20 most underrated football players of all time

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. The 49ers drafted linebacker Reuben Foster at the bottom of the first round. 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. On a walk-through between center and left guard, naturally. You will find some familiar Hall of Fame snubs on this list (like Jim Marshall, pictured above), but also plenty of players who were even snubbed from the Hall of Fame snubs, plus some current players who aren't getting their due. His 65 interceptions are fifth most in NFL history. Buckner is a smart player and one of the better-run defenders in football. 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. McDole played 251 professional games as a defensive lineman, a remarkable feat in any era that should not be forgotten. Quick: Name the 49ers' all-time sack leader. There have been many better quarterbacks than Ryan in NFL history. Bottom line: The 49ers of the 1980s are remembered most for Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, coach Bill Walsh and the West Coast offense. He once threw three touchdowns in a shutout victory in a title game. As a 31-year-old, no less. He rose to Pro Bowl status playing left tackle for a single-back, Joe Gibbs-style 1980s offense. Ryan needed surgery and was in constant pain for the rest of his career. Roberston is the guy getting head-butted in the sternum and knocked backward by Campbell before the running back's jersey gets torn off. The Hall of Fame has turned up its nose on all of them. Bowman doesn't get the recognition he's due, and he may have to get used to it. With 4.35 speed, McLaurin can take the top off any defense but has also rounded out the rest of his game since his time at Ohio State. 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. The Lions drafted him as a running back. Jones played for the Cowboys from 1974-78 and 1980-89. 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. But a double whammyplaying center and playing for the Broncoshas kept him miles from Hall of Fame consideration. Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images. Fifteen years ago, similar receivers were gimmicky undersized role players. According to Pro Football Reference, he was flagged for 14 accepted holding penalties in 187 career games, little more than one per season. Two 10-interception seasons, with 57 career interceptions. 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? He announced his retirement from pro football in 2010, not long after signing with the Arizona Cardinals. The start to his career is Hall of Fame worthy and includes a Super Bowl championship while with the New England Patriots. 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. But three of his best seasons are not listed in the encyclopedias. Time has been hard on both of them. Lets hear some "un-der-ra-ted!" Try Dave Krieg. Dierdorf started his career with the Cardinals in 1971 as a guard. Butler is all but guaranteed to get lost in the shuffle. A Hall of Fame voter once warned me that "every town has its linebacker.". Old-timers call it the Lawrence Welk trade after a television bandleader of the era who would begin songs by counting off "A one, and a two, and a three". So it takes a remarkable streak of hard luck for a running back to make this list. In his most prolific early season, he caught 54 passes for 811 yards and five touchdowns. In the 1950s and the days of 12-game regular seasons, he rushed for 3,078 yards, nearly 1,000 more than the runner-up. He's rarely mentioned as an all-time great. "Stanley Steamer" could run every route and was hell on wheels with the ball in his hands. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. Web20 most underrated football players of all time 1. Once an arbitrary number of players from a historic team get enshrined, the committee moves on in search of underappreciated players from other franchises. When Da Bears bean counters refused to pay up two years later, Marshall was the odd man out again. Interior defensive linemen: The average height and weight for defensive tackles entering the league is 6-foot-3, 306 pounds. He had to blanket a wide receiver in man coverage with no safety help on every play. Frank Ryan led the NFL in passing touchdowns twice. They would rank first in the NFL in yardage four other times while Evans was a starter. The admission probably slams the door of the Hall of Fame on Brown forever. It takes more than mere greatness to be considered one of the most underrated players in pro football history. So LeRoy Butler, innovator of the Lambeau Leap, is excluded from his own statue. His stardom was spread among three teams, robbing him of local hero status (or Hall of Fame momentum) in any one city. Bottom line: Few remember Glen Edwards as the fearless strong safety with the Steelers first two Super Bowl teams. Young played for some great 49ers teams, including a Super Bowl-winning squad as a rookie in 1994. 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. Many of those catches occurred down the field, with Anderson serving as a de facto possession receiver. Year after year, Chandler Jones is one of the best pure pass rushers in football. 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. McLaurin registered 87 catches in 2020 after 58 during his rookie season in 2019. Put Ellard in another era or even the AFC with an accomplished quarterback, and his legacy as The Best Wideout Not Named Jerry Rice would be that much greater. So whaddya say, fans? There is one football player who could score from literally anywhere, and his name is 2. And then there is Kent Hull, the first center to achieve greatness in a no-huddle offense. When the Rams finally earned a Super Bowl berth, Robertson was in Buffalo, playing for another playoff also-ran. Butler has never even been a Hall of Fame semifinalist, and it's not going to happen for him soon. You know the type. 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. 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. WebThe 10 most underrated football players of all time are: Gheorghe Hagi, Michael Laudrup, Gaetano Scirea, Hristo Stoichkov, Matthias Sammer, Davor Suker, Gunter Netzer, Bowman is a four-time All-Pro and tremendous all-purpose linebacker who emerged as a stalwart leader for teams that otherwise might have packed it in before Labor Day. 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. Not one of the Jim Harbaugh-era guys. Ogbah improved against the run while putting up a career-high in both sacks (9) and QB hits (21). All betting content is intended for an audience ages 21+. 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. But there is no player; fans themselves get to "leap" into the statue for photo ops. 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. At age 25, Franklin-Myers seems to be just scratching the surface of his potential and should benefit from some additional pieces being added to a young rebuilding Jets defense. He ran a Sonny Jurgensen pass back 59 yards in the fourth quarter to seal a Rams playoff win over the Redskins in 1974. It was rival 49ers tackle Bryant Young who the Rams were most concerned about before the 1999 season, when they signed Timmerman as a free agent. 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. But no one remembers the Greatest Show on Turf for its defense, and Fletcher spent the prime of his career playing for mediocre Bills teams. WebThe Top 10 Most Underrated Football Players of All Time 1. While Kreig didnt possess fleet feet or a bazooka arm, he could read defenses and throw an accurate ball. But he didn't play for the legendary 49ers teams. Antoine Griezmann is known for his excellent left foot and can score and create goals with it; hence, he is one of the best left-footed midfielders. Ryan threw five touchdown passes and ran for a sixth to beat the Giants and lead the Browns to the NFL championship in 1964. Ronald Koeman. WebThe NFL is increasingly becoming a passing league. While Graham's sack numbers have never hit double digits, he remains a complete player and Super Bowl champion. Tom Jackson. Mike Kenn began his career playing left tackle for a lumbering 1970s power-running offense. They were the Yale football of the NFL, their glory years moldering in history books. You mean future Hall of Fame tackle Orlando Pace didnt block four guys all by himself? Not bad for a guy who might as well have played in a straight jacket for 14 seasons. So Anderson cranked out a few 1,000-yard seasons and played in some Pro Bowls, and that was that. Anderson was the first quarterback to successfully orchestrate the beta version of Bill Walsh's West Coast offense for multiple seasons.

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