20 most underrated football players of all time

Sad to say, Morgan was woefully miscast in a run-first offense in a less pass-friendly time. According to Pro Football Reference, he was flagged for 14 accepted holding penalties in 187 career games, little more than one per season. Rote was the first quarterback who regularly beat defenses with his legs as well as his arm. Not one of the Jim Harbaugh-era guys. While Kreig didnt possess fleet feet or a bazooka arm, he could read defenses and throw an accurate ball. After the Bills failed to score, he knocked quarterback Jim Kelly out of the game in the next series. He's the Rams' all-time leading rusher with almost 3,000 more yards for the franchise than Marshall Faulk or Eric Dickerson. 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. But his Hall of Fame candidacy has been stuck in semifinalist limbo. And Jackson spent a generation as a pre- and postgame show staple, which puts him in a whole different category. When the Rams finally earned a Super Bowl berth, Robertson was in Buffalo, playing for another playoff also-ran. You mean future Hall of Fame tackle Orlando Pace didnt block four guys all by himself? He finally won a Super Bowl ring as a backup for the Buccaneers. Measurables. Quarterback ratings for Washington skyrocket when targeting McLaurin, who has become a nightmare to defend with the ball in his hands after the catch. 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. WebLet's face it: An entire All-Underrated Team can be assembled using only Broncos defenders. Year after year, Chandler Jones is one of the best pure pass rushers in football. Poor Louis Wright has a hard time even making the Broncos' overcrowded All-Snub Team. 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. Slot specialists such as Julian Edelman and Victor Cruz are now considered valuable components to the modern passing game. He led his team to an NFL championship. Mason also caught 49 postseason passes and was one of the game's best return men for a few years. Through the 2018 season, Vinatieri checked in at 81 (56 of 69) and 99 (70 of 71), respectively. Teams: Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1993, 1995, 1997), Super Bowl championships: Three (1992, 1993, 1994). The Over-the-Hill Gang fielded one of the most ferocious pass rushes of its era, notching 53 sacks in 1973. 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. So LeRoy Butler, innovator of the Lambeau Leap, is excluded from his own statue. Both players were Pro Bowlers the previous year. Shanahan uses Juszczyk as a traditional lead blocking back, but he provides plenty of versatility out of the backfield and with the ball in his hands. Moton started all 16 games each of the last four years, gradually improving and joining the conversation of best right tackles in football. He didnt just take up space, either. The career active leader in games started by a defensive lineman is Julius Peppers with 227. Edouard Mendy of Chelsea celebrates after his sides victory in the Premier League match 2. Rivers had neither, but he possessed just about everything else. So it takes a remarkable streak of hard luck for a running back to make this list. He ran a Sonny Jurgensen pass back 59 yards in the fourth quarter to seal a Rams playoff win over the Redskins in 1974. 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. 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. 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. Ellard was an Antonio Brown-level talent in his prime, but his teams were in no hurry to get him the ball. 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. 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. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. Let's hope the fame doesn't go to his head. Taylor Moton has quietly emerged as a dominant presence at right tackle for the Panthers. So Kenn basically had three careers. Here are ten of the most underrated college football players of all time. Developing a rapport with new QB Trevor Lawrence should only help Shenault quickly reach his true potential. He had to blanket a wide receiver in man coverage with no safety help on every play. WebTop 20 Most Underrated NFL Players of All Time 20 Drew Brees. The Jaguars, meanwhile, slowly descended to their current status as the NFL's punching bag. Yes, Marshall amassed that sack total by playing foreverhe started270 games (plus 19 playoff starts) from 1961 through 1979. Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, Super Bowl championships: Two (1979, 1990). WebWho are the most underrated players of all time? More than anything, though, Rote was a leader and winner. 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. 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. 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. WebMost Underrated NFL Players of All Time These men did so much but received so little credit in return. The only lineman to start all four of those games was a workout warrior and routinely bench-pressed 550 pounds in his prime. 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. He's also among the top 100 in games started (83rd), interception return yardage (89th) and interception return touchdowns (31st). Hmmm. He played the run with authority (721 career solo tackles). Maybe he wasn't the best defender on the field for any one play, but he stayed on that field for an entire generation. Teams: Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos, Super Bowl championships: Three (1991, 1997, 1998). But his Rams had a running back named Eric Dickerson and quarterbacks named Dieter Brock and Jeff Kemp. Butler was the NFL's most dangerous all-purpose safety for much of the 1990s. Jones played for the Cowboys from 1974-78 and 1980-89. Super Bowl championships: Four (1981, 1984, 1988, 1989). Young played for some great 49ers teams, including a Super Bowl-winning squad as a rookie in 1994. 