He had 44 career sacks and as many as eight in a season on two occasions. One of the best players in the league during the 1980s, Monk is too often unappreciated in lists of all-time great wide receivers. Any defensive player breaking into the NFL in 2015 would love to be mentioned alongside such names when his career came to an end. Let's face it: An entire All-Underrated Team can be assembled using only Broncos defenders. 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? James Lofton is one of many cases of players being in the Hall of Fame and nevertheless being vastly underrated when compared with others who played the position. But what peak years they were: 14- and 13-win seasons, annual playoff appearances, routine 4,000-yard, 30-touchdown seasons. He was a Pro Bowl regular, two-time All-Pro and Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1971. Still don't understand why the writers don't respect it.". Brees is one of the greatest quarterbacks of his generation. Terry Porter is another name that isnt remembered despite his Arizona Cardinals: WR Andy Isabella. And none of them produce the numbers he generated in less hospitable systems. How he slipped through the cracks for 13 years remains one of the unsolved mysteries in pro football. The Packers were a team with more history than identity when Butler arrived. Membership on various All-1960s teams. Mookie The Thief Blaylock made his mark on the defensive end, setting the pace for the steals race in 1996-97 and 1997-98, averaging 2.7 and 2.6, respectively. No matter. Nothing screams underappreciated like rumors you're about to be traded to make room for a late first-round pick. Neal Anderson replaced Walter Payton. At its core, PFF is a player evaluation system play-by-play grading of every player in the NFL and access to some of the same stats, grades and info that all 32 NFL McDole's Bills defenses held opponents to fewer than 3.1 yards per carry across three consecutive seasons. Only kicker in NFL history to hit at least one FG During that time, he led the league in passer rating four times and passing yards twice. Stafford is an underrated quarterback who has also been a pillar of stability outside of his second season and this past year. In Jahri Evans' four All-Pro seasons (2009-12), the Saints ranked first, sixth, first and second in the NFL in total yards. WebThe highest-rated quarterbacks, wide receivers, edge rushers, running backs, cornerbacks, and defensive linemen were fine, as were the 99 club member additions and overall team "Hate to say it, but I do believe I should be there (in Canton)," Marshall once said. 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). As good as Ellard was at the time, he almost was never mentioned in debates about the best at his position. Bottom line: In his 15th and final season, the 36-year-old Ken Riley had eight interceptions and returned two of them for touchdowns, one of the most incredible performances by an old man ever. Karl Mecklenburg. 4. 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. Not only was Fleming good enough to stick with great teams, but he also was the luckiest son of a gun on the face of the earth. You mean future Hall of Fame tackle Orlando Pace didnt block four guys all by himself? Even unspectacular ones manage to rack up a few 1,000-yard seasons and get drafted early in fantasy leagues. 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. Names such as Jim Brown, Walter Payton, Barry Sanders and Eric Dickerson probably immediately come to mind. Ron McDole falls into that final category. It's better to be remembered for one of the most painful moments in your career than to not be remembered at all. That's its own kind of recognition. One look at the logjam forming outside the entrance to Canton tells you Wisniewski isn't moving up the ladder anytime soon. Overall, the total still ranks ninth at the position. Many of those catches occurred down the field, with Anderson serving as a de facto possession receiver. If Marlon McCree hadn't fumbled that interception in the playoffs after the 2006 season, everything might have been different. WebMost Underappreciated QBs of the 2000s. It takes bad timing and bad luck. So Kenn basically had three careers. It's hard for a running back to be underrated. Taylor rushed for 1,000-plus yards in seven seasons. Sad to say, Morgan was woefully miscast in a run-first offense in a less pass-friendly time. So Anderson cranked out a few 1,000-yard seasons and played in some Pro Bowls, and that was that. A new generation of superstar left tackles entered the league as Brown was peaking, and he spent the latter half of his career bouncing from team to team as Tony Boselli, Willie Roaf, Orlando Pace, Jonathan Ogden and Walter Jones turned the blindside protector into an almost glamorous position. If Anderson had failed, the 49ers may never have lured Walsh away from the Bengals staff. chants for the best players who didnt get their just dues over the years. The admission probably slams the door of the Hall of Fame on Brown forever. The Jaguars, meanwhile, slowly descended to their current status as the NFL's punching bag. Landeta is widely viewed by experts and fans as one of the best punters in the history of pro football, and the two-time Super Bowl champion was an All-Pro on six occasions. Those who have knowledge of National Football League history are well aware of the more famous individuals who made their names and fame playing pro football. 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. But Wright never posted massive interception totals, and his teams ended up on the receiving end of a pair of Super Bowl beatings. He once sacked Dan Marino twice on the first two plays of a gamea remarkable achievement, as Marino was one of the least sacked quarterbacks in NFL history. Bottom line: Derrick Mason was among the shrewdest, most precise route runners of his time. Kenny Anderson may be the most "so underrated that he's overrated" player in NFL historya darling of the stat-head community and common first-guy-mentioned when Hall of Fame snubs come up. You know the type. He led his team to an NFL championship. To understand why he is not in the Hall of Fame, you must familiarize yourself with both the era he played in and the vagaries of Hall voting. He didnt just take up space, either. The only lineman to start all four of those games was a workout warrior and routinely bench-pressed 550 pounds in his prime. 