Hall of Fame receiver Paul Warfield was on the receiving end of many of Ryan's touchdowns. Even so, Smith was pretty much a well-kept secret outside Pittsburgh despite meeting or approaching Pro Bowl standards for almost a decade. The NFL is now full of receivers like Mason, but few of them are as productive as he was for over a decade. It's hard for a running back to be underrated. Smith wasnt a no-show on third-and-long, either. Yes, Marshall amassed that sack total by playing foreverhe started270 games (plus 19 playoff starts) from 1961 through 1979. This list begins with a quarterback who is preparing to play in the 2015 NFL regular season. But he didn't play for the legendary 49ers teams. The Packers were a team with more history than identity when Butler arrived. Both players were Pro Bowlers the previous year. There are no official sack statistics before 1982, but the Minnesota Vikings credit Jim Marshall with 127 career sacks. Rivers lacks several quarterback prerequisites for enshrinement: playoff glory, all-time records and, most importantly, momentum from a regional fanbase and media. Off to a fast start in 2021, Sutton is quickly reminding opposing defenses of his talent. No matter. He is now stuck in a rebuilding cycle that may take a few years. So LeRoy Butler, innovator of the Lambeau Leap, is excluded from his own statue. 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. It didnt help that he had ordinary quarterbacks named Tony Eason and Steve Grogan to throw him the ball. That makes sense: Both started their careers late, played with workhorse running backs, won a championship and had their careers curtailed by vicious hits. David has amassed 12 interceptions, 16 fumble recoveries, 24 forced fumbles, and 53 pass deflections during his career. In addition to the most underrated and overrated Raiders of all time, Adam Rank goes on a mini-tirade about a criminally underrated coach. Allen made a lot of plays. 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. Super Bowl championships: Four (1981, 1984, 1988, 1989). Developing a rapport with new QB Trevor Lawrence should only help Shenault quickly reach his true potential. Two names that are familiar to even casual football fans sit atop the mountaintop of underrated NFL players for the 2015 regular season. 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 is also infamous for admitting on ESPN Radio that he once purposely let Packers defender Sean Jones sack Scott Mitchell so the struggling quarterback would get knocked out of a game. Those who like to shout "first-ballot Hall of Famer" about Rivers do not know how the Hall of Fame works. 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. He had 44 career sacks and as many as eight in a season on two occasions. Dunn finished his career with 15,655 all-purpose yards, 25th in league history, one of the best players never to be a champion. He then became a staple of trivia questions and All-Time Worst Trades listicles, as the Lawrence Welk trade overshadowed an even more impressive moment in Hadl's transaction history. Actually, make that four careers. He lacked the straight-line speed to be a game-breaker. The Cardinals were 0-3 in the playoffs in Dierdorfs time with the team, and none of the games were particularly close. He finished his career by doing something almost impossible: signing with the Patriots as a veteran role player during one of the few years they didn't reach the Super Bowl. 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. Seven times, he surpassed 1,000 yards on pass receptions, most of them on slants and corner routes. WebDuring the next few weeks, we here at NFL.com will unveil our Most Underrated and Overrated Players of All Time for all 32 teams and allow users to determine their 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. 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. Bottom line: In the Steelers' 3-4 scheme, defensive ends were akin to smaller, more agile tackles run-stoppers first, pass-rushers second. While Graham's sack numbers have never hit double digits, he remains a complete player and Super Bowl champion. 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. Lomas Brown played left tackle for four Lions playoff teams. The Over-the-Hill Gang fielded one of the most ferocious pass rushes of its era, notching 53 sacks in 1973. 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. Hadl played quarterback, halfback, defensive back and punter for the University of Kansas. The Packers believed they were a veteran quarterback away from a playoff run in 1974, so head coach/GM Dan Devine acquired the 34-year-old Rams quarterback by surrendering a ransom of draft picks huge enough to cause even Ryan Pace to do a spit take: two first-rounders, two second-rounders and a third-rounder. Bates finished tied for 6th in 2020 with 15 passes defended. And consider this: The one-time college triple-jumper played with a Pro Bowl quarterback (Jim Everett) in only one season. The Lions drafted him as a running back. Rivers' excellence, longevity and ability to barely dodge immortality make him the John Hadl of his era. Shenault is dynamic after the catch and plays like a running back with the ball in his hands. 