy Kelly's quarterback. We look at the 10 most underrated players in football at the moment. Young played for some great 49ers teams, including a Super Bowl-winning squad as a rookie in 1994. Bottom line: The 1970s Steelers won four Super Bowls two with a power run game, two with a potent pass attack and who better than Jon Kolb to do the heavy lifting? Sideways. Not one of the Jim Harbaugh-era guys. Shenault is dynamic after the catch and plays like a running back with the ball in his hands. Hadl played quarterback, halfback, defensive back and punter for the University of Kansas. Franklin-Myers went from fourth-round draft choice of the Rams in 2018, to a final roster cut in 2019. 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. Once an arbitrary number of players from a historic team get enshrined, the committee moves on in search of underappreciated players from other franchises. 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. And few were better at making opposing quarterbacks pay for mistakes. 1. In two Super Bowl trips, Bahr didnt miss a kick three field goals, six PATs. 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. Turned out he was skilled and driven enough to be a champion. Fifteen years ago, similar receivers were gimmicky undersized role players. 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. 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. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. Player B was a one-time MVP who played in two Pro Bowl games. 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. The least glamorous position on the field, a so-so team, a franchise moveWisniewski pulled three lemons on the recognition slot machine. 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. Robertson was one of the NFL's fastest linebackers in the 1970s. Still don't understand why the writers don't respect 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. 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. Know who created those wide-open spaces? Let's take a look at the the five most underrated footballers of all time. Buckner plays within the defense, often allowing others to make plays, but remains a nightmare trying to block one on one. Perhaps Hull would be in the Hall of Fame if the Bills had won even one Super Bowl. 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. Players like McDole are what all-time underrated lists exist for. 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. Hull started his professional career with the USFL's New Jersey Generals, where he helped Herschel Walker rush for 2,411 yards in one 18-game season. "Even now I still get pissed off. 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. No, what youll see are lots of gaping holes the size of Boulder. But none accomplished more than Ryan while receiving less acclaim. More than one scout considered Turner to be too light to play linebacker, too slow to play defensive back. The Over-the-Hill Gang fielded one of the most ferocious pass rushes of its era, notching 53 sacks in 1973. In Dierdorfs second to last season, the Cardinals were embarrassed by the Packers 41-16 in their playoff opener.