4,409 Rushing Attempts. During his final collegiate season at UMass in 2018, second-round rookie Andy Isabella was PFFs highest-graded wide receiver in the entire FBS. That made Hull one of the first centers to make line adjustments on the fly. The Steelers rushed for a then-record 249 yards and did not allow a sack. That may be unfair to players like Robinson, Jerry Kramer and L.C. According to Pro Football Reference, he was flagged for 14 accepted holding penalties in 187 career games, little more than one per season. Cleveland sports will be the death of him. 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? A Colts defender delivered some payback in the all-star game. Teams: Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, Bottom line: Fred Taylor once tweeted, "I earned respect on the field. That is untrue for a variety of reasons. This includes a wide receiver that some younger fans may have never before heard of, and also multiple quarterbacks who are still playing in the NFL as of the posting of this piece. Lofton could stretch the field with his speed, and he also had some of the best hands of his time. WebKen Anderson is easily the most underrated quarterback of all time. He also had some of the clutch gene. LeRoy Butler, S, Packers. Roberston is the guy getting head-butted in the sternum and knocked backward by Campbell before the running back's jersey gets torn off. He may not have been as good as Jerry Rice or Randy Moss, but there is a solid argument to be made that Lofton is one of the ten best wide receivers in the history of pro football. That's where the politics of Hall voting come in. Yet he still led his team to the playoffs three more times. Teams: Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals. Rivers lacks several quarterback prerequisites for enshrinement: playoff glory, all-time records and, most importantly, momentum from a regional fanbase and media. Bottom line: For 16 seasons, Henry Ellard wreaked havoc as a pass receiver and punt returner. Players like McDole are what all-time underrated lists exist for. 3. The trade went how you might expect a lopsided midseason deal for an aging quarterback to go. Much of the Saints' offensive success in Evans' prime years is rightfully credited to Brees. Both of those seasons came, ironically enough, after Allen and Buddy were separated. It's Bryant Young, whorecorded 89.5 sacks for the 49ers, 23 more than Haley. His 2,690 all-purpose yards with the Titans in the 2000 season are second in league history. No, what youll see are lots of gaping holes the size of Boulder. 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. He's rarely mentioned as an all-time great. He also doesn't play in the shadow of a legend. Anderson was named to four Pro Bowl squads during his career, ad he led the Cincinnati Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance that did not go Cincinnati's way because of Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers. That's a higher sack total than Dwight Freeney or Robert Mathis. WebAll-Time Most Underrated NFL Players by Position. That feeling never really went away.". Ryan was Jim Brown's quarterback and then Leroy Kelly's quarterback. He arrived in Buffalo at the same time Marv Levy was revolutionizing NFL offense with the help of Jim Kelly, Andre Reed and Thurman Thomas. Bottom line: OK, kids, lets play Name That Hall of Famer. We could just trudge onward to the next player right now. The Pro Football Reference Similar Players tool compares Ryan's five-year peak to that of Joe Theismann. He's also among the top 100 in games started (83rd), interception return yardage (89th) and interception return touchdowns (31st). Guy deserved to be inducted, no question about it, but the day passed long ago for Sean Landeta to receive his invite to Canton. More than one scout considered Turner to be too light to play linebacker, too slow to play defensive back. Even pesky third-down backs and gritty fullbacks may seem underrated until you realize how many of them become local heroes. Coughlin gave Smith a tryout, then kickoff return duties, and then teamed him with Mark Brunell and Keenan McCardell to create one of the most dangerous passing attacks of the late '90s and early 2000s. Marshall cant get his name even on the preliminary Hall of Fame ballot. Player: Emmitt Smith. And you're never going to guess who's No. Teams: Los Angeles Rams, Washington Redskins. But check out these popular stories. Along with the legendary Johnny Unitas, Rote probably did more to change the quarterback position than anyone in the pre-merger era even if so few know 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. Its a frigging joke that Taylor isnt in the Hall of Fame discussion. Frank Ryan led the NFL in passing touchdowns twice. After the Bills failed to score, he knocked quarterback Jim Kelly out of the game in the next series. Rivers had neither, but he possessed just about everything else. Spoiler alert: Of course it is. He also scored 35 touchdowns on the ground in that span. 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. The unfunny joke that has been Isaac Bruce not being voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame is one that is going to end soon. Jacksonville's all-time leading receiver is now beginning what he calls the "second chapter in his life." Rote was the first quarterback who regularly beat defenses with his legs as well as his arm. Hull never lived to see himself make a Hall of Fame semifinalist list, as he died of liver failure at age 50 in 2011. While you may not put him in your top-tier of all-time great running backs, Anderson deserves more than a mention for a spot in the next tier of that imaginary list. And then there is plain old forgotten. 2 due to the fact that more than a few knowledgeable football people have publicly stated that they see Joe Montana as being the greatest quarterback in history. Some of the hottest takes one will see as it pertains to Drew Brees involve criticisms of his numbers because of the fact that he has played the majority of his home games inside of a dome. Its easy to forget the Seahawks had some pretty good teams way back when, even a few playoff ones. Rookie QB Brock Purdy led the 49ers with his impressive stat line, completing 18 of 30 passing attempts for 332 yards and three touchdowns, along with four carries for 16 yards and a touchdown. Bahr converted 84 percent of his field-goal attempts (21 of 25), and 98 percent of his extra-point tries (40 of 41) when it counted most. Butler's defensive accomplishments might have brought him to the cusp of immortality, but don't underestimate the power of that Lambeau Leap. 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