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. WebBUY OUR MERCH: https://www.thegivengo.com/merchTIK TOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@thegivengoSPOTIFY: McLaurin registered 87 catches in 2020 after 58 during his rookie season in 2019. A Super Bowl ring and two AFL championships. But Wright never posted massive interception totals, and his teams ended up on the receiving end of a pair of Super Bowl beatings. Brett Favre may be the player most responsible for bringing spectacle and success back to Titletown, but Butler brought back celebration. He has started every game he has played in since 2014 (with four different franchises). Brown earned seven Pro Bowl berths and an All-Pro selection. Jones topped the 100 career sack total in week one of 2021, a five-sack day that tied a Cardinals franchise record and set a personal career-best. 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. Unlike many of Marshall's teammates, however, he wasnt an obnoxious self-promoter, which partly explained his absence from the NFC Pro Bowl roster that season. His .588 win percentage ranks second to Wilson in team history. Ron McDole falls into that final category. Far from it. Some of the 19 Young played for the teams that slowly slid from George Seifert to Steve Mariucci to oblivion. Jeff Saturday had to translate Peyton Manning's spur-of-the-moment audibles into protection schemes a split second before the snap. 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. For a few years, he was not only the best guard in the NFL, but the most important. Teams: New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Pro Bowl appearances: Four (1979, 1980, 1986, 1987). He should be remembered as more than a throwback to the era when Lawrence Welk references were topical. It takes years of playing the wrong position for the wrong team in the wrong league at the wrong time. Rote was the first quarterback who regularly beat defenses with his legs as well as his arm. Also, the field was often a block of ice. New England Patriots wide receiver Stanley Morgan, right, battles for If you guessed both or neither one, youre wrong. His 65 interceptions are fifth most in NFL history. With that in mind, NFL Jackson finished his career with 11,438 rushing yards (18th all-time) and 15,121 total scrimmage yards (21st all-time). "Stanley Steamer" could run every route and was hell on wheels with the ball in his hands. Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images. On the final play a year later, he picked off a Roger Staubach pass in the end zone that put the Cowboys to rest. They say you know an offensive lineman is doing a great job when his name is rarely brought up, but its time Moton is talked about more for his success. Ryan threw five touchdown passes and ran for a sixth to beat the Giants and lead the Browns to the NFL championship in 1964. 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. At 5-foot-10, 190 pounds, he didnt wow anyone physically. McLaurins route running continues to improve while routinely making contested catches look easy. Jordi Alba. On the field, it is Diontae Johnson that has emerged as a favorite target of Big Ben. Teams: Los Angeles Rams, Washington Redskins. 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. 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. Anchoring defenses with catchy names like the "Orange Crush?" If ever a geezer was meant to play with George Allens Over The Hill Gang, he was the one. Mason also caught 49 postseason passes and was one of the game's best return men for a few years. A great story off the field and rare talent on it, Waller appears to still be getting better at age 29. The most underrated player on all 32 NFL teams Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard (20) runs with the ball while being tackled by Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters (24) in the second quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Bates has still developed into a leader in the Bengals secondary and arguably their best player on defense. The career active leader in games started by a defensive lineman is Julius Peppers with 227. Butler was the NFL's most dangerous all-purpose safety for much of the 1990s. He rose to Pro Bowl status playing left tackle for a single-back, Joe Gibbs-style 1980s offense. 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. So it takes a remarkable streak of hard luck for a running back to make this list. He played 256 career regular-season games, never missing a start due to injury. One of the most underrated players in AM Football, Brodie Croyle was drafted into the NFL by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2006 after being a college football standout with the University of Alabama. Jackson probably helped you win a fantasy title or two, but he would be remembered for so much more if he wasn't always on the wrong team at the wrong time. Young was a devastating interior pass-rusher who recorded 30 sacks in the three-year span from 1998 through 2000. The least glamorous position on the field, a so-so team, a franchise moveWisniewski pulled three lemons on the recognition slot machine. He was arrested four times after his abrupt retirement. Super Bowl victories? The Hall of Fame has turned up its nose on all of them. 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. A beast in coverage, Jones continues to round out his game as one of the top overall linebackers in football. 