100-91). 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.". New England Patriots wide receiver Stanley Morgan, right, battles for The difference between the great and the all-time great is often a matter of timing and luck. Maybe Wright wasn't a Blount-level legend, but he deserves better than to be the forgotten man among the Broncos' forgotten men. But there is no player; fans themselves get to "leap" into the statue for photo ops. They didnt allow a sack in 84 pass attempts. Robinson is a staple of Hall of Fame Snubs lists, and he certainly has his case. Juszczyk knows his role and is a winning player that will always fight to win those tough yards. Today we look back at the most underrated Quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, and a few of these should be in Canton. Taylor rushed for 1,000-plus yards in seven seasons. He has started every game he has played in since 2014 (with four different franchises). It takes years of playing the wrong position for the wrong team in the wrong league at the wrong time. As some players continue to grow their stardom and gain league-wide recognition, others are less talked about, often flying under the radar for several seasons or even entire careers without proper acknowledgment. Two names that are familiar to even casual football fans sit atop the mountaintop of underrated NFL players for the 2015 regular season. Teams: New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Pro Bowl appearances: Four (1979, 1980, 1986, 1987). 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. On a walk-through between center and left guard, naturally. Pro Football Reference rates him at near a Pro Bowl level well into his 30s. Juszczyk has made five Pro Bowl appearances, including each season since joining San Francisco in 2017. Hadl signed with the Chargers instead, and Sid Gilman built him into the trigger man for an offense from which all modern offenses descended. "Even now I still get pissed off. "That was my territory," Edwards recalled in The Palm Beach Post. Tom Jackson. A Hall of Fame voter once warned me that "every town has its linebacker.". On the final play a year later, he picked off a Roger Staubach pass in the end zone that put the Cowboys to rest. Those accomplishments may soon finally land Kenn in the Hall of Fame. Dave Meggett -- RB, 1989-1994. Anderson was the first quarterback to successfully orchestrate the beta version of Bill Walsh's West Coast offense for multiple seasons. 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. He intercepted 25 career regular-season passes and two more in the postseason. The former top ten draft pick looks to be on the verge of breaking out. 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. Moton has also committed just 10 penalties in over 50 career starts, an average of less than one penalty every five games. WebBUY OUR MERCH: https://www.thegivengo.com/merchTIK TOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@thegivengoSPOTIFY: 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. Related:Most Overrated NFL Players of All Time. Bottom line: Adam Vinatieri was money in the postseason, but Matt Bahr was even better. Ogbah improved against the run while putting up a career-high in both sacks (9) and QB hits (21). His teams averaged 392.0 yards and 34.0 points in those games. 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. 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. A longtime semifinalist, his case is about to be handed over to the Veterans Committee, which has done a fine job recently of correcting oversights from Kenn's era. And consider this: The one-time college triple-jumper played with a Pro Bowl quarterback (Jim Everett) in only one season. That makes sense: Both started their careers late, played with workhorse running backs, won a championship and had their careers curtailed by vicious hits. An all-underrated team like this one can get flooded with Zach Thomas, Hardy Nickerson, Tommy Nobis and Tedy Bruschi types if we don't get a little choosy. Since 2013, Jones has registered six double-digit sack seasons including a 17 sack season in 2017 that led the NFL, and a career-high of 19 in 2019. Fewer yet realize that he made a crucial play in each victory. If John Hadl is remembered for anything these days, it's for one of the most disastrous trades in NFL history. David was a crucial component of the Bucs defense during their playoff run in 2020 that culminated in a Super Bowl victory. Super Bowl victories? Frank Ryan led the NFL in passing touchdowns twice. Bottom line: Derrick Mason was among the shrewdest, most precise route runners of his time. The rumors themselves were not surprising. It takes more than mere greatness to be considered one of the most underrated players in pro football history. Ogbah has always been a steady presence rushing the quarterback but broke out in 2020 during his first season with the Dolphins. The admission probably slams the door of the Hall of Fame on Brown forever. Jerry Hughes has been a consistent pass rusher and important piece to the Buffalo Bills defense. Teams: Los Angeles Rams, Washington Redskins. Put him on the Tom Brady-led Patriots, and Mason might have invented a new branch of mathematics. But the diminutive Brees would not have been able to lead the Saints to a Super Bowl and several seasons as top contenders without a clean pocket, particularly right in front of him. He had 44 career sacks and as many as eight in a season on two occasions. Maybe there is still an NFL team in San Diego. Teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1997, 2000, 2005). He also doesn't play in the shadow of a legend. And no Hall of Famers allowed. Super Bowl championships: 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979. Fifteen years ago, similar receivers were gimmicky undersized role players. