But three of his best seasons are not listed in the encyclopedias. More than anything, though, Rote was a leader and winner. 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. top 20 Anchoring defenses with catchy names like the "Orange Crush?" So Kenn basically had three careers. Some might say it's a stretch to put Allen on this list after four straight Pro Bowl seasons and 95+ catch seasons. Ken Griffey Jr.? According to Pro Football Reference, he was flagged for 14 accepted holding penalties in 187 career games, little more than one per season. There will never be another player like Marshall. And none of them produce the numbers he generated in less hospitable systems. 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. 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: Both players were Pro Bowlers the previous year. No matter what the two-time All-Pro accomplished, he could never be Jerry Rice, who cast a long, tall shadow in the same conference. 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. 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 Finally, at last, the cornerback was selected to play in his first Pro Bowl game as some kind of lifetime achievement award. 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 didnt just take up space, either. And almost nobody remembers that, when Edwards caught the ball, he knew what to do it. Ryan threw five touchdown passes and ran for a sixth to beat the Giants and lead the Browns to the NFL championship in 1964. WebTop 20 Most Underrated Footballers in 2022 1. 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. Angel Di Maria. most underrated players in football at 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. 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. Brandon Graham is an incredibly underrated defensive lineman and lifelong Philadelphia Eagle. most underrated footballers of all time Most Underrated Maybe there is still an NFL team in San Diego. Marshall cant get his name even on the preliminary Hall of Fame ballot. So it takes a remarkable streak of hard luck for a running back to make this list. No, what youll see are lots of gaping holes the size of Boulder. Taylor rushed for 1,000-plus yards in seven seasons. But few cornerbacks spent more of their careers in the crosshairs than Allen. Allen made a lot of plays. He's rarely mentioned as an all-time great. Overall, the total still ranks ninth at the position. 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. Bottom line: Quick, name the winningest Seahawks quarterback before the Russell Wilson era. Top 10 most underrated NFL players: Justin Tucker, Keenan Fewer yet realize that he made a crucial play in each victory. The easiest way to be overlooked by history is to replace a legend just after a franchise has peaked. Start with Adam Timmerman, who won Super Bowl rings with the Packers and Rams three years apart. 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. 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. You know the type. 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. Buckner is rarely discussed with the likes of Cameron Heyward, Fletcher Cox, or Grady Jarrett among the top interior defensive linemen (next tier behind Aaron Donald), but he is every bit as talented. But don't write him off as some 1960s product of the system. He was an All-Pro for the Orange Crush defenses of the 1970s, and then he stuck around to play for the 1986 Broncos Super Bowl team. For years, the team couldn't even harken back to its glory days properly, as Smith's Pride of the Jaguars induction was delayed until he was sober and no longer under house arrest. Or as astute NBC broadcaster Dick Enberg scored it, "KO for Ken Norton.". McDole was known as "The Dancing Bear" because of his nimble feet, one of the coolest nicknames ever. This list begins with a quarterback who is preparing to play in the 2015 NFL regular season. Dont know about you, but I want Mason on my retro fantasy league team. 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. Schlereth started in three Super Bowls with the Redskins and Broncos, all of them victories. Anderson became a footnote to the Ditka era, but fans who saw him play know he was far more than that. Jones is a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro selection. 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. Mills followed Mora to New Orleans and led the Dome Patrol linebacking corps, which brought the Saints franchise its first playoff appearances. Most Underrated NFL Players Of All Time - The Onion As good as Ellard was at the time, he almost was never mentioned in debates about the best at his position. Derrick Mason recorded four 1,000-yard seasons for Jeff Fisher teams and four more for the Baltimore Ravens. That's its own kind of recognition. Those who like to shout "first-ballot Hall of Famer" about Rivers do not know how the Hall of Fame works. McDole was a starting defensive end for two of history's legendary defenses: the AFL champion Buffalo Bills of 1964 and '65 and Washington's "Over-the-Hill Gang" of the early 1970s. Bottom line: The 49ers of the 1980s are remembered most for Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, coach Bill Walsh and the West Coast offense. Gheorghe Hagi, Romania. Then again, the fourth-round draft pick had no choice. He was one of the first true slot receivers of 21st-century NFL offenses. Web113 Likes, TikTok video from FootWorld (@lovingfootbal): "The most underrated player of all time #dimaria #football". WebThe NFL is increasingly becoming a passing league. He played center, as well, before his career was over. Most underrated NFL players on all 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. 2022 NFL Mock Draft: Jacksonville Jaguars overtake Detroit for No. 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. The guy should demand a recount, I tell ya. Super Bowl championships: Two (1996, 1999). Yes, Marshall amassed that sack total by playing foreverhe started270 games (plus 19 playoff starts) from 1961 through 1979. 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. He took over as the Bears' featured offensive weapon after the Super Bowl Shuffle years. Rivers lacks several quarterback prerequisites for enshrinement: playoff glory, all-time records and, most importantly, momentum from a regional fanbase and media. Hull was not just a great lineman but a groundbreaking one. WebThe 10 most underrated football players of all time are: Gheorghe Hagi, Michael Laudrup, Gaetano Scirea, Hristo Stoichkov, Matthias Sammer, Davor Suker, Gunter Netzer, 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. That's not something to hold against a player. most underrated nfl players Poor Louis Wright has a hard time even making the Broncos' overcrowded All-Snub Team. A Hall of Fame voter once warned me that "every town has its linebacker.". Bottom line: For 16 seasons, Henry Ellard wreaked havoc as a pass receiver and punt returner. There have been too many players in NFL history to count, so naturally, many of them werent going to get the attention they deserved for their play. 