Incredibly, McDole started 97 of the next 98 games. Mason also caught 49 postseason passes and was one of the game's best return men for a few years. Teams: Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Tennessee Oilers, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1984, 1988, 1989). The difference between the great and the all-time great is often a matter of timing and luck. Super Bowl championships: 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979. These are the most underrated college football players of all time. His 42-yarder in the 1990 NFC championship game rates as one of the greatest clutch kicks in league history. But Brown was a unique and underappreciated player for over a decade on a team that nearly revolutionized the way football is played. He began his career at the tail end of Jim Harbaugh's great defensive teams, but he has since battled both injuries and the incompetence of the Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly experiments. Watters was an undisputed winner at every level, winning a national championship at Notre Dame and a Super Bowl with the 49ers. He covered receivers (38 career interceptions). 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. Marshall cant get his name even on the preliminary Hall of Fame ballot. While Randle's 5,996 career receiving yards and 365 career receptions don't necessarily jump off the page, what does is his 65 career receiving touchdowns in just 120 career games, which ranks him among the top touchdown-per-game leaders in NFL history. His 2,690 all-purpose yards with the Titans in the 2000 season are second in league history. WebExpect a bigger workload and more scores in 2022. He intercepted 25 career regular-season passes and two more in the postseason. The Lions drafted him as a running back.

How he slipped through the cracks for 13 years remains one of the unsolved mysteries in pro football. Young played for some great 49ers teams, including a Super Bowl-winning squad as a rookie in 1994. Bottom Line: Leslie O'Neal's career sack total (132.5) would have been much higher had he not missed almost all of two seasons after suffering a devastating knee injury at the end of his rookie season in 1986. Wouldnt you know it? Born: Jan. 6, 1946 (Hattiesburg, Mississippi), Teams: Los Angeles Rams (1968, 1973-77), Philadelphia Eagles (1969-72), New England Patriots (1978-81, 1987), Minnesota Vikings (1982), Seattle Seahawks (1983), Career highlights: Three-time NFL All-Pro (1972, 1973, 1977), five-time Pro Bowl (1969, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977).

He should be remembered as more than a throwback to the era when Lawrence Welk references were topical. He led the NFL in receptions in 1958 despite never having caught a pass in a game before, and had his best season in 1965 with 66 receptions for 10 touchdowns on the way to being named NFL Player of the Year. Born: Oct. 15, 1953 (Chester, Pennsylvania), Teams: New York Jets (1977-87), Indianapolis Colts (1988), Career highlights: NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1981), three-time NFL All-Pro (1981, 1983, 1985), four-time Pro Bowl (1981, 1983-85), New York Jets Ring of Honor. WebTop 20 Most Underrated NFL Players of All Time Those who have knowledge of National Football League history are well aware of the more famous individuals who made their Here on the All-Time Underrated List, it counts for a lot. But he didn't play for the legendary 49ers teams. Dunn left Tampa Bay as a free agent after the 2001 season and headed to Atlanta, largely because of his relationship with Arthur Blank, the Falcons owner. He started for the Rams in their Super Bowl seasons at the beginning of his career and then earned Pro Bowl berths for Washington from 2009 through 2012 when he was in his mid-30s. 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. Web31 Likes, 5 Comments - NFL Draft Report (@the_nfldraftreport) on Instagram: "Next up in the prospect rankings, the WR position. Even so, Smith was pretty much a well-kept secret outside Pittsburgh despite meeting or approaching Pro Bowl standards for almost a decade. Louis Cardinals (1959-66), San Francisco 49ers (1967-68), Dallas Cowboys (1968), Career highlights: Two-time NFL All-Pro (1960, 1962), four-time Pro Bowl (1960-62, 1965).