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. Arizona Cardinals: Kelvin Beachum, OT. Fletcher followed Gregg Williams from coaching stop to coaching stop, serving as the sometimes controversial, always effective defensive mastermind's field marshal. Chiesa is a winger who plays for Juventus. The Niners' willingness to spend big money on a long-term deal at fullback demonstrates the value and unique skill set Juszczyk provides. He also doesn't play in the shadow of a legend. There will never be another player like Marshall. In the nine seasons that Aaron Smith had double-digit starts, their D ranked among the top nine in yards allowed every time, but his consistent play went over the heads of many. His 2,690 all-purpose yards with the Titans in the 2000 season are second in league history. Johnson can line up all over the field and consistently find space in the opposing defense. Its hard to think of a player more dominant and less talked about over a long period of time than Chandler Jones. Where did Davis score the game-winner late in Super Bowl XXXII? Dave Meggett -- RB, 1989-1994. Anderson became a footnote to the Ditka era, but fans who saw him play know he was far more than that. Karl Mecklenburg. Still don't understand why the writers don't respect it.". 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. Ohhh-kaaaaay, one of the Hasselbecks then? Perhaps it's time we look back on how much of an impact he and his Jaguars had on the NFL two decades ago. 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. Yet he still led his team to the playoffs three more times. When the Rams finally earned a Super Bowl berth, Robertson was in Buffalo, playing for another playoff also-ran. To make our list, a player must contribute to a winning effort while putting up bad stats, misunderstood stats or no stats. In 10 of the 12 seasons in which he started at least half their games, the Seahawks prevailed more times than not. Guards don't make the Hall of Fame unless they win multiple Super Bowls or play forever. 100-91). It takes bad timing and bad luck. But the former NFL Man of the Year award winner and two-time All-Pro should not have had to wait so long. Both Courtland Sutton and teammate Tim Patrick could easily make this list together as neither player is discussed nearly enough. He was an iron man for a powerhouse franchise that reached four Super Bowls while playing many of their home games in arctic conditions. Oakland Raiders. Bottom line: After eight seasons in Buffalo, where he had been a mainstay with the best defense in AFL history, Ron McDole took his two-bar helmet to Washington. 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. 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? Man Utd's double winning There may be such a thing as too much blitzing, after all. Anderson was the first quarterback to successfully orchestrate the beta version of Bill Walsh's West Coast offense for multiple seasons. And then there is plain old forgotten. Teams: Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, San Diego Chargers, Experience: 13 years (1950-59, 1963-64, 1966), AFL All-Star Game appearances: One (1963). But so were teammates like Len Dawson, Willie Lanier, Buck Buchanan, Bobby Bell, Curley Culp and Jan Stenerud, all of whom are in the Hall of Fame. 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. Butler has never even been a Hall of Fame semifinalist, and it's not going to happen for him soon. WebLet's face it: An entire All-Underrated Team can be assembled using only Broncos defenders. Success came early for Fletcher, recognition late. Butler's defensive accomplishments might have brought him to the cusp of immortality, but don't underestimate the power of that Lambeau Leap. Related:Most Overrated NFL Players of All Time. Juszczyk knows his role and is a winning player that will always fight to win those tough yards. He intercepted 34 passes for the Eagles and 54 in his career. Even unspectacular ones manage to rack up a few 1,000-yard seasons and get drafted early in fantasy leagues. The rumors themselves were not surprising. When Da Bears bean counters refused to pay up two years later, Marshall was the odd man out again. 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. Running backs suffer none of the "didn't win the big game" biases that color our perception of quarterbacks. Ronald Koeman. Playing in Detroit can stifle any career. But few cornerbacks spent more of their careers in the crosshairs than Allen. Or as astute NBC broadcaster Dick Enberg scored it, "KO for Ken Norton.". Bottom line: The 49ers of the 1980s are remembered most for Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, coach Bill Walsh and the West Coast offense. Buckner earned his first All-Pro honors in 2020 and still has plenty of untapped potential to take his game to another level at just 27 years old. WebTop 20 Most Underrated NFL Players of All Time 20 Drew Brees. Ronald Koeman is a bonafide legend of Dutch football. 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. Twenty years ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars were one of the marquee organizations in professional sports, and Jimmy Smith was one of their brightest stars. McDole's Bills defenses held opponents to fewer than 3.1 yards per carry across three consecutive seasons.

Port Clinton News Herald Police Blotter, Articles OTHER