McDole was known as "The Dancing Bear" because of his nimble feet, one of the coolest nicknames ever. The rumors themselves were not surprising. WebThe Top 10 Most Underrated Football Players of All Time 1. Robertson is so poorly remembered that it was hard to find a decent photo of him in our archives. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. That makes sense: Both started their careers late, played with workhorse running backs, won a championship and had their careers curtailed by vicious hits. If John Hadl is remembered for anything these days, it's for one of the most disastrous trades in NFL history. Jeff Saturday had to translate Peyton Manning's spur-of-the-moment audibles into protection schemes a split second before the snap. Only a dozen players have more career interception return yards (961), and seven of them are in the Hall of Fame. Bottom line: The Greatest Show On Turf boasted so much star power you couldnt tell the other Rams without a program. Super Bowl championships: Two (1996, 1999). Or as astute NBC broadcaster Dick Enberg scored it, "KO for Ken Norton.". Butler was the NFL's most dangerous all-purpose safety for much of the 1990s. His 4.53 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine was far from elite level speed either, but none of that has not stopped Johnson from playing fast and producing at a high level for the Steelers. So LeRoy Butler, innovator of the Lambeau Leap, is excluded from his own statue. Both Courtland Sutton and teammate Tim Patrick could easily make this list together as neither player is discussed nearly enough. His franchises just kept ending up on the wrong side of history. 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. 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. He lacked the straight-line speed to be a game-breaker. He played left tackle in 1972 and moved to right tackle in 1974. Mills and Reggie White were the USFL's two greatest defenders ever. And consider this: The one-time college triple-jumper played with a Pro Bowl quarterback (Jim Everett) in only one season. And almost nobody remembers that, when Edwards caught the ball, he knew what to do it. NaVorro Bowman trade rumors surfaced in early spring, only to be quickly squelched by new 49ers general manager John Lynch. He isn't the dynamic threat thatTyreek Hill orDavante Adams are, but Allen is an elite route runner that consistently puts up elite production. There, he led a relentless Redskins pass rush in their Super Bowl XXVI ambush. Now that's underrated. He rose to Pro Bowl status playing left tackle for a single-back, Joe Gibbs-style 1980s offense. McDole is not known for much of anything anymore, as his AFL stardom came before the Super Bowl era and his Redskins heroics predated the era of Joe Gibbs and the Hogs. They never had any playoff success, even when they did make it into the postseason. A Super Bowl ring and two AFL championships. Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, Super Bowl championships: Two (1979, 1990). 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. Two 10-interception seasons, with 57 career interceptions. The Niners' willingness to spend big money on a long-term deal at fullback demonstrates the value and unique skill set Juszczyk provides. 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. Maybe not, seeing as Nalen has not had much success. But Anderson was an extraordinary talent. It's not that Ellard, an Olympic-caliber triple-jumper with 4.4 speed, didn't know what he was doing. He started for an offensive line that helped Barry Sanders win two of his four rushing titles. Teams: Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Houston Texans. He covered receivers (38 career interceptions). In his prime, Wright was often mentioned in the same breath as Hall of Famers Mel Blount and Mike Haynes. Jones played for the Cowboys from 1974-78 and 1980-89. Ground rules: A max of three Pro Bowl invitations. Dave Meggett -- RB, 1989-1994. Far from it. That's where the politics of Hall voting come in. They would rank first in the NFL in yardage four other times while Evans was a starter. Slot specialists such as Julian Edelman and Victor Cruz are now considered valuable components to the modern passing game. Bottom line: If an inquiring mind had asked "Which team will win the Super Bowl?" He was an iron man for a powerhouse franchise that reached four Super Bowls while playing many of their home games in arctic conditions. Beachum has lined up at both left and right tackle but displayed Related:Most Overrated NFL Players of All Time. Overall, the total still ranks ninth at the position. But don't write him off as some 1960s product of the system. Also, the field was often a block of ice. The Jaguars, meanwhile, slowly descended to their current status as the NFL's punching bag. Wright earned a second-team All-1970s nod from the Pro Football Hall of Fame, even though several of his signature years were in the 1980s. His 2,690 all-purpose yards with the Titans in the 2000 season are second in league history. 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. That voter meant every fanbase has a beloved old defender, renowned for his toughness and leadership, that they swear belongs in the Hall of Fame. 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. And Jackson spent a generation as a pre- and postgame show staple, which puts him in a whole different category. Ryan was Jim Brown's quarterback and then Leroy Kelly's quarterback. The Bills were among the first teams to frequently operate without a huddle. He announced his retirement from pro football in 2010, not long after signing with the Arizona Cardinals. We could just trudge onward to the next player right now. He intercepted 34 passes for the Eagles and 54 in his career. 10. 