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Web31 Likes, 5 Comments - NFL Draft Report (@the_nfldraftreport) on Instagram: "Next up in the prospect rankings, the WR position. 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. The former Ohio State star finished his rookie season in New York with 83 catches for 1,103 yards and four touchdowns. To make our list, a player must contribute to a winning effort while putting up bad stats, misunderstood stats or no stats. Anderson's 1,000-yard seasons came in a primitive offense with a rudimentary passing game. Jackson led the NFL in receiving yards twice, receptions once and receiving touchdowns once. Bottom line: Terrell Davis rushed for 2,008 yards in his momentous 1998 season, but look at the game films and you wont see him fake out many defenders or break many tackles. There will never be another player like Marshall. "That was my territory," Edwards recalled in The Palm Beach Post. Bottom line: Modern football fans never had the pleasure of seeing Ricky Watters or his distinctive, high-stepping running style in his prime. Craters so big that you could drive a semi through them. Dryer was one the most underrated defensive players in NFL history. Teams: Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, San Diego Chargers, Experience: 13 years (1950-59, 1963-64, 1966), AFL All-Star Game appearances: One (1963). Finally, in case you have a question about the prices on these: if you bet $125 on the Bills to go over 10.5 wins (i.e. 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. Bottom line: In the Steelers' 3-4 scheme, defensive ends were akin to smaller, more agile tackles run-stoppers first, pass-rushers second. Bottom line: Jason Kelce has been one of the dominant offensive linemen in the NFL over the last decade, making four NFL All-Pro teams and helping lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl upset of the New England Patriots. Through the 2018 season, Vinatieri checked in at 81 (56 of 69) and 99 (70 of 71), respectively. Seven times, he surpassed 1,000 yards on pass receptions, most of them on slants and corner routes. Rivers had neither, but he possessed just about everything else. Ryan was Jim Brown's quarterback and then Leroy Kelly's quarterback. Bottom Line: Pat Swilling was part of perhaps the finest assembly of linebackers in NFL history the New Orleans Saints' famous "Dome Patrol" of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Anderson was not Payton, and the later-era Mike Ditka Bears could never approach the heights reached by the 1985 Bears. He also scored 35 touchdowns on the ground in that span. Maybe that victory gives them the psychological edge they need to beat the undefeated Patriots in their 2008 playoff rematch. 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. WebNFL Network's Willie McGinest, Shaun O'Hara and LaDainian Tomlinson highlight three underrated players in the NFL. The system helped make Hall of Famers of Kelly, Reed and Thomas. https://sports.yahoo.com/dolphins-tyreek-hill-calls-teammate-155413084.html Passing wasn't really their thing.

Corey Maggette 10. Gore did not get his proper due during his career but was named to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team and should be a shoo-in when he's eligible to join the Hall of Fame in 2026. Free shipping for many products! sports The 10 Most Underrated College Football Players of All Time. If Mel Blount, Mike Haynes and teammate Lemar Parrish hadnt been in the same conference, Riley would have made more a few more Pro Bowl trips. Membership on various All-1960s teams. No matter. If the quarterback got rid of the ball before getting crushed, it was up to Allen to make a play. Bottom line: Jake Scott had a fascinating football career. Six All-Pro selections. 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. 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. 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. It takes bad timing and bad luck. Some NFL players don't get the love they deserve during their careers. He led the NFL in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in the 1970s but wasn't named to the NFL's 1970s All-Decade Team. Hes the only quarterback with AFL and NFL titles on his resume and he darn near pulled it off in the Canadian Football League as well. Without Kenn, there might not be free agency in the NFL, to say nothing of limitations on practice conditions and other initiatives that make pro football less dangerous than it was decades ago. His 0-6 record in the postseason is an NFL record for most playoff games without a win. Anchoring defenses with catchy names like the "Orange Crush?" No one plays guard expecting fame and accolades, least of all Wisniewski, who is worthy of all the gritty cliches you can sling at him. Many of those catches occurred down the field, with Anderson serving as a de facto possession receiver. If John Hadl is remembered for anything these days, it's for one of the most disastrous trades in NFL history. Bottom line: Anquan Boldin made up one of the better NFL wide receiver tandems of the modern era paired with Larry Fitzgerald on the Arizona Cardinals. Poor Louis Wright has a hard time even making the Broncos' overcrowded All-Snub Team. Addiction soon began consuming Smith's career, and then his life. He's also among the top 100 in games started (83rd), interception return yardage (89th) and interception return touchdowns (31st). For a few years, he was not only the best guard in the NFL, but the most important. Much of the Saints' offensive success in Evans' prime years is rightfully credited to Brees. The statue portrays jubilant Packers fans in tundra-weather gear appearing to cradle a player who just pounced into the stands. NaVorro Bowman trade rumors surfaced in early spring, only to be quickly squelched by new 49ers general manager John Lynch. He played his final college football season at Baylor in 1998 before working in a pawn shop and as a personal trainer while playing in the Arena Football League and NFL Europe. Teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1997, 2000, 2005). Kenn is one of the NFL's all-time great players and leaders, and his impact ranges far beyond his playing career. Bottom line: If an inquiring mind had asked "Which team will win the Super Bowl?" LeRoy Butler, S, Packers. Bottom Line: Cornelius Bennett forced a trade from the Indianapolis Colts to the Bills after being drafted in 1987 and was one of the best linebackers in the NFL for the next decade-plus. Wagner has set himself apart over the last decade and may already have earned a spot in the Hall of Fame as an eight-time NFL All-Pro, eight-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion. How good were Boldin and Fitzgerald together? Robinson was one of those players. He had the speed to get to the edge and beat defenders down the sideline, the power to plow through tackles, the elusiveness to make things happen in the open field and receiving chops to rival contemporaries Roger Craig or Thurman Thomas. Defensive Player of the Year awards? 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. He ranked second in the decade with 114 TD Bottom line: Warrick Dunn overcame the murder of his mother, bouts with depression and 5-foot-9 size to have a successful 12-year NFL career. He played the entire 2007 AFC championship game with a torn ACL. One of the greatest defenders of his era reduced to stuntman status in Campbell's action movieall it takes is a moment to make a player underrated forever. That made Hull one of the first centers to make line adjustments on the fly. In an era when 50 percent completion rates and 20-interception seasons were common for Pro Bowl quarterbacks, Anderson's 64.9 percent completion rate and quarterback ratings above 90 look like temporal anomalies. Were talking about the most unsung, underappreciated players in NFL history here. 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. McDole was known as "The Dancing Bear" because of his nimble feet, one of the coolest nicknames ever. Bottom line: After Steve Bisciotti became a multimillionaire via his staffing company, Aerotek, he purchased 49 percent of the Baltimore Ravens in 2000 for $275 million, then purchased the rest of the team for $375 million in 2004 a combined $600 million for the franchise. Teams: New York Giants (2002-03), Indianapolis Colts (2004), Miami Dolphins (2004), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2005-08), Atlanta Falcons (2009-19). Riley, who died in 2020 at 72 years old, was the head football coach at Florida A&M for 12 seasons before becoming the school's athletic director until his retirement. But there is no player; fans themselves get to "leap" into the statue for photo ops. There's a statue outside of Lambeau Field commemorating the Lambeau Leap, perhaps the most recognizable and beloved (except to Packers opponents) end-zone celebration in the NFL. Running backs suffer none of the "didn't win the big game" biases that color our perception of quarterbacks. But few cornerbacks spent more of their careers in the crosshairs than Allen. Bottom line: The Greatest Show On Turf boasted so much star power you couldnt tell the other Rams without a program. 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. Sometimes it's because they played next to even bigger stars and sometimes it's because they played on terrible teams. Drew Brees endured an average of just 24 sacks per season in Evans' All-Pro seasons, despite typically dropping back to pass over 650 times per year. A year removed from a torn ACL and having to deal with being the guy with Von Miller injured, Chubb went on to earn a 79.4 pass-rush grade in 2020, which ranked 13th at the position. Riley's 65 career interceptions rank among the NFL's all-time greats, and he was a three-time NFL All-Pro. With the NFL draft fast approaching, were looking at every player selected with the tenth pick since 2000. So LeRoy Butler, innovator of the Lambeau Leap, is excluded from his own statue.