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. Try Dave Krieg. Oh, and sub-packages were pretty rare in the 1960s and 1970s, so Marshall didn't leave the field much. 2023 Fantasy Baseball Draft Prep Guide: Rankings, tiers, sleepers Ryan needed surgery and was in constant pain for the rest of his career. The Most Underrated Spanish Player Of All Time? - YouTube The Top 20 Most Underrated NFL Players - ONE37pm C'mon, who doesn't love Darren Sproles and Mike Tolbert? Ron McDole falls into that final category. Maybe Wright wasn't a Blount-level legend, but he deserves better than to be the forgotten man among the Broncos' forgotten men. Bates finished tied for 6th in 2020 with 15 passes defended. 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. It's not that Ellard, an Olympic-caliber triple-jumper with 4.4 speed, didn't know what he was doing. If John Hadl is remembered for anything these days, it's for one of the most disastrous trades in NFL history. Here on the All-Time Underrated List, it counts for a lot. In addition to the most underrated and overrated Raiders of all time, Adam Rank goes on a mini-tirade about a criminally underrated coach. 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). Moton started all 16 games each of the last four years, gradually improving and joining the conversation of best right tackles in football. 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. 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. Maybe not, seeing as Nalen has not had much success. Bottom line: Derrick Mason was among the shrewdest, most precise route runners of his time. Still, Allen rarely gets respect as a true number one wideout. His 23 fourth-quarter comebacks (20th overall) are more than Dan Fouts, Jim Kelly, Sonny Jurgensen and Bart Starr, to name a few Hall of Famers at the position. The least glamorous position on the field, a so-so team, a franchise moveWisniewski pulled three lemons on the recognition slot machine. "It pissed me off," Fletcher replied. Brown earned seven Pro Bowl berths and an All-Pro selection. 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. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images). 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. 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. Mills looks like just another local hero linebacker in the encyclopedias, albeit a good one. 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. The Steelers rushed for a then-record 249 yards and did not allow a sack. Players like McDole are what all-time underrated lists exist for. There have been many better quarterbacks than Ryan in NFL history. But his Rams had a running back named Eric Dickerson and quarterbacks named Dieter Brock and Jeff Kemp. Jordi Alba. He finally won a Super Bowl ring as a backup for the Buccaneers. 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. Turner was the ultimate plug-and-play guy, one of five 49ers to be part of all eight of their playoff teams in the decade. Player B passed for 31,548 yards and 214 touchdowns and ran for 22 touchdowns with below average-to-good teams. And then there is Kent Hull, the first center to achieve greatness in a no-huddle offense. Teams: New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Pro Bowl appearances: Four (1979, 1980, 1986, 1987). And you're never going to guess who's No. 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. Even pesky third-down backs and gritty fullbacks may seem underrated until you realize how many of them become local heroes. 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. Buckner plays within the defense, often allowing others to make plays, but remains a nightmare trying to block one on one. The Lions drafted him as a running back. Mike Kenn began his career playing left tackle for a lumbering 1970s power-running offense. Ellard was an Antonio Brown-level talent in his prime, but his teams were in no hurry to get him the ball. Hes also among a select few to be a four-time Super Bowl champion. The Rams acquired him from the Chargers in 1973 in exchange for defensive end Coy Bacon. 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. Randy Gradishar. Waller overcame addiction and his suspension to emerge in 2019, catching 90 passes for 1,145 yards and three touchdowns while starting all 16 games for the Raiders. Defensive Player of the Year awards? The trade went how you might expect a lopsided midseason deal for an aging quarterback to go. WebA key ingredient of arguably the best back four to grace the game Mauro Tassoti, him, Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini the Milan central defender made more than 450 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. By being overshadowed by Brown, achieving his greatest success just before the dawn of the Super Bowl era and getting stuck behind the Tom Brady and Peyton Manning of your grandfather's generation, Ryan earned the title of the NFL's All-Time Most Underrated Player. 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? WebDeion Sanders: Deion Sanders is one of the most underrated players of all time. 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. Measurables. Its a frigging joke that Taylor isnt in the Hall of Fame discussion. Ten of the most underrated footballers of all time Ronald Koeman. So whaddya say, fans? There, he led a relentless Redskins pass rush in their Super Bowl XXVI ambush. 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. Bottom line: Adam Vinatieri was money in the postseason, but Matt Bahr was even better. 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. 10. To make our list, a player must contribute to a winning effort while putting up bad stats, misunderstood stats or no stats. Numbers better than majority of RBs in history. On this All-Underrated list, he is in very good company. 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. WebDon't hesitate to comment below with underrated players who you believe should have been on this list. The most underrated player on all The Pro Football Reference Similar Players tool compares Ryan's five-year peak to that of Joe Theismann. Unless you live in Cleveland or are over 50, you probably have never heard of him. most underrated player MVP-caliber seasons (1,528 yards, 90 receptions, 16 total touchdowns in 2006) early in his career gave way to annual 1,100-1,200 yard, low-touchdown grinds as the Greatest Show Rams retired one by one and the team fell to 2-14 and 1-15.