The NFL is filled with plenty of transcendent talent among all 32 teams that the league has to offer. Some players are given more recognition than others—with some becoming “underrated”.
Players like Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady, and Aaron Rodgers are at the forefront of the quarterbacks that everyone mentions as “the best”—and deservedly so.
Although, some guys get forgotten among the rest even though they can hold their own in the NFL too. Most teams have a few guys who may be overlooked in a lot of cases but are crucial to their team's success.
The quarterback position isn't the only one that sees guys neglected at their respective position because they may not be putting up historic numbers but are still supremely talented.
With that being said, here are the top five most underrated players in the entire NFL.
5. DeForest Buckner (DT, San Francisco 49ers)
Since being drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft, DeForest Buckner has been one of the most disruptive interior defensive linemen in the NFL. Of course, it's tough to fully showcase your worth when a guy like Aaron Donald is in the league.
When people share their opinion on the best defensive tackles in the NFL, you'll hear Donald, Fletcher Cox, Jurrell Casey, Geno Atkins, and Kawann Short mentioned. Rarely will you hear Buckner's name brought up in the discussion.
In his three seasons in the NFL, Buckner has racked up 21 sacks, 201 total tackles, 29 tackles for loss, and 60 hits on the quarterback. Last season alone, Buckner had 12 sacks, 67 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, and 20 hits on the quarterback.
Buckner is only 25-years old and continues to expand his game as he showed in 2018. The 49ers standout defensive tackle may not be mentioned among the best in the NFL but he should be in accordance with his production so far.
4. Robert Woods (WR, Los Angeles Rams)
The Los Angeles Rams have boasted one of the best offenses in the NFL in the past two seasons. One of the main reasons for that is having a versatile weapon like Robert Woods on the roster.
Woods signed with the Rams in 2017 after spending his first four seasons in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills. With the Bills, Woods never got the opportunity to fully showcase his talents as a receiver.
Then, in 2017, Woods broke out onto the scene by having career-highs in yards and touchdowns with Jared Goff as his quarterback. The Rams dynamic receiver would extend on his 2017 season with an even better 2018 campaign.
Woods would finish the 2018 season with 86 receptions for 1,219 yards, and six touchdowns. He also added 157 yards and a score on the ground—showing his versatility in Sean McVay's offense.
In the Rams offense, Woods is asked to do a lot that other team's number one receiver isn't asked to do much. That is, to run block and move around within the offense. Woods does everything you'd want a receiver to do and he does it exceptionally well.
3. Chris Harris Jr. (CB, Denver Broncos)
For years now, Chris Harris Jr. has been arguably the best slot corner in the entire NFL with the Denver Broncos. But slot corners usually don't receive the recognition that the elite corners in the NFL get.
When discussing the top players at the cornerback position, names like Jalen Ramsey, Patrick Peterson, and Josh Norman are mentioned. Harris Jr. would be lucky to have his name be brought up in the top 20 cornerbacks let alone the best.
Although, Harris Jr. has been a staple of the Broncos defense for years and is a key reason why they've been able to remain near the top of the league on the defensive side of the ball. Cornerback is a tough position to play in today's NFL but Harris Jr. is consistently phenomenal.
Not many times will you witness a slot corner who is capable of covering the opposing team's best receiver. That's where Harris Jr. is a rare commodity to have on a team. His numbers speak for themselves as well—corraling 19 interceptions and 80 pass deflections in his career.
2. Casey Hayward (CB, Los Angeles Chargers)
Another cornerback makes the list and this one comes at the expense of the Green Bay Packers. Sorry Packers fans, Hayward is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL and would be phenomenal on the roster right now.
Hayward played his first four seasons in the NFL with the Packers. In those four years, he amassed nine interceptions, 34 pass deflections, and 133 tackles.
Unfortunately, Green Bay decided to move on from the talented cornerback—with him signing with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2016. In 2016, Hayward showed the Packers that they made a mistake by getting seven interceptions, 20 pass deflections, and 57 tackles.
Hayward may not be big in stature like the guys who are considered the best cornerbacks but he more than holds his own. At 5-foot-11, Hayward is able to stick with the best of them when it comes to being physical or making a play on the ball.
Undoubtedly, Hayward deserves to be recognized as one of the best at his position for his consistency each and every year.
1. Harrison Smith (FS, Minnesota Vikings)
The most underrated player in the NFL shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. Harrison Smith has solidified himself as one of the best safeties in the NFL since being drafted to the Vikings in 2012.
Since then, he's done nothing but furthered his resume as one of the best at his craft. Despite his excellent production, Smith is rarely considered as the best safety in the NFL.
Since 2012, Smith has brought in 20 interceptions, 45 pass deflections, 566 total tackles, and 12 sacks. He is essentially a Swiss-army knife for the Vikings defense. Mike Zimmer loves to move Smith around to keep offenses guessing.
Earl Thomas and Tyrann Mathieu are two guys who are commonly considered the best free safeties in the NFL. At the same time, Smith could easily have an argument on why he is just as good as those guys.
Follow Us
Subscribe