6 on the NFL career passing list. Schlereth started in three Super Bowls with the Redskins and Broncos, all of them victories. He then went on to start at left tackle for the playoff-bound Cardinals and 2000 NFC champion Giants. Kelce's brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, is one of the all-time greats at his position and a Hall of Fame lock. Mike Kenn began his career playing left tackle for a lumbering 1970s power-running offense. He was an iron man for a powerhouse franchise that reached four Super Bowls while playing many of their home games in arctic conditions. 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. His franchises just kept ending up on the wrong side of history. Career highlights: NFL champion (1964), four-time NFL All-Pro (1963-65, 1969), seven-time Pro Bowl (1963-68). With Warfield hurt nearly all of that season, Ryan helped make a Pro Bowler out of receiver/punter Gary Collins. Bryant had his best season in 2016, at 41 years old, when he made his only Pro Bowl and led the NFL in scoring. He went on to star at Temple before becoming part of "The New York Sack Exchange" on the New York Jets with Mark Gastineau in the 1980s, when Klecko was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1981. An undrafted quarterback out of the late Milton College (Wisconsin), Krieg got them to the postseason four times and the AFC championship game once. Zach NFL career: Cleveland Browns (2005-12), New York Jets (2013), Indianapolis Colts (2014) Bottom Line: Josh Cribbs. With his career spread evenly across three teams and zero All-Pro selections (a consequence of playing in the same era as Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher), Fletcher is a Hall of Fame long shot. "Even now I still get pissed off. After being named SEC Player of the Year at the University of Georgia in 1968 as a junior, he left school early to go play in the Canadian Football League for one season before heading to the NFL in 1970. 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. Quick: Name the 49ers' all-time sack leader. He had 44 career sacks and as many as eight in a season on two occasions. Neal Anderson replaced Walter Payton. Teams: San Francisco 49ers (2005-14), Indianapolis Colts (2015-17), Miami Dolphins (2018), Buffalo Bills (2019), New York Jets (2020), Career highlights: NFL All-Pro (2006), five-time Pro Bowl (2006, 2009, 2011-13), NFL 2010s All-Decade Team. Karl Mecklenburg. Webmost underrated nfl players 2000s most underrated nfl players 2000s