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996. Know who created those wide-open spaces? Ryan would blitz between five and eight defenders, plus some water boys and maybe a few boo birds from the 700 level of Veterans Stadium. There are no official sack statistics before 1982, but the Minnesota Vikings credit Jim Marshall with 127 career sacks. Lambeau Field was an icy outpost; the Packers still played a handful of home games in Milwaukee back then. 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. There's underrated, underappreciated and overlooked. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. If Anderson had failed, the 49ers may never have lured Walsh away from the Bengals staff. Schlereth started in three Super Bowls with the Redskins and Broncos, all of them victories. The 49ers drafted linebacker Reuben Foster at the bottom of the first round. He was an iron man for a powerhouse franchise that reached four Super Bowls while playing many of their home games in arctic conditions. While under the radar, Bates has emerged as one of the better all-around safeties in football. His 65 interceptions are fifth most in NFL history. 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? Bates is a ball-hawking safety in coverage with excellent range, intelligence, and athleticism. Feyenoord v VVV Venlo - Eredivisie. Both of those seasons came, ironically enough, after Allen and Buddy were separated. 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. 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. With Warfield hurt nearly all of that season, Ryan helped make a Pro Bowler out of receiver/punter Gary Collins. 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. He is now stuck in a rebuilding cycle that may take a few years. Dunn finished his career with 15,655 all-purpose yards, 25th in league history, one of the best players never to be a champion. At only 510, Johnson lacks the ideal size. Here on the All-Time Underrated List, it counts for a lot. Young started his career as the NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year and ended it as a four-time winner of the Len Eshmont Award, the 49ers' team award for character and leadership. 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. 1. 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. 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. The Packers were a team with more history than identity when Butler arrived. Norton made the key play of the game in the second period, when he stood up Buffalo Bills back Kenneth Davis mere inches from the goal line. His 42-yarder in the 1990 NFC championship game rates as one of the greatest clutch kicks in league history. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. For a few years, he was not only the best guard in the NFL, but the most important. Time has been hard on both of them. Anderson was not Payton, and the later-era Mike Ditka Bears could never approach the heights reached by the 1985 Bears. Peppers will have to play three more seasons to catch Marshall, and Peppers' starts are non-consecutive. Super Bowl championships: Four (1966, 1967, 1972, 1973). During his time at Fiorentina, he was the best player, 2. 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. The Hall of Fame has turned up its nose on all of them. But the run-'n'-shoot took away more than it provided, and the early 1990s Lions kept getting obliterated by better defenses in the playoffs. Some of the 19 If ever a geezer was meant to play with George Allens Over The Hill Gang, he was the one. 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. WebThe 10 most underrated football players of all time are: Gheorghe Hagi, Michael Laudrup, Gaetano Scirea, Hristo Stoichkov, Matthias Sammer, Davor Suker, Gunter Netzer, Teams: Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, Bottom line: Fred Taylor once tweeted, "I earned respect on the field. Quarterback is the most important position in organized football and maybe in all of sports, so it should be no surprise that men who play QB dominate the top spots of this list. 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. 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. 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. In his prime, Wright was often mentioned in the same breath as Hall of Famers Mel Blount and Mike Haynes. The NFL is a star-driven league. Jones is a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro selection. Karl Mecklenburg. An undrafted quarterback out of the late Milton College (Wisconsin), Krieg got them to the postseason four times and the AFC championship game once. As a 31-year-old, no less. 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. chants for the best players who didnt get their just dues over the years. Membership on various All-1960s teams. That may tick him off. A great story off the field and rare talent on it, Waller appears to still be getting better at age 29. Two 10-interception seasons, with 57 career interceptions.

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