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. He had one sack in four games, all Rams victories. The Hall of 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. Because he is one of the NFL's best defensive players, for one thing. For a few years, he was not only the best guard in the NFL, but the most important. He played 256 career regular-season games, never missing a start due to injury. His .588 win percentage ranks second to Wilson in team history. He was a participant in four Super Bowls and a member of two All-Pro teams. 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). Bottom line: Few remember Glen Edwards as the fearless strong safety with the Steelers first two Super Bowl teams. The Hall of Fame eluded Ellard for several reasons: comparisons to Rice, the Rams' move to St. Louis (it takes hometown writers and buzz to mount a campaign) and those five early seasons in a ground-and-pound offense. 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. Arizona Cardinals: Dan Dierdorf. 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. FEDERICO CHIESA. Young was a devastating interior pass-rusher who recorded 30 sacks in the three-year span from 1998 through 2000. Ron McDole falls into that final category. But none accomplished more than Ryan while receiving less acclaim. Then again, the fourth-round draft pick had no choice. Player B was a one-time MVP who played in two Pro Bowl games. "Because when the ball was thrown, I knew I had better ball skills and would go up and get it.". 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. In Jahri Evans' four All-Pro seasons (2009-12), the Saints ranked first, sixth, first and second in the NFL in total yards. These men did so much but received so little credit in return. Teams: New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Pro Bowl appearances: Four (1979, 1980, 1986, 1987). He is now stuck in a rebuilding cycle that may take a few years. Mike Kenn began his career playing left tackle for a lumbering 1970s power-running offense. During his first four seasons, three with the Ravens and one in Oakland, Waller caught just 18 passes on 29 targets while also being suspended all of 2017. 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. McDole's Bills defenses held opponents to fewer than 3.1 yards per carry across three consecutive seasons. Mills looks like just another local hero linebacker in the encyclopedias, albeit a good one. Super Bowl championships: Four (1966, 1967, 1972, 1973). 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. He played the run with authority (721 career solo tackles). He led his team to an NFL championship. "It was tough, but I was happy for those guys," Dunn told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 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. Allen has much in common with many others on this underrated list. 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. 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. Success came early for Fletcher, recognition late. Frank Ryan led the NFL in passing touchdowns twice. DeForest Buckner plays great team defense and has done so successfully for two franchises. If Marlon McCree hadn't fumbled that interception in the playoffs after the 2006 season, everything might have been different. But what peak years they were: 14- and 13-win seasons, annual playoff appearances, routine 4,000-yard, 30-touchdown seasons. Super Bowl championships: 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979. With Warfield hurt nearly all of that season, Ryan helped make a Pro Bowler out of receiver/punter Gary Collins. The fullback has become a non-factor in many of todays NFL offenses, but Juszczyk remains an integral part of how the San Francisco 49ers run their offense. Anderson is no Hall of Famerthe middle of his career is a morass of ordinary-at-best seasonsbut he was a pioneer and an innovator. 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. Craters so big that you could drive a semi through them. "Stanley Steamer" could run every route and was hell on wheels with the ball in his hands. Here on the All-Time Underrated List, it counts for a lot. Wouldnt you know it? Steve Atwater. Oh, and Norton scored the final touchdown of the game on a 9-yard fumble return. And to think, the guy never played in a Pro Bowl game. Bottom line: OK, kids, lets play Name That Hall of Famer. 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. Honourable Mentions Hajime Hosogai, Hertha Berlin DM, Age: 27 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. Let's hope the fame doesn't go to his head. On a walk-through between center and left guard, naturally. He then went on to start at left tackle for the playoff-bound Cardinals and 2000 NFC champion Giants. 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. Yes, Marshall amassed that sack total by playing foreverhe started270 games (plus 19 playoff starts) from 1961 through 1979. Moton has also committed just 10 penalties in over 50 career starts, an average of less than one penalty every five games. On the final play a year later, he picked off a Roger Staubach pass in the end zone that put the Cowboys to rest. But Brown was a unique and underappreciated player for over a decade on a team that nearly revolutionized the way football is played. But McCree did fumble. Fewer yet realize that he made a crucial play in each victory. Both of those seasons came, ironically enough, after Allen and Buddy were separated. While every fan base is sure to have two or three names they feel are undervalued and worthy of this list, here are my current top ten underrated players in the NFL. And he played in one stinking Pro Bowl game. 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. He was a Pro Bowl regular, two-time All-Pro and Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1971.